Accountability, Guilt, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves

A recent cat show made me realize something about myself. My friend, who was supposed to join me, couldn’t make it again due to work. It wasn’t the first time. I felt disappointed. At the same time, I found myself questioning whether I should continue showing Conan. Part of me wondered if I was being selfish. Conan is not the strongest show cat in the ring. He may eventually achieve his Grand title, but the journey will likely be long. […]

Part 1: Am I Lost, Or Am I Just Looking For A Different Kind Of Growth?

A conversation with a friend recently made me realise something. The work I do today spans a surprisingly wide range of responsibilities. Product thinking, project management, eCommerce operations, process improvement, analytics, content, systems, stakeholder management, and occasionally getting hands-on when needed. It made me wonder: “Am I becoming a full-stack product manager?” Then another question followed shortly after. “Or am I actually lost?” Looking Back At A Previous Chapter When I reflected on periods of my career where I felt […]

When You Outgrow Your Environment But Still Fear Becoming Arrogant

One uncomfortable realisation I had recently:I no longer work or learn the same way as many people around me. At first, I thought I was simply becoming impatient. But after reflecting deeper, I realised the feeling was more complicated than that. It was not:“I think I’m smarter than everyone.” In fact, I fear becoming that person. The real discomfort came from feeling: That contradiction created more emotional tension than I expected. The Trigger Started From Group Work The situation itself […]

What ChatGPT Observed About Me After Hours Of Conversations

At one point, I asked ChatGPT a simple question: “What have you learned about me from all these conversations?” What came back was not a personality test result or motivational quote. It was more like reading a behavioural reflection written by a neutral coach who had been observing recurring patterns over time. Some parts felt accurate immediately.Some parts made me uncomfortable.Some parts explained behaviours I had never fully connected before. This post is not about whether AI “knows” someone deeply. […]

About overwhelmed

It’s time for the (work) mid year review.. (oh no) That’s what I feel this week. I did my homework, preparing about things to discuss with boss. I was quite confident that I’m okay this time. But I wasn’t. Again I was humbled. That after the session I went spiral down that I’m not good enough, my justification was seen as excuse, why I can’t meet certain goal up to this year. Tried to voice out, but feels just slammed […]

About taking test

Surgeons are put through rigorous tests just to get in the game. We endure decades of anxiety-provoking acronyms. SAT. MCAT. USMLE. ABSITE. And if we pass that gauntlet, we are rewarded with the need to log 850 surgeries and take an 8-hour multiple choice and oral exam. There is almost no time to take in the victory. Or even a nap. Researchers studied why some people perform better on tests. They found that it’s not necessarily related to intelligence. Some […]

Making time for things that matters

This article reminds me of some sayings that “There is no such things as no time, but it depends on whether the thing is mattered to you”. My sensei sometimes asked in the class how we see “working from home”. I said it’s great since we have flexibility to do some work at home, and some of my classmates agree with this too. But she said, she doesn’t like it. It means there is no separation between work and non-work […]

Do one thing you can do

This week lesson is no matter how good your cause is, but if you’re bashing or bitching about other people actions, I find it less meaningful. There is always a reason behind every action, some might try very hard on justifying it, but whatever it is, good or bad. I find it’s toxic to see it. But some take it like a drama. (Maybe I should change my mindset) I did unfriend few people cos they like to share sad […]