Just Do It

A simple tagline by Nike, "Just Do It".
What a powerful message!
This 3 words can help solve a wide horizon of problems and truly re-direct our focus to do what matters.
It can work in many situations...

When we are fearful, Just-Do-It.
When we are helpless, Just-Do-It.
When we are disappointed, Just-Do-It.
When we don't feel like doing it, Just-Do-It.
When we lose hope, Just-Do-It.
When we think too much, Just-Do-it.
When we have doubts, Just-Do-It.
When we think we can't, Just-Do-It.
When we analyse the best time to start, Just-Do-It.
When we are faced with lots of obstacles, Just-Do-It.

Sometimes data or report or in-depth analysis is not as powerful as Just-Do-It. It commands massive action on the spot and it pushes us to Do First, Think Later. Most of our worry doesn't happen anyway & if it does, 90% of it are manageable. I respect those who go on partial analysis & partial gut-feel to go all out to live an adventurous journey. Whether success is within reach, is another issue. But surely when we look back, it is meaningful & full of essence.

At times, we have to let go of other's opinion & go on our own.
There is no Right or Wrong, it is a matter of Just-Do-It or Don't-Do-It.
If we succeed, Celebrate-It.
If we fail, Learn-From-It.

Hence, just figure...
Why-Do-It --> How-To-Do-It --> Just-Do-It!!!

Knowledge is a Liability

...only if we don't use it!

What is an Asset? It is something that generates & put money in.
What is a Liability? It is something that takes money out.

How do we gain knowledge?
We have to learn & "buy" from different sources. From books, learning tools, seminars, conferences or courses. Of course money is flowing out in this case. Therefore, unused-knowledge is a liability!
Which means, don't pursue any knowledge if we don't intend to apply it.

Why do we pursue knowledge then?
Because we believe "Knowledge is Power"......IT IS NOT! "Applied Knowledge is Power"!
Knowledge only gives us Potential Power. It can load us with preparation, proper mindset & different angles of looking at things.
But the Final Power lies in our ACTION!

So, let's pump ourselves up!!

Powerful Story is more influential than Logical Analysis

Recently, I've met 3 new friends through another friend. What a blessing to know all of em'.

One man in particular, in his 50's, doesn't has a super high education but went through The School of Hard-Knocks! Due to some crisis, he dropped from the status of million-aire to thousand-aire and eventually zero-aire!

He doesn't give up. He learn, explore & kept discovering different strategies to achieve his goal.
Then he bounced back from nothing to SOMETHING. And he taught his children the same principle.
Today, he is living a comfortable life and yet developed the necessary momentum to continue forward.

He thinks like a man of action and acts like a man of thoughts.
After knowing years & years of complications, he knew how to detangled it into few simple principles and he lived & prospered from it.

To summarise what I've observed,
1) We've got to have mentor or mentors in life.
2) Willing to learn & apply.
3) Renew our mind & change strategies till we've got it.
4) Then use the strategies continuingly to gain an empire of wealth!!
5) Share the knowledge & empower others to gain self-satisfaction.

What a blessed meeting....

Coffee-Business serving People or People-Business serving Coffee?

What an amazing book from the former President of Starbucks which contains nothing about coffee!
It is about how Starbucks focuses on People over Profits!
"There can be no coffee without people!"
That is the true essence of Starbucks.

Some companies believe that building a system, the system will build the business.
But Starbucks believe that building people, the people will grow the business!

I personally like one of the sayings in this book:
"Think Like A Person of Action and Act Like A Person of Thought".
Wow, simple & yet powerful stuff!

It is sort of the Yin & Yang between the Thoughts & Actions.
At times, we need to Think first before the Action. But sometimes, we need to Act first, then Think later.
This is very true especially a new opportunity arises.
When we analyze from A --> Z before taking actions, we could have miss the boat. And sometimes the boat doesn't return!!
But we can't be recklessly doing and running like a bull as well and be stubbornly positive about a hopeless projects. Persistency has to be coupled with Flexibility.
Imagine someone still persistently having faith & thinking positive about the growth of cassette industry in the year of 2011!!

Another empowering principle that I like from the book as well:
"The person who sweeps the floor should choose the broom!"
Some company truly believe human beings are capable of independent thinking if certain rules are removed.

Should we follow rules or should we fulfill the needs of people? The rule tells people "how-to-do" instead of explaining "why" & "what we are trying to achieve".

At Starbucks, they believed that they're in the Human Service Business, not the Customer Service Business.
As long as People are not being treated as Assets or Labour Costs alone, they can flourish in the environment of Encouragement, Appreciation, Reward & Respect.

Eventhough nowadays, consumers tend to go to Oldtown, Newtown, Georgetown or whatever Town kopitiam, I do prefer Starbucks off & on as I like the feeling of being greeted as a "friend" than filling up order number in kopitiam and passed it to a foreign worker who sometimes doesn't understand my extra request. I am saying this with all my respect to the foreign workers who contributed to the lack of workforce in the F&B industry. But sometimes it is good if we can understand them and vice-versa.

Let's learn to be a Logical-Person, Emotional-Person & a People-Person.

Speed

Some people thought Action is Power!

Last week, I explored another factor.
"The Speed of Action has more Power, coz it could win the Race!"

Have you seen some of your own ideas being virtually copied & somebody make it a reality first?
At that moment, we were like...."How did the person know what I've been thinking on all the while?"
Not really...
It is the Speed of Doing Things & the Speed of Getting Things Done that win the Race of Life.
Sometimes we need to slow down and appreciate life. But there are times that we need to speed forward.

When we have any idea and want to do something, start strategising, planning & act fast, with whatever resources that we have in hand!
Then figure out the puzzles later...
Or else, words like
"aiyah....",
"seong-thong-nin-ah..."
"I could have done that!",
"How come I didn't thought of that first?"

I did listened to someone said before, "It is not how much you make, it is how fast you make!"

Well, it make sense...