Who found oil in Miri
Oil was discovered in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia in 1910. It was discovered by an Australian geologist named William KING, who was working for the Royal Dutch Shell Company at the time. KING was conducting geological surveys in the region and identified a strong oil seepage in the area. Following further investigation, he confirmed that there were significant oil reserves beneath the ground in the region.
This discovery marked the beginning of the oil industry in Miri and led to the rapid growth and development of the city. The Royal Dutch Shell Company established an oil well in Miri, and the oil industry soon became a major source of income and employment in the region. The discovery of oil also attracted a large number of migrants and foreign workers to the city, leading to its growth and transformation into a thriving center for petroleum production.
Today, Miri remains a major center for the oil and gas industry in Malaysia, and the discovery of oil over a century ago continues to play a significant role in shaping the city’s history and development.
How Rich is Seneca?
Seneca the Younger gained wealth and influence through his career as a politician and advisor to the Roman emperor Nero. He was appointed to several high-level positions, including consul and praetor, and was also in charge of tax collection in several provinces, which allowed him to accumulate wealth through taxes and fines. Additionally, he was a successful businessman who invested in real estate and traded in precious metals, further adding to his wealth. Seneca was also known for his extensive writings, including philosophical treatises, which were popular and widely read in ancient Rome and helped establish his reputation as a leading intellectual of the time.
The specific estates owned by Seneca the Younger are not well documented, but it is known that he was a wealthy landowner who had significant real estate holdings. He invested in properties and managed his estates, which likely included farmlands, mines, and possibly even commercial properties. Seneca was known for his luxurious lifestyle and was considered one of the wealthiest individuals in ancient Rome. Despite his wealth, he was a noted philosopher who advocated for a simple and virtuous life, and his writings often touched on themes of wealth, poverty, and materialism.
How Rich Is Seneca VS Lucius Crassus
It is difficult to compare the wealth of Seneca the Younger and Lucius Crassus, as the exact amount of their wealth is not known. However, both were considered among the wealthiest individuals in ancient Rome.
Lucius Crassus was a famous Roman politician and general who lived several centuries before Seneca. He was one of the richest men in Rome and was known for his wealth and influence. He was a successful businessman and investor who accumulated a large fortune through his investments in real estate and other ventures.
Seneca the Younger was also a wealthy individual who gained wealth and influence through his political career and business dealings. He held several high-ranking government positions, was a successful businessman, and was known for his extensive writings, which helped establish his reputation as a leading intellectual of his time.
While both Seneca and Lucius Crassus were considered wealthy by the standards of their time, it is difficult to determine a precise comparison of their wealth due to a lack of accurate records from ancient Rome.
Did Julius Ceacer practice Stocism
Julius Caesar was known to have studied and practiced Stoicism, a philosophy that emphasizes the development of self-control and resilience in the face of adversity.
Stoicism is a philosophical school of thought that was founded in ancient Greece and was later adopted by the Romans. The central tenet of Stoicism is that individuals should strive to be virtuous, rational, and in control of their emotions and desires. The goal is to live in harmony with the natural order of the universe and to find peace and contentment through a clear understanding of the world and one’s place in it. Caesar is said to have been influenced by the teachings of Stoicism and sought to apply its principles to his personal and political life.
Here are five ways Julius Caesar is believed to have applied Stoicism in his life:
- Self-Control: Caesar is said to have had great control over his emotions and was known to be even-tempered, even in the face of adversity. This is a hallmark of Stoicism, which emphasizes the importance of self-control and emotional detachment.
- Rationality: Stoicism emphasizes the power of reason and encourages individuals to make decisions based on logic and not emotions. Caesar was known for his strategic thinking and careful planning, which were likely informed by his Stoic beliefs.
- Acceptance of fate: Stoics believe that some things are beyond our control and must be accepted with grace and dignity. Caesar is reported to have been accepting of his fate, even in the face of death, which is seen as a demonstration of Stoic philosophy.
- Courage: Stoicism emphasizes the importance of courage, particularly in the face of danger. Caesar was known for his bravery and determination, which were likely inspired by his Stoic beliefs.
- Personal philosophy: Caesar’s Stoic beliefs appear to have been integrated into his personal philosophy and shaped his approach to life. He is reported to have lived a life of virtue, integrity, and wisdom, which are all key elements of Stoicism.
all in all, Caesar’s adherence to Stoicism helped shape his approach to life and served as a model for the philosophy.
6 Steps to open a sole proprietor in Sarawak Malaysia
To open a sole proprietorship in Sarawak, Malaysia, you need to follow these steps:
- Choose a business name and ensure it is available for use by checking with the Registrar of Business Names.
Business Name Registration guide here - Obtain a Business Registration Certificate from the Registrar of Business Names.
To obtain a Business Registration Certificate from the Registrar of Business Names in Sarawak, Malaysia, you need to follow these steps:
- Submit an application form to the Registrar of Business Names along with the required fee.
- Provide proof of your business name, such as a copy of a trade license or company registration certificate, if applicable.
- Provide a copy of your identity card or passport, as well as proof of address, such as a utility bill.
- Provide a detailed description of your business, including the type of business, location, and nature of the products or services offered.
- Wait for the processing of your application, which typically takes several days to a week.
- Once your application has been approved, you will receive a Business Registration Certificate, which will serve as proof of your registered business.
Note: Requirements may vary depending on the type of business you plan to operate, so it is advisable to seek advice from a legal professional or government agency before starting your business.
- Register with the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia and obtain a Tax Identification Number.
- Apply for any necessary licenses or permits, such as a trading license, if required for your specific business.
- Set up a business account with a local bank.
- Comply with all relevant regulations, including those related to employment, health and safety, and environmental protection.
Note: Requirements may vary depending on the type of business you plan to operate, so it is advisable to seek advice from a legal professional or government agency before starting your business.
30 Naval Ravikant Quotes
- “Happiness is a choice between inner peace and external success.”
- “Success is the ability to withstand failure.”
- “Your mind is software. Program it for wealth.”
- “The only way to predict the future is to create it.”
- “Wealth is not about having a lot of money, it’s about having a lot of options.”
- “The key to success is to start before you are ready.”
- “The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else.”
- “You can have anything you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”
- “The only way to get rich is to start a company, or invest in one.”
- “The universe is always conspiring in your favor, but it requires action on your part.”
- “The secret to happiness is freedom… And the secret to freedom is courage.”
- “The more you learn, the more you earn.”
- “Your thoughts become your reality.”
- “Money is just a tool, it will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.”
- “Life is a game, play it.”
Naval Ravikant often mentions that “life is a game, play it” because he believes that approaching life as a game can help individuals adopt a more lighthearted and positive perspective. When we think of life as a game, we can view challenges as opportunities for growth and learning, rather than as insurmountable obstacles. Additionally, when we see life as a game, it becomes easier to enjoy the journey, rather than just focusing on the destination. By viewing life as a game, we can cultivate a sense of playfulness, creativity, and resilience, which can help us navigate life’s ups and downs with greater ease.
- “The rich don’t work for money, they make money work for them.”
- “There is no greater investment than investing in yourself.”
- “In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.”
- “The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the army of entrepreneurs.”
- “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
- “The future is just a vision, the present is where we can make a difference.”
- “The more you know, the less you fear.”
- “The key to wealth is automation.”
- “Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.”
- “You are not your mind, you are not your emotions, you are not your thoughts.”
- “The goal of life is to be as awake as possible.”
- “Life is a game, and the purpose of the game is to have fun.”
- “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”
- “Successful people are those who take the initiative and make things happen.”
- “Happiness comes from solving problems.”
29 Stoic Quotes to Live By
- It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus
- “The only thing in our power is our own mind.” – Epictetus
- “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “Do not waste time on what you cannot change.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “Do not be angry with the rain; it simply does not know how to fall upwards.” – Vladimir Nabokov
- “The obstacle is the way.” – Ryan Holiday
- “We are not given control over what happens to us, but we can choose how to respond.” – Ryan Holiday
- “Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.” – Seneca
- “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
- “Life is like a play. It’s not the length, but the excellence of the acting that matters.” – Seneca
- “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln
- “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” – Soren Kierkegaard
- “Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.” – Plato
- “The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates
- “Life is short, but it is wide.” – Seneca
- “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius
- “You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle
- “No one is free who is not master of himself.” – Epictetus
- “Happiness is not given to us, it is earned.” – Epictetus
- “The only way to deal with fear is to face it head-on.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “The only way to deal with fear is to face it head-on.” – Ryan Holiday
- “Be present. Be here now. This is all there is.” – Ryan Holiday
- “The things you think about determine the quality of your mind.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “The only thing we never have enough of is time.” – Seneca
- “It is easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.” – Benjamin Franklin
- “The only real obstacle in your path to success is the story you keep telling yourself that you cannot succeed.” – Tony Robbins
- “It is not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln
Seneca the Younger and Jesus Christ: A Comparison of Two Philosophers
Seneca the Younger and the Stoic philosophy he espoused had a significant influence on the development of early Christianity. Stoicism was one of the most popular philosophical schools in the Roman Empire during the time of Jesus and the early Christians, and its teachings helped to shape the moral and ethical principles of the early Church.
One of the key principles of Stoicism that influenced early Christianity was the idea of inner peace and self-control. Seneca taught that individuals have the power to control their own emotions and reactions to external events, and that true happiness can only be achieved by living a virtuous life. This idea was echoed in the teachings of Jesus, who encouraged his followers to turn the other cheek and to love their enemies, and to find inner peace through faith in God.
Another aspect of Stoicism that influenced early Christianity was the idea of living in accordance with natural law and universal reason. The Stoics believed that there was a natural order to the universe, and that individuals should strive to live in harmony with that order. This idea was also reflected in the teachings of Jesus, who emphasized the importance of living in accordance with God’s will and the principles of love and compassion.
Stoicism also played a role in shaping the early Christian understanding of ethics and morality. The Stoics believed that virtuous behavior was the key to happiness, and that individuals should strive to live in accordance with universal moral principles. This idea was adopted by the early Christians, who saw Jesus’s teachings as a guide to virtuous living and the path to salvation.
In conclusion, the Stoic philosophy of Seneca the Younger and the Roman Stoics had a profound influence on the development of early Christianity. The ideas of inner peace, living in accordance with natural law, and the importance of virtuous behavior all played a role in shaping the moral and ethical principles of the early Church, and continue to be important aspects of Christian thought and practice today.
you will meet bad people, but
what can we do to not get disappointed? to not have high expectations of people.
So tell yourself, You’ll meet bad people today, and the day after, and the day after…
Influencers
Influencers need to have followers that want to be like them, and people subscribe to their lifestyle, so to allow a thriving market for influencers, there needs to be a lifestyle that some Influencers have.
Time Management for Business.
instead of trying to balance time, try mini sprints to your desired result, it allows focus and attention, now you just need to figure out which to focus on first
Timeless vs Temporary
The reason I keep a timer to my death in my phone.
As a practitioner of Stoicism, I fully embrace the idea of using a death timer as a tool for self-reflection and personal growth. The reminder of our own mortality is a powerful motivator for living in the present moment and making the most of our time on earth.
In my own life, I use a death timer as a reminder to stay focused on what’s important and to avoid getting caught up in the distractions of daily life. It helps me to maintain a sense of perspective and to stay grounded in my values and priorities.
I also believe that the death timer can be a valuable tool for developing the Stoic virtues of courage, wisdom, and justice. By accepting the reality of our own mortality, we can build a greater sense of inner strength and resilience, and be better equipped to handle life’s challenges with grace and fortitude.
Overall, I believe that the death timer is a simple but powerful tool for living a Stoic life and for making the most of our time on this earth. So if you’re looking for a way to stay focused, cultivate inner peace, and live a more meaningful life, I highly recommend giving this practice a try.
“We don’t beat the Reaper by living longer. We beat the Reaper by living well.”
I downloaded an app called time until, it counts down important dates, but I count my potential death, ticking at 15053 Days, ending August 2061.
This reminds me:
Fate is not bias, oppourtunities will come, if they don’t, I’ll be as content, as I am doing this myself and my spiritual growth.
I might die tomorrow,the Clock is inaccurate. Life is unexpected, there is no security we will live till 50, 60, or 70, dont plan like we do.
as If there is no legacy I can leave behind, how can life be meaningfull, I am but a small part of the vast history of human kind, and after a large enough span, I wouldn’t make a difference if I have lived or not, if I don’t contribute anything significant. History only remembers the Einsteins and aureliuses of their era.
I was desperate to please society, like an unloved child his strict father, and this made me easily waver by society, life is, once again, out of my control.
I should care about my life, like you should yours, and the people and society I with to help, theirs.
So after 8760 days of life, I can finally say, today I lived.
Hopes this helps, I was stuck until recently, when I started my journey on self actualization, I found so many new things I should be doing, got hooked on the idea that being a human positive.
Naturally with great ambition, I wanted to be like vision and Tim ferris or Elon musk, people who have a significant impact in the world
That is when I got lost, as the pressure of succeeding in this journey paralyses me. (long story short) I realise that some things are out of my control and the only way I can truly live life is to accept that:
To be a human positive, it is ta way of life and I should be just as content to serve neighbours as the community.
Fate is not bias and there are times when the oppourtunities will come, but if they don’t, I will be just as content, as i am doing this for non other than myself and my spiritual growth.
This clock will not be accurate, I might die tomorrow, a powerful fact i want to remind myself. Life is unexpected, there is no security we will live till 50, 60, or 70, but why save up so that we can retire at an age we are not sure we will reach.
That is when is started my asking quest,
Out of the 24 years of my life, that is 8760 days, how much is something I call my own?
I survived for 9 thousand days but only a fraction is my own. All the days spent gaming, caring for people’s feelings, getting drunk, cut them out, what is left?
What if, I invested all those time to growing myself, I might be sombody already.
If I were to die tomorrow, and my life flashes by me, what would be highlighted?
This became my north star, thou my life direction change, the end goal is the same, to be a human positive in the world.
Fate might give me the chance to lead a cause, like vision or tim or seth godin, but if fate left me with 5 of my closest friends and family, equally content, as this is not about the stage, it is about to live. the things out of my control should be just that, out of my control.
That way, I would be like how I just started, eager to please and easily wavered by society, as in truth, you should care about living your life and me mine, that is already a lifetime challenge.
the service of a good citizen is never useless: being heard and seen, he helps by his expression, a nod of his head, a stubborn silence, even his gait.
if he is not, so be it, as the reason is to satisfy the soul
So that I be who I inspire to be, and have no regrets as I have lived life to the fullest, even if I die.
On Projects
I used to be so afriad of starting the wrong thing.
At the age of 22 YO, the taught of spending potentially 10% (2 to 5 years) of my life on a business is to me at the time, a big decision.
Everything needs to be right, it must be the ONE.
That is what led to alot of procrastination and hesitation.
If there is one thing i could change looking back, life would movce so much better if i treat things like a series of adventure/projects i am embarking on.
The personal affliation mindset ” I want to be a marketer” I want to be Y, sets us in our little box to begin with. ]
Whats the alternative to ask?
Well, what do i fell Strongly that i wouldnt mind giving it a go?
360 Peer Evaluation Form | How to make it work?
It’s very tempting to do it only when you need it to either fire or get opinions of the team, but this not work for very long.
If you want to build a talent centric company, you need to show them that you actually care fortheir well being, not just a method to get excuses to fire someone.
Because after a few times, your employees will realise after every review their friends got into trouble.
How would that effect the answers they give you?
360Evaluation Template: Peer Evaluation
This is what we use for our company at Horizn, Page and other companies to evaluate the team.
1) Does this person exhibits leadership qualities in his role in the Company? Why?
2) Rate the leadership Qualities 1 to 10 (no 7).
* 7 is a very safe number, because its nottoo low or too high, its best to get them to choose between 6 or 8, which is, an A or a C
3) When this person works with coworkers, what interpersonal skills does he demonstrates?
4) Rate the interpersonal performance from 1 to 10.
5) Does this Employee Effectively solves problems? Give a case scenario for your answer.
6) How good is his problem solving skills from 1 to 10
7) Does this person seem to be motivated in doing his work related task, job, and relationship?
8) Rate Their Motivation Score from 1 to 10.
9) Are the persons work method and approach to accomplishing his effective, efficient and continuously improving? justify
10) Rate his Growth Rate
11) Give him an overall score of performance from 1 to 10.
12) What do you think he should improve on?
360Evaluation Template: Self Assestment
This is what we use for our company at Horizn, Page and other companies to evaluate themselves.
1) Name three things you have done really well in the last 3 months? Why do you think those were successful?
2) Are you exhibiting leadership qualities in the Company? Why?
3) Rate your leadership Qualities 1 to 10 (no 7).
4) What do you think about your interpersonal skills within the company?
5) Rate Your interpersonal performance from 1 to 10.
6) Do you solve problems effectively? Give a scenario of your answer
7) How good is your problem solving skills from 1 to 10
8) Are you Motivated in your work related task, job and relationship?
9) Rate your motivation score from 1 to 10.
10) Is your work method effective, efficient and continuously improving? justify
11) Rate your Growth Rate from 1 to 10.
12) Give yourself an overall score 1 to 10.
13) What do you think you should improve on next?
Why is the 260 evaluation form structured like that :
when we design, we are looking for ways to improve the happyness and productivity of them inthe company, again, this is just an outline and the best way to use this is to understand the reason why you need the evaluation form and recreate with refrence
These just so happen is the things that our company is interested in, namely growth of our team members.
Why do we need a website for our business? or dont need one.
A website is only a tool for you to use in your strategy to get more sales to come in, if your strategy doies not require you to get a website, then dont get one.
What can a good website do?
A good website is like a trained sales person online. you can be at places where people (might) search for you, and lead them to a page that is only talking about your service, and that might be powerful to you.
A good website is also a great consultant, when you answer questions that people have, you gain their trust, as they remembered that you are the one who helped them to solve a specific type of problem.
HOW?
1) The Gut check.
Imagine your website as your online store, the first thing you need to ask is, If you come to your store, will they buy anything? if yes, then great, if no, whats wrong?
What are the information that is missing from the website that is blocking people from buying?
This step requires your to emphatize with your audience, are you generally going to solve their problem when they come? or are you wasting their time?
To test this, you will need to understand your customer avatar that i have covered a few chapters ago.
2) The type of channels you can use.
Once you think your website can get you visits, now its time to put it to the test, this is where you need to be creative, think about how to get people to see you at the right time, which is when they are looking for you or the solution you provide.
Here you need to understand their digital footprint. if your customer generally look for your product on facebook, and a facebook page is enough to get sales, you might not need a website.
A website is generally useful when they try to search for you on google, or when facebook just doesnt work because tehy are too much noise in facebook.
how marketers usually does it is they send traffic from different channels to their website.
eg. in founders, i post my stuff on facebook, but the content is written in my website so google will index it also.
for page productions, since they are a service based company, people generally will search for them on google, thats why my new campaign is to help them use google ads to get customers, which you cant do with a facebook page.
Now, think about how your customers will look for you? and understand their online behaviour before you move forward.
3) How to track?
How do you know if you are performing or not? there are a few tools for us to see how many people go to where i want them to go to.
It depends on what you are aiming to see and track actually.
For example, when we are running neon rush miri, we use clickfunnels to track the signups
for founders club, i am using google analytics to check if we are increasing our readership or not.
for buzzytime, we use mostly facebook to track our results because they provide the metric we want to see.
for page productions right now, i am creating an google ad campaign for them so the tracking is at google ads.
now here is the main thing you need to know, you must have a way to measure the success of what you are doing, because you cannot improve upon things that you cannot track.
4) A few Case Studies
Stone Amperor , one of my pass client now have around 10k visits per month to their content and this have benefitted them greatly
a friend of mine is running a buzz site, and he have around 1 mil trafifc to website, the total amount of money he generated from banner and facebook creator studio is easily around 10k – 20k
which is what buzzytime is also trying to do.
Design thinking, and how to use it.
Designing Thinking is one of the most influencial part of my carrier, so many things that i have learnt and do revolves around design thnking.
and issentially, what design thinking is to me is a model to solve new and unsolved problem in life. things that you cant google your way out of.
Design thinking have 5 steps
1) Emphatize, this step is about understanding, relating and seeing things from other perspective, what is the problem and what causes it to be a problem, who does it affect, what is causing this to happen and really dive into the problem itself.
2) Define. next you define, alright, what are the list of problems that i have selected, which are problems cause because of other problems, and is there a 20% problem i can solve that will solve 80% of the problems.
3) Ideate. the next step is to come up with potential solutions, to a single or more problems, the key here is not the best answers, but a list of potential answers that might be able to solve the problem, that you will realise other alternatives besides what you have originally taught of.
4) Prototype. make a sample model of your solution, make somehting that achieve the result of the problem that is not perfect, but to understand if your hypothesis of your solution is correct or not.
5) Test, this is the easiest part, test if your problem is really a problem, does it solve the solutions/purpose it is supposed to?
The ones that stands out
Once in a while, you will meetsomeone who stands out from the crowd, they do things out of the ordinary, they talk more infront of the team, they care more about others than themselves
And once you find them, you better keep them because if you look at the company 5 years ahead, if they are still here in the company, what would they become?
The ones that is Remarkable.
On the future of work
The next wave of revolution, like the industral revolution will change everything.
Here’s what you need to know, we humans have 2 types of ability that we can leverage on, physical and cognitive.
The last industrial revolution, alot of physical abilities become obselete, but it creates demand for cognitive jobs because robots cannot analyse, communicate, and understand human emotions.
now this coming revolution, with machine learning, bio- tech and AI, rising to compete with us on a cognitive level, where does that leave us?
The fear i have now is not being control by a handful of people dominating these new industry, but being irrelevant.
There might be a point in time where there is nothing else to fight for, and we just live life that we have optimize the human race to live.
How to test if your marketing is working
If I am missing, If I stop doing what i am doing on all the channels that i was on, would anyone miss me? would people ask why you weren’t there when you should?
Asking this question forces your mind to focus on what really matters,
they wont miss me, why?
yes they will, which part?
Then you start filtering out all the noise from what is the core value that your brand is delivering on these platforms.
When you are overwhelmed
The worst thing about being your own boss is, most of the time you dont get the priveledge of hiding behind labour laws when the company needs you.
which can be overwhelming, so overwhelming, infact that you might not be able to sleep, like me writing this at 2 am in the morning.
so when this happens to you, and a reminder for me, think about why you started this journey, the ups and downs, then think about the steps and the months that has passed, how much have you grown and how much have I learnt in this journey…
Then you will see that this is temporary and the results is forever, how much you have grown, assests and connections built, they are forever.
So endure, and you will see that all this is just the oppourtunity cost towards greatness.
Instead of what the average use for goals, try this
Instead of:
To Work for Yourself
Try:
To Have Other Work For You
Instead of:
To Work When You Want To
Try:
To Prevent Work For Work’s Sake,and To Do The Minimum Necessary for Maximum Effect.
Instead of:
To Retire Early and Young
Try:
To Distribute Recovery Periods and Adventures (Mini- Retirements) thoughout life on a regular basis and recognise that inactivity is not the goal. Doing What Excites you is.
Instead of:
To Buy All The Things You Want to have
Try:
To Do All The Things You Want to do, and be all the things you want to be. If this includes some tools and gadgets, so be it, but they are either a means to an end or bonuses, not the focus
Instead of:
To be the boss instead of the employee; To be in charge.
Try:
To be neither the boss nor the employee, but the owner. To own the trains and have someone else make sure they run on time.
Instead of:
To make a ton of money
Try:
To make a ton of money with specific reasons and defined dreams to chase, timelines and steps included. What are you working for?
Using fear as motivation
Visioning forward gets me excited about the future, but fear usually blocks us from doing the things that really matters.
So for me, vision does not translate to immediate action. For someone like me who tends to procrastinate alot, I find it useful to use fear as a fuel for action.
I think we can counter fear, with a bigger fear- which is the fear of death, because as entrepreneurs, we dont want to waste our lives, We want to build our own legacy.
So when we can see how much time we have left to build our legacy, it is often a bigger motivator than what you get on yourtube.
So for the pass few weeks I tested counting down my death, taught by Kevin Kelly, the writer of 1000 true fans.
I find it fasinating how i can push myself to do things even when im tired just because i know the number is going to drop by 1 by tomorrow.
This is what i did:
I downloaded a countdown app, any count down app that allows you to set an extended amount of days. I use Time Until because it shows on my home screen when i open the phone so i see it everytime i open my phone.
Then i calculate the end date of my hassle free life at 65, below the average of 75.30 years in malaysia because i dont want to factor in my retirement period.
65 minus my age right now equals to 42 years which is 15331 days (9/8/2019)
then you set it to apppear at your home screen.
What would i do if i have no product and want to start something.
Start by scratching your own itch
Reason:
You know yourself most, so often times your market research will be to ask, how much will I be willing to pay to get the product or services? am i willing to pay 2x the price I are selling? am I willing to go more if I add in so and so? or less but i remove this and this?
it is often easier to sell to people like you, as you can convey a lot of personal experience that will resonate with the customer.
And, worst case scenario, even if you didn’t manage to sell or for some reason you need to close down your startup, at least you will need to use it.
Useful Questions to ask yourself:
1) what would I be willing to pay an extraordinary amount of money to fix in my life?
2) if money was not a concern, what is the top 10 things you will fix first?
3) If you have no money at all, and have to live off minimum wage, what would you still consider spending money on?
4) in the last 6 months, maybe more, what are the things you faced that you wish you can solve with money?
5) after all the questions you answered above, ask why behind you answer and answer all of them.
6) look through your list, examine what are the actionable steps I can take to see if there is a market?
The framework to a meaningful life
Life need not be so hard, we tend to complicate things.
Last half of the year life is tough, I was doing things that doesn;t serve my best interest,to please someone i dont care, my life was miserable.
Then i started to ask myself, what if life wasnt hard?
Seneca:
life is enough for us to of the greatest of things, but we waste most of it on things that does not move our goal forward.
I feel like i wasnt doing things that moves toward my goal.
so then i asked myself
What if life is easy?
This changed everything. it enable me to treat life like an experiment that i can tweak, it made me feel like i am in control for the first time after so long.
Control feels like the responsibility is on me to make my life remarkable, to craft my own ikigai.
i first heard ikigai from kenneth, the founder of beam, a cross-border matching engine focused on connecting business people. (you can find him on beam.biz ) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kenetix
Ikigai is the middle ground between four pillars of a meaningful life.
1) What you love
2) What the world needs
3) What you are good at
4) What you can be paid for

Here are a few questions i asked myself on the search for self discovery.
1) If no one will ever know you are doing it, will you do it?
2) Who are the three people i admire, what are the qualities or the things they are doing that made me admire them.
3) what is my targeted monthly income? so that i can know what angle to approach in terms of business plan will meet my lifestyle.
(Tim ferris has an amazing article on finding your TMI here)
4) What is hinddering me? what espect of my life I need to change to reach my goal.
It could be freedom of location, it could be connections, list them down so that you can make nessesary changes.
5) If i were to go for my dream life, who is my 1000 true fans? read this for more info
Finding your tribe
The best products usually comes from scratching your own niche.
I find it very useful to do this simple exercise to disect yourself.
First, what is your monthly income?
____(2600)_____
In tht income, if you were to categorize into chunks, what would it be?
(500) investing (inner & outer)
(1100) Eating Out
(150) Gasoline
(200) Learning
(50) Telephone
(500) Travel
(100) Extra
Now, what subsultures am i involved in?
1) Productivity
2) Startups
3) Marketing
4) Stoicism
5 Sites i go regularly to get contents
1) Seth.blog
2) digitalmarketer.com
3) tim.blog
4) entreprenuer.com
5) techinasia.com
3 to 5 facebook sites/groups i hang out the most
1) Digital Marketer Engage
2) Beam
3) The Founders Club
4) e27
3 to 5 instagram pages
1) #seth godin
2) #personalgrowth
3) #motivationalquotes
4) 6amsuccess
5) peng joon
What you are doing is defining yourself, seeing where is my digital footprint and the direction i would likely go.
3 to 5 podcast
1) The tim ferris show
2) Mindvalley
3) MFCEO
4) Akimbo
5) The Digital Marketer Podcast
So now if you want to target me, you can make me feel like you spend alot of money advertising by just specifically targeting where i get authority contents from.
Now, look back at your price category, It is important to Look at where is price sensitive , and price insensitive
And how much you can charge maximum, for example, i know that i only save 200 for learning new stuff, if someone charge me 250 for a monthly marketing subscription lessons, i would be less inclined to join because of the trouble it takes me to move things around.
If you dont have a product yet, it is best to go after market that you belong to, so that you dont have to bother trying to figure out somone elses demographics
I know that if i get into speaking in techstars event covered by entrepreneur, then i could appear as an authority for a very cheap price.
All in all, Your trying to find your 1000 true fans who belong to tribes you belong to, so you can cost effectively appear.
Your Company Doesn’t Need Sales or Marketing Team
Why does startup’s marketing seems to be so effective when they are broke?
Maybe, just maybe if we can understand this, our marketing effort will start to make sense.
Working and observing both sme’s and startups as the “marketing guy”, i realise one key difference.
In startups, usually below 4 people, marketing guy is usually the sales person and the ceo.
This actually enables him to do 3 super power that sets startups and big companies apart.
1) Align Marketing efforts to Sales target.
2) Align pricing between market acceptability and company margin.
3) See new oppourtunities though marketing and finance lens.
Imagine if your company have someone like this, how much would that worth?
The Revenue Team
Maybe we should merge sales, marketing and finance team in the company together.
The sales person incharge of qualifying leads, the marketing guy incharge of bringing in leads, and the finance analyst incharge of making sure they are doing it profitably.
If you only read one marketing message, read this.
Templates on how to say NO
Saying no is imporatnt when you want to stand your ground to the important things that you want in life.
Have you ever turn down an invitation because you are fear of disappointing them?
Here is a template that can help you not only say no without burning down the bridge with them, but also get them to respect you more.
Here is a 6 step progress , you dont need to use everything, just a combination of few that you see fit your style and the preson you are talking to.
1) Personal Acknowledgment
2) Admitting that you have to much to handle, an ” its me, not you.” message.
3) stating that you need to focus on your priorities or have already a list of yesses to fill.
4) Explain important bullets so people can sympathize
5) inform why finishing this is more important than taking in new ones
6) make them feel like its not only them by saying “i decided not to take on anything new for the next X months till i get my life sorted back together.”
Humble
“It is impossible for a man to learn that, which he thinks he already knows.” – Epictetus
It is impossible to grow if you feel like you know everything already. So it is not strategic to position that way.
instead, think of yourself as eternal student to stay humble.
That way, you dont lose yourself to what you are, and focus on what you cqan become
Amor Fati
Accepting what is given to us by fate. Embrace and fall in love with how god wind our fates and the suprises it comes with.
Good/ Bad, it is god’s will
And it is in our control on how we accept these will of god, fully prepared? with open mind? or will we reject?
Try this:
say to yourself:
I am persueing a carrier to become ____, But no matter what God throws at me and ask me to acomplish, I will do so.
Offer, Product, whats the difference?
When i go find my latest camera lens on amazon, i sort things by price.
And the world now is so transparent, that with a little effort, you can find any product for less cost,
This means the market is not able to sustain the product game, because if you are not the cheapest,
Then what are you?
Offers, on the other hand, is different.
i was offered a set of camera lens, with tutorials on how to use them to master them in 3 days, now it shifts from price based, to value based.
Next time when you are selling somehting, ask yourself,
is this an offer or a product?
No Hurry, No pause
When you rush things, you are more prone to mistakes, and mistakes makes the flow, not smooth.
With a bad flow, you end up taking more time finishing the task, hence,
” slow is smooth, smooth is fast.”
Tim ferris quote:
“You can get 95% of the results you want by calmly putting one foot in front of the other,” Ferriss wrote. “Luxury, to me, is feeling unrushed. No hurry, no pause.”
So take a few breath next time when you are stressed, you might solve things faster.
The space
Between stimulus and the response there is a space.
In that space is the power to choose your response.
And in that Responce lies the growth and the freedom.
What if we can make better decisions, how much would that be worth?
More info in the book, Man’s search for meaning.
Working less, achieving more
We all want to achieve more with less…
The Concept is easy, do the 20% of things that produces 80% of the results, in the 80/20 rule by pareto states that most results are produced by 20% of the work
But to do this (and the reason why i’ve failed so misserably for the last few years) is that it take a level of self awareness and understanding of both the end goal and your daily tasks,
And that is hard.
Until i’ve started using trello, you can use any type of life planner you are already familiar with.
I’ve just familiarized myself with trello, and its free to use.
you only need 3 cart in a board
1) To do
2) Doing
3) Done
(if you dont know how to use trello, i strongly advise you to go google and try out once first so you know what i am talking about.)
so what you can do is list down what you need to do, and everyday, move the to do’s to the doing list (while you do this, you are conciously reflecting on what you want to be doing) and by the end of the day, move the things that is done to the done list.
with only these 3 steps, you can now see
1) By the end of the month, what tasks have a finished
2) You forced yourself to reflect on what is important to you, and have a mental note that this is to be completed today so things that arise that day wont push it back to tomorrow then never.
3) You will not forget anymore task that is important enough to note down.
The Shortness of Life
Life is good, and with the amount of time we are given, we can acomplish the greatest of things.
The problem is we waste alot of it, if we think about our everyday life, we will notice that, how many hours have we spent on meaningless things..
As the stoic seneca say:
“It’s not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste
much of it. Life is long enough, and it’s been given to us in generous
measure for accomplishing the greatest things, if the whole of it is
well invested. But when life is squandered through soft and careless
living, and when it’s spent on no worthwhile pursuit, death finally
presses and we realize that the life which we didn’t notice passing
has passed away.”
So it is, the life we are given is not short but we make it so ; We’re not ill provided but we make it so.
Offers
Offers are judged by value, the more value the higher you can charge.
So how do we measure value?
The answer is you can’t
There is no set guideline on how much you can charge, it depends on how much it is worth to the custyomer buying he product.
So maybe the better question is to ask
How to make it more valuable?
There are 3 types of products you can include into your offer:
1) DIY – Do it yourself type can give
2) DWY
3) DFY
Meditation
If there is one thing I need to give credit to my sanity in recent years, it would be my girlfriend, but the second thing is Meditation.
Meditation is hard because it is increasingly hard to clear my mind in recent years as there is just so many work left undone for me to think about nothing.
That is until I learnt about the 6 phase meditation by Vishen Lakhiani, a 6 step frame of mind that detoxify my body and focuses me on what is truely 20%
This has made my meditation time to also be the time that I set up todo lists for the day.
Watch the video here
Facts, stories, and How we perceive them
here’s why.
Factual:
Most startups fail due to the lack of market demand.
Story:
I created 5 startups before this, and they all failed because there is no market need.
When we talk in facts, especially in a larger setting, most probably half of the crowd will go against you and say, nono, i think its because of lack of money, marketing, proper accounting… etc
so if you notice, doing a factual claim is rarely in high level presentations.
Stories on the other hand, there is no agreeing or disagreeing, because you can’t disagree with a story, you can only choose to believe whether the story is true or not.
So this shift lets the presentor cheat, they can impose their ideas to the audience without much resistence.
what is branding?
Branding is when you are not there, your tribe will miss you
They will ask their friends why are you not showing up, did something happen to you?
You are, in their world, indespenceable, thats why you leave a mark, an impression in their heads.
How do you start?
By being there for the people and being there consistently.
if you are good enough, and if they find value in things you provide, just maybe, you will leave a mark.
Effective Meetings
Meetings is formed when there is a common goal important enough to meet about
Some meetings drag on and on while some stress too much about ending in time that no progress is discussed
So how to make meetings more effective?
The answer is to always have the end goal in mind and be strategic about every step
The framework I follow which I find super effective is the 3 Os
Do whenever a meeting is about to start, answer these 3 questions
1) What is the objective of the meeting?
2) what are the output(s) required to meet the objective?
3) what is the expected outcome in terms of action plan that we expect to have?
The Whirlwind of Everyday Life
We have so many things to do, that it feels like a whirlwind. you have no control.
Thats why I find it really useful to anchor yourselves before the day starts to have 3 major things done then have the rest of the day handling the whirlwind.
Questions to consider:
1) Which of these if done, will make the rest unnecessary / easier?
2) If I could only work 2 hours per week on my business, what would I do?
3) What if I could only subtract to solve problems?
Leadership Marketing
Marketing is influencing people to buy, leadership is influencing people to do be the best version of themselves.
What if we replace marketing with leadership? We create products to deliver somekind of value to a group of people (tribe) who is enthusiastic about the common goal.
To do this, there is 4 pillars of leadership we need to achieve.
1) Self aware
Understand what the company is in reality and what it is in the eyes of the tribe
2) Understanding others
Seek to understand, then to be understood. here is where we will see, the troubles and worries that the tribe have
3) Empower others
We need ot be genuinly interested in their problems and understand what really motivates them
4) Solution oriented
Being able to reflect and assets the situation and possible value we can deliver.
Action, Resolve, Permission
“Ask forgiveness, not permission, as long as whatever “it” is won’t devastate those around you”
Explaination:
Actions speaks louder than words, but when we are faced with things that need permission,
Permission from your parents,
Permission from your boss,
Permission from your wife,
Generally the answer is “No”, as people want things to stay the same.
But when you are already halfway, people tend not to stop you until you have finished
Mice,Antelope
“A lion is fully capable of capturing, killing and eating a field mouse. But it turns out that the energy required to do so exceeds the caloric content of the mouse itself.
So a lion that spent its day hunting and eating field mice would slowly starve to dead. A lion can’t live on field mice.
A lion needs an antelope. Antelope are big animals.
They take more speed and strength to capture and kill, and once killed, they provide a feast for the lion and her pride.
A lion can live a long and happy life on a diet of antelope.
The distinction is important. Are you spending all your time and exhausting all your energy catching field mice?
In short term it might give you a nice, rewarding feeling. But in the long run, you’re going to die.
So ask yourself at the end of the day, “Did I spend today chasing mice or hunting antelope?”
Work that matters
The essence of doing business is to supply something that is demanded and in exchange, you get a cut.
So the more your solution or product is demanded by the customer, the more you are going to get in exchange.
so who gets to decide how much you for your product?
its the customer you serve,
More customers = More money
More value = more money
so it make sense to create a product that matters to the customer/ the tribe you are trying to serve.
Marketing and Relationships
When you build a bridge/ connect to someone, they become your friend, they trust you and give you more attention than they would normally give to strangers.
Marketers try really hard to get the trust and attention of their customers, and over the years, they got really good at putting their product infront of our faces,
the problem is,
we’ve seen so much ads that we start to ignore them,
We dont engage,
We dont sign up,
We dont spread the word.
unless you are our friend, one of us..
So what if all we try to do is to create that relationship with people that appreciates us, that wants to give us their time because they trust that we will give them a good time and experience.
What effective marketing looks like?
An Effective Marketing is marketing that does not require a large amount of effort to aquire new clients.
This doesn’t mean it is easy…
It means you need to put marketing into the product itself
” How do you make the product spread?”
because Ideas that spread, wins
So maybe, your marketing problem is not a problem of how many people see your product, is what they do after they saw your product, are you creating excitment?
Are you creating what Kevin Kelly calls, 1000 true fans