The problem of being indispensible

One of the enlightenment I got from "The 4 Hours Work-Week" is that it's bad news to be indispensible within a company.

Ok, maybe no one is indispensible, especially when the downturn comes. What I mean is that if you monopolise a particular field within the company, you are considered a "much needed" person and you become the first name that comes to people's mind when they encounter problems in that field.

I must qualify that I do enjoy being the go-to guy in my department, but it is a double edge sword.

Pros:
(1) Job Security.
(2) More visibility and thus better chance for promotion.
(3) More likely to get a better pay increment compared to the average peers.

Cons:
(1) Over-reliance on you, and thus it starts to suck up my time, thus reducing productivity.
(2) Hard to go for long holidays, or even have to OT at home when on medical leave.

My boss once said that managers should train their subordinates to be almost as good as them, to the point that they can do the manager's things.
- When subordinates perform, it reflects nicely on the boss' management skills.
- When suboordinates perform to your level, you have the option of moving up to another level, since you now have a capable replacement.

A few months back, I have gotten a nice capable colleague, whom I have transferred my knowledge to. Now I can look forward to be absent without anything holding me back.

And it feels really good. ^_^

Making life easier

I blame myself for everything, so that I can have ownership of the problem.
And with ownership, I empower myself to solve it.

Often, I have hear of people saying that they have no time.
They blame it on the work hours, the travel time, the kids, the gf/wife etc... anyone but themselves.

Pushing the blame on others doesn't win you any synpathy points. But by accomplishing more stuffs with less time, you get people's respect.

Let me share a few pointers here. I give credits to The 4-hour Work-week for the concept, but I adjusted it to suit myself.

DEAL - Define, Eliminate, Automate, Liberate

(1) DEFINE - Know what the REAL problem is.
Don't give the right solutions to the wrong problems.

(2) ELIMINATE (aka Simplify) - Kill it before it kills you.
Know what the time-consuming tasks are. Are they REALLY that important? Find ways to eliminate them, or improve the process so that it doesn't take as long.
Don't be shy to say "NO" or ask "WHY THE POOK DO YOU NEED THIS?".
When you ask more, you work less.
Buy 1 to 2-weeks worth grocery at a go, instead.
Do you REALLY need to spend an hour each day reading newspapers, Facebook, watching serial drama etc....?
I used to spend an hour reading newspapers, thinking that "I don't want to be a frog in the well". But the truth is I can't change the world, and actually I read because of my ego to be "smart", and that doesn't make me more money. Now I just read the headlines, except for news that concern me directly. - save 45 minutes a day.

(3) AUTOMATE - Offload your tasks.
I got a iRobot, now I never ever have to sweep my floors again - Save 30 mins a week.
I got a weekly part-time cleaner so that I can save 4 hours a week.
Auto-link most of your payments to Giro (or whatever they call it in your country), so you won't have to waste time compiling your bills.
And if you are a businessman, DON'T do everything yourself. Don't be a salesman + accountant + operations manager + office cleaner. Learn to delegate so you can have time to THINK strategically and get more cash for the company.
And do consider a Virtual Assistant - they can do ANYTHING for you that doesn't require their physical presence. Help you write articles, help you plan for holidays or find a rental flat etc... And they are surprisingly cheap - 3 cheers for India, the Service Centre of the World.

(4) LIBERATE - Get yourself out from the 9-5.
With extra time at hand, you can spend more quality time with your family, or embark on a journey to get new sources of part-time income.

Simple case study.
(1) PROBLEM: The bus always comes late.
Sorry, actually the REAL problem is you wake up late - own up to YOUR own problem.

(2) ELIMINATE: What can you do to wake up earlier, or skip the bus?
Any ways to sleep earlier the day before, like checking Facebook/Youtube/Emails twice a week instead of daily? Can you join a carpool? Or get your boss to let you work at home some of the times? Negotiate for a 7.30am-4.30pm workhour instead of 9am-6pm just so you can avoid the peak hours.

(3) AUTOMATE: Get a BLOODY LOUD alarm clock and place it in the living room. You will be too embarrassed if you don't get off the bed and turn it off, lest the neighbours complain to the local police.

(4) LIBERATE: Once you start killing this problem, get yourself a pat on the back. Now you are one step closer to a better life!

Have a great weekends ahead, my friends! ^_^
Stop being a slave to yourself.
Live life, love life!

About the Author: Shingo T dedicates this post to his 2 weekly cleaners, because they are cleaning away so that he can blog this now.

My passion

One of my friends just asked me an interesting question.

"Am I right to say that your passion is to earn more money?"

I guess I must have spoke about "money" too many times, and give others the impression that I'm money-minded. =p

So here are my views.

(1) Money is a tool.
It is not a must to have it, but having it makes your life easier. If you don't agree, try begging for food instead of earning for it.

(2) Money and you, who's the master?
If you are not in control of your money, that means your money is controlling you. Don't be a slave to money and work blindly chasing it, instead think of how to abuse your money to make more of it.

(3) No money is no big deal.
Never lose sleep over money issues. Learn to bounce back from financial defeats. Been there, done that, and I'm still an undefeatable cockroach.

(4) Money amplifies your values, and not change them.
If you are a stingy guy, having more money will only make you a scrooge. It won't make you an instant pilantrophist.

(5) Money doesn't make you invincible.
But it pretty much gives you tons of options in life. Sack the boss? Donate as much money as you like? Travel the world?

(6) God is fair? Nah.
Rich people have problems.
Poor people have a different set of problems.
So I rather be rich and problematic, then poor and problematic.
It's the "consolation prize" mentality. If all else fails, at least I'm rich. =(

(7) Entrepenuers, the missing link to make the world better.
Good governments can finance the people, but they are bounded by rules and politics.
Good schools can educate the nation, but they are bounded by their finances.
That's where good social entrepenuers come in. With the money they earn and the lack of politics, entrepenuers can help mould the nation easier.

Start charity foundations like Bill Gates?
Adopt kids and build schools like Madonna?
Why not?

You can have tons of volunteers to build a school in Vietnam, but eventually someone has to give the money to buy the bricks, pay for transportation and stuffs.

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So to answer the question. How can earning money be a passion?
Money is useless if you don't have a CLEAR purpose for it.
(And having as much money in the bank is not a "purpose")

My passion is to help people go back from work earlier, so that they can spend more time with their family.

And if I earn a hell lot of money someday while following my passion, wouldn't this be a dream "job"?

Hope that clarifies.
Have a great day ahead, my friends! ^_^

Last Day at Work

An email that I sent out earlier today to my fellow colleagues.
Company and real name have been substituted to protect my identity.

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Dear Friends,
The reason you are receiving this email is because we have had the chance to cross path during my stay here in XXX Company.
And I have really appreciated your help and assistance.

The past 3+ years have been meaningful, and I had a great time working with you.

As some of you may know, today is my last working day here in XXX for the week.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your support, guidance and encouragement provided to me
during my tenure at XXX.

I like to wish you and your family good health and happiness.
Stay in touch always, my friends.

I can be contacted via my handphone, or at my outside email
shingo@HappyAprilFoolsDay.com

Regards.
Shingo T

The irony of the modern man

My mum is not a fan of the Dalai Lama, because she's pro-China (she's a Malaysian Chinese). Personally, I don't give a POOK about politics, but I came across this quote from the Dalai Lama, which I find very enlightening.

Will post it below to share with you guys/gals.

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The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered:

"Man.. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then, he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."

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My good friend Nino comes to my mind when I read this. While most people that i know (myself included) goes in the endless pursuit of more cash, the Nino that I know travel the world, lives his dream, and flies one half of the world to be with his true love. I envy ya, bro!

The Secret Fountain Of Youth

Dear Friends,
I have been spending extra time pursuing my dreams these days, and that has taken a toll on my sleep time. As such, I have to seriously cut down on the blogging time, and also my blog reading times.

I really do miss the comments you have posted, and also the regular blogs which I always stalk. I will be back here and there when things start settling down.

On a side note, my hearts goes out to Japan. It's seems like a dream sometimes, how much fun and love I had in Japan one month ago, and how it is now. It's just sad. =( I'm following the Japan news update very closely. It's very much the only thing I read on news these days, as I drastically find ways to find time.

Finally, here's a joke I read and got a chuckle from. Hope it makes your day too.

Never lose touch, my friends.

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A passer-by noticed an old lady sitting on her front step: "I couldn't help noticing how happy you look! What is your secret for such a long, happy life?"

"I smoke 4 packs of cigarettes a day", she said. "Before I go to bed, I smoke a nice big joint. Apart from that, I drink a whole bottle of Jack Daniels every week, and eat only junk food. On weekends I pop a huge number of pills and do no exercise at all."

"This is absolutely amazing at your age!!!!", says the passer-by. "How old are you?"

"Twenty four."

Back from Hokkaido Japan

Hi friends, how have you guys/babes been?

I have been back from Japan for about a week, but have been caught up with work and other important personal stuffs. Hence the lack of updates on my Hokkaido (Japan) trip, and have yet to visit the regular blogs of my friends.

I will be buying dinner soon, so let me post some random photos of Japan.


Choco the Bear, the bear who accompanies us for every single trip. He helps to entertain the housekeeper when we are out from our hotel room.


Hokkaido is the place for sea-food lovers. Wifey says the crabs are so so so sweet and tasty.


The cakes in Japan are made with heart and soul. Taste great, and looks great!


This is my first winter vacation. A snow covered car. Almost everything is covered in snow here!


Japan is a land of yummy yum yums. But because they are so polite and value privacy, it doesn't seem appropriate for me to take snapshots of them openly.


Fruits in Japan are so so expensive that I always bring vitamin C supplements there. 3990 yen (ie. S$64 or US$50) for a single melon, anyone?


Have you ever taken a train with the vast ocean as the backdrop? It felt so good to be just beside the ocean watching the sea birds and huge waves, alot of people were snapping pictures.


Snow can make anything in Japan. Will show you some awesome snow sculptures pictures another day. And nope, the gal in the photo ain't Wifey.

Take care everyone!