Just a day in August

It's been a while since my last post here. The internet in my house had problem last week. They didn't fix it until yesterday. One week. During the time, there were many times ideas came to me and I wanted to sit down and write. But I thought there was no internet, ah no internet, I couldn't do that. I didn't even think about writing on Words itself. Without internet cannot do anyway, that's what I constantly hear at home and in the office. And we can't do anything really, because we think so. See how life turns out to be with all of the new technologies. It makes us feel more helpless. See if there is no Facebook, no Google, someone must be lost.

I'm glad to say that my boredom at work is over. I've seen quite many people maintaining more than one career. More specifically, many people publish their books while remaining their daytime job. Then if the book comes out as commercially successful, they will give up the job and become a full - time writer. Or they can stay at their first professions for a life time and keep writing their part time hobby. Thanks to my dear friend I had the idea for my first book. It would be about traveling. Thinking if I spend time writing 1,000 words per day, then I can make 180,000 words for 6 months. That would make a fine book. Not to say yet about quality (in fact, I don't think that my writing is worse that traveling writers out there now), just to say about quantity, which I worry the most, it would be fine if I do it persistently and consistently. I don't need to quit my job. And even if I want to do it now, I need some particular time to arrange and make all the work perfect before I leave the company. But again there is no need to do so. I can just keep working, but do it excellently 8 hours a day. And then come home early to work on other tasks, to work for myself. I have 6 hours to sleep, 4 hours miscellaneous chords including traveling for work and cooking. So I should have 5 - 6 hours for myself. But I'm not using it efficiently. If I can make the most of my 24 hours a day, I can achieve any wild dream I have. So again, a reminder to myself. Let's work on that.

There is one thing I need to warn myself here. That is: to focus one thing at a time. Finish it then move to the next one. Not to spread my energy over a dozen of things, and cannot finish anything well. My mom was criticized by doing so many things at a time. So I have to be very careful not to repeat the same mistakes. Because it's a gene thing.

I started reading Tristes Tropiques last weekend. It is not an easy book to read, but very useful one. It helps me to realize my superficiality, how I follow the vain trends about traveling, exploring and cultures. A really good book for travelers, although it doesn't aim at travelers.

Someone told me yesterday: "I couldn't sleep. I went to the Brazilian restaurant. The singer there sang many songs today. But you're not here with me to clap". It made me cry instantly. When I sat down, I thought to write about love. But it hurt so badly that I wanted to change to another thing. But a thought strikes me that it's how life should be. God doesn't care if we're suffering or we're feeling bad or feeling hurt. No one cares actually. They only care when we work our butt off, when we make the change, when we plan and do as our plans. When we really live life to the fullest and impact it with the most positive thing we have.

Keep moving.

At my desk and at my table

1/ Once when I was making my report, an image about a sunny afternoon in Nara - Japan flashed on my mind, me wearing lovely blue dress, dancing around the small streets full of sakura trees, with temples around. Once when I was checking stock for sales, an old memory emerged, the day I and my friends went to Padang Padang beach, it was fabulous, light blue sky, amazing waves, wonderful cliffs, limber boys with tanned dark skin with their boards to the beach, hopping on and off, on and off. Once when I was arranging shipping documents, I remembered walking around Coron town at noon, climbing its mountain, and playing in the meadow there. There are times like that, when I was grinding my ass that the deadly desk, the images stroke me, memories of the times I traveled. That helped me to work harder, saving money for the next trip, and somehow survived through another day sitting at the desk. Sometimes I wonder, what if I'd never taken any trip, then what could I remember to wipe the boredom away. Like my mom, like many other people who never enjoy themselves on the road. Life would be a real burden, if you don't have good memories to think about.

2/ I have interviewed more people lately, and being more effective helping youngsters to find their jobs. And somehow my consulting skill gets better and better through time, and I remind from time to time the reasons why I decided to do this, to support people, guiding them, helping them through the struggle about what job to choose, about their careers and their jobs. And I realized that, opposed to my initial thought, I always like the people, I can always find the good things about them and start liking them, I feel close to them through the questions I ask, through their answers, their innocence, their purity, their inexperience. I feel good. Guess it's a job that I like. Maybe I can think seriously of a career consulting job, a coaching job. Maybe I can combine between a yoga and personal trainer with a life/career coaching job. Maybe. It's good to listen to people, feel them, speak their heart out, guide them through darkness, see their progress. I feel happy, on my own small table interviewing people at 11PM.

3/ It's 6.30 now, it's late. Usually at this time I must be on the street, buying food for dinner, after sweating time running. Actually I didn't think to write today, because I wrote more than usual yesterday, an English post, and a Vietnamese post for my friend's birthday. But now I feel like I have to write, and I don't want to lose the new habit I have created. "Writing everyday reaffirms my identity as a writer" I read that quote yesterday. So I am writing now, on my table, despite the fact that I really didn't know what to write about at the beginning. Words just flow, small thoughts reveal, I just need to note down. What makes me tired, what makes me happy. Follow the positive stuff, keep doing what I enjoy doing. Maybe just small simple steps like that, I can lead myself to the dream life I want.

The notes

I'm a curious person. When coming to people's houses, I'd like look at their working desks, seeing the stuff they have, the books they read, seeing how they arrange their works and lives, and somehow, knowing more about their personalities, their motivations. Guess what I like the most on strange desks? The notes.

Many people put notes or memos on their desks, on the bookshelves, or on nearby walls. A friend of mine hangs a big picture of Bruce Lee on the wall with his famous quote: "Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one". On his desk, there are notes about his stock market investment: "Three questions: When, Where, and How much profit?", or "Concentrating and Being serious in Study and Investment". He is a well organized man, although he lives alone, his house is fully equipped, neat and tidy. But he is lonely inside, his wifi password shows: emptiness. He is longing for someone to love.

My cousin, surprisingly, has many notes on his wall. "Waking up early to meditate and exercise", "Study, Read Book, No Games", "Wash the clothes right after Bath". He has been a troublesome guy, a black sheep of the family. He joined football betting and lost many motorbikes and money in it, he neglected his study and graduated late, he went to work for some companies and quit after a few months, claiming the companies to be problematic or the jobs to be tiring. I used to admire him when we were small, he was a talent boy then, very smart and gifted at painting. Everybody used to tell that he would grow up being a successful person. But he destroyed his youth in video games and betting. Now he has a decent job, in a big construction company. And he is trying to take control of his life.

And these are the memos I found on my guitar teacher's desk (I don't dig for notes, people just show them out): "Be thrifty with your time. Saving every minute. Time is precious" (I like that), "Fully concentrate, be mindful and conscious each moment in life", "Effective and Efficient". He is a special man, knowledgeable and erudite, going to reap the seeds he sew.

I got no notes on my desk. Actually, I only have a small table to put my laptop on, a yoga mat to sit on and sleep on and work out on, and piles of books and notebooks around. That's all for my working corner. You'll see nothing looking at that (smiling).

You know what I found seeing other people's notes. There is a thought, strikes inside my head. That if people live up to what they're meant to be, if they can manage to bring out the best of their talents, if they can stay true with their notes, then they will lead the life they desire, and have all they wish. The same for me. If I can do what I ask myself to do, then soon I will be the person that I've ever wanted, writing, traveling, inspiring. Again, the point is self - discipline. 

10 years

In the documentary movie named "Jiro dreams of sushi", Jiro the artisan told it took 10 years to make a good sushi. And in an interview with a girl learning traditional medicine, she shared with me that her teacher required her 10 years commitment to complete the study.

10 years, it takes a lot of time and effort to become expert in any field. As a well - known rule: 10,000 hours of concentrating practice to succeed to a large extent in your desired area. 10 years, isn't it long? I know I can't spend 10 years of my life to make sushi, or to study medicine (although I really love to be a traditional doctor). Asking myself again the question, what would I do if I have to spend 10 years of my life doing one repeatedly. I would say: writing. Writing, is always my final answer. 

But see again, what am I doing now? Not writing diligently. Thoughts come and go, if I don't capture them, they'll vanish like vapor. Looking back to my activities, the hurdle to my success is the inconsistency. I'm not always doing what I want to do, and when I set the goal to myself, I don't follow it strictly.

So now again to remind myself about things I have to do, here's the list:

1/ 30 minutes writing everyday. 30 minutes. Every day. Elizabeth Gilbert told set the clock and sit down and write for 30 mins. Chris Guillebeau suggested to write 1,000 words each day to become a professional writer. If I want to be a writer, just write. "Professional writer is like porn, we don't just work when the fit is on, we work everyday, when we are required to". So write with schedule, and practice with sweat, and pain. It's inevitable. 

2/ Read 20 pages a day if that's an English book, and 50 - 100 pages for a Vietnamese book. Books make good writers, there aren't no writers who do not read. So read as I'm doing now and speed it up. Just make it more scientifically, more systematically, more efficiently. 

3/ 10 - 20 new words a day. Learning English is the fundamental goal. Studying abroad? English. Integrating with the world? English. Becoming a global citizen? English. Besides, an average Vietnamese writer is paid very low, 10% of his book, while a writer in US/UK earns a lot more than that (30 - 50% as mentioned in "On writing" of Stephen King if I don't remember wrongly, anyway this info needs to be checked). So it is crucial to improve my English as a native - like speaker. 

4/ 30 minute exercise daily. No need to explain much. In a sound body resides a sound mind. Especially with exhausting job like writing, we need space to release the stress and re-charge energy. Innumerable writers take running as their habit. And who do not end up having unhealthy lives I believe. 

5/ 30 minute video everyday. Either it can be Ted talk video clip, or inspiring video, or MOOC courses. Pay more time to MOOC courses, there is a enormous reservoir of knowledge there in MOOC. Take full advantage of it. 

Well, that's it for now. 

There is a fact that I haven't been at the peak of my mood lately, craving to be on the road, longing for a free life, hating the office work. But my dear friend just told me to relax, and plan what I want to do, and reminding me that I'm on the right track and just keep walking. So I took his advice, just breathe, and keep doing what I'm doing, at the best of it. Doing my job perfectly, writing and reading everyday, planning accordingly. I found my talent and my passion, now comes the point where I need to seek for the sweet spot of conjunction between my talent and passion with the market's demand. And that's the hardest part. So be patient, and keep working. 

And whenever there is anything flashes on my mind, either euphoria or sorrow, just write it down. That's the best time to write down. Writing is a remedy.