Personal Effectiveness

Requiements capture

2011-04-09T20:55:00.000+08:00

Gathering requirements is both an art and a science. There are numerous project templates on the web that can be used to capture or gather project requirements.

It is a science because these templates guide an analyst to gather the user requirements for a project. It is an art because the template only has headings or guidelines. It is a generic template and the analyst has to use common sense and industry knowledge to probe and distill user requirements into a specific, measurable and deliverable requirement.

Most requirements focus on the functional aspect of a project. These are termed "user requirements". These are the functions or use cases the user must have or would like to have delivered through the project.

The architectural requirements are normally done as part of design, or worse still, an after-thought. I define architectural requirements as other requirements not pertaining to the functional aspect of the project. For example, security requirements, performance requirements, scalability and extensibility requirements, availability requirements. From this list alone, you can deduce that the term "user" goes far beyond the business user or the user that specifies the functional use cases. The project team's interaction must now encompass the customer's security team, systems and infrastructure team, application maintenance team.

If requirements capture is viewed in this manner, the project team will begin to identify the various "users" needed for project success and begin building close working relationships with the extended eco-system. The relationships cannot be a one-off relationship. It is an on-going relationship as the project progresses.

Bernard
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Reviews are critical in project management!

2011-04-01T22:40:00.001+08:00

Core technical skills, software design, writing code are all considered important and critical activities of a project. The perceived "softer" activities such as regular project reviews are considered optional.

This situation is very common in projects. Software design and writing code produces visible results such as the software module or use case that can be viewed and tested. You can't see or view the result of project review. If project reviews are done correctly and properly, and the project progresses without major issues, no one will acknowledge or miss the importance of project reviews. The importance of project reviews are often overlooked.

In my experience, project reviews, if done correctly and properly, keeps the team focused, productive and more importantly, effective. In my opinion, it is a critical activity.

However, how many would agree to this? If the project is on track and progressing well, no one will acknowledge this point. If the project is failing, some may acknowledge this point, others will blame the software design, code quality, coding standards, scope creep. While there is some truth in this, project reviews help prevent major catastrophes and at least, identify and highlight such catastrophe may be on the horizon and the team needs to take corrective action.

Bernard

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Deluge of Project Documentation

2011-03-28T20:25:00.001+08:00

I have heard of projects where a huge number of project documentation is required. The number of project binders sits proudly on desks and shelves, exuding the aura of importance and completeness.

I have found that nothing can be further from the truth. Many of these documentation took a long time to create, edit and review...and never used again. What a waste of effort and time, time that could be have been put to better use.

However, I do agree that documentation is required. There has to be a balance as to what is essentially required, what is nice to have. Those that are essential to the project will always be referenced, used, corrected, modified to reflect the project's current status.

Documentation should be used as a means to record critical decision points, important design elements and motivation behind the through process.

I do not recommend going overboard with documentation. A careful selection of project documentation will serve the project well during its formative stages, through its operational phases and till it is retired from operation. Add in additional documentation only as needed to serve a critical specific purpose that can be used throughout the project's lifecycle.

Bernard
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Tight process required to successfully manage projects?

2011-03-23T22:15:00.001+08:00

Is a tight process really necessary to manage a project successfully?

Well, yes and no. A-ha! Another one of those wishy-washy answers! Well, yes and no.

A project manager must understand the need for a process and the benefits it brings, together with the disadvantages it inherently has.

Why is a tight process beneficial?

It allows the project to progress like clockwork. It provides predictability to every activity, every behaviour from team members, every deliverable. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? In my humble opinion, it IS too good to be true. A project is conceptually a set of steps organized into a set of activities that are to be accomplished by a certain time with a set of finite resources (people, technology, budget to name a few). A project is a living, breathing part of life. Life is as predictable as the next second in time. If a project were to be run with such an extremely tight process, it will kill team morale and team innovation. Yes, innovation in a project may seem far fetched. Innovation and creativeness are required in projects to enhance effectiveness of systems, to find solutions to very tough problems.

On the other hand, without a tight process, a project will be run like a country without any government. No direction, no leadership, no guidance and doomed to failure.

So how is a balance struck?

In my humble opinion, there should be a set of strict project processes that are made know to all stake holders. Exceptions are allowed only with approval from the project manager. For example, timely reporting, timeline and duration of project phases and activities, escalation process to name a few. There may be 5 to 7 broad strict processes. No one really remembers more than 7 to 10 things anyway. keep is simple. keep it top of mind always.

There should be a broad set of guidelines that create the boundary of the project. For example, identification-fix cycle duration, how much scope creep is allowable, do not design to perfection but design to usability with resuability that meets performance and security requirements.

These are my thoughts on how tight a process is really needed. A difficult question to answer indeed. This is where the project manager's skill and EQ becomes critical, how he/she manages the team's morale and effectiveness without killing innovation and motivation, while charging ahead to complete the project on time and within budget.

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Rescue a failing software project?

2011-03-20T14:23:00.002+08:00

Can a failing software project really be rescued?

The answer is YES...with a few qualifications.
Can a failing software project be rescued in the traditional sense? No.

Let me explain.

The word "rescue" is vague. It carries a lot of different expectations and perceptions. To some, "rescue" means saving the project so that it can complete its original objective, on time, on budget. To others, "rescue" means completing the project. Other opinions refer "rescue" to "mercifully" terminating the project.

So you see, rescuing or saving a project is very possible, depending on definition and expectations. But all this is a play on words.

The real question is whether a failing software project can be saved such that the project completes its original objectives and make an attempt to be on time and within the stipulated budget. My honest answer and experience is that sometimes it is possible, at other times it is impossible.

Why impossible?

For example, if a building were built on an extremely weak foundation, or the building plans were drawn out with major defects, the building will be deemed as unsafe and will probably have to be torn down where rectification works will not suffice.

Likewise with software projects. In fact, besides the technical aspects, the more important aspects are expectations of timeline, cost, ego, and pride. If a failing software project were to be rescued, it has to be looked at from the technical, timeline and cost aspect. If there is too much ego, pride and politics involved, the rescue will never succeed. Maybe it was these softer issues that caused the project failure in the first place.

My humble opinion.

Bernard
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Live it up...and listen!

2010-08-05T00:52:00.001+08:00

Life is short. Live it.

We are all blessed with gifts. Many don't see their gifts or the gifts of others. Everyone has a story to tell, from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs. Some inspirational, some of heartache, some of tragedy, some of fulfillment.

Every story is important. Each story is a learning experience. If we can write the stories of everyone and learn from it, what a truly wonderful this place will be. We will see and learn that we are all connected in some way. What we do touch each life in one way or another, directly or indirectly.

What we think, say and do affect those we know directly, which in turn will affect others indirectly. When we begin to look at things this way. we then realize what is truly important. Everyone deserves to be heard and understood, from the youngest child to the oldest person.

Happiness will pass. Worries and troubles will pass. Glory will pass. Failures will pass. What we have is now, so make use of it.

In my opinion, this is the best way of building strong bonds with family,m with friends, with project teams.

Bernard

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Bad project manager?

2010-03-08T23:47:00.001+08:00

You may have started a new project or have been managing one for some time. Your project may have slipped, may be delayed a bit or in downright trouble.

Does this mean you are not a good project manager? Not so.

Many factors come into play. Many factors may have been out of your control, although the sage saying is that everything should be in the project manager's control.

Is this really true? What do you think?

I think not. Experienced project managers know that they can control what they can control and only influence what they cannot directly control. For example, inter-departmental politics, vendor politics, customer politics.

The project manager must attempt to influence the situation so that all interested parties move the project in the same direction, which is forward towards the launch date. We all know this doesn't always happen.

So what can we do?

Control what is within your control and influence interested parties. The main point is for the team to keep pushing progress foreward. There will come a point where the project is ready and no matter the politics, the project is simply ready for launch. Nothing else to debate or discuss.

This is easier said than done as it requires skillful management to keep the team morale high and keep the team together.

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Managing life and projects

2009-12-22T23:33:00.004+08:00

Would you manage your life the way you manage a project? Or rather, would you manage your project the way you manage your life?

Is there a difference? Yes and no. Managing requires skill, expertise and thoughtful planning and execution.

When IT projects are managed, there are lots of flexibility and leeway given to the scope, robustness of testing, and disciplined execution. What if the IT project was to create a system that dealt with life and death situations? how different would that perspective be?

With life and death situations, more careful thought, planning, execution, ensuring all requirements are duly met, robustness and fail overs are included. In many non-critical IT systems, this is not the case. So what if there is a bug here, a failure there? Simply restart the system or simply log the error and rectify it later.

Would you walk into a skyscraper that had been built without a firm foundation, where the developer skimped on materials, had shoddy workmanship, and building approvals were lacking? I think not because your life is at stake the minute you walk into that building and the building could collapse.

If we treat each and every IT project with such a mindset, both the users and vendors will be more careful with scope, requirements, development, testing and eventually, have a system that will meet the end-user's needs.

I'd like to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year 2010. Happy Holidays everyone.

Bernard

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Personal effectiveness and project management?

2009-09-15T22:24:00.003+08:00

I received questions after my latest post. What has taking action and personal effectiveness have to do with project management?

My simple answer: EVERYTHING!

Let's take a look at an organization structure that is built for a higher chance of success...an army! It's about life-or-death situations with an army. Isn't this true with projects? It may not look like a life-or-death situation, but it certainly feels like one when you are in it! :)

An army functions like a well oiled engine. All moving parts know what each part is supposed to do. Each individual part knows what it is supposed to do, and they are expected to do it well.

The strength of any organization or team lies with the individual.It is the collective individual that together bring a team or organization towards this success. Every individual needs to be effective and competent in what they do. In this way, groups of individuals become effective and achieve their goals. This translates to higher order or groups and eventually, into a larger group known as an organization.

In the project, if individuals are not effective, the team cannot proceed smoothly. The project manager must find ways to promote effectiveness and more importantly, to ensure effectiveness either through mandated processes or through informal means.

Whether I'm involved in reviewing projects that are successfully executed or projects that require assistance, I always want to know the modus-operandi of the individual and processes that were instituted that contributed to the current outcome (whether positive or negative).

I'm old school. I have the belief that everyone in a team wants to do the best job they know how, provided they are given the tools to perform. In my view, knowledge and information are considered as tools. If these individuals to not know where they are headed, the project is headed for big trouble.

This is the linkage between personal effectiveness and project management. Everyone in the team counts. The trick is how to harness that positive energy from each individual so that the sum total positive effectiveness of every individual is greater than the team.

The word "effectiveness" can mean many things, which I will discuss in future blog entries.

This is the trick to successful project management. I have personally used and witnessed the power of an individual and how it can lead to a successful turnaround of a project in trouble.

Bernard

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Decisions you make, when all the stars in the universe align and a cup of coffee!

2009-09-15T00:08:00.005+08:00

What a day! It began like any other day. Within one hour, it was as though all the stars in the universe were aligned. The decisions my wife an I made early in the morning caused the stars in the universe (my universe) align.

Decision #1
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My daughter had classes really early this morning. I decided to drive her to school at 6.40am, and head to Starbucks by the beach. I had decided to have Bagel and coffee for breakfast with my wife before getting started on my work.

As luck would have it, we were too early. Yup. At 7.30am, Starbucks was closed. We were sorely disappointed. We stood outside Starbucks for 10 minutes, deciding where we could go to fill our growling hungry stomachs.

Decision #2
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Between going to a hawker centre and a McDonald's by the beach, we decided to have breakfast at McDonalds.

Decision #3
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While at McDonalds, we took 5 minutes to decide on our breakfast. It was a difficult choice because we were set on having bagels. As we were about to place our orders, a voice behind me said, "Why aren't you in Korea?".

Conrad, an old school mate and buddy of mine, had also just dropped by McDonalds for breakfast with his wife after sending their kids to school. He is also one person who would kick me if I did not complete writing my book "How to rescue failing software projects", which I eventually did and got it listed on Amazon! (Believe me, you don't want to be kicked by Conrad!)

What a coincidence. We had a really nice chat, catching up on the latest happenings in his field of work and compared notes on family tips.

It wasn't long before Conrad's sister, Gwen, came roller-blading by. Another coincidence. She teaches in an education centre that my son attends. She also mentioned that another common friend of ours was having breakfast with his wife at another coffee joint.

Adam, the other "common friend", and his wife, came by McDonalds and we all sat around a small table, sipping on coffee while catching up with each other. Adam is the other person who gave me the inspiration to write my book.

While we sat around a table sipping coffee, we didn't talk about business. There were no expectations placed on any of us. We were relaxed and comfortable, sharing our experience and insights freely

What are the chances that a group of friends can get together by being at the same place, at the same time and doing the same thing? All the stars in the universe must have been aligned!

What has this got to do with effectiveness and project management? A lot. It may seem like a simple get-together, but the same concepts learned from this simple setting can be very powerful.

Observation #1
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Simple decisions can determine the outcome of major tasks. If my wife and I hadn't made the decision to have breakfast together at Starbucks, this chain of events wouldn't have happened. It takes one decision to get the ball rolling.

Observation #2
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When one door closes, another opens. If we hadn't made the decision to have breakfast at Starbucks, we wouldn't have had the opportunity to make an alternative decision to have breakfast at McDonalds. If we didn't have breakfast at McDonalds, we wouldn't have met Conrad and Adam with their wives, and Gwen. If my wife and I had breakfast just 10 minutes earlier or 10 minutes later, we wouldn't have had the gathering. A closed door or failed opportunity leads to another open door, provided a decision is made to take action.

Observation #3
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Not all get-togethers or meetings need to be about business. In managing projects, project managers and team members are up to their necks with uncompleted tasks. It does pay to have small breaks, or small celebrations on milestone completions. These breaks and celebrations are just that...real breaks. It should not be done on a pretext of having a break, and end up having a meeting about the project over coffee. It is about building rapport. It is about understanding each other in the team. It is about building camaraderie and friendships. People relate best when they are relaxed and not have expectations put upon them. Especially in project teams where there is always a tight schedule and endless number of tasks, these friendships help the project team to have a higher morale and thus, leading to greater productivity.

I have personally experienced observation #3 when I was in the midst of rescuing projects. No matter how tired we were, we remained a cohesive team, We understood each other better, we could relate to each other's challenges better and we were willing to help each other out. There was a strong "give-and-take" attitude that enabled us to successfully turn projects around. Boundaries and walls within the team were chipped away naturally.

So, do not wait for all the stars in the universe to align before having a cup of coffee. Make that decision to enjoy a simple, freshly brewed, steaming hot cup of coffee with your family, with your team, with your boss, or just by yourself. You never know when and how the stars will align for you.

Bernard

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Do you believe in luck?

2009-04-12T12:26:00.005+08:00

IMG_3384
Originally uploaded by bernong1

"Boy, you're lucky". "I wish I was as lucky as you".

Is there really such thing as luck? Is luck given out to certain people and not others? Can we make our own luck?

I do believe there is luck. It is also another name for opportunity. Opportunities abound everywhere and anytime.

What we do with this opportunity determines our "luck". I believe we make our luck. We make our opportunities. Luck and opportunities do not mean 100% guaranteed success. It is simply a chance given to you to take action and make something out of the situation or need. Whether it succeeds or not depends on the actions you take or not take.

Every single action we take every single minute makes our "luck". We make our "luck" and we make it come true. The one factor that contributes to our success is a passionate and prudent use of time.

Use your time well. Every step you take should move you closer to your goals.

Make you own luck!

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What to manage in IT project management?

2009-04-12T11:51:00.002+08:00

What is there in an IT project that needs IT project management?

There are so many aspects to project management. Its a complex yet simple subject. Many project managers will have different perspectives as to what is important in IT project management. Project management associations and institutes have differing views as well. Despite these different views, there are common threads that run through each view.

Ironic? No. Just as a situation can be viewed in many different ways, a job can be accomplished in many different ways too.

IT project management encompasses the technical aspects of IT, which is about well designed architectures, well translated and implemented codes. It encompasses good project management practices such as a clear and well thought-out plan and schedule, contracts that are clearly agreed upon, expectations of the end goal well communicated and agreed. THere are many more facets to IT project management.

All these sound logical and usually requires common sense. However, for those who have been involved in IT projects know that "what will go wrong, will". Despite the difficulties, there are always ways to workaround and get the project delivered to expectations and within time and budget.

In each of these facets of IT project management, there are nuances and issues to be addressed. Some are complex issues that go beyond the technical realm. It requires human interaction, negotiation and effectiveness.

An IT project is like an army mission. Many supporting roles are required such as logistics, long range weapons, foot-soldiers, planning on deployment and timing of troop movement, attack and defence plan. All these have to work in tandem. The commander cannot focus on only one aspect and 'hope' that the other aspects of the mission will go well. The commander needs to know each and every aspect well in order to mobilize troops and make necessary adjustments for a successful mission.

Likewise for IT projects. Most project managers I know focus only on areas they are comfortable with, either on the plan and schedule, or technical, or contract. This is where project go awry.

A competent project manager needs to know every aspect of the project well. He may not be fully competent in a certain area, in which case, he needs to engage the helps of his team leads to provide him with accurate information...and go down to the ground to verify. Nothing beats real information from the ground.

When a project manager doesn't manage a project from a holistic perspective, he cannot manage effectively. WHen the project begins to fail, he will not be able to confidently steer the project to a successful completion. THis is one typical cause of project downfall.

Whether in projects or personal life, situations and projects must be looked at in a holistic manner. Neglecting an area can lead to a stagnation or detriment to the project or personal life.

Bernard

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Happy Birthday Singapore!

2008-08-08T10:18:00.014+08:00

Tomorrow 9 Aug 2008 is Singapore's 43rd year of independence. I had the opportunity to attend a preview parade a few weeks ago as the hard working parade participants went through their dress rehearsals in preparation for the big day tomorrow. I must say that I am impressed with the organization.

Do you have any idea the amount of planning and coordination that is required for such a parade to go on like clockwork? Timing for the parachuters, F-15 jet acrobatics, parade contingent and fireworks is precision work. There wasn't a dull moment.

This is done on a large scale and the parade will be televised throughout Asia through Channel News Asia.

This has effectiveness written all over. Every individual needed to know the grand plan, his team's plan and his own personal plan for this parade to function with such precision. Moreover, planning on paper put into...ACTION! Were there mistakes? I'm sure there were. The team must have worked hard to change their strategy and actions to meet the overall parade goals.

Isn't this what we should also strive for? If we plan and take action in our daily lives, how much of our life will move in the direction we want. And we change our actions if things do not go according to plan and take action again and again.

I've posted a few pics for your enjoyment. Take this time to take one of your goals and write down three action items that you will execute in the next 24 hours. Do it now and feel the power of goals. Goals without taking action is only a dream that will lead to regrets and "If only..." syndrome.

"Parachuters landing with precision on a thin strip of tarmac"

"Parade formed up and ready!"

"Marching in of the regimental colours." Very impressive march in.

"Fly-by of Singapore's national flag". The flag is huge and it requires weights at the bottom of it to stabilize it while the Chinooks fly it past the audience.

"Audience simply enjoying themselves"

I wasn't able to capture the night fireworks that were spectacular.

This wasn't an easy celebration to organize and execute. My kudos to the organizing team and all participants who put in so much effort to make this show a huge success, despite the heavy downpour and sacrificing so much time every week in practice. Thank You!

All things require planning. All plans must be executed by taking action to have any impact. Don't be passive goal setter. Go and get what you want and what you are worth. Take one action at a time.

...and once again...Happy Birthday Singapore! Happy holidays to all in Singapore.

Bernard

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Friendship and love knows no boundaries

2008-07-25T13:08:00.003+08:00

I found this video so heartwarming. It shows the love and friendship between two guys and a lion. Its amazing the animals remember and are able to reciprocate the love and friendship. Watch it. Enjoy it.

Bernard

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Effective change, now more than ever

2008-07-24T15:20:00.003+08:00

The economic turmoil happening in the U.S and other parts of the world is truly saddening. I read about bank writedowns, mounting job losses almost on a daily basis. I think of those who lost their jobs and what is to become of their livelihood, their families and their way of life? My heart goes out to them and their families.

Things change. Change is constant. There is no such thing as an "iron rice bowl", or a "guaranteed lifetime job". THere is a need to continually upgrade ourselves to stay relevant. In fact, we need to stay more than simply relevant. We need to be able to add so much value to the organization we work for. If we own our own business, we need to add that much more value to our business for the benefit of our customers.

Effective change is needed. This is where goals play an important role. Every individuals goals add up to meet a greater goal, be it the organization or family goals. If we continue drifting in life, the world will pass us by. The world waits for no one. Its survival of the fittest.

Every step we make towards our goals helps us prepare for the future. We need to train ourselves mentally, physically and spiritually to be resilient in good times and in troubled times.

Effective change doesn't guarantee job security. Effective change enhances resilience, tenacity, perseverance. All qualities necessary to push on when times are tough.

As Rocky said in the movie "Rocky":

"Its not about how hard you hit. Its about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward" (See my earlier post on the video clip)

If I recall correctly Michael Jackson's song "Man in the Mirror", the lyrics say "Make that change". It starts with the man in the mirror. The world doesn't change for you. You are all powerful. You have the power to change, no matter how small. You have the power to take action.

Set your goals. Visualize it.Take action now!

Bernard

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Achieved health goal

2008-06-29T22:44:00.006+08:00

Today, I achieved one of my health goals. I set my goal to swim 20 laps of an Olympic sized pool...and I did it.

I had set this goal a few months ago. I had not been swimming regularly. However, I had been exercising through practicing Wing Chun Kung Fu. Today, I went on swimming with ease for 20 laps, and it feels great!

I feel really good about myself. It isn't simply the exercise nor endorphins. Its the satisfaction of achieving a goal I set for myself, the execution steps that I took each and every exercise session. The real satisfaction is looking back at the small steps I took to achieve this goal.

As I had written several times, its each small step that makes a whole lot of difference. No one can achieve any goal without taking the first small step. Having a goal without the first small step and hoping to achieve the goal is simply a dream. It takes effort and focus to achieve goals. Anything worth doing always requires effort.

This is not the be-all and end-all. My next goal is to swim 40 laps by 30 December 2008. Having a goal and achieving a goal is not an end point. The larger picture is to lead a healthy life. I use martial arts and swimming as my avenues to achieve this overall objective.

Its a journey and I'm enjoying every bit of it!

Bernard

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Protect your dreams - part 2

2008-06-20T15:33:00.005+08:00

As a follow-on to my earlier post on Protect your dreams (Effectiveness, Wealth and Health: Protect your dreams).

I managed to get a clip from youtube of a scene from Pursuit of Happyness. Check this out.

This is so true. How many times have someone told you that you cannot, you can't, you shan't, you shall not, you never. When you were a child, how many times have you told yourself "I can", "I will", "I want to be", "I am capable of". We have let others point a finger at us to tell us why we can't. Check out this clip from Rocky. I find this inspirational.

I have set my goals and slowly working towards it. Yes there are difficulties. Yes there are sacrifices. Anything worth doing is worth sacrificing for. I am now taking this to another level. I have started to write a wish list. A piece of paper that will contain all my dreams. No constraints. No boundaries. No goal too big, No goal too small. And I'm committed to work and achieve each one of them

I will. I will achieve, and I believe you will too. All it takes is one small step. One small step at a time and we move closer to our goals.

Bernard

(All copyright and ownership of the videos belong to the original owners. Videos from youtube)
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Practice makes perfect!

2008-06-06T16:23:00.004+08:00

We've all heard of "Practice makes perfect". Do we really believe it? To me, this was simply an overused phrase. I never paid much attention to it, until now. While goal setting is important, execution is equally important. Why do some of us achieve our goals, and many drop out half way through the race?

Its execution. Sustained execution requires tenacity and applied effort. Goal planning and execution takes practice. Yes, practice. We have to practice executing until it becomes a habit. We are all creatures of habit. When execution becomes a habit, we can accomplish many things in life. Take a look at this video clip of advanced Wing Chung practitioners doing ChiSao blindfolded.

Such advanced skill does not come from 1 day of practice or theory or reading a book. It takes years of study, assimilating concepts, putting theory into practice, getting knocked about, learning from unsuccessful experiences to be better. With each practice, sensitivity is built and the mind and body perform reflex responses like habit.

This is the same in achieving anything we want. We must form habits of success. We must form habits of executing, sustained execution. It does take effort. That is why the majority always sets goals at the beginning of the year without any sustained follow through. They wonder why they didn't achieve their goals.

What about me?

One of my goals is to sell 2 books on ebay. I've already sold 1.

Another of my goal is to write a book. I've already done the planning and begun writing. I've got about 30 A4 pages done already. I've spoken to a best selling author to understand the process of writing and publishing a book.

Another of my goal is to spend time with my family on a holiday. I'm going for a short holiday this week to do just that.

And I feel good as I execute step by little step, closer to my goals for this year.

Practice does make perfect. There is truth in that.

Bernard

Copyright for video belongs to the owner and author of the video. Video from YouTube.

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006-2008.
All Rights Reserved
http://www.bernard-ong.com
http://mrbolt.blogspot.com

Wing Chun Masters in action

2008-05-30T11:29:00.003+08:00

This video clip from YouTube shows GrandMaster Ip Ching (who is Ip Man's son) doing Chi Sao with Master Samuel Kwok. Its a very highly skilled ChiSao. You can see each manouvering themselves to control the other's advances or intentions.

Just thought I'd share more about Wing Chun.

The ownership and copyright of the video belongs to the creator of the video, or the participants in the video.

---------------------------
Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006-2008.
All Rights Reserved
http://www.bernard-ong.com
http://mrbolt.blogspot.com

Protect your dreams

2008-05-18T23:42:00.005+08:00

I recently watched the movie "Pursuit of Happyness". Its a heart wrenching, yet very powerful movie for me. I was inspired by the sheer strength, pure determination of steel of the character Chris Gardner to create a better life for his son and himself, and to honour his commitment to his son. Chris withstood formidable odds that many would have simply given up and taken an easy way out.

There was a scene in the movie where Chris told his son to protect his dreams. Those who can't achieve those dreams will tell you the same thing. Learn to protect your dreams and not let anyone distract or dissuade you from it.

When we were young, we had many dreams...to be an astronaut, a fireman, a soccer star, a kung fu master, a scientist, an inventor and the list goes on. Do you notice we had many dreams when we were younger?

What happened to us as we grew older? Why did the number of dreams decrease? Are these dreams absurd? In my opinion, NO! Every dream is precious. Every dream is our innermost desire to make something of ourselves, to do something that we believe we will enjoy and make a difference. Along the way, we've been told not to waste our time on such trivial pursuits and focus on the real bread-and-butter matters. Study hard, get a good job. This is of course a good path. We can also have alternative paths that help us achieve our dreams, either later, or earlier. Dreams become reality. Its a matter of effort and sheer determination

Continue to dream. Dare to dream, for dreams take us to where we sincerely want to be.

Protect your dreams.

Bernard

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006-2008.
All Rights Reserved

Inspiring speech by Steve Jobs

2008-05-16T01:02:00.004+08:00

This is an awesome speech by Steve Jobs. Inspiring indeed! Stay hungry, stay foolish!

Copyright of the video belongs to the creator of the video. Video from YouTube.

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006-2008.
All Rights Reserved

What is Wing Chun Kung Fu?

2008-05-16T00:06:00.008+08:00

Wing Chun Kung Fu is a fantastic, thinking, scientific martial arts. As the legend goes, it was developed by a nun in China after the destruction of the ShaoLin Temple. It is a soft martial art that uses the opponents strengths to your advantage. Hence, a Wing Chun exponent will be able to "handle" larger, stronger opponents. It was also Bruce Lee's first and only martial art he was formally trained on.

This is the reason I had searched for a teacher for a long time. I'm currently training and still have so much to learn and experience. Its a simple art, but requires a high degree of skill and sensitivity development.

Words cannot express the art. Have a look at this video. THe Wing Chun practitioners are doing "sticking hands", which is a practice where arms are in contact and sensitiveity is developed. The movements (attack and defence) are not choreographed. It is free flowing. This is very close to a real fight. It helps to hone your skills and build confidence. Don't be fooled by the slow smooth action. Just imagine if these two are executing their moves in double quick time. It would result in severe injuries.

Experienced Wing Chun practioners are able to do "Sticking hands" blindfolded.

Copyright for the video belongs to the creator of the video. Video is from YouTube (C).

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006-2008.
All Rights Reserved

Cyber wellness

2008-05-15T15:29:00.003+08:00

I recently attended a talk on Cyber-wellness. The Internet has made this world of our much smaller, more convenient, quicker interactivity. However, the cyber world mimics the real world.

This talk is about the dangers that the web pose to children. We were shown blogs and websites that contained pornographic material, blogs that used vulgarities and promoted vulgarities as fashionable. Guess what? These sites have a very high number of hits per day.

Children and teenagers use the Internet to do research extensively. Its part and parcel of school life in Singapore. These young minds may and probably will inadvertantly surf to these undesireable sites by clicking on a well masked link from a search page. They may not know how to respond to what they see and read. These young and impressionable minds begin to form ideas and perceptions of the world as to what is generally accepted, which may be morally or ethically wrong.

There is no way to stop anyone from writing or posting anything. The web has become an inexpensive but powerful way of getting noticed and having your name/thoughts/writings published for a world audience. This is really freedom. However, in my view, freedom comes with responsibility and accountability.

Know your intent. Publish responsibly and be accountable for what you write, for there is nothing private on the Internet.

Why not use this medium of collaboration for the good of mankind. Why not use this medium to supercharge your readers with positive messages, giving your readers hope, inspiration and the determination to make a difference. It only takes one person to change the world. It takes only one simple act of kindness to change the world.

I remember a saying from the movie "Schindler's List". The PoW Stern quoted that "He who saves one life, saves the world entire".

As we continue our pursuit of our dreams and ambitions, let's empower those around us to also reach for their stars as we strive to reach ours.

It only takes one responsible act of kindness.

Bernard

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007, 2008.
All Rights Reserved

Achieve your dreams in 2008

2007-12-25T10:44:00.000+08:00

Do take this holiday period to clarify your goals, dreams and needs. Spend some time by yourself for yourself to rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit. Spend quality time with your family and friends, cherish the times you have with them, for one full year has passed since your last Christmas holidays. Time flies. We are all one year older since last Christmas.

What have we done? What have we achived? For me, its not so much about what I have achieved. I look at what action I have taken. Whether I achieve my goals is immaterial, as long as I continue to take action and learn from mistakes. I know that I will surely achieve my goals this way with less stress. Achieving my goals is not an end point, its a journey and I intend to enjoy it.

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Bernard

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

Enjoy the ride of life

2007-12-04T14:19:00.000+08:00

I just came back from a wonderful vacation in a neighbouring country with very cool weather. There was a theme park with several roller coaster rides. I'm really not one for roller coaster, but after riding on one, I was eager to go onto another ride!

My first ride was filled with fear and apprehension. Lots of ups and downs, twists and turns, positive and negative G-force.

I noticed something about myself. I need control over the environment to stay secure and safe. When the roller coaster dropped like a rock, my heart felt like it was going to come out of my mouth! After a while, I got used to the sensation of falling and began to enjoy the rides tremendously. I began to let go (not literally), site tight, go with the flow and enjoy the ride.

Isn't this true in life? We all go through ups and downs. Going up, we can take. Downs, we can't. Same in the roller coaster example. WHen we get used to going down, we begin to take it in our stride.

If we take action, there is always a result, either positive (up) or negative (down). After taking action several times, we will get used to such results, whether up or down, modify our strategy and move on. The point is that we have taken action and achieved a result to know our limitations or limitation of our strategy. This is feedback for us to modify our strategy and take action again until we achieve success.

Enjoy the ride. Ups and downs are part and parcel of life. The only time we do not have ups and downs is when we are dead! Take life and its results in our stride. Learn to live life, do not squander our time. Plan your life, plan your month, plan your day and have a wonderful life!

Just a note to those I have not replied to your comments or emails. I have received emails in my Bulk folder and removed them. If I had missed your email, I do apologise. I do appreciate your feedback and will reply. Better if you leave a comment to my posts. Any which way, comments always appreciated.

Thanks
Bernard

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

Focus your thoughts and enjoy your journey

2007-11-07T20:38:00.000+08:00

I recently went to a water theme park where there were different water slides of different heights. The ride on each slide was exhilarating. I learnt something during this trip.

On my first trip down a water slide, I was tense and adjusted myself as much as I could in order to relieve my fear. The more I attempted to adjust, the more tense I became, the worse my trip down the slide became. I didn't enjoy my first ride down.

On my second ride, I decided to relax. It worked. Instead of adjusting myself for perfection, I simply went with the flow of the water and I thoroughly enjoyed my journey on the slide.

I realized that in life, we tend to be very tense and plan to perfection before we execute. Perfection will never be achieved for one simple reason: We are only human. However, we can adjust our positions during our execution to move towards our goal. Relax during the journey and enjoy it you will experience this journey only once. When we look back, the memorable experiences we have are the ones that required our inner strengths to be tested. This is how we grow and become better each and every single day.

Enjoy your journey towards your goals.

Bernard

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

Everyone has a story to tell

2007-10-25T13:29:00.000+08:00

Do you like stories? Stories of strengh, stories of triumph, stories of good over evil, stories that warm your heart?

We all do. We all love to listen to stories. Believe it or not, we all also love to tell stories, especially when the stories belong to us. Ask anyone a simple question, " How did you have fun when you were a child?". You will hear endless stories of happy, sad, angry, disappointing childhood. THese are all stories.

Do you have a story to tell? Our story is being writen every single minute in the pages of time. Do you notice it? What's your story going to be at the end of today? Have you done a random act of kindness, helped someone, helped yourself to improve and move towards your goals, or done a small kind deed that help light up the eyes of a child?

As our story is being written, I'm sure you would want to be the author of your own story. Do not allow your story to be written by others. This is where goals and time management become critical. Without clear goals and action that follow, we drift and our story is written by circumstances.

So, take charge of your life now. Write your goals down and make good use of your time to create the greatest story you can ever tell to others...your very own story that you are proud of.

Bernard

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

Grow Up!

2007-06-01T23:26:00.000+08:00

A few days ago, I watched a group of ladies playing with a baby. The baby was only a couple of months old and could not crawl nor do much by itself. As I watched, I was reminded of noneother than ... myself!

No, I'm not saying I am a baby. I was reminded of how I used to be. I was reminded of my childhood days at the age of 5, 9 years old, 11 years old, 12 years old etc. Talk about your life flashing right before your eyes! :-)

I realised how much I had grown physically. I tower over the baby in height. I then asked myself a question, "Had I grown in wisdom and capability?"

Boy, that was a scary question. I would have liked to say "YES!" immediately. However, I paused and reflected before I answered "YES!". Why the pause?

I just wanted to be sure. We read so much bad news in newspapers today and I can't help but wonder whether we have really grown up at all.

As the baby grows, we see so many physical changes in height and size. We see changes in attitude and capabilities such as speech and thinking/reasoning capabilities. Up to a certain point (like when a person reaches the age of 21 or 31 or 41), this growth somehow doesn't seem that apparent anymore.

We see limited physical growth or if we do notice, its called aging. It is the inner-self that we do not notice. While we grow physically, it is imperative that we continue to also grow mentally and in our capabilities to make ourselves whole.

How do we grow our capabilities?

Reading a book helps. Taking action and doing something that takes you closer to what you want or want to be, is a definitely a surefire way of growing capabilities. As I had written earlier, taking action will produce a result. If its the result you want, great. If its not, chalk it up as a learning experience. You will be richer with the experience and continue to move on, take the next step. This is how we grow.

What can we do now?

Well, take the first step. For example, as you read this message, pick up a piece of paper and pen now, and write 3 things you need to do today and go do it. This is a simple first step to help you cultivate the habit of writing things down. If you can't do a simple step like this, how do you expect to take on the world?

So continue to learn, continue to have experential learning, GROW!

Bernard

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

You distracted me from my goals

2007-05-28T17:13:00.000+08:00

Goals, goals, goals. An overused word? Everyone talks about it. Every achiever talks about it. There is much more talk than action. Strong words, but words from a shrewd observer nonetheless. :-)

We are often disappointed about goals, about setting them, the trepidation of thinking about them. No one wants to fail. How often do we set goals, get enthusiastic about it, take action. A few days later, a friend, colleague, relative tells you that you shouldn't waste your time on such futile pursuits. They may tell you that the goal is not lofty. Rather, you should consider doing this other 'thing' that can surely accelerate your growth, they would say.

These are all distractions. This is one reason why many do not attempt at taking action, or take action and keep changing their targets until there isn't a clear target anymore.

Its like a platoon of soldiers at the frontline during a battle. The commander says the objective to capture 'lofty goals hill'. The platoon commander plans for it, disseminates the plans to his troops. Before they move off, a change in plan. 'Lofty goals hill' doesn't look that lofty anymore. The new objective is 'More lofty goals hill'. So, the platoon commands plans and disseminates the plans again and the troops move out. Halfway though battle, 'More lofty goals hill' is not the objective anymore. Its now 'Ultimate goals hill'. While holding the fort at the frontlines, the platoon commander re-plans and disseminates the plans for his troops.

What do you think his troops will do? If I were his troop, I'd probably shoot the commander myself! :-)

This is an example where the goals change often that it confuses you, makes you lethargic, makes you demoralised and stop taking action. You get disillusioned with goal setting and taking action, and say that its all too esoteric and doesn't work. Its all hogwash. Let's take a look at another scenario.

The objective is again 'lofty goals hill'. The platoon commander plans for it, disseminates the plans to his troops. The troops move out. At the base of the objective, they realise that the intelligence gathered is not very accurate. They need to do a flank around the base and find another gap in. The command re-plans his next move and disseminates the plans to his troops. The troops move to the other side of 'lofty goals hill' and spots a potential gap. They breach that gap and gain foothold at the base, while the other troops fan-out left and right of the gap. The troops on the left continue to move upwards towards the top of 'lofty goals hill'. The troops on the right face strong firepower. They re-plan their next move and decide to hold their position, while a small crack team flanks and overruns the enemy. In time, the troops on the left overruns the enemy at the top of the hill while the troops on the right kept the enemy so busy they didn't notice the troops on the left.

What's the moral of this story? Its that the strategy to achieve your goals can change as circumstances keep changing everyday. The goals or outcome should remain the same, unless there is a strong compelling reason to change the outcome. This doesn't mean that goals are cast in concrete. On the contrary, if there is a strong enough reason to abandon the goal, do so, only after you have thoroughly clarified its impact and you are true to yourself that its in your best interest to change your goal.

So, do not be easily distracted by mere heresay. Everyone has opinions, but there is only you who has to take action and bear the results. Its just like buying a car. You will hear differing opinions. Some will say buying a larger more expensive car is value for money (I don't see how that can be true). But the ultimate decision lies with you and it is you who will bear the result. In this case, you will bear the cost of the car and car loans, not the person who recommended his opinion about which car you should get. Everyone will see you in a nice brand new expensive car, but you will only see yourself footing the huge bill that's burning a hole in your pocket.

Distractions are good in that when they are evaluated against the context of your goal and your values, they provide a test to your resolve. It can be used to clarify your actions and thoughts, but not to be taken at face value.

Bernard

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

Impatiently achieving goals

2007-05-21T21:29:00.000+08:00

How fast do you want to achieve your goals? We go around in life and only remember life is a blur.

We always talk about taking action. Taking action is what enables us to achieve. The key phrase in the statement is "always talk". We always talk about it. How many of you really do something about it? How many really take action?

I have realised that taking action is difficult. There is always the aversion to inertia. Difficult to start. However, once started, it keeps going. There is a caveat to this. If action is taken with a small step with no follow up, the second step will not be taken. This is one reason why we do not achieve.

Another reason why taking action is difficult is due to the fact that we want results fast. To succeed in achieving a goal, it can only be done one step and a time. Each step may take a day, a week, a month, sometimes a year. When that first step is taken, we do not see the fast results we are after, and we quit. If we constantly see the end-goal in our minds, and constantly review daily, that goal will continue to be fresh in our minds and we will continue to persist in our actions.

So,when action is taken, always review at the end of each day. Look at the result with respect to the goal you are after. This is why so few of us continue to achieve goals. We need to persist with passion and stamina. This can only happen if we keep reminding ourselves of the outcome we are after and why its important.

You can check out my previous blogs about the power of writing and review.

So, take action now, review, and take action again, and again and again. This is known as taking massive action, one small step at a time.

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

Perception versus Realization

2007-05-15T17:14:00.000+08:00

What is the difference between perception and realization? This subtle difference is very important to how we go about achieving our goals. Let me explain in more detail. The following explanation is my own opinion and observation.

We all know many things. We may have read books that teaches us certain concepts or techniques. In this case, we know content of the subject well. We understand the content well.

Realization is the experience we get after taking action based on this understanding. As we gain this experience, the knowledge we have becomes ingrained as part of our DNA, in our experiential base for us to draw upon when the time and need arises. It affects the way we think, it affects our belief system, it affects the way to do things.

For example, many of us would have read books or magazines about time management. We are able to expound the benefits and pitfalls of cetain techniques. Without practicing these techniques, we are simply walking libraries, able to quote benefits but unable to speak on the subject with much authority.

Actually practicing the techniques enable us to encounter the difficulties associated with the techniques. We may find that the technique in theory is simple, but to take action on it is difficult because of personal habits that inhibit us.

All this chalks up to learning experience. We become better after practice. When we speak on the subject, we are now able to speak with much authority as we have "been there and donen that", or "we walk the talk" and not simply "talk the talk".

This experience base makes us smarter and stronger as we are able to draw on our experience to help us when we encounter similar difficulties. The more small difficulties we encounter, the better and many of these experiences will help us in diffusing larger difficulties in times of need.

So, do not be afraid of difficulties. We can only get smarter with it. This is the difference between perception and realization.

Do you perceive this point or do you really realize it? Take action. I've written about several techniques. Pick one and practice. The simplest of all is to write things down. Look through my blog and you will find the entry for it.

Bernard
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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

Act Now!

2007-05-07T20:03:00.000+08:00

How difficult can getting into an elevator (also known as a lift in Asia) be? Can we learn simple lessons about getting into an elevator?

I had a eureka moment this morning. It may sound really foolish, but I'm putting myself on the line by sharing my insght here. So, no flaming please. Haha! ;-)

Early this morning, I left my house with my mind occupied on an important assignment. I had put on my socks and shoes, one foot at a time. My mind deep in thought about my assignment. I opened my front door and walked out into the brave new frontier, called "a new day". Step by step, I got closer to the elevator. I could hear the sound of my shoes as it hit the ground with each step. My mind still occupied with my assignment. I stood in front of the elevator, looking at the display above on which floor the elevator was at. My mind still occupied with my assignment. As I waited, I mulled over my assignment. I waited some more.

I began to wonder why the elevator hadn't reached my floor. I thought this was going to be a long wait, that there must have been many people taking the elevator down to the ground floor this morning. So, I waited some more.

Boy, did I feel foolish. I realised that I hadn't pressed the elevator button. There I was, dressed smartly, waiting for the elevator to arrive, and stood there wondering why it didn't arrive. All this while, I had not pressed the elevator button.

I sheepishly walked forward, pressed the elevator button to go down, and Wa-Lah! Within 15 seconds, the elevator arrived. How long was I standing in front of the elevator? About 5 mintues, 5 long minutes or 300 seconds!

What's even more amazing was the simple lesson this episode reinforced in me. The simple lesson was this:

"If you take no action, you get no result". Or to spin this positively, "If you take action, you will definitely get a result".

Let's dissect the statement "If you take no action,you get no result".

Isn't this true? If you take no action, there will be no result, as shown in my example of not pressing the elevator button, I get no result.

What about "If you take action, you will definitely get a result"?

As in my example above, I took action by pressing the elevator button, and the elevator arrived. I got the result.

However, does taking action mean that you get the result you want? Definitely not. If it were that simple, everyone will be wealthy, healthy and happy because everyone will be taking action every minute. The only guarantee we have is that we will definitely get a result when we take action. The caveat is that the result may not be what we want or expect, but its still a result nonetheless. Is this good?

Yes it is. If you have a goal, you need to take action to get closer to it. By taking action, you get a result. If the result is not what you expected or want, take action again with a different method and review the result again. The result simply tells you that the action taken will yeield the result. If its not the result you want or expect, change the action and take action again. You will then learn what works and what doesn't. This will definitely drive you closer and closer to your goals. Sometime, taking action will not yield a result at all. The result of having no result is a result in itself. It means that you have to change your tactic and take action again.

The opposite is also true. If you have a goal and do not take action, you will definitely get no result. 100% of the time. This is the only guaranteed result...of getting no result. THis is the only sure thing.

So why is it so difficult to take action? Let me list a few reasons I have heard:

1. Its too difficult.
2. It takes too much effort.
3. I started taking action, but lost the fire in me to continue because I'm not getting result.
4. I don't know what the outcome will be. I'm afraid.
5. I'm afraid I will fail.

All these are e-x-c-u-s-e-s. Repeat after me. All these are EXCUSES. If the action does not produce the result you want, its not failure. It simply tells you that your action may not be appropriate at this point in time. Change your tactic and take action again. Life is a learning experience. The more you learn, the better you will be, the more confident you will be, the easier it will be to take more action.

Its also a matter of momentum. The first few steps are the most difficult. Once the first few steps are taken, the rest will follow. Its will rolling a ball down a hill. It rolls down faster and faster. The hard part is rolling it down in the first place. Its a matter of inertia.

So, take action now. No matter how small, you will definitely get a result. This result will tell you if you are on the right path or not. If not, change your tactic, and take action.

Wishing you a successful journey filled with joy and learnings! Don't be too serious. Have fun while you learn and take action.

Bernard

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

No Time? Whom are we kidding?

2007-05-01T14:04:00.000+08:00

I have not been posting for the last month due to my hectic schedule. Yeah, its probably just an excuse! :-) You are absolutely right and I plan for fix that. Now on with my observations.

Have you ever heard others telling you they have no time? Whom are they kidding? Let me rephrase that. Have you ever heard of you telling yourself that you have no time? Whom are you kidding?

Many of us go through life in a daze. Somewhere down the road (like 10 years from now), we will wonder where all the time went to. Time seemed to zoom past us. Life seemed to pass us by in the blink of an eye.

No time?

Everyone has the same amount of time. Yet, some are able to achieve so much, others not much. Strange isn't it? You may guess that I am alluding to time management techniques. Well, yes. However, I'd like to also show you and make you realise that you really do have the same amount of time as everyone else.

We all have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, about 30 days a month. Think about it. 24 hours a day, that is 1440 minutes a day. By the way, a few of those minutes has already gone by. We all have 168 hours a week. Only 168 hours, including time for sleeping. How much can you do in 168 hours? Let me do some calculation here:

1. Number of hours a day = 24
2. Number of waking hours a day = 16 (assuming you sleep 8 hours a day)
3. Number of waking hours a week = 16x7 = 112

Only 112 waking hours a week, or 6720 minutes a week that you are awake. How are you using the 6720 minutes?

Its really interesting when I hear the phrase "I have no time". But then, who has? We are all busy, we all have many things to do.

Those who accomplish much isn't simply good at time management. They also have a strong goal, a goal that has become a MUST for them to achieve. That goal is so compelling that it drives them to use every single waking minute in taking action. That's the trick. Taking action.

I have included a sample schedule for you to look at. Believe it or not, your entire life for 1 month is on this schedule. There is no other life outside of this schedule. Take a look at it. It starts from 6am to 12am (assuming you sleep from 12am to 6am), and every day (day 1 to day 31) is mapped out. All your available time is on this simple piece of paper.

Dare you crumple it and throw it away? The whole sheet of paper is your entire life for one month. What you plan to do is all on this sheet of paper. Whatever is NOT on this sheet of paper is what you will NOT do because you will not have time to do it. Its as simple as that.

As I had written in previous posts, always write your activities down. Schedule time for it. I hope this give you a good glimpse into how precious time is and how fleeting it is. Time is ticking away. Waste not, for it will never come back again. After the month is gone, this sheet of paper is worth nothing and can be thrown away because the time has passed. You will start life on another brand new sheet of schedule for the next month.

Here is the schedule:

If the image isn't too clear, you can always drop me a comment requesting for the original spreadsheet and I will gladly send it to you. If you need more clarification or explanation on what the symbols mean, do drop me a comment and I will be happy to explain it.

Remember, time it ticking away. Make full use of it. Live life to the fullest.

Bernard

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

Learning to excel?

2007-03-20T10:50:00.000+08:00

Very recently, I was an an optometrist, you know, the guy who tests your eyes and gives you a prescription for lenses so that you can see better.
I noticed a lady in the store and overheard her conversation with the optometrist. No, I wasn't eavesdropping. :-) I just happened to be nearby.
:-)

She had long-sightedness in one eye, and short-sightedness in the other. Her right eye never needed any prescription lenses until it become short-sighted. All the while, she used her left eye to look at things far away (with a prescription lense), while her right eye was used to read (no lenses). This was done automatically as the brain adjusted and compensated for the distance.

This time, her right eye was more short-sighted and needed a prescription lens. WHen she put on the lense, she felt like the world had gone topsy turvy. It felt uncomfortable. Reading was difficult and slower.
The interesting observation the optometrist made was that the brain had not yet learned how to adjust to the correct eyesight in the right eye and the neorological connections in the brain were not yet made. It would take time. I'm glad to say that her brain has already made the neorological connections today, and its been only a few days.

This proves one premise that I always held. The human mind is very intelligent and adaptable. It will do whatever it takes to survive. This also proves that nothing is unlearnable. In this instance, the brain did the neurological connections automatically.

What about time management and effectiveness?

As I had written in my previous posts, effectiveness can be learned. It is a skill that must be cultivated into a habit. This example clearly demonstrates that we can all learn anything and be good at it. It only requires the willingness in our mind to want to learn, to want to excel, to want to achieve. Without this passion, nothing is possible. The brain makes neorological connections because it has to in order to survive. It had become a 'MUST'.

Is being effective a 'MUST' to you? How much do you want to achieve? Why do you want to be effective and achieve your goals? Why?
Ask yourself 'why' three times to help you clarify your goals. For example, if you want to have a net worth of $1 Million, ask why. Having $1 Million is only an objective. Why do you want it? After you answer the first why, ask a second why to your answer, and later a third why. This will draw out the real reason to your goals, then it becomes a 'MUST' with passion.

You can learn to excel and achieve anything you wish for. The ability to learn and adapt is within everyone's DNA. Unleash your power and shoot for the moon!

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

Do you know where you are going to?

2007-03-17T00:13:00.000+08:00

As the song goes, "Do you know where you're going to". Think about it. Do you REALLY know where you're going to? Every day, we have a deluge of tasks and activities.

Sometimes in the morning, I feel over overwhelmed, nervous, agitated. Nervous about what the day will bring. I replay the activities I have to do in the day. THen I replay it again, and again and again, reminding myself of what I have to do today. Sometimes, the sequence of activities get rearranged and I replay it again. Then I feel nervous about it, hoping I will not forget my tasks for the day, and to do it in the correct sequence. I used to have all these feelings. I used to do this when I woke up in the morning, during my shower, on the way to work. That was then, this is now. All this miraculous went away after I used the techniques I have described in this blog. The simplest of all is to write things down, everything you need to do have to be written down.

Another important step normally forgotten is to assign a start time and end time for each activity, otherwise the list is only a to-do list, and a to-do list without the time element is a wish list at best.

Imagine yourself swimming out at sea and a boat comes along. Someone from the boat throws a float with a rope attached to it. The person on the boat is holding on to the rope. If the sea has strong currents, you will be bobbing to and fro at sea, and will be unable to carry on in the direction you wanted to go.

However, if you caught on to the float, it will help to steady your position and you can pull yourself along the rope to the boat, even though the sea currents may be strong.

The rope is like your activity list with the time element. It helps you navigate through strong and rough currents of the day without gulping sea water or feeling helpless and tired.

No matter how busy you are, always practice this habit. This is the simplest and most basic habit in time management, yet many neglect it. Many choose the path that will have them thrown about helplessly in the sea of overwhelming activities in the day, rather than spend 15 minutes at the end of each day,planning for the next. Let's not even talk about planning for the month or the day, or even about goals yet. If you cannot even plan a day and follow the schedule, how can you plan for a month and begin to achieve your life dreams?

Take one step at a time. All it takes is one step at a time. Have patience, practice this simple habit, and your dreams will slowly manifest themselves as you take consistent action daily.

Carpe Diem!!! (Sieze the day!!!)

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

What are you doing NOW?

2007-03-02T14:34:00.000+08:00

We all have many activities we perform every single day. When asked, you will normally get the reply, "I have a thousand-and-one things to do today". Really? How effective is that?

What you do today or now is an individual's decision. What you do not do today or now, is also an individual's decision. So, is not doing anything bad?

Not at all. You would have read in many books that we must take action, we must be effective. Lest we forget, we also need rest to recharge.
I was in a cab today. The cab ride was to be about an hour. I felt really restless as I wouldn't have any internet connection to check email etc. I didn't really want to read a book for fear of getting carsick! :-) But doing nothing for an hour is a waste of time. Well not really. I decided to write this entry as relaxation and take a break from the hustle and bustle of my schedule. I decided on that action. I repeat, 'I' decided on taking that action. I felt really good. We would normally just go with the flow and do stuff. Once yo are aware and fully conscious of your decision on an activity, whether it be for work or play, somehow, you get more focused on it, and put in 100% effort, instead of simply doing it. Sounds really mystical? Not at all.

Many of us walk around in a daze, as though we are sleep walking. We need to practice the art of being in-the-moment, being here in the present, being aware of the present. Do this experiment. Do you notice your breathing?....Now you do. And I bet you took a deep breath when you noticed. That single breath provided some calmness to you. Because you were aware. We need to cultivate this habit in our daily lives. Yes, its a habit. We are normally caught up in our own world of problems that we forget to smell the roses...till its too late.

Make that decision. Take the responsibility. Give yourself permission to be fully in the present for 5 minutes. You will feel your energy levels increase, you will feel calmer and more focused.

One way of making this a habit is to keep a time log (see my previous posts). A time log forces you to notice what you HAD done and rate yourself. When it becomes a habit, you will tend to notice the present.
Just a small piece of the effectiveness puzzle I'd like to share.

Go on, smell the roses, and record the activity in your time log.

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

Good luck? Sieze it now!

2007-02-26T21:38:00.000+08:00

I am currently reading a book titled "The richest man in Babylon" by George S. Clason. This is an amazing book written in the 1920s. It is written in a story form about the richest man in Babylonia and the conversations he had with others who wanted to learn about how to be wealthy.

It talks about the rules of gold, how to accumulate it, how to invest it, how not to invest, and what how those rules help. One particular paragraph caught my attention (among many others!). It states:

"I had thought of it as something most desirable that might happen to a man without effort upon his part. Now, I do realize such happenings are not the sort of thing one may attract to himself. From our discussion have I learned that to attract good luck to oneself, it is necessary to take advantage of opportunities. Therefore, in the future, I shall endeavor to make the best of such opportunities as do come to me"

Why did this paragraph stand out?

It is so basic that we may have forgotten. It is about taking action NOW! Not later, not another time, not after I finish my lunch. For the goddess of good luck smiles upon those who take action...NOW. (THis is my interpretation of several other paragraphs)

So what have I been posting about the past year? Its all about taking action. Its all about planning. Its all about being structured in your time management to unleash maximum effectiveness, in order to take advantage of such opportunities when they arise.

I must say, this is an amazing book, a small and short book, but amazing nonetheless. I highly recommend it. It should not be read as a story book. After the first reading, reflect and contemplate if you have put into practice any of the principles. The laws and principles are so simple, yet we do not do them.

I wonder why.

For fear of failure? For fear of starting? For fear of not knowing how it will all turn out?

Get out of this undesirable mental state. What's it going to cost you to to take one principle and apply it for 30 days? One of the principle is to save at least one-tenth of your income. Believe it, even after saving one-tenth, you must make the adjustment to your lifestyle. Its worth it. Its possible, because our desires for material things always grows beyond our income. Control it!

Take charge. Set your goals. Do your daily planning to take advantage of the opportunites that come your way when the goddess of good luck smiles upon you. :-)

Bernard

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

Why goals fail

2007-02-15T14:14:00.000+08:00

Goals do not fail. We fail goals.

I've been really busy with work and working towards my goals. Its been a tough ride, balancing my time between work, personal goals and family...And its all worth it. I can see my achievements gaining strength, day after day. As I had written in previous posts, it takes one small step at a time. If I take 365 small steps, that puts me 365 steps closer to my goal.

Many do set goals but do not follow through. One very glaring reason is that we live in an instant world. Instant noodles, instant TV using a remote, instant messenger, instant communication. When we set goals, we also expect instant results. If we do not achieve our goals in 24 hours or 48 hours, we get bored with it and the goal fades away. We tend to forget, we cannot have a tree unless we take the time to plant the see and continually nurture it...and this takes time. If we see a seedling and wanting for it to grow quickly, we decide to pull it out of the ground, the seedling will never grow into a tree. This is the same for our goals. We must have patience. As long as we know we are taking one step at a time towards our goal, we have to wait to see the results.

Do, do not be afraid. Go forth and set you most ambitious goals and dreams. Then begin by taking one step at a time. Write it down and paste it on your wall or planner and update it everyday. You will see that this will be your motivation. This motivation comes from your internal self, not from any external influence. Motivation from your internal self last much longer than from any external stimuli.

I am pumped up with my goals and steps I have taken. You should be too. So enough typing and reading. Just go write your goals down, write down the first 3 to 5 steps, and JUST DO IT. (See my previous posts for techniques on doing this.)

Go, go, go....!!!
Bernard

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006,2007.
All Rights Reserved

Goals give you power to go on

2006-11-17T19:25:00.000+08:00

Goal setting is important. Taking action on your goals is equally important. Reviewing your goals daily is critical. It reminds you of your committment and keeps pushing you to take action.

Recently, I was swamped with work, too much work. 16 to 18 hours of my time was devoted to work. Yeah, I slipped up too. I didn't review my goals daily. One night, I was pretty exhausted and felt kind of lost. Don't get me wrong. The work I do is fulfilling, but I felt empty.

That was when I pulled out my goals. I read my goals again and again. Suddenly, I felt relieved and elated! The goals I had set and taken action on reminded me of where I was headed. I was reminded of my purposed in life. I was reminded of the fulfillment when I took a small step at a time.

I have found that reading and reviewing my goals daily has given me and reminded me of the direction my life is headed, where I want to be, what I want in life, what I need to do to get there. My life became balanced again. Having this balance in life is extremely important to me because it affects my health and mental well being, all necessary for the achievement of my personal, wealth and health goals.

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006.
All Rights Reserved

Newsletter on Effectiveness

2006-11-08T12:58:00.000+08:00

Hello
Based on feedback and traffic received, I am thinking of creating regular newsletters, provide forms for downloads (or sent through newsletter) and notification of new blog posts.

I would like to solicit feedback. Do let me know if you would like to subscribe to receive:

1. Regular Newsletters on effectiveness - sharing more details of my experiences on how I use various techniques to improve effectiveness. I have not decided if I will do this fortnightly or monthly.

2. Provide forms that I use

3. Notify you on new blog posts that I write.

Do let me know if this would interest you. All this will be free to you.

Thanks

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006.
All Rights Reserved

Goal Setting Tips

2006-11-07T15:49:00.000+08:00

Goal Setting is not a new topic. There are lots of books and information about how to set goals. I would like to offer my experience in goal setting and more importantly, how to begin achieving goals.

Let's start from the basics. How do you set goals? Many books advocate the SMART way, which stands for:

1. Specific
2. Measurable
3. Actionable
4. Realistic
5. Time

I agree with this concept. This is the way I use it to set goals.

1. Grab a piece of paper and pen. No, typing into your laptop is not going to work. I have found that writing it down forces you to think hard before writing because you don't want to cancel and make a mess on the paper. With a laptop, hitting the 'delete' button is too easy.

2. At the top of the paper, write you goal. What do you want to achieve and by when. The description of your goal must be specific. For example, writing "I want to be rich" isn't a concrete goal. It has to be specific like "I want to have $1 million in cash in the bank by 31 December 2008". Being specific forces you to think hard about what you want in concrete terms. It also allows you to take action. Vague goals do not have actionable activities that bring you closer to it. Be bold about your goal. Don't do incremental goals. Think big and bold. I can hear you now. What if I can't achieve it? If you think big and set tough goals, if your goal is important and critical to you, you will find a way. If it is incremental, it doesn't have the excitement and challenge to sustain you.

3. The next line, write down WHY you want this goal. Write down as many reasons as you can. The more this goal is strongly linked to you emotionally, the stronger the passion, the more it will drive you to achieve. The 'WHY' factor is the most critical part of goal setting, but normally given the least amount of thinking because it is more difficult than the other steps. If you cannot find a strong WHY, keep the goal aside until you do. Keep find out reasons why. This also helps to filter out goals that are not in line with you values and beliefs.

4. Next, write down 3 activities that you will do in the next 48 hours. You don't have to have a detailed plan on how to achieve your goals. If you do, that's great. Many of us sometimes do not have all the steps in mind. So, start with the first 3 activities. It may be to register a business, research on internet web providers and their facilities, and create your first web page. It may be to register a company, do detailed research on a product you want to sell, search for a shop space. Whatever it may be, list out 3 activities and COMMIT to completing it in 48 hours. The first step is always the most difficult. Forcing yourself to complete the 3 activities in 48 hours creates the momentum. This is called taking massive action.

5. At the end of executing your 3 activities, review and set the next 3 activities. Repeat step 4 again.

While executing the activities, if you find you are on the wrong path or encountering difficulties, take stock and ask yourself if the action taken is correct. Are there alternatives? Learn from it, set another 3 action items and take action. You will not always succeed in all the activities, but each activity tells you what is going right and what is not. Use this feedback to adjust your path of action to achieving your goals.

What kinds of goals should you set? You should have the following goals:
1. Personal (health, self improvement)
2. Family
3. Wealth
4. Career
5. Spiritual

Start with just one goal and take action. Until you get into the momentum of things, then set another goal. Do not get overwhelmed. Take it one step at a time.

And remember, enjoy your journey. As stated in my previous posts, it is the journey to achieving your goals that provides the greatest insights and learnings. It is through these learnings (whether success or failure in an action) that you become a more confident and effective person at setting goals and achieving them.

Enjoy your journey.

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Copyright Â© Bernard Ong, 2006.
All Rights Reserved

Prevent Goal Fatigue

2006-10-31T23:54:00.000+08:00

Set your goal? Planned your course of action? Taking massive action towards your goals? Having written so much about the value of setting goals, what it means to us and how it gives us a direction in our daily lives, I'd like to pause and think about the unthinkable...goal fatigue.

We set aggressive goals at the beginning of the year only to falter and stop executing our actions. Why is that? Several reasons:

1. We fear failure.
2. We lose faith in our goals.
3. We change our goals.
4. We lose sight on the importance of our goals as we go through our daily lives
5. We get tired of executing and need a rest and the momentum slows down

Let me just write a little note about the last point, that we get tired. Have you ever felt that you have been executing your actions daily and feel that you need a break? I have. I realised that I had been executing day-in and day-out, feeling exhilarated by my daily achievements. I pushed myself far and beyond what is really necessary. Then the inevitable...goal fatigue.

Suddenly you feel that you need a break from this execution and just stop doing it for a while, get away from it.

This happens when you do not spend enough time to rejuvenate yourself. How do you do this?

Your goals need to be balanced. If you focus only on wealth creation goals and neglect the other aspects of your life, you will feel that life is not that enriching. I wrote earlier about taking one step at a time, and therefore, start with only one goal and work on it. At the same time, you should also set goals for your family, as an individual, spiritual goals, health goals, wealth goals, career goals. Setting it doesn't mean you need to execute all of them at the same time. Setting it means that you have a view of what you want in the various aspects of your life, but start execution on one goal first, until you get into the habit of execution, then start on your second goal.

Without writing the other goals, you will feel that your life is narrowly focused. As you begin executing one action at a time on one goal, remember this very important point: "Life is a journey. Totally immerse yourself, reflect and be completely aware as you execute your action. Enjoy the execution.". Doing this will give you the joy of experiencing the journey with your goal in mind, instead of simply executing and not enjoying the execution. This is what is meant by "slow down, stop and smell the roses along the way".

As you enjoy your journey, never lose sight of your destination. Constantly read, review your goals on a daily basis. Remember the old saying, "Out of sight, out of mind". If you do not review your goals daily, you will soon lose all interest in your goals and stop enjoying the journey.

Enjoy everything you do with passion and full awareness and enjoyment of the journey, and you will never experience goal fatigue.

To your success in your journey...cheers!

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006.
All Rights Reserved

Why goals?

2006-10-27T23:54:00.000+08:00

I recently overheard a conversation about goals, goal setting and achieving goals. Someone asked about what his friend's goals were and whether he was able to achieve it.

This rather simple conversation got me thinking. We seem to take the word "GOAL" lightly. It seems to be an overused word. Everyone has goals.

Have you ever stopped to think, "What are goals for?"

We might say:

1. Goals are for us to achieve.
2. Goals are for us to get what we want in life.
3. Goals give us direction in life.
4. Goals will make us successful.

While these statements are true, I would like to offer my opinion about these statements.

Goals are good and gives us direction. However, without an action, goals remain a dream. It will continue to remain a dream for many years.

Even when action is taken, we tend to forget to enjoy the journey we took. Can you imagine this scenario:

1. Goal: Have $1,000,000 in cash by age 60
2. You take action, day in and day out.
3. Sometimes, the action you take gets you closer to your goal. Sometimes, the action doesn't yield the result you are after and you get frustrated. No matter what, you continue to work hard and plough on towards achieving your goals.
4. At age 60, you wake up at 7am in the morning and realise that you have achieved your goal. Whoooooopeeee!!!!!!

Really? You would probably be happy. You would also be wondering where did all these years go? You are already 60 years old. Yes, you have achieved, but you did not fully enjoy the journey. You did not savour the process of achieving one step at a time.

This is the part that is missing in goal setting and execution. We are so focused on reaching the end goal that we miss out the enjoyment of the journey. As the saying goes, "Take time out to smell the roses".

As we go through our lives and clearly set goals, remember to be conscious of your daily lives. Be aware, full aware of what you are doing NOW! Notice that you are breathing NOW! Be in the present. Enjoy what you are doing and know that you are doing the action for a purpose. You will feel amazingly at peace and motivated everytime you take action towards your goals, because you are living in the present, achieving every single minute and enjoying it!

So go ahead. Give yourself permission to "smell the roses" in your journey towards success.

Wishing you an enjoyable journey.
Bernard

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006.
All Rights Reserved

Motivation to Succeed with Goals

2006-10-19T00:50:00.000+08:00

How do you motivate yourself to succeed. How many of us have read, heard, been spoken to about the importance of goals?

Everyone has, in one way or another. If you have not, think again. Think of a time when you had some work (or game) to complete. Everything activity or game we engage in has a goal. For example, watching a TV program has a goal. The goal is enjoyment. Every game has a goal.

Why is it really necessary?

Without goals, we drift through life without direction. Every activity we do should be directed towards getting us closer to our goal on a daily basis.

How should we set goals? Again, may books have been written on it.

This is what normally happens. A person reads a book on success through setting goals. Immediately after reading the book, motivation is high. He/she spends one day writing goals, objectives, action items, clarify values and more. The next day, execution begins. One week later, motivation wanes. Two weeks later, the pace slows. Three weeks later, no more progress. Is it no wonder that we are all afraid to set goals again? Is it no wonder we procrastinate time and again?

Let me share a secret in setting goals that will keep you engaged.

The secret is...take one step at a time.

There are many areas of your life that requires goals. For example, income goals, health goals, family goals, personal goals, spiritual goals, career goals, wealth goals. For a start, choose one or two areas ONLY. For each area, identity 3 to 5 activities that needs to be done. These activities must be completed within the next 48 hours. This gives you the momentum to do the next 3 to 5 activities. When these goals are clear, and action has been taken quickly, the momentum builds and tends to carry on pushing you.

The next step is to write your goals and activities down. You MUST review your goals and activities every day. Yes, every single day. This gives you the motivation to keep on executing your activities to achieve your goals. As stated in my earlier posts, you must write, write, write things down, and do daily reviews.

This MUST be become a habit. As you do your goal review daily, your motivation becomes higher as you successfully execute activites. When you see that you take action to complete the 3 to 5 activites in such a short time, you will feel motivated to do more because you can see that you are closer to your goal.

The mantra: TAKE ACTION NOW!

Of course there are many areas such as clarifying your values and beliefs, and these are done during goal setting.

Go ahead. Set one goal now. Write a list of 3 to 5 activities and being executing. Let me know how you feel.

May you achieve your goals with great motivation to achieve the success you desire!

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006.
All Rights Reserved

Self effectiveness: Time log and effectiveness

2006-10-03T23:07:00.000+08:00

Its been some time since I last wrote. In this entry, I'd like to relate my experience with using time log recently. I have been keeping a time log for some time. Time logs are like a journal of the way you used your time. (See my earlier entry on the importance of time log). You have to be able to measure how you use your time before you can improve your usage. Time is a precious commodity that cannot be replenished. So use your time wisely. If you never think about the limited time we all have, think again.

Try this. Take out a monthly calendar from your planner, diary or PDA. Stare long and hard at it. All your available time for the month is on that piece of paper. Every goal you want to achieve, every activity you want to do (or not do), has to be done within the constrains of that piece of paper, no more no less. I repeat. No more no less. No one has more time than others. If you want to achieve your goals, do it now, or plan for it.

I was in the Philippines recently and was stranded at the Manila airport due to a typhoon. There was even a black out at the airport. There was not electricity except for critical functions of the airport. All hallways were pitch dark. Because I have the habit of keeping a time log, I am very conscious of what I need to write into the log. At the airport, I could have just done nothing and relax. I felt uncomfortable because I would not be able to account for my time in the time log. This pushed me to use my time in the dark to complete my work on my laptop until its battery went flat, then I proceeded to use my phone to work on email until that went flat, then I started to do planning for my goals. All in all, I accounted for my time, and it made me feel great that I used it to accomplish important activities that moved me closer to my goals.

This may sound trivial, but this is what goal achievement is about. Make use of your available time. If you think this is trivial, try this. Take out a monthly calendar from your planner, diary or PDA...for last month. Stare long and hard at it. All your available time for last month is on the piece of paper. What did you achieve last month? What did you do last month?

If you don't know, then you have squandered your time away.

Time is ticking away. Don't waste it. You can't save it for a rainy day.

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006.
All Rights Reserved

self effectiveness: What percentage of time are you conscious?

2006-09-20T00:40:00.000+08:00

In my previous post, I wrote about living consciously. By logging time, you will come to realize how 'conscious' you really are everyday.

I have managed to track my time usage up to 70% on good days. On other days, it may be as low as 30 to 40% where there are lots of interruption. By logging your time as I described earlier, you soon realize that distractions will throw you off your daily plan. In planning, I dare say that no one is able to plan 100% of their time. Time must be allowed for you to deal with distractions. I normally plan about 40 to 50% of my time. Based on my current time pattern, it is a comfortable range.

If you plan 100% of your time, you will end up stressed because you will also have to deal with distraction on top of your planned activities, which means that you will need more than 100% of available time to deal with all activities, which is not possible, which leads to stress!

Everyone percentage of time usage is different, depending on their job nature and personal nature. The key is to have conviction of your goals, write your plans and track your time usage as described earlier, and you will learn the meaning and value of 1 minute.

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006.
All Rights Reserved

Self Effectiveness, Wealth, Health: Alive but not conscious?

2006-09-19T00:09:00.000+08:00

Over the weekend, I had a flurry of activities to do, one after another. At the end of Saturday, the first day of a long awaited weekend, I realized Saturday was gone! Where did it go to? I had been looking forward to it all week and now it was gone in a blink of an eye!

Have you gone through a similar experience? This normally happens when either we do not have a goal (long term or short term), or when we lose sight of our goals temporarily. We perform activity after activity because we have to or obligated to.

If I had performed the activity with the mindfulness that it was to fulfill a goal/objective, the day would have been more fulfilling. I performed that same activity without the mindfulness that it was to fufill a goal, and I didn't feel fulfilled. Why?

Human beings are surprising creatures. Human beings thrive on achievement, whatever it may be. If we perform one activity without mindfulness that the activity helps to achieve a goal, it doesn't mean much.
In my case, these activities were necessary. I needed to accomplish my activities for Saturday and I did have a goal. But in rushing from activity to activity, I wasn't mindful of it.

How many times have you spent a day (let's say Saturday) out with friends/family, shopping, at the beach enjoying yourself, then suddenly find yourself at the end of Saturday, feeling a sense of loss/regret that more could have been done? I have.

For example, there was once I spent the day at the beach with friends and family. I had an enjoyable time. At the end of the day, I felt like the time just whizzed by and I yearned for another day at the beach. I didn't have enough of it.

The secret is to live in the present. To enjoy every present moment. To be mindful of the present. To be conscious of the present moment. How do we do this? We need to train ourselves. Writing things down and keeping a time log is a surefire way of noticing the present (See my previous blog posting). If you log your time every hour, you will be very conscious of your present activities and maximise your enjoyment at every present moment and not let it slip away.

Try it. You will be surprised what time logging can help you achieve. Even if you are going through a rough moment, time logging helps you to clarify you thoughts/feelings.

Stay in the present. Enjoy the moment, whatever it may be. With time logging, you will begin to live in the present and begin your journey in accomplishing your activities with greater passion and thereby achieving your goals.

Learn to enjoy every moment working out to improve your health. Learn to enjoy every moment in learning how to build your wealth. Learn to enjoy every moment in being effective. The greatest motivator is within you. It is knowing that you have a clear CONVICTION to your goals and every activity you perform is helping you get closer to it.

"You can't deal with what you can't write down. Do not simply be alive. Be consciously alive!"-- mrbolt

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006.
All Rights Reserved

Self Effectiveness - What do you do every day? Start a time log

2006-09-14T17:37:00.000+08:00

How time flies. In a blink of an eye, before you know it, its 10 years later. Will you ponder on where the time went to? Many will ask these few questions:

1. How time flies. Where did all the time go to?
2. What did I do in the last 10 years?
3. Was I a different person 10 years ago? How am I different now?
4. I had so many dreams 10 years ago. Did I achieve anything?
5. I wish I had done this activity.
6. I wish I had done that activity.
7. I wish...I wish...I wish

Will you be asking yourself these questions in 10 years time? Will you regret?

How many more 10 years we have? How many more times can we ask these questions?

The time to stop this wishful thinking and regret is NOW. Everything in life revolves around taking action. Without action, nothing changes, nothing is achieved, whether it be wealth, health, peace of mind, happiness, great relationships.

We have all heard and read about time management. In my view, its not really about managing time. Its about managing the activities we do each day and allocate the appropriate amount of time to effectively use it.

Many of us begin by planning. I beg to differ. What we should be doing first is to create a time log. That's right. I'm not being crazy. Create a time log. You wondered how time flies? Stop wondering. Get to the bottom of things. Find out exactly where time went to!

Create a time log. Record your activities in a log. If you can't measure it, you can't fix it. A simple log will contain the activity name, start time, end time, duration and classification. For example, each activity can classified into personal, health, family, work, spiritual. Keep it simple for a start. Do this for 30 days. You will be amazed where your time flew to. With the time log, you can then determine if the activities you do are directed towards achieving your goal. If it is not, then why are you doing it? Every activity consumes time. Time once consumed is gone forever.

Start now. Its never too late. I have personally found this very useful and effectively. After 30 days of continuous discipline (extremely difficult at first), I began to question myself on the activities I do. Every single activity I do gets scrutinized because when I record the activity into the time log, I cringe when it does not bring me closer to my goal, knowing that I just wasted 2 hours that is lost forever. It makes me feel uncomfortable enough to streamline my activities and drive me forward towards my goal.

Easy enough? No. It sounds easy. Its very difficult to do because it requires discipline! We are all creatures of habit. Bad habits are hard to break. Do this, and write all your time-bound activities down (as stated in my previous blog entries). You will soon see yourself in a new light.
Good luck and happy logging. Drop me a note to let me know how it goes.

Check out this book by Peter Drucker called The Effective Executive. Fantastic and in my opinion, the only book on effectiveness ever needed.

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Copyright © Bernard Ong, 2006.
All Rights Reserved

self-effectiveness: Time is ticking away!!!

2006-09-10T23:44:00.000+08:00

Its been a week since I last posted. In this post, I want to spend some time talking about...time. Everyone takes time for granted. Everyone knows that time is precious. In my view, this is all lip-service. Knowing and truly realizing it are two different things. I, too, know that time is a precious commodity. I've read about it, been told about it. Pretty hard to 'realize' it.

Everyone's time on this earth is limited. Hard and morbid as this may sound, but it is so true. Everyone's time is limited. Everyone has the same amount of time. So why are some more successful than others? Luck? Family connections? I beg to differ. Yes, these do play a part. However, a lot of it deals in making full use of our time.

Time, once gone, is lost forever, and I mean forever. There is no recovery software that can ever bring it back. We are what we are because of the seeds we planted and nurtured in the past. Our present is the future of our past. We now have to plant and nurture our seeds for harvest in the future. Do not neglect the power of a minute.

Let's put this into perspective. From wealth perspective, if we study and learn how to invest wisely in a few minutes and take action, the yields will be great. Think about investing wisely. If you invest $1 everyday at a 15 or 20% return, your returns will be great. Every little bit counts, only if we begin TODAY and now.

From health perspective, watching sports on TV or reading about it is fine. If we do not take action TODAY and now, we will only be walking libraries about sports, instead of getting a workout TODAY to be fitter to enjoy our life and wealth.

I was on the commuter train this week and observed people on the train.Many were either listening to music, reading, talking on the phone etc. I was thinking, "How nice it would be if we could be making money every single minute without us being physically present.". Think of the enormous freedom you will feel. It may be through investments, Internet business, owning a business, royalties etc. But all this can be achieved only if action is taken TODAY and now.

What you do with your time is your choice. Whether it be watching TV, going for a walk, reading a book, exercising, learning a new skill, its all your choice. Even staring blanking at the wall is fine because its your choice. The critical point is whether the activity you are doing is going to get you closer to your goal.

Time is ticking away. Remember to write your goals down. Every action and activity you write must be time bound to have significant meaning. If all your daily actions are directed towards you achieving your goal, then you will surely achieve them. Its all about making proper and effective use of your time.

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Copyright Bernard Ong, 2006.
All Rights Reserved

Self effectiveness, wealth, health: Questions are the answer?

2006-09-01T23:18:00.000+08:00

I have recently been reading Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins. I'm only half way through it. In my personal opinion, an excellent book!

There are many concepts and theories that if implemented in earnest, I believe will yield tremendous results. Well, I'm not that effective yet. I am taking once concept and practicing it until it becomes a habit and then move on to the next. It may take longer, but I'm confident I'll be a better person for it.

The one thing that struck me like a ton of bricks was the section about questions. The use of questions is an extremely powerful tool. Asking yourself empowering questions will most definitely yield empowering answers, empowering you to act. Ask yourself disempowering questions, you get disempowering answers.

I recently began trying this concept. I was asking questions like "Why is this situation so bleak? What caused this situation to become so dire?". The reason was because I wanted to seek an answer in order to resolve an issue in an effective manner. I realized that these questions were good in this instance. However, I realized the limiting effects. I needed to act and propel myself and those around me to the next level of effectiveness, which is not about what went wrong and what needed to be fixed, but rather how to induce massive change to turn a bleak situation around. I began asking questions like "What can I learn from this?", "What do I need to do to exceed the customer's expectations?". Simple as it may seem, I got an answer that allowed me to excel and push the boundaries from problem resolution (which may please the customer) to delighting the customer by not only fixing the problem, but also going further in achieving substantial progress on exceeding the customers requests.

I am also asking more empowering questions about wealth and health. Instead of asking questions like "I'd like to be rich. How should I achieve it?", I ask "What do I need to do to create tremendous value for my customers in order to truly delight their expectation?", "What do I need to do to achieve financial abundance through passive income so that I can provide for those around me and help those in need?". I link my empowering question to a pleasurable need. In this case, my question and need for financial abundance is linked to my need to provide for those around me and those in need, which gives me happiness. I find that if I do not link the empowering question to a pleasurable need, the question loses its appeal and the answers seem mediocre.

I am a person who believes in simplicity. The simpler a concept, the easier to practice, the more you will achieve. Using this technique with writing (as posted in my earlier posts), you will realize that the activities you write will be empowering ones, in line with your goals.

Recently, I was tempted to buy a camera with 10 megapixels capability. I was close to buying one. Then I began asking myself, "Do I really need one now?", "What do I need to do to achieve financial abundance in order to provide for those around me and those in need?". Suddenly, my desire for the camera dissipated. I would still want to buy one, but not now. There are more things I can do with the cash like investing for a better return, which will help me achieve the answers to the questions of financial abundance. Only then will I reconsider buying the camera.

Try it. Go on writing (as stated in my earlier posts). Ask yourself empowering questions every day, every hour, every bleak or difficult moment you encounter. Let me know if it works for you.

I will be writing more about the system I use beyond simply writing. I will share about how to make the activities time bound and other effective techniques in managing your time in future posts.

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Copyright Bernard Ong, 2006.
All Rights Reserved

Self Effectiveness: To-do lists or not to-do lists

2006-08-26T01:48:00.000+08:00

I have always been intrigue with to-do lists. Ever since I can remember, having a to-do list made me feel like an important person when I was a child! :-) In primary school, I had to-do lists of homework to be done from school. Of course, these to-do lists were created on a whim, as and when I felt "productive". Most of the time, the work to be done were remembered in my head. It served me well.

When I entered the workforce, many people used business diaries. I was not different. I had one too! It contained important activities that I had to do in the to-do list section, whilst appointments were recorded in the section with a timeline. Again, this served me well for some time.

When activities started to pile up, and when I was involved in projects, I was overwhelmed. The tasks that were remembered in my head remained there. I was stressed because I was afraid of forgetting about doing them. My mind was not used for thinking. Instead, it spent time reminding itself not to forget. I couldn't sleep well. At times, I would wake up in the middle of the night in panic, thinking that I had forgotten to do something.

I made it a point to write activities down in my to-do list. After all, the diary's section with the timeline was for appointments. Again, this worked well for about 1 week. After that, my to-do list was overflowing with activities. I read books about prioritization. I tried to prioritize the activities in A, B,C. Later, prioritized them into A1, A2, B1, B2.Then it came down to trying to select which activity to do first. Instead of performing the activity, I spent the majority of my time deciding which activity to begin because I wasn't sure if I could complete it on time, which will affect other activities.

What did I do?

I cancelled every activity on the to-do list. I started a new to-do list. Boy, did it feel good with a brand new list. My feeling of elation didn't last long, I went back to an overflowing to-do list, missed deadlines, became extremely stressed about missing activities.

This is where is dawned upon me to ensure all activities are time bound. Time must be allocated to all activities. (Refer to my previous posts on "write, write, write" here and here and here). The foundation is still to have the habit of writing things down.

Do I still use a to-do lists? Yes I do, but only for short lists and activities that can be done within a consecutive block of time. For example, shopping for groceries, post letters, withdraw cash. To-do lists still has its place in effectiveness. However, I personally believe that to be effective, all activities must be time bound...And MUST be written down.

Think this is easy? No it isn't. Try it for 4 weeks and let me know if this works for you. Let me know when you embark on this method by leaving me a comment. I'd like to hear from you.

So, "to-do" or not "to-do" lists? Do to-do lists, but sparingly. The feel good factor of creating new lists each time is a false sense of achievement. It simply relinquishes you of your responsibilities, instead of taking responsibility for your actions through timely activities.

Can you see how this related to self effectiveness, which in turn, helps you to effectively achieve your goals in wealth and health? I hope so. Leave me a comment on your thoughts or subscribe to this blog so that you will be sent an email whenever I post an entry.

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Copyright Bernard Ong, 2006.
All Rights Reserved

Self Effectiveness: Write, write, write - Part 2

2006-08-21T23:48:00.000+08:00

In my previous post, I had written about the importance of writing down everything (or most things) that you want to do in a single place and not on pieces of paper. As simple as this sounds, this forms the foundation for a unloading unnecessary information from your brain, so that your brain will not be bogged down and can focus on thinking and execution.

Again, I cannot repeat how simple this may sound, but how effective it is. If you do not believe it, try it for 4 weeks and drop me a comment to let me know if it works for you.

The next step is to ensure that the activities you have written down are time bound. Every activities must have a start date, end date, start time and end time. Yes, start and end time. Why?

1. If you do not have the start and end dates and times, it means that it will never get done. The activity is not important. If it is not important, why do it? Aren't you wasting your time?

2. Other methods may use classification of activity into A, B, C etc. So, if you have 20 class 'A' activities to do, 30 class 'B' and 50 class 'C' activities, you should start on the 'A' activities first. Good. But hang on! Which 'A' activity do you start with first? Maybe if you label it A1, A2, A3 classification. Then which activity in 'A1' do you do first? You see what I mean? If the activity is important and helps you to achieve your goal, it must have a start time and end time. These are all 'A' activities. Having scheduled a date and time, the activity WILL get done because when the allocated time comes, you will do the scheduled activities.

Simple? Sounds simple. But difficult to do. Again, this boils down to discipline and habit. The foundation is to write everything down in one place. Take the challenge. Write everything down for 4 weeks.

What about To-Do list? I personally do not advocate To-Do list. I have used it before with the classifications 'A', 'B', 'C' etc. It didn't work for me. You know what happens? You create your first shiny new To-do list. All proud and neatly written. As the days roll on, you find that you can complete the activities on the list on day 1. So it snowballs into day 2, PLUS day 2 activities are added and this goes on. After a week or so, the To-Do list becomes huge and unwieldly! What do you do? You throw the list away and start on a new one. Sounds familiar? This is one simple reason why many do not achieve their goals. They do not have a clear plan, but rather have temporary, transient lists, hoping to achieve. Hope is not a strategy.

In my next post, I will be sharing more techniques on self effectiveness, such as how do you put the written activities into a visual overview so that you have a map for the month, how to do follow-ups, review, plan, achieve self improvement, and all information should be written in one place, not on pieces of paper.

If you try out this method, do let me know if it works for you. It has certainly worked for me. I feel less stress than trying to remember the 101 things I need to do for the day, week and month and worry that I may forget something!

Till the next post...Happy writing
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Copyright Bernard Ong, 2006

Self-Effectiveness: Write, write, write

2006-08-19T00:20:00.000+08:00

About 14 years ago, I came across the term "self effectiveness". It is all about using your time and energy effectively. This is a first of many posts that I will write on self effectiveness. This post only focuses on the first and simple step called "writing". I will cover the other steps in future posts.

Achieving self effectiveness is simple to understand, but very hard to do. Let me tell you why. We are all indisciplined and more often than not, lazy by nature. Before I go into the techniques, let's understand why self effectiveness is so important. Self effectiveness propels a person to achieve his goals. By being effective, he/she gets the job done, which brings him/her closer to the goal. This in effect is called taking action. So what's the big deal?

Its easy if you only have 1 goal and a few activities. For most of us, we have 1001 things to do. How can you balance all you have to do, meet deadlines, achieve goals and not be stressed? To write is the first step to self effectiveness. There are just a few more steps, which I will write about in later posts. All these steps take less than 30 minutes a day in total.

Well, most of the time, we keep information in our brain. We retain our to-do lists, schedules, goals in our brains. Our brains are powerful. We only use about 1% of our brain power and there is so much untapped potential. Our brain should be used for "higher value add" type work such as...thinking, planning, and executing in order to achieve our goals. Don't let it get overwhelmed with details of activities and lists by remembering.

Thus, the first step in self effectiveness is to WRITE. That's right. Write everything you need to do. I do not mean on little pieces of paper, notepads, sticky notes. Everything you need to do, your goals, your schedules, should all be written in one single place. That's right. One single place. You should not be spending hours hunting for your to-do list on a piece of paper, nor trying to remember where you put the piece of paper! :-) I do not advocate to do lists. Every activity must be time bound. (I will cover more on this in future posts)

When you write, you unload a lot of stress from your mind. Instead of information overload in trying to remember activities to be done, your mind is now at ease that it knows where to find the activities it needs to do without losing sleep over it.

Have I done this? Yes I have. It certainly sounds simple. It took me more than 9 months to make writing this down into a habit. Even today, I still lapse into my old habit of writing on pieces of paper, but much less. How do I feel? I feel less stress. The feeling is amazing when you offload your mind through writing things down in a single place. I cannot stress how simple this sounds, but how effective it is. Each month, I accomplish more than 150 activities, yes 1-5-0. IF you have never taken stock of your activities, just try it. You will be amazed at the number of things you do in a month.

If your activities for the month do not contribute to you getting closer to you goal, then your goal is only a dream. This is how you achieve your goal, step by step in a structured and effective manner.

The method is simple, too simple to believe, BUT IT WORKS. I am a living example of a person who have changed using this simple technique, living with less stress caused by information overload. I am not perfect at it yet, but it has helped me tremendously.

So in summary, the first step to self effectiveness is to WRITE. It helps to jog your memory when needed. Use your mind more effectively to achieve your goals. The trick to all this is to make it a habit. It must be a habit or it won't be effective. Try it. What have you got to lose? Nothing. But everything to gain. Do it consistently for 4 weeks until it becomes a habit.

In my future posts, I will write about the other aspects of how to achieve self effectiveness, such as time management, goals and reviews and how to link all these together so that you are not overwhelmed by just trying to be effective.

Happy writing!
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Copyright Bernard Ong, 2006

Health-Effectiveness: A lesson from Wing Chun applied to life and business

2006-08-10T18:09:00.000+08:00

After not attending Wing Chun Kung Fu classes for about 10 months, I finally found some time last week to attend. I had been travelling extensively. If you are new to Wing Chun, it is Kung Fu. Legend has it that a Nun conceptualised and formed the fighting principles of the art, which is considered soft, uses your opponents strength against him/her. Do check this site from Donald Mak, a Wing Chun Sifu (Master) for a quick introduction. Wing Chun is the first martial art that Bruce Lee studied. He studied under Grandmaster Yip Man. Check this article out with a photo of Bruce Lee doing "sticky hands" practice with Grandmaster Yip Man.

Anyway, back to what I was trying to say. An essential part of Wing Chun training is known as Chi-Sao or "Sticky hands". It is an exercise where two opponents hands are in contact and each opponent practices techniques, angling, defense and stricking in a safe environment. This is not done in a fix pattern. It is free flowing and each opponent is free to try different techniques without prior agreement. This is quite close to actual fighting, but done in a safe environment. I realised that after that length of absence, my reflexes and sensitivity was still intact. My sifu said that if your fundamentals are well formed and strong, it takes a short time to get familiar again with being sensitive. As the lesson went on, it clearly showed my sifu was right. I surprised myself too! :-) I also learnt that the more relaxed I was, the better my reflexes and sensitivity, as taught by my sifu. The more tense I was, the harder it became in getting back into the "groove". I could relax during chi-sao because my foundation was done well and taught well by my sifu.

I tried to relate this to my own effectiveness and business. It brought back a concept that Robert Kiyosaki (author of rich dad poor dad) wrote in his book "Before you quit your job", where he stated that one should practice setting up and running a business in order to gain experience in running business. Set up a company and try it out in a safe environment to learn and gain experience. I now truly realise what he was saying in his book. I have not started my business yet because of my fear of starting one, not having started one before. With this, I now intend to seriously look into starting a business to practice!

Similar to what we do in chi-sao in Wing Chun, I want to learn and practice setting and running a business in a safe environment, but as close to the real thing as possible. It may be as simple creating a business entity and begin selling or distributing a simple product first, low cost, low risk.

This concept may sound shallow to some, but it works. I am striving to be more effective one day at a time, one concept at a time, one step at a time. A journey of a thousand miles being with a single step.

In my next blog entry, I will share about my experience on authentic Thai massage at a Thai Wat (temple) in Bangkok that helped heal my shoulder injury and about the entrepreneural spirit of the Thai people.