Update on life: Struggling out of lack of self-motivation

It's probably been a month since the day of my lowest spirit began. I don't know why, I don't know how..all I know is that the feeling screwed me up. I've almost dropped a potential project that could filled up my piggy bank, I got intimidated by another local community magazine blog and I almost gave my own up, I get jealous because my ex is already seeing someone new, my dinner apetite has been overwhelming lately, I barely hangout and have fun with my friends, I'm not in the mood for planning my future career...oh wtf! I'm currently not comfortable in my own skin and it messed up my mind lately.

Ping-pong

Today I attend a regular-thursday meeting with my mom, my aunt's family and some of our collegues. The meeting was fun, as always, and then we celebrate tonight's after meeting with playing ping-pong.

I swear I never played ping-pong in my entire life before. So there I was, sitting by the side as a supporter. But then my mom's collegue offered me to try..I was hesitate at first, but I also curious. I decided to take the challenge, I played ping-pong.

It was difficult to adjust the power and handling the small ball at first. But it's easier when you've been a while. It's fun. I'm glad that my mom's collegue offered and that I took the challenge. I'm planning to join the regular game every friday and sunday night :) it's gonna be fun!

Cool cheap paper note

It's a paper note that I accidentally found when I bought something to drink while passing an Alfamart, a local minimart. I bought it because I was interested with the tree detail, I found out later that it has 4 different graphics: tree, card, button, and pair of dice. Cool!

Some thought about RESPECT

It's always easier to make joke out of people, negatively criticize, mocking, bullying, insulting, and whatever actions that disgraced others, mentally, physically, psychologically, whatever. Don't you think? It's in our blood.

Have you realized that mocking others has become our regular conversations, or disrespecting others that doesn't seem 'fit' in our way, well..people got so many random reasons to judge someone these days. I must admit this is a lack of morality in our society today, and yes I'm one of those crowds. Am I proud of it? Not at all, and I told my self every single day to remember to respect others no matter what, but still..the 'doing' part is the hardest job.

Why did we hurt other people's feeling? Didn't we realized that?
Well, we absolutely understand and consiously realized the impact of what we said and/or done to others but sometimes it's mostly the hangout-hood (I'm not sure if it's even a word..whatever.) you know...we will adapt with our surroundings, the jokes, the way we talk, the vocabularies, the routines...and people change. Some of us may have stronger personality and principals, some may not.

Most of the times when we've reached higher levels or simply better place, we forgot where we came from, who we were, how we were. We keep looking forward and forgetting what's behind. Sometimes it's easier to not even look back, isn't it? But it doesn't matter what's behind, it's about what we've been through, and it's not about being in someone else's shoes but it will keep us reminded to appreciate others because we've been there.

Merah Putih – trilogi merdeka: sedikit membahas tipografi dalam film

Saya melihat trailer film Merah Putih: Trilogi Merdeka ini pertama kali di bioskop beberapa minggu yang lalu, saya memperhatikan sungguh-sungguh karena tertarik dan penasaran. Tapi kemudian setelah trailernya selesai saya harus bertanya pada teman saya yang duduk di samping saya waktu itu, “Judulnya apaan sih itu tadi?” dan teman saya menjawab enteng, “Merah Putih..” seolah mungkin saya melewatkannya. Tapi tidak, saya tidak melewatkan melihatnya, saya melihat tulisan “Merah Putih” itu hanya saja saya pikir itu bagian dari teks introduksi yang muncul sebelumnya.

Pertanyaannya, kenapa saya sampai tidak tahu kalau ITU judulnya?

Menurut saya, pemilihan dan ukuran huruf yang hampir sama serta pengulangan penggunaan dua warna (merah-putih) berselang seling tiap kata dalam teks introduksi yang muncul berganti-ganti pada trailer film membuat saya melewatkan judulnya. Penggunaan jenis huruf, warna, dan ukuran yang sama memang bisa jadi bumerang karena judul menjadi tersamarkan oleh teks lain sehingga tingkat prioritasnya menjadi rendah. Penekanan pada judul dapat dicapai dengan memaksimalkan berbagai aspek desain seperti warna, ukuran, ketebalan, jarak antar huruf, spasi antar baris, ruang kosong, penggunaan huruf besar/kecil, penggunaan latar/background, ornamen/hiasan, dan masih banyak lagi.

Pada saat awal film, muncul teks mengenai pengarah gambar, pengarah fotografi, pengarah suara, dan beberapa nama aktor yang bermain. Untuk teks yang muncul lebih dari satu baris, keterbacaannya menjadi agak membingungkan karena pembagian warna merah dan putih menjadi lebih menonjol, seolah seperti menuntun mata untuk membaca kebawah padahal seharusnya menyamping per-baris. Namun demikian, saya pikir tipografi judul pada poster dan websitenya tidak ada masalah.

Memang seringkali tipografi dalam film Indonesia kurang digarap, terkadang bagian opening tampak sangat biasa padahal filmnya menarik. Mungkin kebanyakan orang awam tidak memperhatikan namun bukan berarti menjadi tidak penting, karena hal sekecil apapun bisa dimanfaatkan menjadi nilai lebih.

Bagaimana menurutmu?

Mengurangi atau Menambah?

Bokap gw adalah tipikal orang yang memilih untuk selalu mengurangi. Mengurangi apa? Well, almost everything that he has, as a solution to his financial problem. Ngirit, potong pengeluaran sana sini, jual, jual, jual. Mungkin kalian bakal langsung bereaksi, "Wah, salah tuh..ngga bisa gitu!" ngomong sih gampang, coba ngomong ke bokap gw..coba aja kalo bisa..

Gw ngga perlu ngebahas mindsetnya atau perspektif dia atau apapun yang lain. Bokap gw ya begitu itu. Bertahun2 dia kerja keras menghidupi keluarganya dengan prinsipnya yang keras. Ngirit sana sini, terus ngirit, teruuus ngiriiiit...tapi kok ya ngga pernah cukup, kok ya tetep ngga ada tabungan. Jabatannya udah naek berkali2, tapi kita tetep aja harus terus ngirit dan serba kurang. Ada yang salah nih..tapi apa???

Gw tipikal yang menambah. OK, mungkin mengurangi pada awalnya tapi itu bagian dari strategi buat menambah. Gw lebih milih mertahanin kualitas hidup gw dan ambil konsekuensi gw harus usaha lebih keras daripada gw harus nurunin kualitas hidup gw. Yap, dan gw pernah bilang juga ke sahabat gw pas kuliah, gw ngga bisa irit..jadi gw harus nambah penghasilan gw.

Gw belajar dari banyak orang dan banyak hal. Mario Teguh, seorang motivator luar biasa, sering bilang "Terlalu pandai berhemat berarti Anda tidak mempersiapkan diri untuk mendapatkan penghasilan yang lebih besar", kalimat itu selalu terngiang di kepala gw. Dan dari yang gw pelajari, kalo kita terus menerus mengurangi..bertahan..dan tanpa menambah, pada akhirnya kita ngga akan punya apa-apa. Kita bahkan ngga akan bertumbuh dan belajar. Uda bangkrut, ngga blajar apa-apa pula...sedihnya...

Kenapa banyak orang lebih milih mengurangi daripada menambah? Menurut lo mengurangi lebih gampang dibanding menambah? Anggep lah menurut lo sekarang mengurangi lebih gampang, tapi kalo menambah beberapa kali aja trus setelahnya lo ngga perlu lagi mengurangi seumur hidup lo, mau ngga?

Banyak orang ngga sabar. Banyak orang banyak maunya tapi ngga mau susah. Banyak orang takut buat nyoba hal baru diluar kebiasaannya. Banyak orang terlalu meremehkan kemampuan dirinya. Itu sebabnya orang yang sukses cuma dikit, karena kebanyakan orang hidup tanpa aksi.

Setiap kali lo mengurangi tanpa ada rencana buat menambah, secara ngga langsung sedikit demi sedikit lo ngebuang hidup lo sendiri. Lo menggadaikan untuk sebuah solusi temporer, jadi adiksi dan nantinya lo abis tanpa apa-apa selain penyesalan.

Kalo selama ini lo selalu mengurangi, karena alesan apapun, STOP! Berhenti dan mulai sekarang pilih buat menambah, apapun resikonya, seberapapun harga yang harus lo bayar. Lo punya pilihan, lo punya kemampuan untuk itu, lo pasti bisa. Ngga usah mikirin laen-laen hal selain tujuan lo, and just do it!

Choice: Self-conscious & Free Will

Life is a matter of making choices, karena kualitas hidup kita ditentukan oleh pilihan yang kita ambil. Setiap pilihan pasti dibarengin sama konsekuensi, hukumnya memang begitu, bahkan saat kita milih untuk ngga memilih sekalipun, konsekuensinya adalah kita bakal diam di tempat. 3 masalah utama pilihan yaitu:

1. Ada begitu banyak pilihan
2. Berani mengambil pilihan
3. Mengambil pilihan yang benar

Ada orang-orang yang merasa mereka tidak punya pilihan, padahal sebetulnya banyak pilihan di sekeliling mereka, mereka hanya enggan melihat itu semua. Ada juga yang menyadari ada begitu banyak pilihan, tapi mereka hanya sibuk menimbang-nimbang segala konsekuensi dan akhirnya ngga milih apa-apa, pun milih yang salah, orang-orang macam ini akan terus stuck di tempat sampai kapan pun. Tapi, ada orang-orang yang tau ada berbagai pilihan di sekeliling mereka, mereka berani mengambil keputusan, dan itu adalah keputusan yang benar. Sekarang pertanyaannya:

Kenapa kadang orang mengambil keputusan yang salah tapi dia merasa benar? Lalu apa parameter untuk mengambil keputusan yang benar-benar BENAR?

Hari ini gw dapet pelajaran luar biasa tentang pertanyaan diatas. Namanya "Model Proaktif" dan konsepnya simple. Keputusan terjadi saat ada stimulus dan menghasilkan respon. Model Proaktif tidak semata-mata menimbulkan respon begitu saja karena itu akan jadi reaktif, diantara stimulus dan respon ada kebebasan memilih, memilih respon yang akan kita berikan. Pilihan yang kita ambil harus didasari oleh 4 hal penting:

1. Kesadaran diri
2. Imajinasi
3. Suara hati
4. Kehendak bebas

Pilihan yang diambil tanpa ke-4 landasan diatas kemungkinan besar adalah pilihan yang salah.

Berikut adalah beberapa contoh konsekuensi dari masing-masing landasan:

• Kesadaran diri --> khilaf, emosi, reaktif
• Imajinasi --> pilihan yang terbatas
• Suara hati --> suara orang lain, pengaruh lingkungan
• Kehendak bebas --> tekanan, keterbatasan, urgensi masalah

Kurangnya kesadaran diri bakal mengakibatkan kekhilafan ataupun emosi sesaat yang ngga akan menghasilkan apapun selain menambah beban masalah. Kurangnya imajinasi menyebabkan kita merasa kekurangan pilihan, atau bahkan merasa ngga ada pilihan sama sekali dan akhirnya ngga milih, padahal itu juga berarti kita milih untuk ngga memilih. Kalo kita ngelakuin sesuatu bukan dari suara hati kita sendiri, pasti hasilnya ngga akan maksimal, dan saat gagal kita cuma bakal nyalahin orang lain dan keadaan bukannya bangkit berdiri dan berjuang lagi, karena kita ngga pake hati pas ngelakuinnya yang muncul cuma kekecewaan. Untuk mengetahui pilihan yang benar yang harus diambil, jangan pernah ambil keputusan pas lo berada dibawah tekanan. Bebasin pikiran lo, bebasin diri lo seutuhnya dari segala keadaan dan keterbatasan lo saat ini supaya lo bisa ngeliat situasi dengan lebih jelas, posisiin diri lo ngga ada masalah..ngga ada batesan..dan semuanya mungkin, lalu tentuin pilihan lo. Semuanya mungkin.

Konsekuensi itu bukan buat dipikirin tapi dijalanin, so just do it! Lo pikir dengan lo ngga ngambil pilihan berarti lo menghindari konsekuensi? Ngga, karena lo tetep ngadepin konsekuensi lo ngga milih, yaitu stuck di tempat.

You think you have make the best choice for your life? Think again.


Sumber: 7 Habits Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey - disampaikan oleh Agus Nugroho dalam Amway MUS X, Solo 8 Agustus 2009

Finally, a day off!

Today is Sunday, and it's my day off, finally!

Seriously, I've been working everyday in the last couple weeks, including Sundays. So, I'm glad that I can keep up with schedule and get a day off. I'm gonna have to fix my body clock too..I've been sleeping early in the morning for weeks! Oh..not good..

This schedule thing must be fixed a.s.a.p!

My working contract is almost over, I'll be on my own soon

I'm not gonna overwhelmed this by showing sad emotions because I'm not, and I won't say it just to make someone else feels better. In fact, I'm happy quiting. How come? Well, I got bunch of reasons including a cliché boredom, but above all is that I wanted to make use of my time doing things I love the most.

Why now? My previous contract was due 3 months ago, just before I decided to move back to my hometown. But then my office offered another 3 months remote-work contract, and I thought that was quite a good idea to start things off back home. This is a decision of months of thoughts, deep considerations, piles of dilemmas, and lots lots lots of prayers.

So, any replacement job yet? Yes. I'm building my own business. I've started to finding clientele seriously since last month, started by joining in to lots of online works and worked my ass off every single day to handle the projects. I worked at midnights and early mornings, and also weekends and holidays, twice harder and longer than I've ever did.

How's it going? It pays off! It's not the amount that I earned that makes me proud, it's what I can do with it for people I care the most. My efforts managed to paid some of my brother's tuition fees and other expenses, also I'm gonna get my self an iPod Touch as a compliment ;)

You see...all those things were happening beyond my self, so far away than I could've imagined. I believe those are the works of the Almighty, and nothing could've been happen in better time.

However, in between my optimistic I'd like to say my gratitude to my bosses and everyone I've worked with, for giving the time, supports and sharing secret spices so I can make my own secret recipes. I know I was not the best employee but I hope I inspired you in any way, the way each of you has always inspired me.

People will come and go in our lives, stories rolls, life moves on. We say goodbye so we can welcome again.

The advantages of working at home

current clutter at my working desk

There are many reasons people wanted or finally decided to work from home. I personally was simply reducing living cost because I work out of town and it's cost most of my salary. Fortunately my workplace was fine with remote work.

It's my 3rd month now and things are getting much much better when I'm home. At first, it was quite hard to focus on the schedule with a lot of distractions from the new neighborhood. But after a while everyone understands and getting used to it, they helped build supportive atmosphere for me to work.

My favorite part is of course time flexibility. Though within these 3 months I still have to follow office schedule, but after hours I'm pretty much free to have my own schedule. Since your office is your home, you don't have to go out on the street early in the morning, stressed out of traffic jams, or tired of changing so many buses just to go to work. By working home you can save up all those energies and times, and focusing to your work instead.

I've planned before decided to work from home, that I must do freelance works in my spare time. I did it, and thanks God, all goes very well. Although I have to work for about 15 hours a day and quite a rough start, but after a month it's quite more settle. I've won several projects, and currently handling few others. I can help my brother to pay his university tuition fees and still can save up for my own goals. To me, it's the best decision at the rightest time.