Choosing

This Saturday morning is rather cold, well normally this is the indication that Chinese New Year is coming and here we are in the New Year. As what I mentioned before, this is the beginning of a new cycle of my life as another 10 years will see another challenging cycle.

As usual Saturday and Sunday will usually be a great reading time for me. I have a habit to separate the different section of the newspaper and always start with the business column. There are two articles in the business section that attracted my attention. Well this is not about the main story but about two prominent Malaysian and how they dealt with their up and down of their career.

It might be two different stories but a common point, “a decision to be made at a specific point of time”. I have no intention to illustrate what is in the article but I would like to share with you what is my thought after reading the articles.

Everyone at the beginning of their career life, hope to be successful and one day achieve their social status. For example, an accountant might eventually hope to become a CFO and some executive out there might want to be a CEO and consider that is as the peak of their career life. They would regard that as successful in life.

Well friend always ask me whether I considered myself a successful person. I always said I don’t know and my measure of success might be different from the others. When what you gain is more than what you lost then you consider yourself successful. This is not measured only on monetary term but also the qualitative measurement which I consider as the key part for the measurement of success.

Executives who are now holding key position might consider themselves successful and most of the time they are not willing to step down from their position and holding on to it. One of the reasons might be economical reason where you got to live with the pay package given to you. The other reason might be the social status given to you that you are holding on to it.
Holding to the social status might be the main reasons as compared to the economical reasons. For example, I have a friend who is holding senior position in a company. He admitted to me that if he were to open a small shop, and do a small business his income might be higher than what he is earning now, however he will lost his social status by being a senior executive in a big corporation.

That might sound ridiculous to many of you, but that is the true fact out there. However the article I read today is different. It is all about a prominent Malaysian giving up a high level CEO position for the reason of family. That easily cost a few millions of income a year yet she opts to be out and spend more time with her family.

Yes economical issues will still be there and it is rather naïve of you thinking that once should stop every activity with the decision made. You might not be a CEO of a conglomerate but you might start a small business or doing other work that could compensate your income. Believe me what you gain might be more than the social status that you have lost.
To those of you out there, money when it come to certain level might not be your concern as you have built up the skill and experience to acquire it, it is the thirst for other needs or wants in life that dry your energy out and make you a slave towards the other needs and wants to you are looking forwards.

On the other hand how about having a fall on your career life? It is common to talk about job retrenchment, unable to get a job and it is the employer market now. However to me this might just be a “life cycle” and it is not threatening to your career. What is more crucial and critical here is that how should a person dealt with when he/she falls from a hero to zero?

I have personally gone through that. There are three things that you should do when you faced such situation. First you got to be patient when such situation comes after you. The fall might be due to some reasons that is out of your control and not within your plan. There will be a solution out there but you just need to be patient for the time to come and hold on to it, never give up.
Secondly, do not leave your life empty at this period of time. Fill up your life with healthy activities which add value to you. For examples, reading, traveling social works and others. Equip yourself and wait for the time to come. Get yourself ready for the next challenges to come. Prepare yourself for the challenges.

Thirdly, take off all noises and disturbance surrounding you. You might not want to hear baby crying, grumbling from others, discouragement from friends and families, all these to be a re rubbish and stay away from it to maintain your emotion. Once a person is facing challenges in life those disturbance will distract him and it will de-motivate you from think “you can”.
I am not saying that one should give up life easily but when you are facing such situation and need to make a choice thin k about what I have written and hope I share a fair piece with everyone out there. Be aggressive in life but when it is time to slow down or sacrifice some part of it act maturely and weight the gain and loss.

Well after I finish this article, I am going to write some simple goals in the next 10 years. Simple goal starting from buying a Rolex watch to a dream of getting financial freedom will be in the list. You have your choice but again when you face challenges in life act wisely.

Understand what we are doing would build up our self confidence. All the best!