10 Life Lessons I'd Teach My Younger Self

Throughout my existence in this world, I gained wisdom and knowledge that helped me overcome different challenges in life.

If I could go back in time, and talk to my younger self, I'll gently share with him these ten life lessons:

1. You will fail a lot of times. But know that failure is part of the process. Fail fast, fail often, and fail forward.

2. Document everything, especially your time with your family and friends. When you’re on your own, you will surely miss them.

3. Always take care of your relationships. Connect with people and stay in contact.

4. Take some time to tell someone how much you appreciate and value them. Do not take anything for granted.

5. Travel more and immerse in other cultures.

6. Respect other people's opinions.

7. Look for great mentors in all aspects of your life.

8. Invest in yourself early.

9. Always remember what matters to you in life.

10. Do not let any opportunity pass by because the same opportunity might not pass by again.

How about you? If you can share ONE piece of advice with your younger self, what would it be?

Love. Jerom

What Would You Do If You Knew You Would Not Fail?

This was my company ID 8 years ago...

And this was also the year when I decided to quit my job and explore humanity.

I'll admit that it's challenging to look confident and composed when you're in that exact moment of quitting your job.

At this point, I was still young and very impulsive in life.

I can still imagine the exact feeling when I said to my boss that I want to resign.

On my final day, she asked me, "Where are you going? Did you receive a better offer from other companies?"

I said "Yes."

But the truth is I lied that time because I am scared to say that I don't enjoy what I do and I want to become an entrepreneur.

I'm not yet that confident.

It was not an easy decision.

I don't have any back-up plan.

I don't have connections.

And my family was completely against this decision.

But sometimes, you've got to take the risk so you can learn and expand your horizon.

I've learned a lot of things by pursuing this journey.

I'm not encouraging you to approach your boss tomorrow and resign straight away (unless you're ready to go down and dirty and experience the unpredictability of being an entrepreneur just like what I've experienced.)

But, I do think that taking that terrifying leap of faith was one of the highlights in my life experience.

I'll share with you what I've learned from making that big life decision:

1. Be in control.

What would you do if you knew you would not fail?

The earlier you realize that you are fully responsible for your life, the better. Contemplate what do you want to do and be on purpose.

If you don't prioritize your life, someone else will.

2. Be comfortable in uncomfortable situations.

As cliché as it may sound, growth happens outside our comfort zones.

Life is a battlefield. There will always be uncomfortable moments, and we must train ourselves to handle these situations.

3. Align yourself with the right people.

Throughout my journey, I realized the value of "alignment."

I always look for the right mentors in my life so it would be easier to pursue my journey and learn from their experiences.

Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you; spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.

That's why I also thought of creating a free and safe community (which I call "The 1% Growth Club") for people who are also passionate when it comes to self-help, work ethics, and daily improvement.

Inside this free community, I'll be more personal and I'll also share more valuable lessons & stories that I've learned from my journey.

If you're still reading this far, congratulations!

And if you are interested to join the community or if you can relate to the content that I'm sharing here on social media, feel free to drop me a message so I can send you the deets.

Hope this helps. Ciao and I'll see you inside!

Love. Jerom

Grow 1% Better Each Day...

That's right!

I'm not really a fan of overnight success.

Nor a fan of quick schemes to get quick results.

I am more of a late bloomer type of person.

In my experience, I find it more sustainable when I continuously cultivate my habit, mindset, and character. Not giving too much attention to the result and focus more on what's in front of me.

Here's the truth - Growth never stops, and it takes a lifetime.

That's why I committed to myself that I will grow 1% better each day.

Just as much as we must breathe to live, we must also grow to thrive.

If done consistently, that 1% might lead to stunning and unexpected results that can change your life.

Believe me...

Consistency is what transforms average into excellence.

"If you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you'll end up thirty‐seven times better by the time you are done. Conversely, if you get 1 percent worse each day for one year, you'll decline nearly down to zero."

I always start the day by asking myself, "How can I grow 1% better today and move closer to my goal?"

This will give me more direction and live with intentions.

And end my day by asking, "What actions did I do to grow 1% today?"

Every day. Seven days a week.

It doesn't matter how big or small that action is.

As long as I did something for my goal, that's fine.

Just show up every day and do what you've got to do.

Grow.

Let me know what action are you committing to do to grow and move closer towards your goal TODAY?

The Habit that Changed my Life...

One habit that helped me in my journey is...

Be grateful every day.

You might be hearing this all the time.

And yes, I also got curious about its effect on my life.

One morning, out of curiosity I asked myself: "What will happen if I do this every day?"

For the past 180 days, I've been doing deliberate gratitude practice by writing ten things that I am grateful for every day.

Yes, I have to do it consistently to build the habit of a gratitude attitude.

And I was astonished at its effect on my life.

During my younger years, I lack awareness & connection with my thoughts, words, emotions, and actions.

I always blame others for my problems, and I easily get mad.

Through this habit, I've learned so many things.

One of them is to not take things for granted. It trained my mind to appreciate small things and see the goodness in everything around me.

Like my warm tea every morning...

My breakfast...

Warm sunlight...

The opportunity to visit nature...

And my daily progress in life.

It also trained my awareness to see the positive effect of a situation, rather than looking at the negative lens of life.

It gave me more positive emotions like joy, appreciation, love, and fulfillment which is very significant to reach our peak performance every day.

It also helped me become more tranquil and forgiving of other people's mistakes and flaws.

Where is your focus most of the time?

Is it more on drama, negative situations, anger, and judgment?

Or is it more about being thankful for all the lessons, people, and opportunities in your life?

If it's more on the first one...

Maybe it's also time for you to incorporate this habit into your system.

Or you can also start by sharing below what is the ONE thing that you are grateful for today?

Life will always have the good and bad but with a grateful attitude, we can choose to focus on all the good things which make life so worthwhile and meaningful.

Understand: You don't have to wait for a great life to be grateful. You have to be grateful to have a great life.

Love. Jerom

Who Moved my Cheese?

Sounds familiar?
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I had the chance to re-read this book today...
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It's incredible that every time I re-read this simple parable, a new curtain and realization unfolds.
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If you haven't read this book, I encourage you to read it.
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This short story is well written and only takes up one hour of your life but may just give you a knowledge of a lifetime.
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I make sure that I read this book once in a while to remind me how I should handle changes in life.
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"What would you do if you weren't afraid?"
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Just imagine what would happen...
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As human beings, it's natural for us to view change as a threat or be afraid of change.
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Afraid of accepting the truth.
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Afraid of acknowledging that change is happening.
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Afraid of moving towards an unexplored belief.
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And the harder for us to accept change in life, the longer time it will take for us to grow and improve.
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But how do we have to handle these life changes?
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"Life moves on, and so should we." - Spencer Johnson
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Accept that there is nothing permanent in this world except change.
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​​​​​​​​​​Change happens to all of us.
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It is inevitable.
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Always remind yourself that you are not a special snowflake.
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Even the emotion that you're feeling right now is temporary.
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It will all change.
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Everything changes, and we have to learn how to adapt quickly.
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I know that feeling...
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And it's challenging to let go of attachments and the past.
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Sometimes, we're so focused on what we're leaving behind, that we don't realize what we're looking for is already in front of us.
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Always remember that change could lead to some exciting and better opportunities.
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Embrace it.
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And it all depends on what you choose to believe.

Love. Jerom

Take it Easy...

Just dropping by in this rainy season to say...

Take it easy.

Let this blog give you the freedom to pause and celebrate your small wins.

Grab this moment to reflect on your purpose.

Appreciate the battles you fought.

Cherish the scars that made you stronger.

Forgive yourself and other people.

Let go.

You've already come a long way!

Give yourself a treat.

And pat yourself on the back.

Get that massage!

Or go on a nature or beach walk!

Great ideas always come from recovery and reflection.

I know you're busy hustling...

But sometimes, we're so focused on chasing all the things we haven't got that we forget to notice the things we already have, the people in our lives, and the fortunate circumstances in which we live.

Appreciate all your progress.

Calm down for a moment.

Breathe.

And hustle again.

Love. Jerom

If Not Now...WHEN?

It was our "First Day High."

This was the theme of our first official Toastmaster's online meeting. 

Everyone's excited because the feeling was like the first day of school again.

Now, if you're asking me, why did I join?

First, I SUCK at public speaking. 

I SUCK at speaking in front of a crowd. 

I always get the feeling of being uncomfortable. 

AND...

I embrace those weaknesses.

One way to learn something is always to put yourself in uncomfortable situations and just be comfortable with it.

As James Clear said: "Join a culture where the normal behavior is your desired behavior." 

Honestly, I am nervous that time because first-day high always give me the jitters.

We started exactly at 4:00 in the afternoon...

And then 10 minutes after we started...

I heard my name, and the speaker asked me to explain one quote about taking action in the form of a speech. 

I was shocked. 

My hands are tingling.

My palms are sweaty.

And there was complete silence for 10 seconds.

I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO SAY. 

But the first thing that popped inside my mind that moment was...

"Take the plunge and enjoy."

So I still answered.

And after a minute of being in the spotlight...

It turned out well, even if it felt operose.

Although it was not the best answer and obviously not the best speech in the world.

But certainly,

That was one of the best first-day jitters that I experienced in my life.

All in all. 

I learned a lot, and it's always great to learn from other people.

We can learn everything in life. 

And the first step towards improvement is ACCEPTANCE.

Embrace the suck, as the saying goes.

I am always a massive believer in TAKING ACTION.

And the best way for us to learn something is to experience it first hand and not waiting for that perfect moment.

Progress over perfection. 

Love. Jerom

Lessons I learned from my Mentor...

As all of you have noticed, I've been on social media hiatus before...

The truth is, my greatest fear in life is wasting it, so I grabbed that period to expand my network, build new connections, explore new opportunities, and learn a new skill from the top players in different niches.

One opportunity that is MOST memorable for me was when a US-based company opened a managerial position.

Well, it was not just an ordinary company because it's all about self-development, which resonates BEST with my passion and interest.

If you're familiar with Alpha M, then that's somehow close to the vibe that I'm trying to convey.

To cut the story short, I tried my luck and reached out...

And after how many calls and screening, I was able to be part of their team and learn how a multi-million dollar company thinks and hustle in the backend.

At first, I was overwhelmed because his team was full of world-class game-changers. No BS, they know their craft well, and they never stop improving.

I learned from the whole team about their leadership, proper scheduling, creating a stable system, building a strong brand with 2.5m+ subs on Youtube, and how to build a large net worth. 

I was completely stretched to my limit since this was my first time to be mentored by an international CEO, which is out of my comfort zone.

We all know that there is growth if you are in a challenging situation.

The very first lesson I learned is to ask GOOD questions. 

If you are asking questions, then definitely, you're thinking, and you are learning.

By asking questions, we improve our emotional intelligence.

It's better to prepare 50 GOOD questions before a meeting than not ask at all.

Asking a lot of questions means that you are stimulating your brain and comprehension.

I also learned the value of STOP WAITING. 

Waiting kills time, and it conveys that you don't act and decide on your own.

Better to make mistakes and learn from it than wait for approval, do not take action, and build the habit of "waiting."

The third lesson is to ALWAYS improve your skill. 

Own your position, your skill, and your responsibility.

Act as if you are the BEST in your craft but ALWAYS be kind, be open for feedback, and room for improvement. 

I believe that the BEST way to learn and improve is through APPLICATION and GETTING FEEDBACK from other people.

Improve your skill and be grittier, or other skilled players in the field will beat you.

Are there more lessons I've learned so far? Definitely!

But, it's not really about the number of lessons I've learned, but the number of changes I'm going to make and apply in my daily living. 

After immersing myself for five months, absorbing their culture, and being mentored...

I decided to let go and move on to apply what I have learned, focus on my brand, and strive for a larger vision and BIGGER goals. 

I will be forever grateful that I had the chance to be part of their team.

Working with them was a life-changing experience that made me a better person.

Love. Jerom

 

The Story of Two Monks and a Woman...

Two monks were strolling by a stream on their way home to the monastery. 

They were startled by the sound of a young woman in a bridal gown, sitting by the stream, crying softly.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she gazed across the water. She needed to cross to get to her wedding, but she was fearful that doing so might ruin her beautiful handmade gown.

In this particular sect, monks were prohibited from touching women.

But one monk was filled with compassion for the bride. Ignoring the sanction, he hoisted the woman on his shoulders and carried her across the stream - assisting her journey and saving her gown.

She smiled and bowed with gratitude as the monk splashed his way back across the stream to rejoin his companion.

The second monk was furious. "How could you do that?!" he scolded.

"You know we are forbidden to touch a woman, much less carry her around!"

The offending monk listened in silence to a stern lecture that lasted all the way back to the monastery.

His mind wandered as he felt the warm sunshine and listened to the singing birds.

After returning to the monastery, he fell asleep for a few hours.

And then he was awakened in the middle of the night by his fellow monk.

"How could you carry that woman?!" his agitated friend cried out.

"Someone else could have helped her across the stream. You were a bad monk!"

"What woman?" the sleepy monk said.

"Don't you even remember? That woman you carried across the stream." His colleague snapped.

"Oh! Her..." laughed the sleepy monk.

"I only carried her across the stream. You carried her all the way back to the monastery."

The lesson here is simple: When it comes to our flawed past, always leave it at the stream.

How are you feeling today? Or in the past months?

Have you fully let go of the pain or anger that you felt?

Is it affecting your daily life?

We cannot change the past, but we can always change the future. 

We cannot change the situation, but we can always change our reaction towards that situation.

I know a lot of crazy things happened in the past months. 

All we can do is accept, learn from it, and move on.

Do not let a negative emotion affect your day or even your whole life.

Let's continuously raise awareness and check on ourselves. 

Love. Jerom

You Are Exactly Where You Need to Be...

To whoever is reading this today...

This blog is to simply remind you that I believe in your capability.

If there are times that you feel you're not progressing, even if you are taking action.

Trust me.

You are exactly where you need to be.

You are progressing.

You are appreciated.

You will get there soon if you will just continue.

It's okay to rest, but don't quit.

I know it's challenging to get rejected.

I know it's hard to get laughed at.

I know that feeling.

I've been there.

A lot of people doubted my potential.

BUT...

Do not let other people define your success.

Do not let them create your reality. Create your own version of success.

Focus on your goals.

That's right!

Maintain that burning desire.

One step at a time.

I am with you through the journey of life. Love. Jerom

It All Starts With Why...

When I woke up today and started my daily journaling...

I was reminded that one of my goals as a man who's passionate about self-help and life improvement is to create an impact on people's lives by sharing my life experiences & lessons without filter.

That's why I came up with a goal to create my own blogspot.

A lot of my friends and colleagues know me as someone who takes immediate action, so yeah...

Here I am, optimizing this site and contemplating to make more impact on people's lives.

It all starts with WHY...

All ideas and plans must have a PURPOSE.

Passion without purpose is like a shot without a target.

Now, you might ask me how did I come up with this blog name?

Let's start with Kaizen...

It is a Japanese term meaning "change for the better" or "continuous improvement."

I'm not really a smart person...

I'm not even a talented and athletic guy...

Heck, I'm not even a part of any varsity teams when I was still studying.

But one thing that got me where I am right now is GRIT.

This is my passion and perseverance for long-term and meaningful goals.

Grit is the ability to persevere in something you feel passionate about and still push when you face obstacles.

My love to focus on the process, improve, and never look on the negative side of life, even if there are many challenges, helped me improve my character.

I chose Mentality because I am a big fan of late Kobe Bryant's "Mamba Mentality."

And I believe that it all starts with our minds.

If we change our perspective in life, we can become grittier and resilient with our goals.

Just want to share my favorite quote with you:

"If an egg is broken down by an outside force, life ends. But if an egg is broken by an inside force, life begins."

I still don't know what will happen after a week or a month but I just want to take this moment to express my gratitude for giving me your trust, investing the time to check & read my blogs, and learn more from what will I share in the future.

I'm also inviting you to accompany me on this journey...

The journey to self-improvement...

The journey to excellence...

The journey to a MORE meaningful life...

And the journey to serve other people.

Let's dive into the experience together, and let's both learn from the lessons that life is giving!

Love. Jerom