I’m writing this from the beautiful Changi Airport, Singapore. I was in Singapore staying with family for 4 days and it taught me a lot.
It was definitely a big change from Bali. I’d been moving at such a slow pace that I felt like there was so much happening all at once when I arrived to Singapore. My brain was struggling to keep up (well even my feet struggled to keep up… people walk VERY fast).
I learnt that Singaporeans move very fast and they are very orderly. There is a structure and a place for every single thing. There are cues for every waiting point, signage at every corner, rules for what can and can’t be done and all of it keeps things pristine and near perfect. People keep to themselves and they most definitely keep to their agendas.
They are efficient with everything they do and are very straight to the point. Their society as a whole is built for fast-paced living with everything pretty much streamlined and automated. It is technologically advanced, way more than Australia haha! So its no wonder I was a little jolted after coming from a country like Bali.
Staying with family, I got to observe my cousins - they’re in their early twenties and they are currently studying in university. I learnt that studies are a very important part of livelihood. It is normal for students to study pretty much all year round and take internships during holiday breaks. Most of them will live on campus away from their families and may even trade family or social time to study. They prioritise study over taking up a part time job (with most parents also encouraging this) and will often stay up until 2-3am just to work on projects and to study.
Being surrounded by this work ethic, I saw the stark contrast between my way of life and thinking and theirs. I could see how diligence and being hard working was a prized quality here and just how respectable it was to be committed to the pursuit of something. At first it was intimidating given how slow I’ve been moving (business activity included) but by my last day, I was inspired.
Although my version of this work ethic will be slightly adapted, I’ve found a sense of inspiration from observing the amount of hard work goes into the pursuit of something. It bought me back to a time in my business journey (the very beginning) when I was willing to do almost anything to get this business off the ground.
I counted the cost and was more than willing to trade time, money and energy to see my goals through. In a way, this reminded me of just how intentional we have to be if we truly want anything to happen.
Even in flow-based business and lifestyle, there has to be EFFORT put in otherwise nothing really gets done.
Since hitting major milestones in my business, I think I became complacent. Comfortable with what I had accomplished and welded to the validation that the success of the past grave me.
And as time passed, I slowly lost touch with the gritty part of me who was willing to stick it out, get her hands dirty and put in the work.
I swung all the way to the other side of the pendulum and fully released ambition, drive and resourcefulness.
I became dependent on the victories of way back and had gotten complacent to a point where nothing was getting done anymore.
Now, on the other side of this realisation, I’m learning to find my balance of work and rest.
I’m learning what living life in alignment to what matters to me looks like WHILE staying passionately in pursuit of what I’m here to do.
I'm now understanding that too much of anything won't serve you.
So even in flow, it's all about that healthy balance.
I’m releasing a podcast on this called: The cost of discovering your next level: finding a rhythm between slowing down and putting in the work
Coming soon on the Freedom in Flow Podcast . STAY TUNED.
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