What I aspire to do when I am in my 40s

 So on Wednesday, I wrote about being thankful for my jobs past and present to motivate myself through work. While being thankful, I don't want to stay addicted to the perks of job and forget my long terms aspiration.  

Since today is Friday, it's time to think far about where I want to be years down the road. When I was an engineering consultant, climbing up some towers, I told myself I don't want to be climbing towers when I am in my 40s. I am glad before 40, I left that job.

Now with 3 years before I hit the 40 year old mark, there are other things that I want to change. When I am in my 40s, I don't want to ask for permission to take leave. I want to be able to spend birthdays with my family and heck the important business stuff. 

So while I recently said I aspire to do nothing, I am embarking on projects on the side. Doing nothing most probably could buy me instant happiness, but I'll probably be doing what I am still doing now years down the road. Cannot imagine asking could I take my leave when I am in my 40s, or being subjected to 3 months of no leave due to probation ( if I just switch job). 

I am starting a project now. To be more specific, I am starting a passive income project, to build my sources of passive income. Making sure I follow through so that it gets done. I dream to be busy with nothing before I am 40.

So now, I am working hard to fulfil my aspiration- to do nothing.

Have a great  and fruitful weekend.

I Work To _______, so that __________. (complete the sentence)

It's lunchtime blogpost again, where I blog during lunch some small nuggets that I think of. 

We all work for a certain purpose. Since I'm at work today, let's look at some things we are grateful for (as a result of working). Hope this motivates your day on Wednesday.

So here are some things I'm grateful for, for working at a job. 

I work to earn money, so that my family can live comfortably and my kids can pursue interests they are interested in.  This is the key to working, isn't it. 

But there's more to it. 

I work so that I gain excess to network which I by myself (using my name) won't be able to do so (think about I'm Ms. XXX, vs I'm Ms XXX from FAMOUS COMPANY - which will give you more access?).

I work so that I get to mingle with a certain group of people from a certain social circle - notice most of your colleagues are in similar social class?

I work so that I gain excess to credit. Credit cards, mortgage and so on all look at our income. No income, you must have loads of assets before you are considered for such credit. 

I work to gain exposure and experience, literally at the expense of my company. So that I can grow mentally, without digging into my pocket.

I work so that I am aware of the latest software available and the latest trend in my field. 

I work to experiment with different ways of working with people. So that I can try all methods of working with people with low risk (at most the clients complain). 

I work so that I learn to host people (for dinner/ for meetings and so on ) at the expense of the company.

I work so that I can get a new  pair of spectacles yearly, or go for dental whenever I feel like it - and claim it off.

I work to travel (last time when I was in my consultant job, and before COVID), so that I can see the world without digging into my own pocket.

Oh, and in my previous consultant job, we have a Miami trip once every 3 years where the company book the entire hotel and we eat, drink and party like nobody's business at the company's expense for 3 days. 

I work to eat at the great hotel buffets during meetings (when I was in my consultant job), so that Marriot high tea, Sheraton buffets, Straits Kitchen dinner buffet, AquaMarine buffets and so on.

I work to enjoy flights (pre- COVID), and occasional business class trips when flight time is more than 8 hours. Else I may not have bothered spending on business class flights in my lifetime myself.

I work so that I get to use flight lounge (pre- COVID), without bothering about credit card or whatsoever hacks. 

I work to get hotel points (pre - COVID in my consultant job), so that I am a life-time silver member of Marriot Bonvoy. And so that I can stay in Suites in W Sentosa, Le Meridien Sentosa (before it closed) with my points, without spending a cent. Sorry, Singapore Rediscover Voucher, I have better vouchers for hotel stay. 

And I worked to enjoy the perks  (business class flights and lounge, hotel suites, hotel buffets, 10 course meals, etc.) to realize they are just what they are, nothing special, so I won't spend it using my own money. 

All these are great perks for working, whether you truly like it or not.

Hope you are motivated with these too. Now, back to work.

Have a good week!

An important Factor for Primary School Selection - that most people don't consider

 My daughter is going to primary one next year. I have been shortlisting schools that I want her to go to. 

Based on location, and chance of getting in ( my daughter is in the sg50 babies), I have shortlisted 2 schools. One is due to distance (just a road away), and another is due to affiliation. So I went to study the differences in the school. From, CCAs, to what they are famous for and so on. To he honest, all schools specialize in something, and their CCAs are almost the same with some differences. LOL.

But what caught me was the significant difference in the time the kids knock off from school. One was usually 1 pm, except for a day that is 12.30pm. Another was usually 1.45 p.m, with some days at 1.15 p.m. why a 45 minutes difference?! Aren't primary school suppose to teach similar stuff. 

When I was in secondary school, I remembered school ends at 2 p.m. And each period was 35 minutes. The rationale for the 35 minutes was to allow teachers 5 minutes to travel from a class to another, and for us to 'get started'. But I always wondered why not make each period 30 minutes, and let the teachers start preparing for their next class at the 25 minutes mark? And you know how much earlier school would end just by reducing each period by 5 minutes? And, another even more important thing. Isn't lunch time suppose to be around noon? 2 pm is tea time not lunch time. Why put the teachers and students through this? Lunch should be at lunchtime ya?

Anyways, back to the topic on primary school. So after looking at the school dismissal time, I concluded the school to send my daughter to. 

I mean, all schools must complete the syllabus set by MOE. If this school can do so with 45 minutes less time per day for years, they probably have devised a tried and tested method to complete it 45 minutes less. Why should I go for the one that takes more time then?

And something that's so important to me, my daughter will get to eat lunch at Lunchtime, not teatime ( unless there is lunchbreak for dismissal time at 1.45pm? - I don't know!).

Finally made my choice.