Thursday, June 28, 2007

How NS Can Bring You Success Part 2

Now, continuing from Part 1 of this series.

You have learnt that there are four merits of serving NS that can propel you to success in your life after you have ROD, namely discipline, teamwork, leadership and flexibility.

While you may still doubt what I’m saying, it’s ok. All you need to do is just adopt a different standpoint. After all, a shift of your perspectives won’t hurt, but it sure can bring you to a totally refreshing world, somewhere you haven’t imagine you will be at before.

Now, let’s move on to more benefits NS can bring you, while you think you are suffering.

5. Fitness

Does this need to be further explained? If you are already slim, NS will surely make you fitter and more muscled.

If you are overweight, well the IPPT test doesn’t bluff does it? Then not only do you get to shed those unwanted and unnecessary extra kilos, which is a direct reflection of your health status, you are doing it for free! Plus, there is no where you can run to hide from that mandatory run or exercise.

As I put it, it’s mandatory. So, you just have to do it.

Need I remind you that with a fit body, you have already taken care of one of the most important element one needs to have to build a successful life – physical well-being.

That is, if you are disciplined enough to continue it after you have finished serving. That’s when the first factor “Discipline” comes in. Refer to Part 1 of this series if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

6. Perseverance

As the saying goes

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going

Are you the tough one? If you aren’t then this could be a good place to hone your perseverance and up your tolerance limits.

For every successful man, there is a truck load of stories. Not uplifting ones, but mostly failures.

What sets them apart is the perseverance to hold their grounds, to never say die. 

7. Perspectives

I know, it isn’t a bed of roses there. You don’t get to eat delicious food (but I heard more NS men are dining at the canteen which serves pretty good food, am I or am I not right in this tip-off?), you don’t even get to bath up to days at times.

You can play the victim all the time, blaming the commander, your less-than-co-operative team mate, the sky for raining and for not raining, the bed for creaking, the cook etc.

Or you can learn to realise the power of choice! To realise that you are the one in control of your own states. By choosing to respond to situations differently, all of a sudden you find a purpose for being there, doing what you’re doing, and you see things in a new light.

You are in control of yourself, not the commander, not the team mate, not the sky and not the cook. Whether or not you enjoy the process of being there, it’s entirely up to you.

You know you have the options, and you hold the key to making that choice which will make a whole world of difference for you.

Don’t believe? Test it out!

Successful people always see the good in bad situations. The worse-off the circumstance they’re in, the more opportunities they see in benefiting from it.

Even failures aren’t considered as failures, but as learning experiences.

Simply change the strategy, and you’re on your way to success!

8. Strategy

You need to strategise in order to win a battle.

You may not be in the core team devising the battle plan, but you certainly are a part of the entire team, aren’t you?

Then what is stopping you from observing, asking and understanding the strategy your commander is using. If it’s successful, learn from it. If it has room for improvement, figure it out.

Sun-Tze’s Art of War is now one of the most used manual for so many aspects in our modern life. And the ironical part is – they are used very much in the modern business world as well as non-business related fields! It is even applied in the world of dating and relationships! So what else do you think you can do after learning how to strategise?

Won’t you be able to bring your own career to an even greater height? Hmm.. now this is beginning to set me in wonder…

Everything is about strategy. To achieve a goal, whatever that is, it is not enough to know what you want to achieve, you need to know how to get it, and what is the best and shortest way of reaching your destination.

Strategy is the one to bring you there. If one thing doesn’t work, change it!

Alright, now you probably have more things to complain about this series. Be my guest and leave me your comments!

Or, you can start practising Point #7 and start using a fresh perspective to look at what’s happening in camp, and see how you can be a winner.

I may be a girl who hasn’t gone to serve NS, but I truly believe that these skills can be applied anywhere and everywhere to achieve success. It is all in your mind.

Develop a strong and positive mindset, especially in trying circumstances, you are preparing yourself for a brighter, bigger future where mission tends to be possible.

Go for it my friends! Cheers!   

Friday, June 15, 2007

How NS Can Bring You Success Part 1

Is that ever possible? After all, all the rumours flying around town hasn’t got anything even remotely positive about serving NS.

But what if I can come up with a list of how serving NS can mould you into someone bound for success? Would you believe me?

Well, let’s put the cynicism aside, and look at what I have to say. You are free to tell me how you think otherwise in the comments here. Let me say my piece here first, ok?

1. Discipline

Isn’t this the most dreaded D-word in camp? I bet it is. But hey, look at it this way. We all need to have self-discipline. If you look at all the successful people in the world, it’s easy to detect this common habit among them. 

If we don’t exercise discipline on ourselves, build good habits and kick off bad ones, then how can we expect our followers to do the same. Even if you aren’t in a leadership position, nevertheless this is one aspect that will bring you from where you are to where you want to be in a much shorter time.

You learn to take orders when you need to. That’s discipline. You learn to wake up at a time when you have to. To stay awake even when you haven’t sleep for the last 24 hours when you have to. That’s discipline.

Discipline makes your goal much possible to achieve, because you’ve trained yourself to make them happen.

2. Teamwork

Now, really. Don’t tell me NS is all about individualism. From what I know, you have a buddy system. This already hints of a teamwork-centric environment. 

You go out to the fields, conduct exercises and even bath in groups. Or rather platoons. Any one who breaks the rule will cause the entire team to be punished.

Where else is the best place to learn about the value and importance of teamwork than NS? If you feel it’s unfair that you should suffer along some “idiots” who simply can’t understand instructions, then rather than blame and play the victim, why not empower yourself to turn the situation around and teach that person what he needs to know to be an effective team player.

It’s not just about being reactive. It’s about how you support each other and bring out the strength in the team.

1+1 = 11 guys.

3. Leadership

What is it about the platoon commander that makes you hate him to his guts? Or respect him secretly despite all the hell he has put you through?

To be a good leader, you first need to be a good follower.

Learn to be a good follower here, and you’ll be an excellent leader when you’re out.

4. Flexibility

Yes I hear you. It’s all about listening to orders and commands. You don’t really have a say in how things are run, or should be run. But, don’t you also agree that you need to be flexible and improvise under many circumstances?

Recall the last time when you had to use your own ingenuity (together with your team) to resolve some last-minute or urgent crisis, without the instruction from your commander. What did you guys do? What made you do it? How did you do it?

Creativity and flexibility can reach its max under extreme circumstances. I believe survival is one of them.

What else can NS make you succeed in life? More to come in Part 2. Stay tuned…

Meanwhile, if you are already having very strong feelings about what I’ve written, please feel free to drop your comments here.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

First Week of Work

What? You mean, have I found a new job?

No no no. Please don’t get me wrong. This week was my first week of work after a long break.

Yes, I was sick. I still am

During the long week when I rested, I realized a distinctive difference. Something that wasn’t there in the past when I stayed home to nurse a flu.

I remembered when I was coughing terribly about 7 years ago, I continued to work non-stop. At the time, so long as I wasn’t running a fever, I wasn’t “technically” considered as really sick that needs to be bedded.

The result of that was 5 days of hospitalization. I was down with “chronic bronchitis”. That was the first time I was put on nebaliser. The tubes plugged into my nostrils to help me breathe better and to send more oxygen to my blood had indeed left an indelible mark on my memory.

Enough to scare me not to push my limits beyond my body capacity.

Actually, till today, this belief that “running a fever = sick” is still with me. Until the last week when I resolved to change it.

I wouldn’t have done anything different if not for the fact that I had recalled my hospitalization days. This means, I would have still continued working. I’m not doing anything labourious anyway. I can continue to kid myself this way.

How much stress can I add on by writing some articles, or to reply some emails?

Again, the nebaliser scenes came flooding back.

So this time, I did something totally different. Drastically different, in fact. I rested. Completely. I forced myself not to open my computer, not to read emails, not to compose any sentences in my mind, not to worry about my coaching (as that has been taken care of by my sister) etc.

What did I do then? I slept. Doing my best to sleep as much as I can. But alas, I can only manage to sleep that much. So for the remaining time, I watched TV, and read.

Whenever I feel sleepy (of course, due to my medication), I just went napping. This helped me to discover one more truth – sleep helps your body to do it’s work of recovery.

Was this easy? Far from it! My mind was constantly on my work! But this time, I caught myself faster and told myself that no, I have to rest so that I can recover faster and I can go back to work. This kind of makes me relax easier.

Why am I telling you all these? Because I realized that throughout all the articles I’ve written, it seems that none of them has given you a peek-a-boo into a personal side of me. So I decided to pen my feelings and thoughts this time during a time when I’m “vulnerable” haha…

I hope I’m not boring you with such “insignificant” details.

And I know I need to catch some rest, as apparently, my flu virus hasn’t yet totally been wiped off. 

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Relationship Problems In NS Series: If He Can Do It, So Can You!

I started off this series with summarizing the common reasons why relationship fails when the one wearing the pants has his caught in the duty for the nation. Well, not that I love nit-picking, but I just thought that will be a good marker to begin rectifying what could and have gone awry.

So, not to sound too negative, I actually roped in a couple who survived the NS days and are still painting the town red, hand-in-hand. I hope that interview brought home a crisp and clear message, that if you missed it, I’d love to reiterate here once again.

That is – if they can do it, so can you! It’s a matter of knowing how to, and then execute them. If one strategy doesn’t work, change it! 

We all know that life is not a bed of roses. Especially in the world of dating and relationships. However once bitten doesn’t has to be shy forever!

Therefore, to give you guys one more push, I came up with 7 tips to handle rejections, in style.

Now, you really have no more reasons not to believe in yourself, believe in love and believe that relationship can work, and will work, if only you know how. Who cares if you are still in NS? Or she’s in University?

When you have the heart, you’ll have the will. Muster up whatever courage you have, and let the ball roll!

I wish you all fun in the journey. If you need extra help, give me a shout! Or you can email me too. 

Remember, if he can do it, so can you!

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Relationship Problems In NS Part 3: How To Deal With Rejections, In Style.

You’ve heard from the couple. Now the one million dollar question now is, what if, you can’t even get past the courting stage?

What if the lady you are after rejected your advances? Fret not, as the saying goes, without this tree you still have the entire forest. Ok, not a very good consolation. But let’s see how these seven tips can help you to deal with rejections, if and when they come. Ouch!

7 Tips On How To Deal With Rejections, In Style

1. Laugh it off. Really! Laughter is the best medicine, so just watch some silly movies and laugh your misery off. When you’ve laughed hard and long enough, strangely, those sour feelings will ebb before you even realize it. I know, it can be hard. But hey, what’s the harm in doing this?

2. Focus. On what? On anything and everything except her. Period.

3. Fantasize. I mean, stop fantasizing. Even though you may strongly believe that she’s the ONE for you, absolutely compatible with you, that’s only a one-sided affair. So the least you can do now is to stop fantasizing what would happen if she were to accept you. She didn’t, so wake up to reality.

4. Learn. Not just on why you were being rejected, but also on how you can do much better the next time round. Remember, different strokes different folks. In order for you to learn your lesson, you need to first know what type of girl she is and why is it that your style is not working on her. 

5. Youth. Well, you may not want to admit it, but it’s a cold hard fact that you are still extremely young, isn’t it? So youth is the biggest asset you can ever have, also one that you can readily tap on to recover from the hurt of the rejection. What does this mean? The world is your oyster, so start dating!

6. Read. Grab a book. That’s an area where I can find great solace in. As the old Chinese saying goes, you can find gold in a book, as you can find a beauty too… Jokes aside, you really can glean a few more gems, and maybe tips in dating and relationship. It also helps in allowing you to grow yourself better, as a person and potential lover while giving you better insights on the possible reasons that led to the rejection!

7. What if? Stop asking yourself the “what-if” questions that won’t get you anywhere. If you knew you had done what you could, did your best, then move on. Act like a man, and be a man. If you think you haven’t done your best (that’s when the “what-if” questions come in) then you already have the answer! 

You’ve realized that these seven tips consist of some to-dos and some NOT to-dos, as I’ve came to understand that at times, it’s not about what you can do, but also very much on what you shouldn’t and needn’t spend time thinking on and doing that can make this transition period a breeze or a pain. That’s why I name them as the seven tips to deal with rejection, in style.

That’s right, it is only but a transition period. It will end. You will get over it, and you will become stronger, more loving, and a better person at the end – in style.

After all, Bon Jon Jovi had said that success means falling down nine times, and getting up TEN!

Well, he ain’t any boring personal development guru but the ultimate superstar! So I guess any form of “generation gap” shouldn’t come into play here, right guys? *wink*

That’s what I have for you in part 3 of this series.