It all started in late 2008, when I discovered a Facebook Group called “I’m making 2008 the best year of my life!” The concept is simple, positive people from all over the world join this group and make regular reports on the positive things that happened in their lives, contributing to how they are making it the best year of their life. All the ‘reports’ become an inspiration to others, encouraging them to achieve their own goals too.
I loved it, the concept is beautiful and very much aligned to positive people like myself, so I joined it, and in 2009, I joined the new group, “I’m making 2009 the best year of my life!”
Both groups are created and administered by the same people, unfortunately, there were so much less members in 2009. I wonder why, are there less positive people in 2009? Hahaha, anyway, the 2010 group has yet to be created, perhaps I should take the initiative and create one, more about this later.
Anyway, in early 2009, I made a list of the things I would like to achieve and make 2009 the best year of my life. I managed to achieve quite a few goals, lost some, made some new ones too! Here are the positive highlights of my 2009, yes, there were much mishaps and much unfortunate disappointments too, but I choose to learn from them, remember only the lessons learned and not the disappointments caused, keep looking forward, and focus on the positive highlights. Well, here goes…
In early part of the year, February to be precise, I started a new job with a prestigious global interactive agency. What a great start for the year! The increment was great, the potentials of what can be achieved were overwhelming, and the challenges ahead were intimidating!
I still remember my first day of stepping into the office, the first employee to ever walk into this ‘renewed’ company, excluding the big boss of course, where the office has just been painted new and it was bare, we didn’t even have office chairs nor any computers! It totally felt like stepping into our own office. Me and my boss were working like office administrators, cleaning up the office, shopping for items to buy, setting up the phone lines, determining who sits where and why, scrubbing the big office logo clean, fixing the toilet, changing the lights, and much, much more.
We both felt like entrepreneurs starting our own office lol. What an experience!
Not too long after, all the new colleagues came in and that’s when we had an official launch. It was a blast. Daily challenges aside, somewhere in the middle of 2009, I was enrolled into the group’s annual training course, called the DDBU (U for university). It’s a 3-months course for managers and below within the entire group of companies to get an intensive training on our industry, all the different channels and aspects of communications, such as PR, event, strategic planning, creative execution, online, offline, mobile, integrated campaigns, etc, everything under the communication industry’s big umbrella.
“Students” went through weekly weekend classes for all the different topics, and were divided into groups for a final assignment, presenting a proposal to all the higher management people of the entire group, including the “Datuk” who’s known for his merciless feedback during such presentations. People have been told to jump off the window for presenting a bad idea before, he didn’t jump of course, well, you get the picture lol.
I was chosen as the ‘class monitor’ for the students and boy what a ride. I work like the coordinator, meeting the needs of the trainers, chasing the students with a rotan in hand, collecting fines for late comers, taking attendance in class, yes, taking attendance lol, how ironic!
When it boiled down to the final assignment, I’m grateful to say, me and my team won all the team awards that were available. Yes, we swept it all. We won best idea, best teamwork and overall champion. What a relief, my team was one of the most disorganized team, we had what seemed like the worst chemistry, arguments easily turned into street quarrels with swear words flying around the conference room, there were little respect for each other to work like professionals, hours to the presentation, we were still building our presentation deck, still quarreling! Hahahhaha, that was such an experience.
Don’t get me wrong, not all the team members were swearing, only one or two in particular, and I was the one whom a particular member was swearing at hahahaha, classic! You know who your are! lol
I guess, at the end of it, the real rewards for this DDBU thing are the lessons we learned and the new friendships we built, anything else, the awards, the recognition, those are the bonus you get.
It’s been a long hectic year at work I’d say, a real roller-coaster ride full of major ups and downs. It certainly did contribute a lot to making 2009 the best year of my life! Now, nuff bout work, here are something more interesting.
2009 is the best year of my life because it’s also the same year when I finally found my passion for golf. To be precise, I fell in love with golf. In the beginning of 2009, I started collecting a golf set to call my own. Since there were so many options, and I’m not too much of a technical guy who goes reading and comparing all the specs to decide on a set, I followed my heart and went for Nike, Tiger Wood’s brand lol. Tiger Woods (despite all the off course swinging activities), shall always remain as one of the best golfers I have high respects for. He’s my golf idol!
So when Nike released the Victory Red Iron series, I decided, those are the clubs for me. I went for the Victory Red Forged Split Cavity irons, the set for med-to-low handicappers, a semi pros’s set. I then moved on to collect the rest of my NikeGolf equipments, and the rest is history. After a full long year, here’s what’s in my bag:
- Nike Dymo 10.5 Driver
- Nike Dymo 3 Fairway Wood
- Nike Victory Red Forged Split Cavity Irons
- Nike Victory Red Sand Wedge
- Nike Victory Red Lop Wedge
- Nike Unitized Putter
- Nike Tour Professional Golf Cart Bag
- 2nd hand Nike Balls, I bought a box of Nike Power Distance Long golf balls as a Christmas present to myself
- Nike gloves
- One Nike Golf Dry-Fit shirt, in S size, to wear when I finally slim down to fit into the S Size hahahahah
I’ve got the equipments, time to bring on the performance! I didn’t exactly manage to achieve my golf performance goals in 2009, haven’t even broke 100 yet lol, but I sure did enjoy a great year of golfing, and I look forward to improving my game greatly in 2010.
I still remember my ex CEO’s golf invite, he told me to give him a call when my game gets more consistent and I break 100. He’ll buy me a round on golf with him. A game of golf is not expensive, but a game of golf with such a great corporate warrior like him, one of my favorite mentors, one of the most successful men I’ve personally encountered and been mentored by, now that’s something. Steve, I’ll claim my game in 2010 hahaha!
The biggest thing about golf for me in 2009 was the fact that I truly fell in love with it. Life has a new purpose now, a new found passion, one that I know I’ll treasure and enjoy for many, many more years to come. And that my friends, is a true blessing, when you find something (or someone) that you are so passionate about, you’ll definitely enjoy life more. And that, is very important in life.
When it comes to my blog, I can’t say I’ve achieved much, there’s still so much work to do! The good news is, after many blogs in the past, from food to weight loss to digital marketing to golf, I finally make peace with myself and found the topic that I would like to write about for many years to come.
It’s ok if I don’t become a millionaire from this blog, it’s ok if I can’t live and work as a full time blogger, it’s ok if I don’t get thousands of visits every day. So long as I’m happy to write about it, and my blog inspires one or two people to move forward in their lives, I’m done!
If you don’t know it yet, I’m a personal development blogger. I inspire others to move forward in their lives, and in golf. Golf anf live are greatly similar in many ways. They both require you to move forward, to go up another notch, to learn endlessly, to harness the skills and experience and achieve greater heights, it’s the perfect thing for me!
As a positive thinker, I’m always about moving forward, always about making achievements I can be proud of, always about overcoming challenges ahead and savoring the moments of success. My friends, that’s life, and golf too!
On 26th July 2009, when I wrote my first post on KeepMovingForward.Asia, my Alexa ranking was at 9,626,914. Today, it’s gone up to 1,140,339. That’s not too bad. I didn’t make much money from this, way too early for any real profits anyway, but 30% of my Internet income over the last 4 years, did come from this blog, and I’m glad about it. After all these years, things finally make sense. I might be millions of years away from becoming an internet millionaire, but I’m making progress, and I’m finally moving forward too, and that’s what really matters.
When it come to chicks, friendships, love and relationships, 2009 was… “exciting” to say the least. I’ve made so, so many new friends in 2009. From partying with hot chicks to meaningful old and new friendships made, I viewed life from their perspectives and understood a little bit more about what or who I really am.
To all the genuine friends I met who were genuinely interested to make friends and share a small portion of our lives, thank you. You all have made my life that much more interesting.
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As I wrap up my 2009, the best year of my life so far, notice how much I’ve elaborated on each part of my life. Career was such a big part of it, followed by golf, my blog, and friendship & relationships. It goes to show how much time I’ve spent in each part. While it is the best year of my life, there’s so much room for improvements!
There’s definitely a lot more to life other than career! What about spending time with family, with friends, traveling, falling in love, building a meaningful relationship, pursuing my passions, and so on and so forth? These are all very important parts of life too and they all need time to build, to foster, to nurture and to cherish.
Hence, the only way to top 2010 and make it the best year of my life is to ‘diversify’ the way I spend my time. Here’s an interesting story shared by a sweet, sweet friend…
THE MAYONNAISE JAR AND 2 CUPS OF COFFEE
When things in your life seem, almost too much to handle,
When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.? When the class began, wordlessly, ?he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students, if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. ?The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.?? He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.? Of course, the sand filled up everything else. ?He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
‘Now,’ said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.? The golf balls are the important things – family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions – ?Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car. ??The sand is everything else – The small stuff.
‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’
He continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. ?The same goes for life.If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
So……? pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
‘Take care of the golf balls first – ?The things that really matter. ?Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
‘??One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.?? The professor smiled..
‘I’m glad you asked’.?? It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,? there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.
Please share this with other “Golf Balls”
I just did…….
Happy New Year everyone!
May your 2010 be filled with lots of achievements, moments of success, and lots of love! Make 2010 the best year of your life! Since no one has continued the “I’m Making XXXX the Best Year of My Life” group on Facebook yet, I’ve created a group called “I’m Making This Year The Best Year of My Life!”
Join it, become a Fan, get involved, spread the news, make 2010 the best year of your life!
I hope everyone reading this would be able to make 2010, and each and every year after, the best year of their lives.
Keep Moving Forward everyone!
Cheers and good luck!
-Kuan Yew
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Yo! What a fruitful year you had. Same goes to me too. Everything that happened, no matter positive or negative, will always be a good lesson to learn. Great write up…it did inspire and motivate me, pst, you’ve achieved your objective
Anyway, you always do. Keep it up and we shall strive to make every year a better and greater year!
Hei babe, thanks for the support! Wishing you all the best in 2009! Remember to keep your reports in the Facebook page
Let’s make 2010 the best year ever together!