Day 273: GAB 6 Life Work and Career Reflection

I spend most of my life working. Work took away almost half of my life. As a child, I have an inclination in arts and drawings. However, my parents and most of my early childhood teachers were unable to see it. My mum is a home maker and my dad is a stock taker, their message to me were I need to work very hard for my money. I really suffered in my early days of my career. On top of that, they think my drawings or my work are ugly. Only one day my design teacher, Wendy Lee, asked me if I would like to explore design career when I graduate. I took her advice and my first job is becoming a web designer.

When I first begin my 1st job, my artworks were indeed awful and amateurish. As I progressed, I start to like design work, sometimes I can spend long hours just to get one piece of artwork complete. After designing graphics and websites for 15 years. My designing skills have become a second nature to me. It may be tough in the beginning, but I manged to overcome my own obstacles.

I developed life goals in 2008, when I want to improve and get better in my career.

There was no negative effect on the jobs that I applied. Because I know what I want at that point of my life. I probably felt I am disadvantage is I was unable to articulate well compare to my peers.

Yes, there are definately experiencing peaks and valleys in my career. I received a few awards in my career. They are a form of recognition. I also have good results in the later part of my studies that I took.

The downfalls are the 2 key courses that I took. When I had 2 depressions in year 2006 (Due to studies) and 2012 (Asiaworks, Personal Development). They break my thinking pattern and challenge me to take new paths. From corporate to self-employed, be more courageous to take an entrepreneurial path.

Yes, I am happy and contented to my life work. I am proud of myself, how far I have come along. However, I still need to strengthen my communication and leadership skills.

I don’t mind to choose this life work again but I am willing to explore people development type of work. I find them interesting as it touches lives and I also can understand myself a lot better.

What have you liked most and least about your life work? I like when I came out with beautiful ideas and concepts and I know I have given my best to the work that I done.

The least is when client once asked me to change 20 times of the same artwork. I feel it was pretty insane. I had a fight with her. But I did apologise to her. Apparently, she later on award me on Excellence service award in 2005. Currently when I meet such client like this, I will politely ask them if they can confirm the content so that we can be more productive in our work.

Based on my working experience, If I would say about work to a young person just starting out in adult life.
I would say
- Be curious and courageous in what you do.
- Don’t regret on things that you think you should do but didn’t do. It is over!
- Be persistence and have the grit that never gives up.
- Keep learning and growing.
- Stay humble even you think you are right.
- Have fun in your life, Life is not all is about work.