Some people like to say that they just “don’t feel like doing it” today. They would wake up early in the morning, feeling demotivated to do anything but sleep. Some would call in sick, and some would go to office in the famous ‘zombie mode’.

Unfortunately, work is work. You can feel demotivated and you can have that typical “I don’t feel like doing it” attitude, but your bosses, your customers, your competitors and the market in general are not going to wait for you. They demand you to deliver your work, whether you have the ‘mood’ to do it or not.

That’s the reality everyone of us needs to face every single day. And it’s a reality that none of us can escape from.

So rather than forcing yourself to do something or trying to escape from it, it’s way better to find other alternatives which can help you to get back in the ‘mood’. For example:

• You can try to find other source of inspiration. Sometimes, all you need is a little bit of inspiration from someone, something, somewhere. Try to read more books, blogs, talk to different people, etc. It might make you feel better with whatever you’re doing now.
• Take a break. Sometimes, taking a break from a hectic schedule prevents you from getting too exhausted. And when you feel exhausted, you won’t feel like doing anything but rest.
• Find other smaller stuff to do, but only for a short while. Never start something big when your main task has yet to be completed. And finding other smaller stuff helps you to introduce some varieties to your life. Our brain loves varieties (but not risks).

Unfortunately, time and tide wait for no one. In such a competitive world, if we don’t continue to work/study hard, we’ll be left out. Our feeling of “I don’t feel like doing it…”, is nothing but our own. The world cares nothing about this. I know it’s harsh, but it IS a reality.

Don’t get me wrong. I always stress the importance of getting enough rest and also taking a break from our work or job. But to constantly give excuses such as “I don’t feel like doing it…” just to avoid ourselves from doing something….is not very healthy. Such negative thoughts should be minimized especially when you’re starting your day in the morning.

And seriously, if you keep on having such an issue, perhaps it’s really time to find a new adventure in your life. Break this boring patterns of “I don’t feel like doing it”.

“Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we’re here we should dance.”

And that is exactly what life is all about. There are times when we’re being given some of the best things in the world and feel fortunate. But there are also times when we’re being thrown into some difficult situations which make us feel we’re useless. Yes, shits like this do happen (and sometimes they happen a lot too) but I believe that we have the power to make the best out of whatever situation we’re in.

For example, if you are complaining about your job now, there are actually few things that you can do. The obvious option is of course to look for another job. But if you can’t do that, then you have to make the most out of your current situation. Introduce new ideas, contribute more to the team, get to know more people from other teams, help another teammate with his/her task, etc. Make yourself a valuable member of the team, and a valuable employee for the company.

The thing with most people is that we complain too much whenever things are not the way we want them to be. We complain and complain, ….and complain. Yet, we do nothing to improve the overall situation. And no matter how much you try to deny it, the truth is that we CAN improve the situation. Here are few things you can consider doing:

• stop complaining
• think of the positive things in current situation
• think of how you can improve on the positive things
• make yourself valuable to your team and company
• think out of the box

Remember that you don’t have to just stick to the things listed in your job description. Feel free to explore out of the box. Most importantly, you have to understand your current situation. If you can’t move away from it, then change how you look at it.

As Mary Engelbreit once said “If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it — change the way you think about it.”

Good ideas are a subset of ideas. Maybe 3 out of 10 ideas are good ideas and the remaining 7 are bad ideas.

While most people love the 3 good ideas, there are a lot more people who are fearful of the 7 bad ideas. In the end, they feel hesitant to come out with any ideas. They are afraid of being looked down by others. They are afraid of being called “stupid”. They are afraid of bad ideas.

But if you don’t come out with any ideas at all, then the hope of getting a good idea is zero.

That’s why in my personal opinion, having bad ideas is way better than having no ideas at all. Generate more ideas, be it good or bad. Learn from the bad, and keep the good. That way, you will eventually come out with few good ideas.

Well, easier said than done. If you want to do this, I think you have to let go of your ego for a while…. and feel that it’s okay to look stupid with all the bad ideas you come out with. Hopefully in the long run, you will learn to understand that there’s no idea which is bad….and someone who is willing to contribute ideas is always smarter than someone who does not contribute ideas at all.

No matter how much we hope we are perfect, the fact is nobody is perfect. And no matter how often we like to think we are geniuses like Einstein and Edison, we’re not. But fortunately, the good news is we’re not alone. Most people in this world are just like us – full of weaknesses.

And yet, some of them have been very successful in their life. It’s like they do not have much weaknesses to begin with. Oh, and what about those that have shortcomings or are less fortunate than a lot of us – learning difficulties, deaf, handicapped, mute, etc. Time and time again, people who are less fortunate have proved to us that they can be as successful (if not more) as well.

So what actually enables them to be so successful? What are the secrets/factors behind it? For me, there are only 3 main secrets or factors.

Luck – this is something outside our control but it is also something that we should be aware of. Just don’t pay too much attention to it.

Belief – this is very important because it helps to push you forward. Without having something that you truly believe it, you can’t go far.

Perseverance – never give up. Yes, sometimes it does pay off to give up but if there’s something that you truly believe in, you should not give up. Push on. If it fails, think of a different approach. Remember that Rome was not built in a day. It took a lot of hard work to build the entire city.

The last 2 points are very important and they go hand-in-hand with one another. If you do not have something that you really believe in, then just believe in yourself. Believe that you can accomplish the task at hand. Believe that you can achieve your ambitions. Believe in yourself because if all things failed you, you still have yourself.

And never give up. If you are not a genius or if you can’t learn things as fast as some other smarter people can, then work harder. If it takes other people just 8 hours to learn something, then you should work harder …maybe 10 or 12 hours to learn it up.

Also, bear in mind that most people prefer a hardworking + average person than a smart + lazy person.

Last but not least, I sincerely believe that being successful is not a myth and the opportunity to be successful in life is there for everyone to grab. The question is whether you have the belief and the perseverance to get it.

Hope it helps.

p/s….. some people said that i can pick up things fast, but to be honest, i do tend to spend longer time than some smart people i know. The way that I can remain competitive is to work harder.

Few days ago, a job recruiter called me up for a chat. She was the person who helped me get my current job. So, the call was to ask how am I doing in this new job. Here’s part of our conversation.

………

Recruiter :  Hey, so you’re traveling to Sydney this coming weekend?

Me :  Yeap.

Recruiter :  Whoa, good opportunity for you to work with people from other countries.

Me :  Hmm, nothing special. I was based in UK for 7 months before this. So I’ve worked with people from various countries.

Recruiter :  Oh…but…how come your English is like this?

Me :  Erm, what do you mean by this?

Recruiter :  You know…accent. Your English seems very Malaysian to me, and there’s no accent.

Me :  Honestly, I don’t see a need to learn other people’s accents. As long as I can speak clearly, I don’t see any harm.

Recruiter :  But it’s actually better to speak in their accent so that you can impress people during interview.

Me :  Well, it also depends on who am I talking to, no?

………

Ok, the last line probably pissed her off a little.

The thing is, people should not assume that everyone thinks alike. To them, accent can be used to impress people but to us, it can mean nothing. What we want to do is just to use our English to deliver our messages CLEARLY and EFFECTIVELY. Simple right? Surprisingly, a lot of people failed to see this and end up using accent….which they really shouldn’t. You know…those people who talk in alien language that nobody can understand them at all? I bet some of them are trying to speak with accent.

I know this post does sound a bit like a ranting post, but really, my advice to everyone out there – stop assuming that people will do what you think they will do. Or, stop thinking that people will do whatever you think YOU would do. For this case, the recruiter thinks English should be used with accent in order to impress people, and she thinks other people should do the same too. But the truth is, most people prefer to use English without any accent, as long as the messages can be delivered properly.

So, stop assuming.

p/s…. by the way, I wanted to ask her which accent does she think is appropriate. British? Scottish? Aussies? American? But I was quite pissed that I ended up answering 1 word reply to her – yes/no/okay

p/s…. and yes, I must admit I can’t really speak with accent and I don’t have any intention of learning it.