Take 25

Because I will only be 25 once.. and will only be 26 or 27 or 28. So does the rest of the world. But you know.. Age 25 is such a big deal. It’s like being 18 and you’ve reached the legal age. It’s like being 20 and you’re not a teenager anymore. 25.. It’s the age when most people throw the questions: Am I happy with the work I do? What do I really want? Should I study again? Hashtag Quarter Life Crisis. But since I have a memory span shorter than a gold fish, I might as well try to document how my 25th year has been. It is definitely the year I have asked myself so many questions. The time I have asked people if they think I should quit my job, find a day shift job or NOT. The time I sent once again a letter of intent to do it. The time I was really convinced that I am really doing it this time but then gets swayed just after some time. The time that my stress went up to the highest level in accepting the most challenging role I’ve had in years. Most stressful heart breaking moment learning that your team mates slash closest friends are leaving the team at the same time. That moment I felt so stuck in the work I do. That if I don’t get out now, there’s no more way out. But you know, you get over it. It is truly the age of wondering and wandering. The year that kept me thinking. I have even collected a series of notepads unpublished. So much uncertainties. You’re not sure what career path to pursue. Are you willing to risk what you’ve established already for something you’ve been wanting to cross. You’ve been very careful with your decisions and now you’re at crossroads: do you take the unknown path versus the safe one? But life goes on. You still plan the rest of your year with no assurance whether these plans will push through. And who would have thought! In this journey called work, I’ve learned so much. Here’s a list of 25:

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
Tell me and I might forget, show me and I might remember, involve me and I’ll understand.
If we always do what we’ve always done, we will always get what we’ve always gotten.
Let the stakeholders know the plans.
Learn the difference between assertiveness vs aggressiveness.
Fake it til you make it.
Don’t be too shy to write up what you’ve done in your performance.
Know a person’s social styles to influence them.
It is always a matter of making the decision and making things done
It is OK to fail. At least you can get up again fresh and new.
You take control of your career.
Travel is not just a whim and it’s more than just a reward to self. There’s so much more to it.
It’s all about mind setting.
It’s all about setting expectations and meeting them(yours and others’).
Sometimes you, win sometimes you lose.
As Kobe says, you miss 100% of the shoots you don’t take.
Make friends, not enemies. Consulting is all about networking.
Learning is investing. Learning never stops. You will never know everything.
Delegate.
There’s always a better way of saying things.
Know your English.
Cross cultural knowledge is a skill.
If you’re sick, take that frggin Sick Leave. Your health matters more than missing a single task.
Trabaho lang. Walang personalan. And lastly….
Don’t stress yourself out over things you cant control.

That’s why I will take this wandering and wondering a break. And will probably take a long break.. From work. And because I don’t have control over these, let’s stop the worrying.