2016 was a tough year for me. I was going through a year of transformation, and I ended up exploring a new me. Some of you might have known that after I sold my education business at the end of 2014, I took a whole year break travelling around the world, and I marked 2016 as a start of a brand new era for my career. I was back in the workplace just in time and started looking at who I am; what I want to do in my life.
INSECURITY – like most of people out there, we’re all very insecure. Are we good enough and capable for this or that? Because of insecurity we need education to prove that we’re smart; need others’ “likes” and “compliments” to prove we’re respectable and needed; need a marriage certificate to prove that we’re in love. Insecurity pushes us to achieve something that might be unnecessary in our life. If I didn’t decide to pursue my startup, I would have chosen to do my MBA last year. I got this idea in mind while I was running my own business. I asked some of my friends if I needed to do an MBA. Many of them said yes sure, it’s very cool without even asked me what the main path I was planning to do in my MBA. Some much wiser and older friends asked me what I was expecting from an MBA. I was afraid to tell them that the certificate could make me feel much securer for my career and said that I needed to learn about entrepreneurship, instead they laughed and said:
PERFECTIONISM – First of all I have to say: sorry, I’m a Virgo. I was born as a perfectionist. I don’t know if astrology works for all, but I have to admit that I’m quite a perfectionist, and as of it my life has been affected by it for personal and professional parts both. One of my professors back in university said to me once: “Cynthia, you’re brilliant, just a bit too perfectionist. It’s actually a great trait that enables you to achieve the ambitious goals you set in life but it could somehow stop and slow down the process in some situations.” I didn’t really fully get what he said, but after several years, I started to realise that perfectionism does really affect my daily life, especially when I’m making decisions. However, what I have to learn is how to dance with my perfectionism perfectly so that I can get the most of it. Just like Steve Jobs who was also a perfectionist, lived in his own world, but due to his strongly distinguishing character he created the Apple mystery.
Well, I didn’t expect to change these traits of mine I explored. In fact I can’t even if I want. A person with no character is like a drink with no taste. Who wants to be that boring one anyway. When I looked back to see myself being trapped somewhere struggling, I laughed and gave myself a big hug and staid: Cynthia, you have been doing great, don’t be too hard to yourself. Go, keep running, you’re catching the sun.
I’m wearing – Hat: Topshop / Sunglasses: Rayban / Outfit: Mango / Bag: Celine / Watch: Daniel Wellington