Swabeng Thoughts: My own learning issues

After graduating college and passing the ECE Board Exam a decade and a half ago, it never crossed my mind to continue my education seriously. I thought that when I passed the board exam, I can have command of my career. When I was starting my career as an assistant instructor in a Computer College down south, I never paid attention in what are the other thing I need to learn. Instead, I just enjoyed material things that my salary has been providing me. 

I was wrong. 

A few years after that, I decided to take an IT course in the form of Cisco (CCNA) to further enhance my career. By the time I passed it seven years ago, I tried to pursue further my career in IT without considering that experience is also needed aside from certification. 

This is where I need to make an overhaul in my career. 

As of present, I'm still gainfully employed in my current company giving me more than enough to provide for my family and I was also able to save more than I could imagine. I got to invest also for the long run making sure that my family would be taken care off in the event that something happens. 

This is where another opportunity comes in. The opportunity to learn. This time, I need to learn a lot of things beyond my field of work (which is in the IT). 

Taken from Google

Since 2013, I started to do some self-study on Financial Education. This was in a sense that my money should go further beyond the banks and putting it to work the same as I do. I started buying some books one at a time and read them more than once just to make sure I get the hang of it. As of writing, I've bought more than 20 books on Personal Finance Management and Stock Trading not to mention a couple of Photography books that I've been collecting since I've started my career in IT in 2010. 

Bottomline is one should never end his quest to learn new things and be lustful to learn more things that are taught beyond the four corners of the classroom. 

Taken from Google

Till then. Never Stop Learning. 

Ciao!

2016 Resolutions: To Do and To Hold

Here we are again. The start of the year and the usual, we need to at least write down some resolutions that we should try to accomplish this year.

But for me, what I usually do is instead of writing down my resolutions for the year, I write down plans to accomplish and some steps on how to make sure to complete them by the year ends.


Here's mine.


1. Keep myself employed: I've been blessed that my 3rd year of my tour of duty in one of the offices here in Makati is just around the corner. Since February 2013, there is no turning back as I was able to save more than enough not just for my future but for my family's future as well. Though I wasn't able to keep up with my blogging, I hope this year, I can compose atleast 50 original entries from various topics (I've only made six measly entries last year) while keeping myself updated with the latest trends in technology.


2. Keep on reading and learning: Last year, I was able to bought close to twenty books on personal finance and the stock market. I was able to finish reading the books whose author is locally based here, leaving the international authors that have yet to be touched. I still have around 5-6 books by Robert Kiyosaki and one by Benjamin Graham. I wanted to finish reading those books before the end of the first half of the year. I must complete this for me to gain more financial knowledge while being invested.


3. Keep on Saving and Investing: Since I started working again in 2013, I was able to save and invest a lot of money that is probably more than what I've spent during my early days of my career. I even made my own Statement of Assets and Liabilities plus a few tables to track down how much I've saved and invested. While losing money through high-risk investments are a part of the learning cycle, what I should do now is to prevent my assets from losing further especially that the Bear Market is just a few points away.


4. Keep on improving physically: This has been my problem throughout the years. While I was able to give myself a headstart on losing weight, I only end up gaining it back and what's worse is adding a few extra pounds at the end of the year and every year after. Also I need to take good care of my eyesight as well as my dentures as they say Health is Wealth.


5. Keep on Shooting: Its been a long time since I've been taking photos actively using my almost 4-year old DSLR. While its still in working condition, I know I could possible break within the year without any possible replacement except for my iPhone. As I've been using my iPhone as my back-up lightweight shooting device, nothing still beats using a bigger sensor complete with some extra settings that you can actually change and manipulate. I may consider going mirrorless and pick a camera from either Canon or try Fujifilm this time.


6. Keep on Writing and Editing: Been writing online since 2009 and being active for a couple of years until such time I had almost lost the imagination, creativity and will power to continue. due to the workload I'm happily receiving in the office and a lot of daddy duties to Marien. As Marien started to go to school, this gives me enough time to possible write more here and edit some of the old sets that I have. I was able to edit close to 15 sets within a week (I was on Vacation Leave that time) and I'm thinking on how to maximize my vacation leaves.


Till 2017 Resolutions. 

Ciao!