Category: Learning

What Do I Really Want for My Career?

It’s performance reviews time and there’s a lot on 1:1 discussions, which forces me to pause and take time to think of what I really want for my career.

What do I do best? What work do I enjoy doing? What do I want next? What support do I need?

I have been constantly reinventing myself at work. Recently my aspiration is to be a data scientist and work on cool new technology. I learned Python in my Data Science and Business Analytics course and I really enjoyed using newer technology. I have also learned a lot while reviewing for the AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification exam. There are so many things I want to learn and have more experience on. I hope I can find the right opportunity for me so that I don’t get stuck and stop growing.

Time Tracking

I stumbled upon one of Sacha’s YouTube videos where she talked about how she is tracking her time and what benefits she was able to get from that activity.

I have done this 8 or so years back but I used a notebook and a pen to track my time. Now with the age of smartphones and apps, I just went to Google Play and found so many apps I can use for free to track time. I chose aTimeLogger and it seems to be very easy to use.

I am excited to see where exactly my time goes after a month of time tracking and how I can tweak it to get more out of life.

Day 3: Driving lesson with Instructor from Drivers Ed

I am really determined to learn how to drive on the streets, not just around the parking lot. My husband allowed me to drive from the parking lot of ‘At Home’ to the gate of the apartment on our 2nd day of driving lessons. It was a smooth drive because there were no other vehicles and passersby. However Derek told me that I should really hire an instructor to teach me how to drive on the streets because he isn’t willing to do it for me. That’s also the same advice we got from his Mom – that if we want to avoid fighting and save our marriage, I should get someone else to teach me. Which, by the way, is a good advice (I hear it a lot from other people too)… but we’ll get to that later.

So I went online and searched for a reasonable price for a driving instructor and came across driversed.com. They offer different packages for adult driving lessons and I decided to try their 2-hour session, which cost me $111.

Jacob, my instructor, arrived on time, and I easily spotted him in the parking lot because the car had a big ‘driversed.com’ painted on it. He introduced himself and gave me a brief overview of our activities for the 2-hour driving session. He took me to a parking lot and asked me a few basic questions on driving – such as the meaning of the color and style of the lanes – white, yellow, broken lines, solid lines, etc. And then he made me do the usual routine before driving: adjust my seat, mirrors and calm down.. 🙂

So we spent the first hour and 30 mins to go around the parking lot and discuss about some driving basics. He also corrected the way I turn right. I was already doing good with my left turns but I was bad with my right turns. He also noticed a lot of other mistakes I often made:

1. not looking at my mirrors from time to time
2. not checking my blindspots
3. not slowing down before I make a turn
4. not staying in my lane
5. turning the wheel too much when making turns

I thought I was doing really bad that’s why I got surprised when he told me that I will be driving us home. I was happy, and excited, but most of all, I was nervous. I was driving on the street!!! With traffic lights, cars, and pedestrians all around me! Gosh… There was a time when I was really panicking because he asked me to change lanes and make sure to check my blind spots. I just couldn’t do 2 things at the same time! When I was looking behind me if there were oncoming cars, I stepped on the brake – which is a no-no! So, I made a batch of mistakes again:

1. not taking the window of opportunity at the right moment – he said I shouldn’t hesitate on my every move because that can put me and other people in danger
2. not pushing the gas/not maintaining the speed limit – he was wary when the speed limit was 55 and I was going somewhere around 30. He told me other cars will hit us if I don’t speed up
3. stepping on the brake unnecessarily – when I’m scared or doubtful, I step on the brake.
4. stopping too close to the car in front of me in traffic – he told me to keep a good distance from the car in front of me
5. not turning the signal lights on before making turns

He made me park when we finally reached my apartment building. I was just so relieved that we made it alive and safe. He told me I did well for someone who is just driving for the first time. Yeah, that was just my 3rd day or to be really accurate – my first 5 hours behind the wheel – ever! So kudos to me! I felt happy and proud of myself that day. Haha. It felt like the longest ride I ever had. 🙂

Day 1: Driving Lessons – Basics

I had my very first driving lesson today. My husband agreed to teach me the basics. I was a little doubtful at first. I didn’t think it was a good idea to let him teach me how to drive because I was afraid I’d get into his nerves and he would be impatient and agitated with me. I reminded him several times before our session to have more patience when teaching me.

So we went to get the rental car from my projectmate, Arvin at IMT Apartments and went to the parking lot of the nearby store, At Home (formerly Garden Ridge). I was happy to see that there wasn’t a single car parked. A great day for my first day of driving lesson.

My husband, Derek, first taught me how to:
1. adjust my seat so I am comfortable to move my feet and turn the steering wheel
2. adjust the mirrors so I can see the cars at the back, at my right, and at my left
3. step on the gas and keep it on a steady state (this was the hardest for me). The car was still parked when he was trying to teach me this so the car didn’t move when I stepped on the gas.
4. step on the brake
5. turn the steering wheel to the right, left, and straight ahead

Finally when I was comfortable with stepping on the gas and keeping it at 1.5, he allowed me to switch to Drive. When he told me to release the brake, I got a little startled that the car started to move. Well, you can’t blame me, after 31 years of existence on Earth, it was my very first time to be on the wheel of a car (ATV didn’t count). So I told him I wasn’t ready yet. But he told me I had to calm myself down and relax. I was shaking! I could hardly hold my feet steady because they were shaking and my hands were cold as ice. I was so nervous. Excited. Scared. I didn’t want to hurt my husband nor the car nor anybody else.

But Derek told me we will be fine. The car is moving slowly. Anyone can walk faster than the car. Lol. We were moving at 5MPH.

So I trusted myself and my instructor and released the brake. I turned the wheel left and right when he told me to. I was doing pretty well, doing left turns, right turns, and going straight ahead. Finally he trusted me enough to allow me to hit on the gas but just a little bit. Fifteen minutes before our first session was over, I was a little bit more confident. It was a good day. My dear husband, the love of my life was patient enough to teach me. Someday I’m going to look back at this day and smile. 🙂 This is how I started to drive.

Financial Freedom: 7 Jar System

Two weeks ago at the Ortigas Feast, the  series entitled “Happy Healthy Holy Money” was concluded. Bro. Joel together with Mrs. Irma Lasquety, CPA, discussed about the 7 Jar System and ways to invest.

7 Jar System:

Jar 7- Emancipation Fund (20% or more)

This is also called the retirement fund. All of us have to set aside money for our retirement because it is the biggest expense of our lives. Yes, we no longer have to work during this time, but we won’t also have our monthly salary!

I personally wish that our Filipino culture regarding retirement would change. Because right now, a lot of retirees  rely solely on their pension, which is only how much? 3,000? 5,000? And, I am saddened by the fact that a number of pensioners are in debt! Their ATM cards are with lending institutions because they have used it as a “pawn” so they could borrow money. Worse, others don’t even have a pension. They rely entirely on their children for their basic necessities – food, shelter, and health care.

I dream of a time when Filipino retirees would just travel abroad, dine out, treat their grandchildren at Jollibee, get the best healthcare and just enjoy the remaining days of their lives!

Retirement is something that we should all prepare for. This is when most of us get weak or sick and we need people to take care of us. Health care would become very expensive, even if we would get Senior Citizen discounts.

So HOW would you fund for your retirement?

There are many ways..

  1. Get a life insurance. There are  a lot of good insurance companies out there. But I have chosen Sunlife. Nowadays, insurance is already customizable – it can come with health care, mutual funds/stocks, accident benefit, critical illness benefit, and more. If you want to know more about insurance, I have a lot of friends in the industry. I can refer you to them.
  2. Invest in stocks. Like insurance, there are also a lot of good stock brokers out there. My personal choice is Citiseconline. I have written a number of posts regarding that so you can find them here.
  3. Invest in real estate. You can invest in condos, boarding house, agricultural land, or whatever real estate you please.
  4. Build your business. Develop your core skills or your talents. Network. Find an opportunity.

I spend about 52% in this jar.

Jar 6 – Emergency Fund (can be 10% per month until it reaches 300% or thrice your monthly salary)

They say that you should have at least 3 times of your monthly salary in your emergency fund. This would be used when you suddenly lose your job or if there is an emergency in the family. You should put this in an instrument that can easily be withdrawn from.

I like BPI because they have this BPI Direct Saving-Up feature wherein you can set up your payroll account to automatically transfer funds to your save-up account monthly. So you never forget to set aside for your emergency fund.

Jar  5 – Everyday Fund (70% or less)

Because I am frugal, my everyday fund is only around 23%. That already includes condo rent, food, transportation, internet/call/text load, and laundry.

Jar 4 – Empower Fund (5% to 10%)

This is supposed to be spent to empower yourself like investing in good clothing, going to the spa, having your hair or nails done at the salon but usually I spend this for my family/friends (gifts).

Jar 3 – Enjoyment Fund (up to 5%)

This can be used for hanging out with your friends, eating out, watching movies, travelling, or buying new gadgets

Jar 2 – Educational Fund (5%)

We should never stop learning. Pursue your hobbies. Enroll in trainings.

I usually spend this in books and attending seminars/talks/workshops/retreats. I also use this fund to buy painting materials.

Jar 1 – Eternity Fund (10%)

Last but definitely not the least is our Eternity Fund. I have been giving to the church regularly but it has never reached 10%. This February, I prayed that I would give 10% to the Lord and challenge him to take care of my needs and bless my dreams. As if on cue, my mother texted me asking for a donation for the chapel that will be built in our community. And I would need to give 10% of my salary for 2 months.. Hehe. Well, as Sister Rissa said in her talk, make tithing a habit. In the first few months, it would be difficult. But once you get used to it, it won’t hurt your pocket anymore. And God will let His blessings overflow – that is His promise. 🙂

God, our Father, loves us so much and He wants us to enjoy our money. God bless! 🙂

My Life Mentors

I feel so lucky to have the right people as my mentors in different aspects of my life.
1. Web 2.0, Teaching, Presentations, Blogging, Work/Life Balance – Sacha Chua
2. Spirituality, Living the Catholic Faith, Attitude Towards Life, Life Lessons – Bo Sanchez
3. Love and Relationships, Self Esteem – Rori Raye
4. Career, Life Choices, Blogging – Penelope Trunk
5. Blogging, Writing – Darren Rowse
They make learning so fun and easy for me… =)