THE English adage "God helps those who help themselves" contains a profound truth: Although different people harbour differing belief systems, the vast majority of Malaysians unapologetically believe in God.
Since I do, too, I advocate praying for success, especially considering the challenges we face. However, even more must be done; and that "more" hinges on personal responsibility.
Most rely on jobs or businesses to provide us with money to live on and to support our families. For many years now, the strength of the Malaysian ringgit has been waning, but because it finally looks like the United States is poised to start cutting interest rates, at a time when Malaysia is expected to keep its own benchmark interest rate, our Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) steady at a sustainable 3 per cent, the ringgit is likely to strengthen against the mighty greenback, or US dollar.
Already the recent strengthening of our ringgit has begun to reduce Malaysia's imported inflationary pressures. Let's hope that continues.
But none of us has any control over the long-term direction of the ringgit against the US dollar or against a trade-weighted basket of currencies that likely includes the yuan, yen, euro, sterling pound, and Singapore dollar.
What we do have control over, though, is how much money we earn actively, probably in ringgit, and passively, in ringgit and other currencies depending on the composition of our savings and investment portfolios (SIPs).
SETTING GOALS
In terms of immediate and direct control of our all-important active income, some of which we should choose to save and invest, we could opt to be lazy, mediocre, or superb at our jobs or businesses.
The problem with laziness and mediocrity is that as economic conditions around us grow more challenging, the twin threats of resurgent globalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) driven automation will cause hundreds of millions of jobs worldwide to disappear over the remaining 76 years of this century. Just how much of that occupational evaporation will occur over the next one to five decades of your working career is anyone's guess. But it will be a big number.
So, even as we move into tougher national, continental, and global job-and-business ecosystems, the key to success (and employability) tomorrow is to be superb at our work today.
Few achieve superlative performance levels by relying on native genius or unique skill sets. Yet, everyone can become superb through hyper-diligence.
So, are you willing to work harder than you ever have before to accomplish two linked goals?
1. To rise to the top of your field so that when people ask their friends who is the best at — (fill in your vocation or profession or business area), your name pops up with increasing frequency; and
2. You earn more active income in the form of salary, bonuses, or business revenue.
Everyone has 168 hours a week. Think about the derelicts who live on the streets, and the average Joes who do just enough to get by in life, and the super-successful who accomplish great things. All these people have the same 24 x 7 hours a week to live abysmally, mediocrely, or extraordinarily.
That's true for all who fall into those three descriptive silos: derelicts who might indeed be homeless; average Joes (or Alis, Ah Kaws, and Arumugams) who live unremarkable economic existences funded by lacklustre basic salaries; and top-tier successes who always have more than enough.
THE KEY DIFFERENTIATOR
We all have the same amount of time each day, week, month, and year. Yet our economic outcomes vary so enormously. Why?
The main reason is how we choose to use our time. Philip Dormer Stanhope (1694-1773), better known as Lord Chesterfield, was a British statesman, accomplished wit, and diplomat. In a 1747 letter to his son, Philip, Lord Chesterfield wrote: "Take care of the minutes, for the hours will take care of themselves".
When we choose to work smart, as all of us must do to rise high in life, we will use each working, toiling hour intelligently. But before most of us learn to work smart, we must first work hard (diligently) and work long (industriously).
So, build a warranted reputation of being the hardest worker in your office or, better yet, entire company or organisation. Do so not by merely "appearing" to put in fruitless empty hours but by generating ever-improving tangible results.
Too many people in the Malaysian workforce choose to only work their set minimum number of hours to squeak by. They are destined to live mediocre lives.
So, if your goal, instead, is to rise through the ranks, earn more money, and edge ever closer to your maximum potential, then work harder than you ever thought possible, even if it means that throughout your prime working decades you commit to toiling for 50 to 85 hours a week during vital seasons, to do your job remarkably well.
Motivational legend Zig Ziglar said: "Work is the price we pay to travel the highway of success."
So, pay it cheerfully.
© 2024 Rajen Devadason
Rajen Devadason, CFP, is a securities commission-licensed Financial Planner, professional speaker and author. Read his free articles at www.FreeCoolArticles.com; he may be connected with on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/rajendevadason, or via rajen@RajenDevadason.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @Rajen Devadason and on YouTube (Rajen Devadason).