It’s another long weekend again in the Philippines. It is also a rainy one. Long weekends and numerous holidays are the things I miss in Pinas. Holidays are very limited to where I am working now. Although we have long holidays during Eid and shorten working hours during Ramadan, still nothing beats the feeling of looking forward for long weekends for another vacation getaway.
People keep saying the term long weekend. However after the long weekend, it is just a short break. We dread the feeling of waking-up early to start the week and drag our feet to work. After being so busy at work we keep the phase each working day. The cycle is distorted when holidays enter the picture. We pause and break our usual routine. We ended up losing our momentum at work.
To find again our momentum is a challenging task. I read one article regarding how to regain our momentum and it goes like this, “do small things and consider each small accomplishment as a success.” We regain our momentum from each accomplishment and we learn to love our work if we achieve series of successes. I tried this mantra after my vacation last June and it works for me. I listed down my pending deliverable to my clients and unread emails. I started with those petty ones and those which will not entail too much time. I ended up finishing almost a quarter of my list at the end of the day. I considered it as my small success for the day. I celebrated my success over a sumptuous dinner with my Lovsy. The next day, I went through my list and continued my work from where I left behind. After a couple of days, I was back to my usual routine.
Applying the same principles of gaining and losing momentum in our life is just the same. Same-same lang yan.
There are people who became successful in life and celebrated like there’s no tomorrow. They are relax and complacent that the second wave of success will be just the same with the first. But they come short during the second time. These people are called “One Hit Wonders.”
And yet there are people who are successful in life and they are like the Energizer bunny that keeps on going and going and going. They put to life the motto of Nike of “greatness never ends”. If we can transform them to the idea of love then they are the epitome of forevermore and kilig pa more. If they fail, they will ask for one more chance.
The difference between those one hit wonders from those forever successful is on how they manage their momentum. For the former, they rest their laurels when they reached their first success, but for the latter, they never stop.
To be honest, I belong to the elite group of one hit wonders. I have a hard time to continue the momentum I gained either by choice or by the circumstances in life.
Here’s my story. My first taste of success in my working years started in the audit firm where I spent my learning years as a junior auditor. After I finished my first busy season, I was promoted to experienced junior. After a year, I was promoted again as a senior auditor. During that time, my clients were all okay, my managers and bosses were easy to get along with. In short, even if life in audit was tough, I was still blessed to have a comfortable one.
Then I joined the bandwagon of young auditors who just used their seniorship as a stepping stone to work in industry, in private companies, or in abroad. I was blinded by the idea that everything will be okay since I was on a good track after being promoted every year. My decision was cast and I moved out for the reason that I was burnout and I didn’t want to be tied-up with the cyclical tasks of financial audit.
That was the first time I lost my momentum.
I left the audit and worked in a BPO company. I accepted the position as a senior officer after I was enticed by the idea that I would be joining the pioneer employees of the Company. The overall package was twice better from my first job. After spending six months working with the company, I felt the emptiness in me. The job was not for me. I guess I was genetically designed to work as an auditor. So I left after I finished my probationary period. I crawled my way back to audit – this time as a senior internal auditor in a telecommunication company.
I found again my momentum.
All went smoothly during my stint in internal audit. The work load was manageable as compared to financial audit. I also got the opportunity to teach on a part time basis in college. I easily found my momentum and I enjoyed each moment working in the office and teaching in college. Then I decided to move again. For unknown reason, I wanted to travel internationally, so I applied in a chocolate company, a well known company worldwide. The company was looking for a senior auditor with the chance to be assigned to different countries in Asia and America. I almost made it after I reached the final interview. However, I was not considered because I don’t speak Mandarin. The other candidate do speak well in Mandarin. It caused me no harm. At least I tried and it was one for the books. But the itch was there, as I began to entertain the idea of working in other countries.
That’s the time I started to fly my CVs in different audit firms in abroad. Together with my Lovsy, we applied together in Middle East. We were lucky being hired together in an audit firm. It was my return to the financial audit but it was also the second time I lost my momentum.
I accepted the semi-senior position, one level down from my previous position. Working in a foreign land is a different battlefield. There’s the need to learn the culture, the common practices and on how to deal with people and with the office politics in my new working environment. Finding my momentum was a struggle for me during my first few months.
During those trying times, I asked myself, what if I did not left my first job. Bumalik lang din ako sa dati. Siguro manager na rin ako ngayon. I have broken my momentum of my career in financial audit. I have broken the time and effort I invested in the firm, thinking that jumping from one company to another will find my way to my promotions. Though the pay is high now in abroad, the career I am building is still the same. I have been stuck in senior level for quite a long time now.
Sabi ko sarili ko, this time I will be more careful and wiser in making decisions in my career. I don’t want to lose again my momentum.
I learn the hard way of losing and finding my momentum. I also learned not to ask the “what if” question. It just hinders me to go on. Kailangan makamove-on kung hindi magiging ampalaya lang ako.
Moving forward is a good way. Finding my momentum is another thing to do. Just like after a long weekend break, I learn to list my work and celebrate my small wins and turn them as my fuel in finding my momentum.
Gaining and losing my momentum taught me three lessons in life and in my career:
One, never jump ship to another ship if your ship is smoothly sailing. Never join the bandwagon of job seekers for the sake of joining the gang. If people starts to leave the ship, check first if the ship is really sinking. If not, then there’s no reason to leave. Check if the captain of your ship is a competent one. If yes then, then the leadership is not in question and you are in good hands with your boss. Lastly, check if you are just tired from the long travel. If yes, pause for a break. Ask for a sabbatical leave or long leave. Make the decision while your mind is free.
Second, never be enticed by money. Never take job offers which are too good to be true. Be skeptic to job offers which induced money over what you can add to your career. Money will come along the way if you stay and work hard. What matters most is what you add to your career.
Lastly, if you are in the same position just like mine, always bounce back after you lost your momentum. Forget about your misfortunes and mistakes deciding about your career. At least you have one-heck-of-a-story to share. You can ask the “what if” questions, but don’t cry over it. Write it down and pass it over to younger generation as a reminder or caveat for them before they jump ship. Remember one man’s mistake is another’s lesson.
When you lose your momentum, take small steps until you find your way back. And when you find it…
utang na loob try not to lose it again.
