More than half of my birthday month is over, and I’m launching this site. I registered this domain name almost two years ago, but I’ve never had the courage to make it live up until now. There are so many things happening at the moment, so much on my plate that I’m not really sure if I can pull this thing off. I could not even faithfully update my CBTL “Brew Your Best Year” planner on a daily basis. Even though I love my job, I feel like my work drains so much of my energy. I know I’ve been doing great things, and I can see the results of our team’s efforts since Day 1, but my boss is right, I just need to put more structure in everything. Same goes with my life, with how I spend each and every day of it. Because I know deep inside that I can do more, I can be more. And my work doesn’t really have to drain me.
And I figured, I just need a routine, something that can challenge me, on top of the challenges at work and in my own venture. So here, I’m voluntarily signing up for a 30-day blog challenge. The first writing prompt asks me: What do you look forward to this year?
In our company’s first town hall meeting last January, Pedro Baliza, one of our founders, said, “This year is the year for making things happen. 2014 is the year to make it or break it, but this year is the best year to start working for your dreams.” When he spoke these words, I was believing in him with all my heart, nodding my head and clinching my fists so hard wanting to punch somebody in the face. Because I knew I am about to make things happen. I bet my soul for it, and this is all I’m looking forward to.
Making these things happen. One at a time.
1. Win the comparison race with MoneyMax.ph
I just renewed my contract with Nova Founders for six more months to primarily oversee the team’s digital marketing operations for MoneyMax.ph. It is one of the startup companies under CompareAsia Group led by ex-Rocket Internet guys who have built dozens of successful Internet ventures across Europe and Southeast Asia. We aim to help Filipinos save time and money by providing them information that can help them make sound financial decisions. I can see the need for this in our country, and I’m glad that we’re further improving our product and exploring different opportunities to be the most complete and the most comprehensive price comparison platform. A lot still has to be done, but working with a group of talented people, I’m sure we can win this. I told my boss I can’t go without seeing our venture smash all competitors, so I signed, ready to eat them all alive.
By the way, we are hiring! We currently need: Business Analyst, Testers (could be fresh graduates ready to jump in testing with the option of working on development as well), Business Intelligence Consultant, PHP Engineers (Junior and Senior) and Web Developers (Junior and Senior). Feel free to contact me, and let’s make it happen!
2. Take charge of my finances
Twelve hours a day I read, write, and edit materials about personal finance. I harvest and target keywords all about financial products and basic financial management. I think it’s just fateful that I’m in this venture so I’d have no choice but to really really really start hitting my own financial goals as I preach. And my first goal is to settle all liabilities. I’ve had the chance to tick this off my list last year, but I failed to do so. Now, by hook or by crook, this year, I won’t have any minuses in my portfolio. That’s when I can start working on more and more assets and start building for my future. I just have to activate all income-generating channels that are just within my reach, and I’m sure I’m making it happen!
3. Launch my own venture, Scale it up
One of these channels I’m talking about is my brainchild, my own venture that I’m sure is gonna take off this year. It was January when I met these guys who have the same fire and passion as me, the first ones to hear my top secret business idea that I’ve been conceiving for over two years now. I was hesitant at first. They have the capacity, network and resources; they could have eaten me up alive. I was afraid to divulge my million dollar idea. But then we met. And ten minutes talking to this one hotshot Chinese guy, it’s game on. I have partners. I sold the idea. And we’re making it happen this year.
I know that anyone from the Internet startup scene would just laugh at me if they read that I’m calling myself an Internet entrepreneur or technopreneur. It’s laughable, I know, considering that I still have a lot to learn to be a full-fledged one, and it’s not a term you can just tag yourself. But it’s just my own way of programming my mind to control reality. It’s my way of striving to actually make it happen.
4. Sponsor my brother’s college education
I need someone I can really trust to be with me in this path. I’m not a hardcore full-stack developer or software engineer to build my own product from nothing. But soon, I want someone by my side trustworthy enough and skillful and talented enough to make my dreams happen, to be my builder while I’m the architect. I want to sponsor my second youngest brother, Joseph, to pursue his college degree on Information and Technology (IT). He’s the one who at three years old was enumerating to me the parts of the skeletal system. He had to stop this academic year, but I aim to sponsor his education this coming June. I will make it happen.
5. Enjoy life, Meet new awesome people, Go to places
It’s more like the popular #100HappyDays some of you are so engrossed in these days. I want something like that for the rest of the year, but I look forward to being consciously and generally happy about each and every day not having to deliberately find or create something to make me happy. At the end of the day it just boils down to being thankful for what’s happening in my life and for the opportunities that unfold day by day. Let’s make LIFE happen!