On Setting Goals

Let me quote another interesting snippet from Paul Arden's 'Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite'. It has become my personal favourite toilet book of the month. While I won't be in the creative industry in my lifetime, I think his perspectives are worth pondering. It's a pretty encouraging and quirky book for unSingaporean Singaporeans (what is a Singaporean anyway???) who are in the midst of fashioning out alternative/non-mainstream/aesthetic lifestyles or careers but are stumbling around at this point in time.

A young man worked as a runner in an advertising firm.
One day he said to his manager, "I'm leaving. I'm going to be a drummer."
The manager said, "I didn't know you played the drums."
He replied, "I don't, but I'm going to."

A few years later that young man played in a band with Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce, and it was called Cream, and the young man's name was Ginger Baker. He became what he wanted to become before he knew he could do it. He had a goal.

***
Anyway, I think if there is ever such as a thing as the 'downfall of jimmy lim', I think it is due to the fact that I have a couple of unreconcilable goals that I want to achieve at the end of this life. While I was in Europe, I was reflecting what are the things that I'm really good at, what invigorates me as a person. I like travelling and talking to strangers in general, but I'm not sure what kind of careers fits that bill. I'm thankful for the incredulous amount of free time during my Masters to explore different internships, jobs, conferences and hopefully more travelling to see where it all leads to. First stop is my alma mater next week. I'm going to be a GP teacher. I don't think I'm genetically coded for that kind of stuff though...

Teacher: "What was your GP grade?"
Me: "B3"
Teacher: "Hmmm..."
Me:"But times have changed... I've improved"
Teacher: "What was your major"
Me:"Political Science"

I think my 'political science' and 'student council' identity sort of clinched that deal. My stomach churned a bit when I used the word 'student council'. While those were fun times, on hindsight 8 years later, I felt that the so called 'student council spirit' is simply fascist nationalism at microscopic tella tubby college levels. Well, job interviews are perhaps about branding at the end of the day. Still, I want to thank God for financial openings in decent working environments.