1. How do you measure success, what does success mean to you?
I measure my success based on how well I bounce back from my personal or career crises. To me, falling is an accident, staying down is a choice. I refuse to be bogged down and I live by the motto:
“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough” - Og Mandino.
Success to me is the attainment of my happiness – freedom to live my life to the fullest with continuous growth and development; mentally, spiritually and professionally.
2. Share a book/person that has most influenced your career or life? And why?
The one person that most influenced the way I lead my life and career the same is Ajahn Brahm. He is a British-born physicist and now an Abbot of a monastery in Australia.
Among the many teachings of his that I learnt, the one that I found to be most profound and ingrained in the way I lead my life is:
“When life is good, do not take it for granted as it will pass. Be mindful, be compassionate and nurture the circumstances that find you in this good time so it will last longer.
When life falls apart always remember that this too will pass. Life will have its unexpected turns.”
― Ajahn Brahm
This teaching helps me to sail through my ups and downs in life, be it in my career or personal endeavours.
3.How do you manage work-life balance?
Indulging in a diverse range of activities and setting personal goals outside of work is a barometer for my work-life balance.
Each day, I set aside some quiet time for myself; be it sweating out in the gym, running at least 10km or hitting the pool to keep myself mentally and physically fit. One activity on my bucket list is to run a marathon (maybe ½ marathon now with my age catching up); and this keeps me motivated to maintain my physical fitness.
My partner and I also set a routine to catch up each night and stick to it religiously; and we hold a commitment not to work unnecessarily during the weekends when time should be spent with the family. We take regular family vacation breaks when work stress takes a toll on us. Planning vacations together is part of family bonding that we enjoy doing.