While driving one of our latest CAtizens on board for a signing in Klang, I asked him if he has any questions for me since I was not in his CA admission interview. I encouraged him to ask questions on CA or me as it is important to know what CA is all about in order to live the CA Culture; many a time fresh CAtizens are caught off guard with our distinct approach to things!
Having read my profile on line as well as my many monthly journal entries (yes, it is now a BOOK that you can get online at www.greensugarmerchant.com as well as almost all the major book stores in Malaysia!), he asked how do I get lot more things done in the same 24 hours that everyone else has? He looked at me as if I am a zombie that never sleeps in anticipation of an answer.
First and foremost, you must want it bad enough that you will overcome every challenge that come your way and never ever give up!
Then, you must exemplify the NIKE way of 'Just Do It' to get started as soon as you can! Thinking too much to start is 'Hazardous', thinking is an ongoing process before, during and after. Since thinking never stop, it is important to get going and adjust along the way! The first question of how badly you want it will keep coming back and haunt you over and over again.
Just like me writing my very first book 'Turning GREEN', it will be virtually impossible for me if I am to write it from page 1 onward given my heavy schedule (as always). So I told myself a few years ago to transform my occasional diary entries to monthly management journals that I share with my friends and business as a form of spreading ownership to everything Chris Tan and CA of course. I am obviously taking guidance from a classic Tourism Malaysia song "To love Malaysia is to know Malaysia... " You need to know ME first before what I am selling (most people got the sequence wrong).
Because I don't have to write the whole book in one go and I want everyone in my network to have a piece of me every month through CA monthly 'Delivery Otherwise', little did I know I have all the materials that I need for my first book. I got Mel my intern then (CA 1st Intern from Germany) to do a simulation at the turn of year and the very first mock up that she did convinced me that Chris Tan - The Best Selling Author is indeed POSSIBLE!
I vibrate my intention further by setting it as my gift to CA and everyone I know - a mission that I cannot fail! And I wanted it to launch it on the 7th Anniversary of CA (the same day that I turn 34)...
The result? Not exactly what I have in mind when Mel showed me the mock up; but not too far away either. In fact, some of the elements turned out better! The journey is far from smooth sailing but who said that it is a straight line between A and B anyway? Life is harder for those who have dreams (A print on a T-shirt that caught my eyes during our company trip to Bali just before we boarded this flight back).
Like the metaphors that I developed and embedded in doing the creative direction for 'Turning GREEN', you can almost hit the Jackpot when you bet that Chris Tan will not just write another book (what for?).
I have used the stack of playing cards as an illustration of life where you can never control the next card that you draw but you can certainly decide how to make full use of it. Having the best card does not guarantee success, there are too many possibilities and uncertainties depending on the name of the game you are playing. Every things else flow from it naturally; including the box that cover the book to resemble the motion of drawing of your next card as you move the book out to read as well as to make the book looks expensive, and the GREEN colour scheme that simply resemble the corporate colour of CA.
Then someone asked why is there a box that makes the book unfriendly to readers. That is where my second metaphor popped out from my mouth "To read my book, it must first be Out of the BOX!"
Then again, someone commented that I can price it higher if only I used a harder material for the box cover. Naturally again, I have spoken the third metaphor this way: "Your BOX is only strong when you (as in the book) are in it. It gets weaker as you are moving out of the BOX. Therefore, your BOX is only as strong as you want it to be!"
Why GREEN? I got this only too often. My best answer so far is now my end tag of my last metaphor for my book "Most of us only see the REDs that stop us. Why don't we step back and give the many GREENs around us a chance. Time to get going as time waits no one!"
As you can see, most of these are subsequent thoughts after the books are printed and almost ready to hit the market! Can u see the space for adjustments along the journey?
This is what I called 'GREEN Thinking' or the 'GREEN Attitude to LIFE'. Your life need to be sustainable as you are chasing your needs, wants and dreams.
The plane is about to land in KL after a wonderful annual trip to celebrate ITCH@CA (that's for the 7 years itch for CAtizens to upset the Status Quo for the better) in Bali!
The trip is extremely enjoyable for the GREEN manifested by the CAtizens on board! We are a good bunch that believe, positive, resourceful, go with the flow and make the most of it when things do not go as planned! I am extremely happy for my team and I know I have the best platform moving forward!
Any more questions, Tuck Hau (that's our latest lawyer in our most formidable team)? That's the best way I can explain time management, for NOW!
14 Nov 2010, On a rainy evening
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
