Peter The Planner

Hi guys!

Wishing everyone who is reading this blog a happy and blessed chinese new year! May you be prosperous in this coming Rabbit year and wishing everyone to have good health!

The “Year of the [Metal] Rabbit”, fourth in the zodiac cycle according to Chinese astrology, will be celebrated on February 3, 2011.

Also known as the “Chinese New Year”, “Spring Festival”, or “Lunar New Year”, it is the longest and most important festivity which has been celebrated for thousands of years.

This light-hearted lens is devoted to all things funny bunny, hilariously hare-brained, or perhaps just a bit rambunctiously rabbit .

Always remember although work is important but family ties are even more important!  Have a work-life balance =)

GONG XI FA CAI! Huat Huat Huat!

In my recent badminton session, my friend was asking me on how come i’m so serious in playing badminton and keen on practising to be the best i can even at this age. It is not as if i am playing for competition anyway.

This has brought me to ponder upon why there is a limitation being imposed on ourselves when it comes to being the best. No one can ever tell you if you can be successful in life, not even your parents. Whether you can make it big in life, it’s all within yourself. If you think you can, you will!

Nevertheless i felt that other than mindset, discipline is very crucial in making sure if you become the best. It ensures that you keep up with the actions being done and follow through all the necessary training that was needed. Be it in studies or work, having self-disciplined is sometimes the step in differentiating a winner and loser!

**It’s ok to have a unrealistic goal so long you have a realistic plan!**

Just got back from my agency goal setting and this was what struck me the most as I finds it so true! This will be something that I will always tell myself when I want to dream big from now on!

Heard a quote today at my company event and i find it pretty interesting to share with all.

“It’s ok for changes to occur so long it’s in the right direction’”

I just find it so true and it kinda relates to me quite well. We cannot always assume what works for us in the past will work in the future because our end point maybe different hence we need to change!

Tonite has been extremely cooling over at my house =) In fact, i am sitting down blogging without turning on my fan which is quite uncommon considerating the fact that i lived only at 3rd storey. Anyway tonight i am having sudden inspiration to blog about some of my daily chats with my friends in the next few months! I would think it is going  to be quite fun putting down the interesting topics that i have each day into this small space of mine =)

To kick start off today’s chat, i shall share about the topic that i had with my friend on being a nice boss. We were just sharing about what does it takes to be a boss that everyone respects and would put in 100% of their effort in helping them to build the empire. Two of us actually agreed that one needs to lead by example and have to go beyond their duty as a boss. I need to say they need to be a good friend to their co-workers if they want to have their heart.

Being in today’s context, you cannot be a boss who just use rules and regulations to govern the system. Yes, they are important to keep things in place but they are not the only factors. One can have the best system in town but without a good leader, it is useless too. Being a boss has to also know and understand what their co-workers are going through before they can effectively govern them. They must also understand that what used to work for them few years back doesnt neccessary means it can work now. There is no point in always talk like Zhu Ke Liang but never have the heart like Liu Bei. You need to be both in order to win the battle as a boss.

Some bosses thought they can just pin-point some leaders in their company to lead the system and pretend everything to be as per normal and enjoy their time to do other things. But one thing they failed to realise is that people will not always be loyal to you especially when they see you enjoying yourself without doing anything to help out. Perhaps the bosses can say that they still come to office once a while to show face but do you think their co-workers need that kind of support? They need more than that!

Well i guess too bad. In most circumstances, such bosses tend to take things for granted and do it their way. I believed that they need to FAIL in order to learn the mistake. As the old saying: what goes around comes around. They will have their judgement day!

Hi Guys!

Happy New Year to all who are reading =) It’s been one month since i last blogged and one of my new year resolution is to spend more time blogging and contribute more articles to CPF board.

I wondered how has 2010 been for some of you but personally last year had been a great year for me in most aspect of my life. Maybe i will do a short recap of what had happened:

- Started my year by visiting Korea for free due to incentives given by my company (Jan)
- Met a wonderful and prayful girl who agreed to be my girlfriend (March)
- Went for incentive trip to Perth (April)
- Pass my driving licence (June)
- Went for usual holiday trip with my childhood brothers (July)
- Meeting great people and bringing in good sales (July to Oct)
- Finally found a cell group to attend (Sept)
- Got myself a 2nd Mitsubishi Colt Plus (End Oct)
- Spent more time with family members (Nov-Dec)
- In-camp training (Dec)
- Celebrated the new year over at Shenzhen with girlfriend (31st Dec)

That should be all for me in 2010 =) Haha.. from the way i looked at it, it seem like i have taken more holiday breaks than working. BUT that is not true! In fact i do have my fair share of hardwork in my work but i am someone who believe in work-life balance. Never get yourself too burnt out or else you be out of the game real soon.

I really thank God for all the blessing he had given to me all these while and in 2011, i hope i can do more to know HIM better and to have more breakthrough in my life. Anyway as i was talking to my friend yesterday, i realised i am approaching 30 years old in one more year time!

Time really flies and age is catching up. Seriously i have never felt that i am close to 30 given my fun-size body and boylish look. It really hits me when i realised this age issue. But it does help me to reflect more things on myself. The very first question that came to my mind was that ‘have i achieved my goals i set for myself when i am 30′?

FYI: I set out to have 3 passive businesses when i am 30 and as of 2010, i have only one. But it’s ok because i have decided to do something different this year so that i can have at least 2 by 2012 hopefully.  Meanwhile i shall keep it as a secret =)

Lastly if there was one thing for me to take away last year, i would say that it is to put our plans to God and submit to HIM. Do according to his way and not ours. Human can only plan so much and if there is not what HE wants for you, it won’t work out. Live simply and humble in 2011!

December is a time for celebration for most of us where the majority of us will be spending money, buying gifts for our loved ones or going for short trips. It is also a season whereby we leave the house each day wondering whether or not the skies will open on us and if it’ll rain for the day.

This brings me to think about our individual financial situations. Are we financially ready for a ‘rainy season’ in our life? Do we have an ‘umbrella’ to use when we really need it? In case you are now lost, do allow me to explain further what I mean by a ‘rainy season’ and an ‘umbrella’ in your life

Do you agree that from the moment we step out into the working society, we all have unexpected expenses coming to us every now and then? From the allowances we give to our parents, family trips, spouse’s birthday, personal holidays, friend’s birthday celebration, sickness and shopping spree, it all requires us to spend a lump sum at some point of time. Can we really save on this money? To me, yes and no. Let’s say I save on giving my parents a free holiday at the end of the year, I will feel so bad about it and eventually will blame myself for being too calculative. If I save on my spouse’s birthday, it would also seem like we don’t really care much (who doesn’t like to receive gifts!). For friend’s gathering and holiday, societal norms tend to dictate that there needs to be a gift presented, and much as it seems unnecessary, we are all eventually tied down by these norms.
We can hardly find a bunch of friends who can chill out together without spending money. Even dining at a restaurant to ‘catch up’ can easily make you poorer by $50.

Therefore the so-called ‘rainy season’ would refer to the type of expenses I mention above. You don’t spend the same amount every month but yet its seasonal. Do you save on a monthly basis to cater to such expenses? Typically I would recommend setting aside 10% of your net-income for it so that when you really empty this account, you are still safe.

To me, an ‘umbrella’ in my life would mean getting adequate insurance coverage to protect against major illness (hot topics these days), death, disability and hospitalisation. The very purpose of an umbrella serves to shelter you from either sun or rain. It is meant as a covering, and a safeguard should the weather unexpectedly change. I am willing to bet that you who are reading this article currently have an umbrella in your possession, kept somewhere in your storeroom, who only makes an appearance when the skies turn dark. Imagine heading out into the pouring rain without an umbrella.. not a feasible idea right? You don’t buy an umbrella only when you see the skies turning dark, you buy one and keep it at home, ‘just-in-case’. The same premise holds true for insurance, you don’t start scrambling only when a major illness hits you. You keep one with you at all times in a cupboard, and take it out when it starts turning dark. The consequence of not learning this concept will also render you helpless and definitely ‘wet’ (with tears maybe) when the rain starts pouring in your life.

Yet when it comes to buying insurance, you may wonder what and who to buy from. Well this answer can be easily solved by getting a reliable consultant who stays long enough to survive in this financial industry and someone who spends time understanding your needs and wants. Tied or independent agents does not really matter because it’s the agent’s character that plays the most important part. Don’t you agreed with me that even people in high governmental positions (SLA incident) can also be corrupted?

For those who are reading this, please be nice enough by informing your friends or relatives not to buy any plans from roadshow advisors that promise you freebies. Most of them try to lure you to putting down an instant lifetime commitment, whilst not having the space and capacity to thoroughly address your needs. Always remember that ‘a one time greed will make you regret for life’. Its not worthwhile Another important point that I always advocate is to not buy a savings plan as your first policy. An ethical agent always makes sure that he addresses your life protection needs FIRST before looking at other aspects. Hence, advisors who solely touch on wealth management plans are mostly not looking out for your needs, but their own. So please take note

Just my two cents worth!