New Year Resolution

It will be approximately 5 weeks left before the new year of 2009. Besides enjoying the upcoming festive holidays, I believe it's a great time to review the 'achievement' in the year of 2008 and also listing some new goals for 2009.

In fact, I have to admit that I have never come up with any new year resolution for over 27 years of my life until I started it in the year of 2006. Since then, I have make it a habit to review and set the resolution annually because I have started to see improvements in my life!

'Personal Transformation' is the theme for my new year resolution in 2008. I have spent massive efforts in identifying my weaknesses, seek expertise advices and execute some plans to improve myself to be a better person. Besides, I have also expand my views with several trips to new places this year.

I have visited 4 countries, 8 cities and 8 airports this year (details as below). Out of these cities, some in my list were not achieved, while some appeared to be 'bonuses' to me. Nevertheless, they were still pleasant trips that expanded my exposure and experience in learning more about the cities, people and countries. There will more interesting new experiences for 2009!

4 Countries

• China
• Vietnam
• Singapore
• Thailand

8 Cities

• Beijing
• Shanghai (twice)
• Hangzhou
• Suzhou
• Ho Chi Minh
• Singapore
• Bangkok (three times)
• Chiangmai
  

8 Airports

• Kuala Lumpur International Airport
• Beijing Capital International Airport
• Shanghai Pudong International Airport
• Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
• Tan Son Nhat Internation Airport
• Singapore Changi Airport
• Suvarnabhumi Airport
• Chiangmai Airport

In the coming year, I would like to theme it 'Rejuvenating 2009'- a year for re-build and enhancement.

I highly recommend that you also write down your goal/new year resolution (if you have not started doig so) as it will help you to have a clearer picture of your direction you are heading to, helps you to review your course of actions and realign them back if you are off the course. You may try the approach James Arthur Ray taught.

Simply, we need 3 big pieces of paper. Then label them as the following:

• WHAT I WANT TO BE
• WHAT I WANT TO DO
• WHAT I WANT TO HAVE

Start on the WHAT I WANT TO BE sheet, start writing down all the things you want to be, in the aspects of physical, mental and spiritual, for five minutes without letting your pen stop.

Then continue with the WHAT I WANT TO DO and WHAT I WANT TO HAVE with the same aspects as above for 5 minutes non-stop respectively.

From the list you have made, you may want to categorize them by short term, medium term and long term goal. You may also create your own Visualization Board and place it in front of your desk to always remind yourself about these goals.

Once you can clearly see the vision and starts to manifest, you will experience the great achievements.

I wish you all the best for the coming year of 2009!

Huat Heng

Change

Many people are affected by it. Many people spend sleepless nights over it. There are different changes in life. Change of bosses at work, change of teachers in school, change of economic environment.

Some people embrace it. Many people despise it.

I am sure at some point you would have stopped to think why there are so many changes. Why is this happening to me? I wish things where like the good old days. So how do we handle it? How do we address it?

I would like to share with you an experience I faced when I was travelling in a bus during a weekend to Penang. Normally, just to kill time, I like to listen to motivational audio tapes.

That particular day, I was listening to this tale from an author of the book “Who moved my cheese”. For those who don’t know, it’s a book relating to how to deal with change.

I found it very interesting and many points from that book changed some perceptions of mine. So I feel this is good to share them with you all.

WHAT
So what is this story about?

There are 4 characters. 2 are mice and two are little men-Hem and Haw. They all live in maze and live on cheese. Each character has its own characteristics. Well, cheese is a metaphor for our career, life, interests…etc.

Their daily job is to search for cheese in the maze. This involves running around in the maze and locates the cheese to survive. Now this task goes on day after day.

Apparently one day the group stumbles on a area in the maze having a huge reserve of cheese. They are all very happy.

The little men think they have arrived and became complacent. They decide to settle in that area of the maze. While the mice continue to be alert the human become complacent that they already accomplished what it takes and decided to settle down. As time goes by, supply dwindles and one day the cheese is no more. Hem is very angry. “Why is this happening to me? I don’t deserve this!” he shouted.

Does this sound familiar? While Hem is arguing with Haw, the mice look at the situation of no cheese, realize its change, take the running gear off their necks and start to search for new cheese.

They didn’t over-analyze things. They were prepared.

After a few days of starving, Haw - the little person, has a change in mind. He laughs at himself for his folly. He feels helpless but realizes that sitting there fuming over what happened is not going to solve the problem.

He decides to move on and find new cheese. He is scared because he has not done it in a long time. Hem tries to persuade him with ‘what if there is no cheese out there?’…etc.

Haw does not want to listen to him. He decides to start searching for cheese with the end picture in mind.

Initially it’s not a good feeling running into the dark corridors coming out from the comfort zone. But as time progresses, he begins to love what he is doing. He begins to believe in himself. Ultimately, he finds his cheese.

WHY
Why is this tale being told? How significant is to me? There are times in life when everything goes smoothly, we are complacent and we don’t want to take risks anymore. And suddenly changes happen. And most of the people are helpless.

HOW
What could be done? I really felt that one should act like what Haw did- to move on with clear picture of the end result in mind, which is cheese :) He laughed at his own folly of not acting earlier and started to find new cheese.

You will be surprised what the mind can churn up when it’s charged or instructed accordingly.

We need to look at things positively and act swiftly without over-analyzing things.

As what Haw did in the story, by letting go and beginning to search for new cheese, he trusted what lay ahead and started to feel good again. Ultimately he found new cheese.

The same happened to me at work. I feel better again and people tend to notice too.

Many a times it’s the fear that holds people back. As Haw found the new reserve of better quality cheese, he wrote on the wall this quote, “When you move beyond fear, you become free and happy”.

GKing