2-3-4 Friday 24 May
‘Seeking to spark the most potential within you per word of any online newsletter’
1 thought
Last week, Singapore changed Prime Ministers. Considering that the last time this happened was 20 years ago, this was a momentous occasion.
If you don’t know Lawrence Wong, one thing that struck me is how clear-eyed he is
about confronting realities, and being unapologetic about the pursuit of what might help.
In his Budget 2024 speech in February, he said,
In past years, some had suggested that Singapore should slow down; (we) don’t have to grow so quickly. Indeed, this was
what happened last year – our economy grew by just about 1%. But if we were to experience similarly slow growth for several years in a row, we will be in trouble…
We therefore make no apology for pursuing growth.
To be clear, we are not going for growth at all costs. There is a limit to how fast we can grow due to the tighter constraints we face in land, labour, and carbon.
But by focusing on productivity and
innovation, we can push the frontier and grow at an average of about 2% to 3% each year over the next decade.
Let me repeat that.
We make no apology for pursuing growth.
It’s a bold and resounding statement.
Here’s a question for you though.
Are you bold in declaring what you want?
It might not necessarily be in the stature of what Lawrence Wong has
said.
But as I’ve worked with more people over the years, I’ve come to see many who are shy about what they want with life. Dig deep, and they actually want something more with life. But they daren’t declare it, for fear of how they might not achieve it.
Or maybe they are scared that their dreams sound daft. Stupid, and small.
But perhaps sometimes there’s a beauty in being unapologetic about what you want with life, with the people you interact with,
so there’s no second-guessing.
1 talk
Clear is kind.
1 tip
Someone once said to me in the context of dating,
clear is kind.
When we are clear about what we want, then it becomes easier for both parties to know how to interact with each other.
The problem comes when we aren’t clear internally about what we want, and we end up presenting a confused state to those who interact with
us.
How do you get internal clarity on what you want with life? The typical answer is:
- go to a quiet beach
- Bring a journal
- Ask questions like ‘why am I here on Earth?’
- Reflect, rinse and repeat, with even more existential questions.
I’m a big proponent of the idea from Michael Port, about how you should
decide early and often,
and adjust along the way (which I
added).
If you’re unclear about what you want, have a working theory for discovering that.
Run a project moderately in tune with what you want, and what you’re good at.
For example,
- I started a social worker website that combined my love for writing, speaking, and training - when I
wasn’t too clear what I wanted with life.
- It then evolved into starting a company for training, when I realised I wanted a better vehicle to teach others.
Run an experiment.
Tell me how that goes.
John
Live Young, Live Well - Work Your Love
Think others might benefit? I’m counting on you. Forward
this on.