Precious Time

I learned from my dad to respect time, especially when it involved other party. My mom always told me, "make sure people don't wait for us, it's okay if we wait for people". My parents is a teacher. When I was in school, my dad was in charged of sending me to school because my mom went on another side. My dad will depart exactly at seven o'clock in the morning after talked to his plants and I shall be inside the car by then or else, he will drove away -- ignoring me who's wearing my shoes in front of the door with toast in my mouth. 

He will left me with a glaring eyes and cold goodbyes. It was enough to make me uneasy for the whole day knowing that I will pay a price when I came back home that evening. Do you think, I get to skipped school? Do you think it ever happened in our household where both of our parents are teachers (to add on the note: my dad is 'cikgu disiplin'). My mom will send me to school and I was lectured all the way to school, but it is a rare event because my mom is not a nagger - really. She was different from any other asean moms. If it was repeatative in regular basis, yes, you will kena then. 

When I was in college. I practise that, no, in fact it was in my blood. I was the first on the bus. I was the first in the class. I was the first arrived at meeting point, and I always the one who wait for my friends for dinner. At universities, I met more people who practise differently. 15 minutes late is normal for them. Making people wait is their part time hobby. They made me wait for hours and I hate wasting my time for people who don't appreciate it. I fed up. So I decided not to wait, anymore. If they want to meet, I'll make sure they had arrived. If they want to go out, I'll make sure they are ready. And eventually, I am becoming them. I started late to classes, meetings, appointments, etc. 

When I started my internship at Mont Kiara, I stayed in Shah Alam. 32 km away, and connected by Federal Highway (the one and only). I SHALL TRAVELLED 32KM EVERY MORNING ON FEDERAL HIGHWAY. I won't make it, if I get out on normal hours. Hence, I hit the road as early as 6.15am. I arrived ay 7am, and had extra two hours before the company operate. Because of that, my boss favor me, professionally. He is a Korean with a wife and two children. They have stayed in Malaysia for nearly 20 years. He told me that there are still lot of skills I need to learn, but he liked it how I manage my time and give me A+++ for that. 

I left the company after I finished my intern. We still contact each other and now running business together. + point for being early, you were taken seriously by other people. 

August 2019, I messed up terribly. I late for every appointments and meetings. I don't feel like meeting people, and the world. I just wanna date my bed. I can locked myself for one week, alone. I demotivated, crushed, messed. However, through this experience, I learn a valuable lesson. The reason behind being an early bird, why is it important and how it can affect your life.

It happened through series of events, but I will tell you one of it; 

1. My business partner, Amway conducted a training in Van Andel Hall, Petaling Jaya. I was registered to the course a week earlier. I received tentative and it was scheduled to start at 8.00pm. Working with partner who also emphasize their ABO to be time discipline, they always start right on the dot. On that day, 7.00pm I still laying on my bed, contemplating whether to go or not. Then I received a group photo from my team. They received selfie lamp as door gift. I want that. (Fact: I easily fascinated by most random & simplest thing). I was so determinant, not to really attend the training buat to get the selfie lamp..it is so cute, you can clip it on your phone. I arrived at 9.06pm and registration counter has been closed. I was asked to just enter the hall. 

I felt so dumbfounded, betrayed. 

Most of the time, we get annoyed and angry because we know it wasn't anyone's else fault but ourselves. That we don't deserve to feel wronged. 

However, I am a goal goer. The next morning, I go to the office looking for person in charge in last night's training. I asked for my doorgift (I paid for my training and I attend it -- even a little late. But I deserve to claim what shall belonged to me) I insisted, and I got it. The perk of being persistent 💪Eventhough I was happy to get what I want, but I realised that I can get it effortlessly if I just attend the training as per scehduled. I didn't need to waste fuel and exert my energy for something that can be done if I just respect the time.

From this occasion, I learn the truest purpose of being early. Better wait than wasted. Starting from that day, I have decided to be an early bird again, even if it means I need to wait people for hours (it rarely happens  now), and looking back, I can benefit a lot if I am early. 

1. I get to choose my seat.

2. I get to park in any box of my choice.

3. I get extra hints for exams

4. I get to prepare myself before company operated.

5. I can read books while waiting 

6. Etc 

I hope you can learn from my mistake. I realise that being late will only make things worst for us. Slowly, it will kill your productivity, because you feel like it's okay. Let's discipline ourselves and be at least 15 mins earlier for every meetings, classes and appointments. Make it our new normal. 

And I feel like, that's the way Allah correct me. You know what you do is wrong, but you ignore that feeling just because you feel like it won't matter as long as you are not troubling anyone else.