Well, it’s that time of the year again—time to revisit my goals and see in myself how far I’ve gotten already. If you have never set goals for yourself, it is one of the most inspiring and life-affirming things that you can do and I highly recommend it.
Writing my goals down gives me more direction and sets sail in finding out my next steps in life. (If what I’m currently doing doesn’t help me realize them, then I have to take a hundred eighty degree turn and walk away.)
I now present to the world the four big goals of my life. Drum rolls, please, in your ears. And read:
1. Increase my financial capacity.
Since I graduated from college in October 2009, I felt terribly desperate and keyed up at the same time to get a job. In a span of two months, I’ve applied to a number of companies as an entry-level IT professional and went frantic when I wasn’t getting any great response to the dozens of resumes I sent out daily. After getting through series of exams and interviews in different places (mostly in Makati and Ortigas), I’ve successfully landed my first job as a global system administrator/metrics analyst in IBM-Global Process Services (Eastwood) in December 2009.
At that time, I was only thinking about employment as the source of income I could get to support my sister’s college tuition. I thought I’d get myself employed by multinational companies to earn a title and good reputation in my profession while climbing all the way to the top of the corporate ladder through the years.
But this perspective changed when I’ve attended seminars, read articles and seen videos talking about other productive strategies in building my way to riches. This was also thanks to Louie who was all the time feeding me his insights on stocks, real estate, online marketing/affiliating, modern entrepreneurship and the like.
So where am I heading to? This year 2010, I have achieved my personal business commitment goals in my current role in IBM and even went farther. These I don’t brag off because I’m proud in being part of a “human domestication program,” where employees learn how to be “good pets” and become better ones, but these I’ll use as my passport to a better-paying job. “What? Job again?” you may ask.
For now, I’m looking to moving from one “bus” to another in reaching for my capital in establishing a business. I have resigned from my present company last December 6, 2010 in the pursuit of assimilating more technical skills and experiencing working in a different industry before I take the next “bus” next year.
Right now, my efforts aren’t enough to cover a salary for myself, but it’s enough to get us by until I found a more promising job in terms of compensation. I am very thankful for the learning experience and test in discipline I got from my short time as an IBMer, and I know those lessons will carry me through the next stages of my career.
Moving on, I have received job offers by three companies this month but rejected them all because I had to wait for 45 days of clearance from IBM; I can’t start working for others just yet.
I know it takes significant effort to build a successful business; it’s also a tremendous growth experience. Many people now are more aware that it’s better to have a business than a job. Many start-up businesses may fail, but the experience they get in return didn’t churn out any regrets for taking the plunge. There’s simply no substitute for holding the reins of your own destiny.
In three to four years, I’m going to make it. And you can take my word for it.
2. Travel.
There are a lot of things that build character in a person, like when you finish a milestone in your life or when you overcome sorrow or when beat the odds of some grave disease or sickness. On a lighter note, I believe that traveling builds character. Even though my family and I have not traveled together extensively, we know that from the few travels that we did have that it made us richer inside of us.
Whenever we come back from our trips, our eyes were more open to other cultures, traditions, beliefs and values. It took the experience of going to another places and seeing for ourselves the lives of others. It took the experience of dancing with its people, eating their food and walking on their “sands” to understand and believe that there was more to this life, our life, than what we had back home.
We learned that, in general, people are people where ever you go. People still react to your smile, your consideration, and your respect of life that you know here. It does not matter if you do not know their language or if the color of your skin is different than theirs. It does not take traveling to understand this, but it does help in opening your eyes to the colors of the world and its people.
My goal is to travel to Asian countries Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China and more destinations outside Asia if time and money permit me. So far, I have been only to China, Taiwan and Thailand. In the Philippines, I have visited Batangas, Laguna, Tagaytay, Baguio, Antipolo, Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Ilo-ilo, Bacolod, Olongapo, La Union, Tarlac and Pampanga. I am hoping to meet other booming areas within the country like Davao and Cebu. I mean we don’t even have to go far, we just have to keep your mind and heart open.
3. Be as happy as I can be.
Imagine you’re a builder erecting a tall building. You do everything to make sure you have a good foundation, and you make constant improvements as you build floor by floor. But you get so engrossed doing each floor that you forget to finish your building by placing something fitting on top.
It’s the same way in becoming rich. We need to not only focus on earning money but also on loftier, nobler goals such as helping others and finding real satisfaction in life. In the end, it all boils down to earning money as not a destination but a journey towards a greater destination obtaining full happiness.
My idea of happiness is making other happy, by helping others and providing them simple necessities in life I can provide. It’s when everything were to be ripped away from me, I’d still be just as happy as when I have all the material things I possess in abundance.
The grand key here as I see it is we can never really make it big unless we have inner happiness which we’ll get if: we enjoy what we presently have, associate with positive-minded people, increase our confidence despite setbacks, pursue what we really like, share what we have and exult in every attained goal.
To be truly happy, advisers say we must accept the circumstances we live in. I once found this as a struggle but now I can honestly say that I understand that these hardships are graciously given to me to grow. I took acceptance in what I have and what I don’t have. To be happy, I strive to do everything I can to make sure the people around me are happy as well.
To be happy, I must live, and to truly live, I must love as much as possible and be thankful for everything in this world because everything is beautiful and beauty deserves love. And love means happiness, always.
4. Maintain fitness in body, mind and soul.
Body (aside from keeping a flat stomach)
- Drink plenty of water.
- Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
- Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
- Live with the 3 E’s: Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
- Make time to pray and detoxify n silence.
- Play more games.
- Read more books.
- Sleep for at least 7 hours.
- Walk 10 to 30 minutes daily.
Mind
- Don’t compare my life to others. (I have no clear idea what their journey is all about.)
- Don’t have negative thoughts or things I cannot control. Instead invest my energy in the positive present moment.
- Don’t overdo. Keep my limits.
- Don’t take life so seriously. No one else does.
- Dream more while awake.
- Don’t feel envious. It’s just a waste of time. I already have all that I need.
- Forget issues of the past. (Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.)
- Don’t hate others. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
- Realize that life is a school and we’re here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away, but the lessons we learn will last a lifetime.
- Smile and laugh more.
- I don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Soul
- Do the right thing!
- Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
- Think that God heals everything.
- However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
- No matter how I feel, get up, dress up and show up.
- Think that the best is yet to come.
- Thank God for every day.
That’s it so far, but it’s long by my standards. There are other things that I could add, but these seem to be the most pressing. I’m not really into material things; I will stick to these for now. I think I already have my hands full!
I hope that 2010 has been a great year for all of you. I hope you grow to understand yourselves and your friends (and parents) better. I hope nothing ever holds you back from doing something you want to do, and that you find the strength within yourself to fight for what’s right, and make a difference. Make it a year of memories. Live for every moment, treat each day as if it were your last, and never regret anything that once made you smile.
On second thoughts, never regret anything at all. Laugh and smiles lots, but cry lots too, especially with friends. Whatever you’re doing, follow your heart. Trust yourself and your instincts. And every day, wake up with a smile of your face thinking “Roch loves me.” ♥
I hope you’re inspired.
Happy New Year!
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
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