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Business Life Lessons Life Updates Passive Income Story

10 years after I quit my job. Here’s what I learned.

Today, I am celebrating my 10th year out of the corporate world. It’s been 10 years since I left my job. There were many questions in my mind at that time. Can I make it? Can I really live without a job? Who are you to think you can do it?

So many emotions; mixed emotions. Happy to venture into a new world; but somehow anxious whether I had what it takes to really make it.

I remember when I filed my resignation, I was asked by my manager why I wanted to resign. After all, I had a relatively successful IT career so far. My work as a contractor for one of the biggest U.S. credit card companies in the world has been great. The pay was good. The people are great. What more can I ask for?

Have you ever found yourself asking “is this all there is to life?” After making money, then what? Are you supposed to live life in quiet desperation? Are you supposed to drown yourself in misery? Just taking all the stress in, day in and day out and say to yourself, “it’s part of the job.” 

There were also moments when I felt, I was being bullied (“figuratively”) into working so hard to the detriment of my life outside of work. You have to work on weekends, or early morning shift to support the project. You sacrifice time with your family, even getting calls in the middle of a gathering just to get on the call and resolve a high priority issue. I console myself saying, it is going to be just this one time that I have to do this. But when one project is completed, another one comes along to replace it immediately. The reality sinks in. This is never going to end.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved my job. I loved working on tech problems. They are like puzzles that tickles my brain. It is like watching a mystery or thriller movie where you are the detective who solves the mystery.

It started when I read the book Rich Dad Poor Dad. It’s as if a new world opened up in front of me; an exciting world full of possibilities. I was excited to find out what it was like out there. The book opened up my eyes with lots of possibilities. Is passive income true? Can you really earn while not working? Can you really become an entrepreneur?

Whenever I think about “why” I quit my job, I go back to the restlessness I felt asking those questions. While still working, I have already dipped my hands on several opportunities. I was delighted to see that some of those opportunities are already growing.

So when my manager asked me, why did I resign? I answered, “because I have a business on the side that is growing. At this point in time, I can no longer perform both of my tasks as an employee and as a business owner at the same time. If I fail to give time and effort to my business, it will die. If I focus all of my time and energy on my business, it would not be fair for me to give a mediocre effort on my job. My choice is to give myself a chance to see how far my business can grow.”

I have nothing but gratefulness for my time in the corporate world. It taught me a lot about working on a big team. It taught me about processes and structures and making things happen. As a team leader, I’ve learned to work with people. I also learned to manage a small team of developers, and help them fulfill their potential. It also gave me the confidence to venture out into the world of the unknown, for once upon a time, this world of working in a big corporation, was also unknown to me.  

So on this day 10 years ago, I left the corporate world. 

Is it possible for an employee to shift to become an entrepreneur?

Yes, it’s possible. I am a living proof that it can be done. Well, at least I can say, it’s possible to survive 10 years without having a job. Of course, there are also many people who were not able to make it to 10 years…and that’s ok. Nobody says you have to make it. We each have our own journey to take and live with the choices we make. 

I’ve seen people who went back to their jobs after some time. That’s perfectly ok. There was a time when I thought about (and tried to) go back to work again in a job. I think it was 2 years after I quit when my savings was getting depleted, and my second son was born. I thought about whether it was just pride why I didn’t want to go back to a job. And if it was, I thought is my pride bigger than my willingness to provide for my kids as a father? Obviously, I was willing to do anything to provide for my family. 

But when I tried to go back, there were things that happened that made me realize I have been doing my business half-heartedly up until that time. I knew deep in my heart that I wasn’t giving 100% of my effort (at least not like the effort I’ve put in when I was still working in a job.) So I told myself, “if I am not going back anyway, I might as well make this work.”

So starting that day, I took the business seriously and put in 100% of my efforts into it. I wished I could say it was smooth sailing ever since then, but it was not. There were moments when I would give my best, but still would not be able to reach my goals. There were moments when I got so exhausted from everything, with only a few hours of sleep day in and day out. But I didn’t complain. As they say, “success requires no explanation, failure permits no alibis.” Eventually my efforts paid off and my business started to grow.

Be careful who you listen to.

Until someone is paying your bills for you, then their opinion doesn’t matter.  Many times people have opinions about how you should live your life. You will get them from well meaning parents, to officemates, to friends and others.

Just remember to live your own life. Make your own choices and live with the consequences. After all, we only have one life to live. Nobody is entitled to live your life in your behalf. 

I think this is one of the biggest things you need to overcome if you really want to shift your career to entrepreneurship. Words are cheap. It’s easy to have an opinion. It is harder to do something, and execute it. 

Sometimes, the negativities can come from your own thinking. Your mind play tricks on you by your fears. It can come from subtle thoughts like “who am I to do this? what will other people say? what if I fail? will people laugh at me and say to my face, I told you so?”
I feel more people are hindered by their own thoughts than any other obstacle. When you are able to win the battle within, the battle outside takes care of itself.

Financial literacy is important.

One of the biggest reasons people fail when they try to shift to entrepreneurship is the lack of financial literacy. Financial literacy is actually less of the “know how” and more of the “discipline and delaying gratification.” We are emotional beings. More often than not, we already know what to do. But we lack the discipline to handle our emotions. We give in to the short term rewards that are in front of us.

This is so important that I feel you shouldn’t go into entrepreneurship if you lack the discipline to handle your own money.

The basics are simple. Pay yourself first. A part of what you earn is yours to keep. You should be able to set aside a part of your earnings and live on the rest. This is called savings. As much as possible, don’t get into consumer debt. These are debts that are taking away money from you in the form of interests and they don’t give you any kind of earnings. Growing your money can only happen if you master the first two. It is not the amount that matters, but the habit and discipline that is important. 

Again, I repeat. Don’t go into business, when you can’t handle your own money yet. Practice on your own finances first. Increase your income. Lower your expenses. Save and grow your money. The reason I say this is crucial is because if you are able to manage your own money, you will be able to manage the money of the business as well. They are founded on the same principle. 

The reality of having a business is that it takes time for it to grow, especially if you build it for long term. In get-rich-quick schemes, you may earn a lot of money upfront, but you are actually paying it with something bigger – that is your reputation and character. People will stay away from you. They will no longer trust you. You sometimes even lose confidence in yourself. That’s too big a price to pay for a short term gain.

You want to get into entrepreneurship precisely because you want to earn more money, pay off your debt, etc. Unfortunately, more money will not solve your problem. It will only magnify what you already lacked – that is you lack of financial discipline. It is like putting gas into a fire. After a sudden influx of cash, you go and splurge on shopping for unnecessary things. You live the life of luxury in one day. You live like a one-day millionaire. That’s the reason why you sometimes see lotto winners ending up broke and having more debt a few years after winning the lotto than before they won.

Keep your day-time job. Start side hustles. The more the merrier. The reason is that you never know which one will pan out. After some time, evaluate which can give you the best return for your investment in time, money and energy. Then go all in. Focus and put your 100% effort into it.

God is powerful.

In shifting my career, there were countless challenges along the way. It is a lot like riding a roller coaster. One minute you are so happy because you were able to setup a meeting with a client, then the next moment you get depressed because he changed his mind at the last minute when you are already at the meeting place. You console yourself and move on to the next. Somehow you manage to remain upbeat, only to get depressed again because you lost your phone on your way home. These are the moments nobody speak about. It seems all glamorous and easy. It is not. But these are also the moments when keeping on earns for you the rewards of tomorrow.

So how do you keep on when everything is tough? 

One of the things that helped me get through hard times was remembering that God is powerful. I am saying this not as a religious fanatic, but as a practical man who has experienced the grace of God in my life.

When my eldest son was born, his heart was supposed to be operated on right away. We were supposed to bring him to the Philippine Heart Center the following day, But by the grace and mercy of God, his condition improved overnight and there was no need for the operation anymore. A miracle happened. After a month, we were able to go home. Now, he is 9 years old. Who would have thought? Only God knows His plans for you and me. God is indeed great! All praise and glory to Him.

That experience made me realize that nothing is impossible with God. Today, when I encounter problems, I would console myself by saying, “if God was able to deliver us from that “impossible” challenge back then, how much more will He be able to deliver us in this moment. This is nothing compared to that. God is powerful.” 

My prayer is for you to hold on to that promise in your life. God is with you in all your sorrows and fears. Lift them up to him and watch Him make miracles in your life.

The hardest part of having a business is dealing with people. 

One of the things I love about working in IT is that most of the time you are only working with computers. They are only systems with definite and known outcomes. You know what to expect. You know when it is not working. You know that once you figure it out, you will be able to solve it and it will definitely work. 

People, on the other hand, are one of the most complicated beings in the face of the planet. One moment you thought you knew how to deal with them; the next moment you are dumbfounded, for you did not expect that reaction from them. How many times have you uttered the words, “I did not expect that he will do something like that”?

You cannot put them into a box. They are people. They are unpredictable. Just like you…and me. We are all imperfect; and that’s what make us beautiful. You never know what surprise you are going to get.

If only I could master working with people, my life would be great. But unfortunately, most of my business “failures”were due to me not being able to handle people the right way. There were times I lost my temper, and that led to a major misunderstanding…a misunderstanding that because of my pride, I failed to resolve in a timely manner…and eventually led to falling out. The business suffered as a result. 

Of course, it is easier to see now looking back, but when it is happening it is harder to see. You make the best decision you know based on what you know and how you feel. Sometimes though, how you feel at that moment (i.e. “pride and frustration”) can derail any kind of “knowledge” you thought you learned. These things you can’t read in books. You can only experience it to know how to handle it the right way when it comes.

The people around you will define you.

Be careful who you surround yourself with. As the saying goes, “birds of a feather, flock together.” I remember asking myself, why is it that most people in my team are IT professionals. Then I realized, I attract the people that I am. When I had 2 kids, the people who joined my team were also parents with 2 kids. It’s spooky!

People around you can lift you up, or bring you down. That’s why you need to be careful who you spend your most time with. There’s this exercise I ask whenever I give personal finance seminars. You list the names of the 5 people you spend your most time with. For example, if you’re working, who do you hangout with in the office? Your boss. Your peers. Your friends. Your enemies. Then try to average out their earnings. Most likely the number you will get is around the same number as your own salary.

What’s the point? People like to hang out with people who are similar to them. You rarely see a big boss or CEO hanging out with the new hires, mid-level managers, etc. Who does he hang out with? Other CEOs or his VPs or other friends. 

So if you want to upgrade your income, you need to learn to spend your time with people who have higher income than you. I am not telling you be a “sipsip” or be close to them for the sake of being friends with them. I am just telling you, allow yourself to be around people who are better than you. I am telling you it is going to be uncomfortable. I think that’s why there’s a thing called imposter syndrome. That feeling you get whenever you feel “unqualified” or overachieving something, is going to manifest its ugly face when you start something new. Just keep on. Soon, when you are able to adjust into your new reality, it will be gone.

Enjoy the journey. 

Tomorrow is not promised. I think that’s also the same thing that the Pandemic has taught us. While you are here, spend time with your loved ones. Tell them how much you love them. Use those plates that are gathering dusts in your cabinet. 

The 10 years has passed by quickly. When I was in the middle of it, I thought it was going to last forever…or at least for a very long time. But I think the life of something is not up to us. We can push, we can crawl, we can fight all we want. But when life teaches us, the best thing to do is embrace it and enjoy. For that’s what we are here for. To learn and enjoy. To live life and love it. Never forgetting the fact, that some of our best laid plans pales in comparison to the plans of the God up above who is looking out for us. 

I think somewhere in the bible says “look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” They don’t have to worry about what to eat. How much more precious are you than them? 

Even imperfect you are as a father, you know how to give bread instead of a stone. How much more is your father in heaven going to give you something when you ask for it in prayer. 

You may be going through a lot these days. Pray and take heart for God is with you. This too shall pass.

Share your stories.

We are more alike than we think we are. We all want to earn enough income to provide a comfortable living for our family. We want to spend time with our family. We want to payoff our debts to remove the stress of calling creditors.

That’s why I think, sharing our stories is important. By sharing my stories, my hope is that you will know that you are not alone. And if good things happened to me, then it can also happen to you. 

When you look back to all the things you’ve gone through, you will remember fondly the good times. One of the funniest moments I’ve had in the last 10 years was when me and my friends went through the “walking dead theme park” together…even though you’re scared to death, you go along with your friends. Only to find out they are scared too just like you. You end up shouting and pushing the zombies out of your way, scrambling your way straight out to the exit bursting with laughter. You know the saying “HAGALPAK na tawa”? I wish you experience something like that in your life. We all need that. Especially during these times.

You will remember the days when you thought it was impossible, but through working together, days and nights of hard work and sleepless nights, finally success was achieved.

But the sweetest success I’ve had are the victories I’ve shared with other people. When people say celebrate with you and shout “Gold na kami!” That is one of the best feelings in the world. To have people with you celebrating the victory like it is their own. I must admit, I like that better than just me enjoying by myself, because, nothing is done alone. There are countless selfless souls working with you, cheering you on, and helping you one way or another in the road to victory.

There is more to life than earning money, having a job, or building a business. 

At the end of the day, we are more than our jobs. We are more than our businesses. We are more than how we earn money. We are fathers. We are brothers. We are sisters. We are friends, foes, family. 

The minute you realize that you brought nothing into this world and you will bring nothing of it when you die, it makes you wonder, what is all the point? Why put money in a pedestal at the expense of losing your family, or friends? Why get so frustrated by the outcome of a lost business or a job? 

Life goes through cycles. Up and down and up again. and down again. and up. Sometimes, you seem to have a midas touch, every thing you touch becomes successful with little effort. Other times, it seems like you are going against the flowing river. All your hardwork and efforts are going nowhere. 

In my life, I have encountered both. I have experienced having plenty, or at least enough to provide and have a little more to enjoy. I have also experienced financial struggles and being in debt where banks keep on calling me to pay them up. But through it all God has been merciful and gracious that He has delivered me time and time again.

My encouragement to you is that, if you are going through rough times, know that it will end. Good times will come. And if you are having a great time right now, enjoy the moment and always remember to be kind to the people who may need help. Know that challenges will also come and now is the perfect time to prepare. Challenges and calamities expose our weaknesses and areas for improvement. It is not meant to defeat us, but to sculpt our character to what God wants us to be. So take heart. Everything happens for you, not against you. 

Look into the future with hope. The past 10 years has passed for all of us. They say you should save time. The reality is that time will pass anyway whether you decide to spend it or not. The only choice you have is how you will spend it.

Will you spend it regretting about the past? Or being grateful for the lessons you learned along the way.

Will you focus on the negativity and despair? Or will you spend it on getting better?

The choice is up to you.

As for me, I choose to see the brighter side of life. I want to enjoy each moment. In the future, I wish to do more travelling. I wish to have more colorful experiences; stories to tell; adventures to go to.

How about you? What’s your choice? What are you most excited about for the next 10 years of your life? 

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Life Updates Uncategorized

My goals for 2019

As I am writing this, the 1st half of January is already over. Today, I am in Roxas city for a 3-day business trip. As part of our financial literacy workshop, we played Cashflow 101 board game and it was a blast! It’s amazing how much you can learn by playing. You learn so much more when you are having fun.

My business partners and I had lunch together by the sea side. It was so refreshing. The wind is soothing. The sound of the waves is like a relaxing music to my ears. Being the seafood capital of the Philippines, the array of seafood is a delight to the eyes (and to my hungry stomach.) The food is so delicious I wanted to just stay there and chill the whole day. I also learned “Talaba” (Oyster) is so abundant here, you can buy 1 sack for only P180! Yummy! 🙂

How about you? How’s your first weeks of January so far?

Every year, I spend some time going over my business and personal goals. I have shared a bit of my 2018 in my posts on “How to get unstuck,” “How I lost 7.8 pounds in 10 days,” and “How to Break Free.” You may notice all of them are about overcoming challenges. These are actually messages I wanted to tell myself as a form of encouragement as I was going through some finacial, emotional and mental challenges. Somehow, it gave me hope that the situation can get better. And it did.

If you are going through some challenges right now, know that everything in the universe go through cycles. Pain. Regret. Breakthrough. Success. Boredom. There’s a famous saying which says, “this too shall pass.” Take hold of that message and embrace God’s plan for your life.

Over the holidays I got a chance to think a lot and reflect. There are definitely lessons to learn from my experience last year that I hope to improve on this year. Today I’d like to share them with you.

These are my goals for this year 2019.

Business Goals

1. My goal is to grow my business income by at least 100%.

It’s going to be a challenge I know. But it’s possible. I also don’t want to put a limit to what can happen. I only know that based on the lessons I learned from last year, my business is due for a major upgrade.

You see, for the past 4 years, I have been coasting along. There’s a certain comfort zone you develop when you reach a certain level of success. In my case, I realized I have not been growing personally in the last 4 years, that’s why my business is also not growing as much as I would like to. Yes, it remains profitable and creating good income. But I want to challenge myself to grow my business even more. I want to try breaking the barrier that I have set mentally for myself the past few years. So this year, I decided to make a major expansion by growing at least 100% from last year’s business income.

There are multiple ways I am planning to do this. Obviously, these can change as I adjust them along the way. But here are some of the top in mind ideas on how I am plan to do it.

Over the past few years, I have always been concentrated in building my business offline 80% of the time. My days are consumed by lots of meetings, meeting people face to face. Add to that the horrendous traffic you have to go through when you are living in Metro Manila and you will have a heavily-packed day with lots of time spent driving to and from meetings. Only a small part of my business is done online which is around 20%.

Over time, I started to feel overwhelmed and exhausted. In the end, I got exhausted and burned out multiple times. I would have a few days that my week is full of meetings, talks and coaching sessions. The following week I would catch a cold, and would spend a few days just getting back on track again. I had to find a way to recharge myself to get back. My body is complaining and can’t keep up.

For my sanity’s sake, I think I really need to re-assess how I am spending my time and make sure I am delivering value to a lot more people without sacrificing my health, my time and my energy.

So this year, I decided to revamp the way I do things. I plan to take advantage of online systems even more to scale the value that I am offering. Doing most of the things I do offline is hindering me from scaling my value to the world. That’s why my plan is to create a more scalable system to share what I know and bring value to more people.

I am also looking for ways to maximize the assets in my business. Perhaps, even introducing other streams of income in the process. These are still at their early stages so you will learn more about them in the coming weeks.

This year I am planning to write more in this blog and share some of the lessons and stories I come accross. This is one thing that I feel I need to do more of. Expect to see more posts this year. Maybe publish an article at least once a week. This is a way for me to scale my value and reach out to more people, to serve those who I won’t be able to meet in person or face to face.

Do you have particular topic you want me to talk about in future posts? Do you want me to feature your story in my blog? Let’s connect and exlore future collaborations together. If you’re up for it, then you can message me here.

This year, I also want to ensure my time is spent in tasks that help me bring better results and not stuck in mindless surfing on the internet or social media. When you are operating your business through social media, it can be a double-edge sword. You can leverage it to scale your business, or it can consume too much of your time you are no longer being productive. You are stuck in scrolling and browsing at Facebook or Instagram posts instead of delivering value to your clients.

I am intentionally being vague about my plans for two reasons. First reason is that I have not figured everything out yet. Another reason is more practical. If there’s one thing I learned in business, it’s that ideas are a dime a dozen but the really important part is being able to execute it. Part of execution means being open to all ideas. Sometimes an idea that sounds good on paper performs horribly. Other times, a ridiculous or crazy idea works out perfectly. So I’m always experimenting and adjusting along the way. Besides, it’s a lot more fun that way as well.

Personal Goals

Write my 2nd book. Right now, I am in the middle of writing my second book. It is still in the early stages, so you will hear more about it in the coming weeks or months. I am planning to launch it this year. By me writing that book, I hope to reach more people who I might not be able to meet in person. I’ll be going to share some of the stories and lessons I learned over the past 7 years doing business.

The first book I wrote titled Rich Money Habits – 8 Ways to Shift Your Money Habits and Be Rich was written in 2011 back when I was still exploring the world of finance and entrepreneurship. It has blessed and inspired hundreds of people around the world. Good news for you, you can get your FREE copy of my ebook Rich Money Habits today. Simply click here to get instant access and download the ebook.

Travel somewhere I’ve never been to every quarter.

One of the things I love doing is spending some time with nature and just reflect on life. I am introvert by heart. Yes, I do get invitations to speak in public and conduct trainings and workshops in different provinces all over the Philippines. I love doing that and being able to deliver a message that can change people’ lives. However, I also need a way for me to recharge and nourish my spirit and soul. I get that from my miracle mornings (a routine I do every morning.) as well as from travelling and spending time with nature every now and then.

When I got busy with my business the past 4 years, these has remained in the back burner. Travels were always jampacked with activities for growing my business. It has led to burnout. This year I want to create more balance in this area of my life.

I think I have a great headstart. Today, I am writing this in Roxas City. Yes, I am also on a 3-day business trip but I feel this has been a more relaxed trip. It has allowed me the chance to just enjoy nature eating seafood over the seashore. It’s an amazing feeling just staring at the sea, enjoying the wind soothing my face as I listen to the sound of the waves, while eating “talaba” (Oyster.) Life is beautiful.

Build Habits Around My Daily Morning Routine

Late last year, I discovered this book called Miracle Morning, which allowed me to develop my own morning routine. This has given me extra energy. I feel more energized. I feel more productive. In fact, for the first time ever in the last 7 years, I have finally setup my own workstation complete with my own mini-library at home. I’ll give you a glimpse of my workstation setup in my future posts.

One of the things I discovered is that you have to build habits into your life if you want to create a longer-lasting impact or result. If you try to force it, you may hit your goal for some time but soon it will come crashing back down.

I have experimented with this late last year and it has given me great results. I plan on enhancing it even further. This year, I included 2 items in my morning routine. One is to do a 20-minute walk. Another is to create a gratitude list. That is, to list down 5 things I am grateful for every day.

This may come out like a new year’s resolution for some. But one difference is that my morning routine is so simple and easy to do. Creating a new routine is hard enough. So I’m taking it one day at a time. Making it simple enough so that I won’t force myself too much.

By following through on my morning routine, I get a head start in centering myself first before I get started with work or reply to communications (in social media.) I feel this will allow me to balance the benefit of having social media but not overwhelm me too much that I am no longer productive.

There are a lot more that I want to do this year, of course, but I know that having a good plan doesn’t always guarantee success. It’s always a combination of a great plan, superb execution and having the right mindset to adjust along the way if it doesn’t work.

How about you? What are your goals this year?
What are you planning to do differently?

Categories
How To Tutorials Life Updates

How I lost 7.8 pounds in 10 days

Madalas ka bang mainit ang ulo?
Pabigla-bigla ba ang mood swings mo?
Pareho tayo.

Madalas ka din bang sipunin o di kaya ubuin?
Mabigat ang pakiramdam?

Ilan lang yan sa mga rason baki naisipan kong mag-lose na ng weight.

Ikaw ba yung every year na lang ang new year’s resolution mo ay mag-gym at mag-lose ng weight? Pero for some reason, every time tumutuntong ka sa treadmill, bored na bored ka kaagad.

Kaya lang pag nahimasmasan ka na, ang dami mo na namang naiisip.

Ang hirap kaya bumili ng damit pag hindi ka physically fit.
Yung damit mo di rin nagfi-fit sayo.

Pag nasa display parang ang ganda ganda ng porma.
Pag suot mo na, bakit ganon nagiging pangit. Haha.

Kahit anong hinga mo ng malalim, di pa rin lumiliit ang tiyan.
Kahit anong angulo mo tingnan ganon pa rin di papasa pang instagram.

In fairness, maganda ang fit sa akin ng shirt sa old navy.
Siguro dahil malaki na talaga nilaki ko. American size na. Haha.

Gusto kong maging mas fit kasi gusto kong maging mas maganda ang pakiramdam ko sa sarili ko.
Confidence booster kumbaga.

Tsaka alam ko kasing maraming kainan na naman ngayong December.
Sigurado ako pag wala akong gagawin pagdating ng January mas lalong ang laki ko.

Anyway, eto ginawa ko.

Matagal naman na akong distributor ng USANA products.
Since 2011 pa. Minsan nakaka-complacent din kasi alam mo may product kang maganda.
Anytime na gustuhin mong magpapayat, pwede talaga.

Nung bago ako, nag-try din ako maglose ng weight naging maganda naman ang effect.
Kaya nga lang siyempre habang tumatanda ka, yung metabolism mo mas bumabagal din.
Ang sarap ding kumain. Lalo kapag pagod na pagod ka sa gabi. Gusto mo lang ipamper ang sarili mo.
Marami pang dahilan (at excuses) pero ayaw ko nang humaba pa.

To cut the long story short, after 7 years lumobo na talaga ako ng todo.

Last Nov 8, 2018 umabot na ako ng 225.4 pounds.
Mabigat na talaga. Overweight kumbaga.

Kaya ayun. Nag-NUTRIMEAL RESET program na ako.
Inisip ko na lang. Tutal 5 araw lang naman to.
Lilipas din naman to. Mabilis lang yun 5 araw.

Para ka lang batang magpapa-injection sa doctor.
Sasabihin sayo, parang kagat lang ng langgam.
Kaso masakit pa rin. Pero at least tapos na. Kaya wala ka nang magagawa. Haha.

Minsan late na talaga ako nakakatulog. Tapos late din ang gising.

Sabi nila gawin mo daw yung routine mo naka-anchor sa una mong ginagawa pag umaga.
So ginawa ko naman.

Ano bang unang una kong ginagawa sa umaga? Of course, mag-CR ano pa nga ba.

So eto ang routine ko pag umaga.

– Pagkagising, diretso na agad ako sa CR.
– Pagbalik sa kama, uupo ako at magbabasa ng PSALMS
– Then after, makikinig ako sa audio recording ko ng affirmations
– Pupunta sa kusina, magti-timpla ng Nutrimeal. Cold water, 2 scoops Nutrimeal Dutch Choco flavor. Plus 1 scoop Fibergy.
– Iset ang timer ko sa phone ng 2 hours. Why? Para maremind ako kelan ako kakain ulit.
Minsan kasi either nakakalimutan kong kumain such that gutom na gutom ako after.
Or paminsan kain din ako ng kain.

So 2 hours it is! Iniisip ko yung yung (Nutri)meals happen every 4 hours.
So meryenda is after 2 hours of each meal. Siyempre inexplain ko talaga. Haha.

After 2 hours kain ako ng light snack. No carbs. No rice. No pasta.
Sinubukan kong kumain ng fruits like apple. Ok naman kaya lang naasiman ako sa lasa.

Mas ok sa akin ang veggies. May lasa. Chopseuy. Itlog.

No rice lang talaga. No colored juice drinks. Water lang.

Coffee pwede as long as walang sugar or creamer.
Brewed coffee di pwedeng 3-in-1 may sugar yun. Kaya alam mo na ang lasa.
Mapait? Oo naman! Hehe

Anyway, first day ok naman. I just made sure na hindi ako gutumin.
Malakas pa rin ako kumain pero puro vegetables lang.

Hinalo ko din yung Nutrimeal Choco sa Coffee.
Nag-end up parang MOCHA ang lasa. Masarap naman. 🙂

Ano pa ba mga ginawa ko?

Ayun, after another 2hours. Drink nutrimeal ulit.

Minsan pumunta ako sa Coffee Bean. Di ko maalala ano nga yung masarap na salad doon.
Sabi ko sa wife ko, sige if ever yung Greek salad na lang papasabay ko na order sa kanya.
Too bad, narealize ko nung niserve na. Yun pala yung hindi masarap. Kaya pala tumatak sa akin ang pangalan. For the wrong reason. Siguro sinabi ko sa sarili ko nung una ko tong natikman na hinding hindi na ulit ako oorder nito.

Well to be honest di naman talaga ako sanay kumain ng salad kaya lahat di masarap.

Except for Go Salad. “Man Go Wild” for the win!

Ayun masarap yun. Man Go Wild. Madalas hati kami ng wife ko. Mahal din kasi. P275 ata per piece. Kinukuha namin yung naka-WRAP. Tapos hahatiin yun sa dalawa. Enough na yun kalahati para sa akin. Hinay hinay lang haha.

In fairness, hindi siya lasang parusa katulad ng Greek salad. Feeling ko talaga nun para akong kambing na ngumunguya ng dahon. Kadi di ko makain yung ibang kasama dun sa greek salad. Yung dahon lang ng lettuce kaya ko.

Kaya lang after sometime, nagsawa din ako sa Man Go Wild. So sinubukan namin yung Caesar salad nila. Ayun masarap din! Dagdag pa yung chicken. Medyo mahal nga lang. Aabutin ka P345.

Iniisip ko na lang since hati kami ng wife ko. Lalabas parang P173 each kami. Parang kumain na lang din ako sa McDo or KFC. Only this time, healthy yung kinakain namin.

Marami akong na-observe sa 5 day program, pero eto yung pinakamahirap na part.

Ang hirap maghanap ng healthy na pagkain! Marami sa pagkain ng Pinoy kasama palagi ang RICE!!! Ang daming rice meals! Longanissa with rice. Egg with rice. Bagoong with rice. Chicken, beef, fish with rice!!! Lahat na lang may rice!!!

Kaya nangyari every night bumibili ako sa grocery store ng veggies para bukas may lulutuin.
Nung nilista ko ano yung mga ulam na kinain ko, eto ang lumabas.

Chopsuey
Pinakbet
Bulanglang
Ampalaya with Egg
Nilagang itlog
Kalabasa at sitaw
Ginisang upo
Brocolli with garlic
Toge with Tofu
Lumpiang gulay

Sa totoo lang ang hirap kumain ng walang kanin. Sanay na sanay kasi ako kumain. Sabi nga ng wife ko pag kumain daw ako parang construction worker! No offense sa mga construction workers. Pero ibig lang niya sabihin, ang dami ko talagang kinakain na kanin. 🙂 Kaya ang laking adjustment para sa akin ang walang kanin.

After 10 days, ayun Nov 18 naging 217.6 pounds na ako. That’s 7.8 pounds lost.

Ang pinakamababa ko nang weight recently ay 215.8 last November 25. That’s 9.6 pounds lost!

Pero ayun after a few days, napakain na naman ako.
Nag-start yun din nung manonood sana kami ng UAAP sa MOA kaso naubusan na ng tickets.
Kaya para mabawasan ang lungkot, nag drive thru kami sa McDo ng wife ko.
Nagorder ako ng 6-piece chicken. Ang sarap. Crispy. Fatty meal. Haha.

Kahapon, ayun kumain na ulit ako ng kanin. Fried rice sa Mann Hann. Hhhaayyy.. Ang sarap talaga kumain ng kanin.

Kaya di na rin ako nagtaka na tumaas na ulit ng 218 pounds ang weight ko.

Kaninang umaga, sabi ko kelangan kong bumalik sa gulay lang.
Narealize ko pag may breading ang chicken, carbs din pala yun.
Tsaka mahirap pumayat kung wala ka ngang rice pero sangkatutak na chicken wings and legs din ang palagi mong kinakain.

No choice. Balik ulit sa fruits ang veggies.

Yun isang bagay na di ko pa nagagawa talagang concistent sa weight loss goal ko ay yung exercise.

Mahilig ako sa sports. Gusto ko ulit maglaro ng tennis o di kaya badminton. Yun nga lang paminsan kasi kelangan mo kalaro or kapaluan pag ganon. Eh minsan yung mga kaibigan ko hindi naman sila available.

So bakit nga ba ako all of a sudden naging seryso ulit magpapayat?

This year kasi ang goal ko ay mag-focus sa fitness ko. Admittedly, sobrang naging erratic ang outcome. May time na bumaba siya. May time na tumaas ulit siya. May time na palagi ako may sipon at inuubo. May time na hindi na talaga maganda pakiramdam ko.

Pero after I lost the 8.2 pounds recently, medyo mas gumaan at gumanda ng konti ang pakiramdam ko. Excited ako na magtuloy tuloy yung fitness journey ko. Goal ko next is mapababa to at least 210 pounds…then down to 200 pounds…then down to 190…and settle down to mga 185 pounds.

Teka, ano nga ba yung ideal weight for men para sa isang taong may 5’8” na height at large frame? After google-ing, nagulat ako nasa 165-169 pounds daw pala!

WHAT??!!!! Malayo pa pala yung 185 pounds hahaha! Kung aabot ako ng 169 pounds, by then, I would have lost 225 minus 169 = 56 pounds (around 25kgs)!!! Parang araw araw ko palang buhat buhat sila Ethan at Ervin with my extra weight of 25kgs. Haha! 😀

Alam ko I am still a long way to go dun sa goal na yun. But I am enjoying the process. Roller coaster ang emotions. Roller coaster din ang discipline. Roller coaster din ang results. Pero at the end of the day, masarap pa rin ang mag-set ng goal at unti unti mong nararamdaman na may progress. Anuman ang mangyari, grateful ako sa character-sculpting experience na to.

Ikaw, may plano ka din bang mag-lose ng weight? Kung may napulot ka man sa article na to, hopefully, na-encourage kita na hindi ka nag-iisa. Kaya mo din yan. Importante tuloy tuloy ka lang. Pasasaan ba’t makakamit din natin ang minimithi nating weight goal na yan.

Looking forward to seeing you na confident na sayong beach body pagdating ng summer escapades this 2019! 🙂

P.S. Want more tips? Here’s my short video after 30-days of trying to lose weight.

P.P.S. Wanna learn more about the 5-day weight loss program? Contact me here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN5PG34NCXo

Categories
Life Updates

2018 Focus

It’s that time of the year again. It’s the first day of January. A new year is about to unfold. Every year, I share with you my goals and plans for the year. This year, I’d like to do things differently. Instead of goals, I will be sharing with you my primary focus instead. These are one or two areas in my life that I would like to see a major improvement on. I am doing this for the following reasons.

Reason #1: Overcoming mediocrity.

Over the years, I feel like I have been stuck in mediocrity. I would like to get out of that once and for all.

In the book Die Empty, Todd Henry described being mediocre as like going up on a rugged mountain. Climbing the mountain is hard. Through hard work, you can go up and reach the middle of the mountain after some time. You feel good because you have reached a certain level of success. You are content. You ask yourself whether to continue going up, or just rest and enjoy what you have right now.

This is the hardest part of any journey, financial or otherwise, when you get to a point where you can be contented. Being mediocre is not so bad. You are actually accepting good things. But as they say, the enemy of great is good.

If you dream of becoming the best that you can be, you understand that it is actually fear that is holding you back. Fear of going through hardships again. Fear of letting go of the blessings you have right now. You hold dearly into these things. In the end, you will realize it is only an illusion. If you are moving toward personal growth, the path to take is obvious. The greatest growth comes from your biggest fears.

Reason #2: Pushing for imbalance.

Over the years, I realized succumbing to the social pressures of having a “balanced” life is a futile exercise. If you want to achieve something significant on a certain area of your life, you need to become UNBALANCED…for a time. This makes it possible for you to FOCUS your energy, time and attention in that area. In so doing, you will get amazing results, instead of a mediocre one.

Realize that what most people call a balanced life is actually a perfect example of untapped potential and lots of compromises. You end up not reaching your full potential. As they say, you become a jack of all trades, master of none.

Observing my mentors, I have seen that at a certain point in their business, they were actually highly unbalanced. They were focusing in growing their businesses 101%. They eat, they breath, they think about their business even in their dreams. That’s why they also achieved fast and amazing results as well. The financial rewards of that hard work has given them the freedom that they need.

Being in a great financial position allows them the option to become UNBALANCED again in another area of their life (if they so choose), like focusing 101% of their time into their family instead of their business. They may allow their business to slide just for some time, while they give their focus and attention to nurturing their family for the time being.

I think this is a way better proposition than having a “balanced” life where you just go in circles not really achieving significant results in any area. In the end, it’s better to be amazing in one area, than none at all. Of course, you can obviously change your area of focus after some time.

Life rewards those who become masters of something. You can only do that if at some point in your life you decide and intentionally put yourself in a position to become highly focused on one specific area and unbalanced on other areas of your life.

That’s why this year, I want to use that same strategy. I want to focus on a specific area. I understand that achieving a significant improvement in this area will also elevate the other areas.

This year 2018, my area of focus is to improve my overall fitness level and health.

During my time in the corporate world, one thing I learned is the importance of metrics. They say, “what gets measured, gets done.” So if I am going to seriously do this, I need a way to track my progress and measure it on a consistent basis. Perhaps this is where the fitbit or other tracking devices will come in handy.

What do I plan to track? Perhaps, my weight, diet, level of physical activity, etc. But I think one of the biggest things I will need to adjust is my mindset on becoming healthy and fit. I will have to align my VIBE into how healthy and fit people think, feel and decide on things like their diet, exercise and more.

Trying out the 30-day trial to kick-start this.

One thing I also want to explore more is the 30-day trial. I plan to do something related to my area of focus every day for the next 30 days. Just to see if I can possibly sustain it. If I can’t then I am free to drop that trial after 30 days. I am hoping of course that the law of inertia will take hold and it becomes a habit. But there’s no pressure to do that.

John Maxwell said that you will not change you life until you change something you do daily. That’s having a D.M.O. (daily method of operation.) It’s why having a morning routine is popular for successful people. It allows you to be on autopilot and sets up your mind body and spirit to be more condusive to achieving your goals.

What about other areas of my life?

Does that mean I will no longer set goals for the other areas of my life? Definitely not.

On Business.

One thing that has hindered me to achieve more the past few years is my low level of physical health and fitness. There are weeks when I am highly motivated. I work hard and stay up late. A few consecutive days of not having enough sleep and I start to have colds, which turns into cough, and the circle starts. During that time of recovering I won’t be able to do anything. My momentum is stopped. I would have to re-start again if I want to get back on track.

Go through the same thing over and over again and you feel burnt out. You feel like you are just running in circles, not achieving something meaningful. When I look back on why I wanted to start a business, I realize money is important to me only as far as it can give me the freedom to explore and grow myself even more.

I am interested to create a business that would give me freedom in these areas: financial, time and mobility. I am planning to execute some pending projects in my business to make this more a reality. At this time, my mobility is not to the level I want it to be. I am still stuck in traffic most days (who isn’t if you’re living in Metro Manila anyway?) Perhaps moving some of the stuffs I was doing offline to online will help.

This is also a good time to re-examine what I want to get out of my business. Setting expecations is going to be critical in making sure I find meaning in what I am doing and be able to enjoy enough to do it for a long time.

I do realize that some things in my business simply can’t be done online. I know the importance of offline activities especially meeting people in person. There is no substitute to being face to face especially if you are building a team.

There’s a reason why airplanes are still needed. It allows people to conveniently be there in person to meet face to face. It allows for better communication. High-tech doesn’t mean we need to forego the high-touch aspect of business.

On Personal.

I plan on improving the way I use my energy and allow time to recharge effectively. Challenges in handling emotions, low physical fitness, solving business problems requiring lots of mental energy are some of the things that I will need to watch out for if I want to improve in this area.

Facebook is overwhelming. I feel de-energized when I scroll through Facebook. Perhaps it’s just me. But I feel it sucks my energy. I need to reclaim that focus and conserve my energy. Perhaps I am getting older or maybe I just need to refocus my mental energy to other areas.

I plan on re-evaluating how I currently use Facebook in my personal life as well as for business. Hopefully, I will come up with a plan soon. I cannot drop it yet because some of the business tools I use require Facebook. But I do need to find a way to use it that it adds value to my life and my business, instead of an energy drainer.

I realize that I am an introvert. I like to recharge alone or with nature in order to get back my energy. Being in an environment where I am constantly surrounded by many people can be overwhelming for me. It drains my energy, to the point where I no longer have anything to give.

I will need to allot some time to recharge whenever I feel overwhelmed. I may also need to restructure the way I do business to align it to how I use my energy.

One of the areas I can do this is in utilizing my online channels to do some of the stuffs I currently do offline. This year, I will be writing more. Or use this platform more to share more of my thoughts. I can also speak and share a little bit more about how I do business. This way, I won’t have to waste my energy so much.

Writing an article is something I can do that can add value over and over again to my readers, without me having to drain my energy over and over again. I can also do some stuffs on video or audio, or maybe try out podcasting.

Anyway, I’ll see where this leads me. It is always exciting learning something new and figuring things out along the way.

Looking forward to 2018.

As you would have observed, these are not mutually exclusive to my main area of focus. Having better health and fitness will allow me to perform better in executing my business projects as well as give me the energy I need to grow as a person.

There are a lot of things in my mind right now, but they are not yet as polished as I want them to be. They are just ideas at this point. In any case, I will be sharing them here in this blog throughout the year. This way, it will help me be accountable to you, as my reader.

When you observe that I am not sharing my journey about my fitness, you can nudge me in the right direction. Or message me, to keep me back on track. It helps. And I do appreciate it. In fact, I read each and every email I receive, and try to respond as much as I can.

How about you? Can you share what particular area of your life you would like to focus on this year 2018? Let’s make it happen! Cheers to an amazing and fruitful year! 🙂

Categories
Life Updates

2017 Year-End Review

Year 2017 is about to end. This is the perfect time to look back about the past year and share with you the lessons I learned.

This year marked my 6th year being a full-time entrepreneur. It has been a year full of challenges and blessings. They say, most businesses fail within the first 5 years of existence. It’s an amazing milestone to be able to grow the business up to this point. Yes there are challenges, but we have reason to be hopeful and look ahead in confidence this year 2018.

The highlights.

One of our biggest milestones in the business this year is that we were able to buy our BRAND NEW BLACK FORD MUSTANG! Yehey! This is our 3rd car in the past 6 years. For me, it’s not just a car, but the realization that anything you can dream, you can achieve. Always remember, you were meant not just to make a living, but to live life to its fullest.

Our car is nicknamed, “Knight Rider”, based from the TV show of the same name. I realized recently that I must be getting older. Some of our younger teammates ask me who is knight rider. I realized, they were not born yet when the 80’s tv show was shown. They often try to guess the name as Dark Knight, from the Batman movie. It makes me think perhaps I should change it to that instead. 🙂

On a personal level, there were some other exciting firsts too. This year we had our first out of town family trip via airplane Bacolod with my 2 boys. They were so excited riding in the airplane for the first time.

There were also a lot of other wins this year, including being awarded as multi-million peso achiever for the 3rd consecutive year. I’ve had the opportunity to visit and train for the first time in Iloilo and Antique about building a sustainable business.

There were also invitations to talk about financial literacy in Batangas, Marilao and at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati. It was year of opportunities to share how to handle money to hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs.

On a personal level, my wife and I also celebrated our 10th year together this year. It’s been an up and down journey through all those years but I am happy we were able to overcome the challenges and stay stronger together.

There’s been a lot of blessings this year that’s for sure.

The challenges.

We had a lot of challenges this year both personal and business. Here are some of the most important ones.

On the business side, we had leadership challenges. We had one of the most challenging year so far in terms of leading a team. Relationships with key leaders went through rocky times. I wasn’t sure how to navigate the challenges at first. It took a lot of mental and emotional toughness to go through all of them at the same time. It’s not easy always to see the end of the tunnel when you are currently in the midst of going through it. You just hold on to the hope that eventually, things will get better. And it did for me. I have had to swallow my pride and admit my mistakes not only to myself but also to the people I have failed.

The hardest part of being a leader is to be constantly worrying about the welfare of the people you lead. When you see them go through challenges both financially and personally, you cannot help but feel their pain as well. You try to think of ways to help. But in the end, it’s their battle to go through. You can only be there when they need someone to talk to. But you cannot go through it on their behalf. Perhaps they need to go through it to learn some lessons that would help them grow and become stronger individuals.

It’s like the story of a boy watching a butterfly go out of its cocoon. Feeling the pain of the butterfly, the young boy tried to help it by breaking the cocoon for the butterfly. In the end, the muscles that needed to develop for the butterfly by pushing the cocoon out of the way did not mature enough. It grew weak and could not fly. That I think is the hardest part, to watch but not able do anything other than cheer. But in the end, it’s not about you. It’s about the growth of the person you want to help.

On a personal level, my health has been going through some challenges as well. My weight went up because of all the stress I was going through. I had some nights where I could not sleep very well. That’s why this new year, this is going to be my primary focus to improve.

The lessons.

One thing I realized is that people change. Relationships change. You need to continually give effort and invest time, money, attention and care in any kind of relationship. Nurture it. Let it grow with care. Never take people for granted.

You have to face whatever challenges you go through with strong faith. Always remember, that it will get better. It gets better faster if you are willing to admit your mistakes, say sorry. Swallow your pride. Make up for it. Make an effort to improve. The sooner, the better.

You are responsible for all the results (or lack thereof) of your business and personal life.

I realized that I was afraid to face the challenges head on. I let it slide for a long time when I could have addressed it sooner than later. In the end, I think the outcome could have been better than expected.

There’s fear. There’s doubt. Your lack of confidence is brought to the surface as well. You question yourself if you can still go back on track. It is a hard and a demanding process. It cannot be rushed.

In the end I think, it worked out ok. That’s the most important part of all. Let go of the past, so you can boldly face the new.

Though it all, I am thankful for 2017 for it taught me a lot of things. By going through it, it gives me confidence that next year is going to be a lot better.

Thank you for being a part of my year as a reader of my blog. I appreciate it. I hope the things you read here helps you in your life as well. I wish for you a richer and more prosperous 2018! 🙂

Categories
Life Updates

Midyear Update: Project 100 status, Travels and what’s next

Time flies so fast. Have you realized it’s already June? The first half of the year is almost over. How’s your New Year’s Resolution so far? I’m sure some of you have forgotten all about it. Perhaps, now is the perfect time to re-visit and re-new your commitment to your goals this year.

As for me, one of the major goals I had this year is to relaunch Project 100. The goal of the project is to help people earn $100/month part time. Last March, I opened up the first batch. Some of them have already earned their first $100 and more. One is a Pediatrician by profession. She is an onsite doctor for a hospital in Romblon for 10 days of the month. She uses the rest of the month to work with me. After 2 months, she has earned more than $260. Another, is a CPA based in Hong Kong. After office, she trains with me online and after 2 months she earned more than $320. This is the best part of having an online business. The world is your playground. You can be in the Philippines but your business is running in multiple countries. With the proliferation of smart phones, and relatively faster internet, anyone with WIFI, FACEBOOK and a DREAM can build a business at the comforts of his or her home. These are exciting times!

You might have noticed, this is only my 2nd time to post this year. Part of the reason is that I am travelling a lot and my schedule has been very busy the past few months. Also, when you have a business operating in different places, my prority has always been to support the people who are running my business. After all, it is my business that’s supporting my family of 2 kids. Since 2011, after doing business part time, I gave up my 9-year IT career and never looked back. It’s been 6 years that I have not held another job. If I was able to make it, you can do it too.

Recently, my mentor invited me along to visit our teammates in Western Visayas. It was my first time to train our team in Antique and Iloilo. I learned so much from the trip. Iloilo is a fast growing city, with lots of ongoing construction. They have a booming real-estate sector as well as growing BPO industry. It’s amazing to see it happen. Traffic is not bad, unlike in Metro Manila. Roads are wide and the airport already accomodates international trips. This is a growth area I think will become really BIG in the coming months and years.

Last April, my wife and I went to Singapore to attend our company’s international convention at Suntec City. This trip was unique in the way that we did not have many side trips. The trip also reminded me of the times when I was starting 6 years ago. It brought me to what is really important in building a business. Much has been written about strategies, skills and techniques, but the most important is to have a clear idea of your own CORE VALUES.

In 2011, I had a dream to be part of something special, to build a community of entrepreneurs with the right core values. Whenever I make a decision, I always go back to these core values: LEARNING, INTEGRITY, SERVICE.

I am always curious and eager to LEARN. In my former career as IT programmer, this has become second nature to me with the fast changes in technology. I know that people who keep on LEARNING are people bound to succeed. They are humble. They are not afraid to say I don’t know. They are like a sponge who soak in the many learning experiences along the way.

Another core value I have tried to live by is INTEGRITY. Do what you say you will do. Never sacrifice long term success for a short term gain. Do the right thing even when no one else is looking.

Lastly, I wanted to have a community of people who love to SERVE, people who find ways to help. In the business world, you will always get what you are worth. It doesn’t matter if you worked on it for 8 hours or 1 hour. What matters is the VALUE of the work that you do. Look for ways to add value. Always do more than what you are getting paid for.

Last May, we achieved one of the biggest milestones in our business. After years of hard work, we were able to buy our own brand new Ford Mustang. When I was starting in the world of entrepreneurship, I dreamt of buying my own car, a Mazda 2 compact sedan. Who would ever thought, that after 6 years in business, we have bought our 3rd car, and it’s not just a car but a DREAM turned into REALITY. If it came true for me, it can also be possible for you.

Over the years, I have had a chance to share my story and tips on how to grow an 8-figure business. I have met a lot of people at different stages in their entrepreneurial career. When I meet someone who has the DESIRE to CHANGE his life, it makes me excited. It reminds me how it was for me to be HUNGRY to LEARN. It reminds me how desperate I was to get out of all the stress, the limited income of employment, the loss of freedom to pursue ventures outside of your cubicle. It reminds me that there is HOPE for someone who is decided to make a change in his life.

This month of June, I’m in the middle of building a new team of 10 people. 2 slots have been taken. 8 slots left. As much as I would like to accomodate everyone to be part of the team, the reality is that it takes so much effort on my end to help you get your first $100-$200/month in your online business. You will have access to me 24/7 in the first 2 months. You will be able to leverage the system that has created 100+ millionaires in the last 5 years. To think, I don’t even charge anything for coaching. I only get paid, if you earn an income. Sounds like a good deal? Of course it is. But I do look for very specific things if I will be investing my time with you or not. First, you should be READY to take action now. Not next year, not next month. Second, you are looking for a hands-on MENTOR to guide you. Third, you should have at least 10-12 hours per week to devote on this project. Lastly, you should be willing to LEARN and BE COACHED. Otherwise, you are going to waste your time and mine. I can always make more money, but I can never make more time. So if you think you have all these, visit my website http://www.allaninocente.com/ and follow the instructions at the end of the page.

Categories
Life Updates

My personal goals this 2017

GymSometime in 2011, I shared my 3 goals in my blog. It was so simple back then. I only had 3 goals in my mind: 1) earn an extra $100/month from another stream of income, 2) lose some pounds, and 3) go to a place I’ve never been to every quarter. I have achieved all of them that year. Unfortunately, my weight missed me so much, it came back the next year. Haha. 🙂

For this year, I think I will adopt the same pattern. I will set goals in 3 areas: 1) finances, 2) personal 3) health.

My first goal is to DOUBLE our business income from 2016. To do that, I will need to help more people get what they want in life and learn how to solve more problems. BIGGER problems. DOUBLE problems. Hehe 🙂 This year, I am planning to help a new batch of 111 people start an additional stream of income by sharing the same opportunity that changed my life in 2011. In my last count, there are already 546 people who have earned at least $100 in my team. This year, I’d like to open up the slots to more people who are seriously thinking of making a change in their lives. In the last 5 years, I have only been focusing on building my local team in Makati. Now is the time for me to open new markets, both in the Philippines and abroad. So if you would like to be one of my partners, simply head over to my website at http://www.allaninocente.com/ and follow the instructions to signify your intention.

My second goal is to bring my wife to the U.S. for a vacation. Almost a decade ago, my wife and I were assigned to the U.S. for a 6-month stint in our former company. Our love story began there. While I was able to go to the U.S. last year, I was not able to bring with me my wife. This time, I think it would be a worthwhile goal for both of us to visit again together. I have not been to Las Vegas yet, so that will definitely be in the itinerary. It’s also the 25th year anniversary of our company so it is going to be a blast. Hopefully, some of our closest business partners will be able to join us this year as well.

My third goal is to level up my fitness by losing 20 pounds of weight. I think it will give me more energy. With 2 growing boys who are very active I need to keep up. 🙂 I’m trying to look for some metrics I can use but nothing is as easily available as weight. So for now, we’ll go with that. I’d love to have a more active lifestyle this year so I am incorporating a regular 30-minute physical activity. If all else fails, I think I will have to hit the gym and run for at least 30 minutes. 🙂 They say weight loss is 30% exercise and 70% diet, so choosing to eat healthy is part of the plan. Hopefully, I can stick to that. Haha 🙂 I’m sure the food and energy products from our company will help. I’m excited to try the new mysmart foods and the healthy energy drink in can (goodbye coke!) as they will be launched early this year in the Philippines! Yehey! 🙂

How about you? What are you goals for 2017?

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Life Updates

Where am I in my financial journey

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It’s this time of the year when I spend sometime looking back what the past year has taught me…as well as make some plans for the next year. But this time, I wanted to give you a little more glimpse of what I have been doing the past 5 years and the many lessons in my entrepreneurial journey.

There are moments when I think I should just stop this blog for good since I don’t write anything anyway. It’s just a hobby and from a pure business perspective, it doesn’t generate any direct income since I don’t sell anything on my blog. In my day to day business meetings however, I meet young hungry individuals who were just like me when I was starting. Because my business requires me to be more hands, it is actually harder for me to devote some time to write to you. Yet, there are so many things I want to share with you. T

The reality is for most of you, I may never have a chance to meet in person. Perhaps reading these articles from my blog will be the only chance I get to help you. So, for that reason, I continue to write.

In 2009 after getting back from a 2 and half year stint from Malaysia, I was very eager to learn the world of business and investing. I attended lots of seminars, read hundreds of books, and a whole lot more. The experience opened up new doors for me. I met some people that I otherwise would not have met. There’s this feeling of nostalgia when you meet the people who were like your “batchmates” in your financial journey and be mesmerized how far each of you have gone. It’s like a meeting of kindred spirits – the warriors of light.

After a couple of years, I started my network marketing business part-time with USANA Health Sciences. The business allowed me to quit my 9-year IT career after working on it for 6 months part-time. Later on when my wife gave birth to our first born son, we decided it would be better if she becomes a hands-on mom to our kids. For the last 5 years, our business has supported our family of 2 boys. It gave us the financial capability to buy us a 2-bedroom property and an SUV car for a comfortable travel with family. Every day I get to spend some time playing with my boys before I attend to my business. Those things don’t have a price tag. On a personal level, I feel I have learned more about business and people in the last 5 years than in the 30 years before that. It’s been the greatest experience and I would not trade it for anything else. I am grateful.

I wish I could tell you it’s been all great, but it’s not. It was not easy. I have had to learn how to handle many kinds of emotions along the way. How do you handle rejections? That’s easy. Getting it from people you care the most, that’s harder. The sting never goes away. You just learn to remind yourself that them saying NO does not define your value as a person. You have to keep in mind WHY you are doing this in the first place, what’s your mission, and why is it important for you to succeed.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. No one allows a child to be born only to be left alone. I have learned that in starting your business, you are like raising a “child.” In the early years, it demands your utmost attention. Every minute is crucial. You do everything you can to satisfy the needs of your “child” even if you don’t know how. You just…make it work somehow.

After a few years, it will soon grow a little bit. It will take a life of its own. You miss the early days when you can be hands on. But you know that life has to go on. You now have different expectations. You learn to accept the things that you cannot control. You try to work harder on things you can. You remind yourself that soon this “child” will grow up even more and make a difference in the world on its own.

You cannot build a business on your own. You need the help of other people. If a child needs a village to grow up, your business needs the right environment to flourish. You need mentoring. You need a platform to make mistakes and learn. You need people who value the same things as you, like freedom to choose your value in the marketplace, work your own hours, and escape the culture of corporate slavery. You need people who are on the same stage as you, to encourage you, to make sure you have someone to turn to when discouragements caught up with you. You need people to remind you to work hard and have fun in the process.

In this light, I would say I was lucky to be part of that kind of an environment while building my business. I became part of XTRM 1-11. The name comes from a latin phrase “eXcito Triumphus Recuso Mediocris” meaning “To bring forth triumph is to refuse to be ordinary”. It is an organisation of professionals from all walks of life, IT consultants, engineers, accountants, doctors, lawyers, nurses, students, teachers, seafarers, board topnotchers, cum laude’s, student leaders, and more. What’s common is their desire to learn entrepreneurship hands-on through different workshops and trainings on leadership, sales and marketing, financial literacy, wealth management, wholistic growth, and more. Our team has partnerships with established brands like Technomarine, Sun Cellular and BPI. Among our guest trainors have been Francis Kong, Anthony and Maricel Pangilinan, Direk Joey Reyes, Jonathan Yabut, and more.

xtrm-partyWhere am I in my financial journey? I could say the past 5 years have been very good to me. It allowed me to learn a lot of things in business and in leading people. In 2011, I had a goal to help 100 people earn an extra $100 a month. I have since achieved that goal. As of today, there are 546 people who have earned at least $100 in my group. Some have earned more: $200 – $600 part time, $1000 or more full-time. I have had the honor to bring into the business and mentor personally two special couples who worked harder than anyone I knew. They have gone on to earn at least $8,000 in a 4-week period. The group has presence now in Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and more. It’s true what Zig Ziglar said, “help enough people get what they want and you will get what you want.” Yes, I have been blessed. I also worked hard. There’s also some element of “luck.” But my journey is far from done. In fact, I am only just beginning.

This 2017 is going to be another exciting chapter in my journey. There are BIG projects that I am going to embark on this year that I haven’t done the past 5 years. It’s going to take a lot of effort. It’s also going to be exciting. I can’t wait. I may need some help along the way. But I am sure help will come, I have an army of like-minded people who would like to venture with me. In my own little way, I hope this article inspires you to take charge of your own financial journey. I would love to hear about your success story soon. For some people this 2017 is going to be an epic comeback from a challenging 2016. I wish that you find the strength and courage within you to take action on things that truly matter to you.

Categories
Life Updates

Singapore Escapade: Marina Bay Sands, Universal Studios, Asia and the Pacific Convention

My wife and I used to visit Singapore while working as OFWs in Malaysia to tour around family and friends around 8 years ago. There were still no Univesal Studios then, Marina Bay Sands was still under construction. That’s why last month when we visited Singapore again, I was excited to see what’s new in this amazing country!

It’s our first time to check-in in the most popular man-made infinity pool, at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. We were there for 5 days and 4 nights with friends and business partners.  It’s so much fun to enjoy this magnificent view if you’re in the company of family and friends. It is simply breathtaking. It’s an amazing experience just being able to enjoy this man-made paradise.

One of the reasons my wife and I were are also in Singapore, apart from pleasure is for a business trip to attend and receive an award as delegates of the Philippines in our company’s Asia and the Pacific Convention. Entrepreneurs from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, China, Thailand and the Philippines all gather in Singapore for this grand event. 

We were awarded #22 among Top 25 Asia and the Pacific Growth awardees. Our business growth is among the highest in the whole pacific region. Here are some pictures from the award ceremony. 

This award is dedicated to the people who dream of a better life and are courageous enough to get out of their comfort zone to pursue those dreams. Just like me 4 years ago, you may be in a situation where you feel you can no longer ignore the inner voice within you saying you are meant for greater things. I encourage you to take that first step, just like what I did.  You never know what exciting adventures it might lead you to. 🙂

As much as I would like to take the credit for our awards, I also know that we would not be able to get to where we are right now if not for the help of many people who came before us, my mentors, my business partners, my team which is XTRM 1-11. It’s true what Robert Kiyosaki said that business is a team sport. Nobody succeeds doing it alone, and if I may add, it’s not fun doing it alone. 🙂

Prior to learning about the support and training system of XTRM 1-11, I was already a hungry student of business. I wanted to learn how to build a business, but while I’ve ready hundreds of books, and attended seminars here and there, I felt I still lacked the most critical part, which is the REAL-WORLD experience. I had no background in sales or marketing. I was just an ordinary employee sitting in front of a computer, minding my own business for 9 years, until I discovered another exciting world to explore, that is, business. I’ve decided to take the plunge and immerse myself to the system and I am very thankful I did. I’ve met lots of great people that I would not otherwise meet. Everyday is a new learning experience, it’s always fun and exciting. It feels great to be part of something special. Here’s our team XTRM 1-11 enjoying Univesal Studios of Singapore. It feels great to be a kid again! Field trip, anyone? 🙂

I’ve been doing business for 4 years now but my experience in Singapore made me realize some things. At least 3 times, I was approached by someone I didn’t know who shared to me that they were avid readers of this blog. They were excited to meet me personally. One thing that struck me during our conversation was that they were curious about XTRM 1-11 and thought it was a business you can do online. Someone even thought it’s for a motorcycle business. 🙂

Yes, I can do my business online but I also meet up with people offline. After 4 years, in fact I now have teammates in several countries like Singapore, Japan, Canada, Malaysia, UK, and more. Along the way, I have learned that nothing can  substitute for the warmth of a real-world human interaction. Nothing can replace real-world experiences. I have learned more talking to people in 4 years than reading 100+ books based on theories.  How to become a leader. How to build a team. How to do effective communication. and many many more…I wish I could tell you more about all the things I’ve learned for the past 4 years. I wish I had the courage to say it’s going to be easy, but it’s not. It’s going to take a lot of work. It may take some time. But what worthwhile venture doesn’t take work and time? One thing I can assure you though, if you work hard at it and learn to do it better every day, it’s all going to be worth it.

P.S. If you want to learn more, you can simply reply to this email or reach me through my business page @ http://www.facebook.com/allaninocente111

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Life Updates

First Quarter Trip Goal Checked! Exploring Lagen Island El Nido Palawan

It’s been a very fun and exciting first quarter of 2015 for me.  At the start of this year, I’ve shared my goal to go to a place I’ve never been to at least once every quarter. I’ve been to Cebu for the first time last January but it was for a speaking engagement and it was only for 2 days.  This time, I was able to spend it with my wife and business mentors in a very special and paradise island in Lagen El Nido Resort of Palawan! 4 days of nothing but fun and enjoyment! No work, all play! 🙂

I remember my wife and I considered going to Palawan for honeymoon, but due to budget constraints we didn’t even consider going to El Nido. This time, one of our DREAMS came true!  and I’d like to share my joy with you.

To say I was excited was an understatement. I was thrilled, I couldn’t sleep! 🙂  Our trip to El Nido was definitely a lesson for me in personal touch. I wasn’t aware that to go to El Nido you needed to take one of their chartered planes. It was my first time to do so. I didn’t know the chartered planes had their own terminals, not NAIA terminal 1, 2, 3 or 4. 🙂

One of the best part of this trip is that we were with our closest friends and business partners. Here’s my wife and I together with our friends Will and Chelle Abriza enjoying coffee and breakfast at the ITI hangar’s lounge area while waiting for boarding.

What I noticed right away is the level of detail and personalization. Here’s the reserve seat in the lounge. and the ‘BOARDING PASS’. It’s not paper, it’s wooden! 🙂

Imagine my excitement when we finally boarded the plane and landed in El Nido Palawan and we were welcomed by singing and dancing along with welcome drinks! To top it all, we saw this hand-made wooden banner especially made for us…when I looked closely I was even more amazed when I realized that each letter was nailed into the platform (NOT glued)! Talk about the effort in personalization to the highest level!!! 🙂

I wish I could share to you all the details on our trip to Palawan, but you have to experience it yourself to really appreciate what it’s like to enjoy one of God’s amazing creation, a tropical paradise. The next best thing I can do is share this short video with you on what it was like being in that little heaven on earth.

One of the best things that has happened since I shifted my career from IT consulting to Entrepreneurship 4 years ago is that for the first time I now had MORE TIME to enjoy what life has to offer. It’s amazing what happens when you DECIDE to change your life.

What are you willing to ACT on and DO if I tell you you can have these in life:

– You dont have to ask permission from your boss anymore if you could go on vacation or not. You don’t have to wait for Holy week or Christmas just to have a vacation. You can do it anytime you like.

– You also don’t have to worry about going back to work right away, and there’s no extra piled up work to catch up on after your vacation.

– More importantly, because of the way you set up your business, it is still up and running and earning even without you. Sometimes, it earns even more when you’re not around! 🙂

Much of life revolve around the choices that we make. I wish I could tell you that getting to this point in my life was easy. But it also was not complicated either. What I can definitely tell you – IT’S ALL WORTH IT!

I discovered that it is TRUE the 3 C’s of Life: Choices, Chances, Changes. You must make a CHOICE to take a CHANCE or your life will never CHANGE.

P.S.  I am on the lookout for people who would like to experience this kind of lifestyle. Today, I am extending the same invitation I posted in my Facebook business page to you. See below picture for more details.  For those who are in Singapore, I’ve got great news for you! I’ll be in Singapore next week! If you’re interested to find out how a former OFW like me ended up travelling the world not for work but for leisure, and would like to know if you can do it too, contact me so you can get a chance to meet me personally and I can share you the opportunity that changed my life. See you! 🙂 To contact me, simply hit the reply button (if you received this by email) or visit http://allaninocente.com/work-with-allan/.

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