Neverdrift - Live Intentionally

✨️Excited by the new energy flowing into setting up 2025 with the various onboarding calls so far :)

For upcoming sessions, here are the confirmed dates for Jan:

📌 12 Jan (Sun) - Jan intake cutoff date for the 6 months Momentum Maker program to allow sufficient time for onboarding

📌 19 Jan (Sun), 930-1230pm - 101 workshop: Intro to Intentional Living

📌 26 Jan (Sun), 930-1230pm - 102 workshop: Master The Inner Game

🧷 1230-1pm if you wanna stay back to ask me further questions, you are welcome to!

📍Near Holland Village for in-person sessions

ℹ️ More info or questions/ Interest link: https://forms.gle/41ZEHtDWDzg9aDzR9

Looking forward to meeting some of you soon :)

Answering a common question I get - this is my take on the differences between coaching/ therapy/ mentoring.

I first started with:

1) mentoring in 2017 as I joined a mentorship program

2) coaching in 2020 when I was going through my coaching certification program

3) therapy in 2023 when I was feeling very overwhelmed with some personal issues which I reckon stemmed from my past experiences.

They all have their own benefits and I have gained a lot out of all 3 of them. I still do all 3 of them today with varying extent.

What's more important is a) to recognize which makes more sense for you in your current season of life and b) explore a few of them in each domain to see which professional suits you the best :)

So good we teared - gone way too soon at 28 😿

It reminds me of what I am trying to advocate for w ND actually -

1) If you don't know yourself well and address your issues (and everyone has them), you get easily pulled into fulfilling what people want of you instead.

2) If you don't define what's enough for you, it will be never-ending. This could lead to a) ill-willed people using you to do more for their own gain or b) get you to fit their mold and expectations so they feel better about themselves.

3) This could also lead you to strive endlessly for sth you don't even want instead and cause a whole host of other problems.

4) I observe such patterns for artists/celebrities like Avicii, Liam Payne, Matthew Perry, Robin Williams - and yes suicide rates are higher for men because of the stigma that men should be strong and not ask for help which is obv utter bs cos EVERYONE needs help.

The strongest people consciously build support systems for themselves. For those who need to hear this in 2025!! 🫶

Something can be good and also end.

Doesn't make it a failure.

Just a chapter in your life that has now closed and made you who you are today.

We take the learnings and continue on ✨️

What I thought would make me feel wealthy:

⚪️ Tons of money

⚪️ Fancy titles

⚪️ Cars

⚪️ Expensive things

What actually did:

⏰️ Having free time

❤️ Being surrounded with people I love

✨ Standing in my purpose

💪 Working on my mental and physical health

Reminder: The most valuable things in life cannot be bought.

We spend so much of our lives accepting the default definitions of success that are handed to us by society.

But what if your definition is different?

Money isn't nothing, it simply can't be the only thing.

Maybe your wealthy life involves money, but what else is it defined by?

The lesson: Find YOUR definition of wealth. Then build your life around it.

- Sahil Bloom

Happy new year all!! ✨️

In addition to Momentum Maker, I am also finally opening up slots again for the 101 & 102 workshops :)

These programs are a good intro of concepts that I share with all my coaching clients and to get a sense of my style + the community.

If you are interested to do something differently and take yourself to a higher level this year, you can find more details here: https://forms.gle/TYDhWTBTJnJDnYaq8

Looking forward to evolve together with everyone ❤️🔥

Wishing everyone an abundance of love, light and joy in 2025. To new beginnings and a transformative year ahead ☘

Love,
Nat

✨️I love these reflections shared by Divya Robin (@mindmatterswithdiv) on her 2024 lessons so I am sharing them here as I really resonate with them too:

1️⃣ There's the timeline that you set for yourself and the reality of life. The gap in between those 2 creates a very real "timeline grief". Let yourself feel what comes up while having self-compassion and acceptance in your unique narrative.

2️⃣ People can only give you what they can give themselves. At times someone not showing for you is not due to neglect, but because they don't have the skills, tools, capacity etc to be what you need in that moment. It's a painful and inevitable reality of relationships.

3⃣ Over-functioning is a trauma response, not a personality trait. When I do more to soothe fears of "not enough" or abandonment, it doesn't address the core wound. The more I function, the less I can tune into myself. Resisting behaviors that avoid tough feelings and being ok with "good enough" moves me towards healing.

4⃣ The people in your life can influence the quality of your life. Having supportive and kind people who see you (the raw parts of you) in the good and bad moments of life can shift the quality of your life. You can't control what happens to you but you have control over who you can give access to and who you choose to lean on.

5⃣ Even the people you love deeply and who you love deeply will let you down. Relationships isn't about perfection. It's about being messy while also being accountable, intentional, curious and kind. Hold space for disappointment and know it's not a sign of "bad" in a relationship. It's about being human.

6⃣ Your life becomes consumed with what you give attention to. If you are consumed with something that's out of your control, it will be a never-ending rabbit hole. Instead, shift to what you can control. This doesn't mean ignoring the reality that life is unknown but it minimizes how much it consumes you.

7⃣ There will be moments when you feel lonely in relationships. Even if you have a partner, friends, family, support systems, you can/will at some point feel lonely. This isn't a bad thing, it's a clue that your needs are not met, have changed or you don't feel seen (maybe due to a period of major change or transition).

8⃣ You are not "too much" for: wanting more or wanting change, advocating for your needs, sharing your feelings, desiring healthy relationships, changing/breaking relationships, changing/breaking patterns, doing things different from others.

9️⃣ Choosing yourself may disappoint others, and that's okay. And other people choosing themselves may disappoint you, it's okay too. Healthy relationships can withstand the discomfort of differing needs.

🔟 When you need to take a break, take it. Yes you cannot pause or take a break from every element of your life. But where you can, take a break or do less. Our mind/body are not machines. There are periods where life is harder and we need to rest more. Take time for you.

Happy NYE all :) 🫶

Just designed a new hybrid program for 2025, for those who want a blend of both 1-1 and group coaching :)

Excited to start my first full time year of Neverdrift with this and other newly designed 1-1 programs + workshops 🙆‍♀️

For those interested in evolving yourself in the new year, you can let me know here: https://forms.gle/41ZEHtDWDzg9aDzR9

To opening ourselves up to an expansive world of possibility and new opportunities in 2025!! 💪💯

I love this excerpt!! Much hard truths.

This also reminds me of a quote I read a few years ago that really stuck with me:

"If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster."

So instead of just rushing to do whatever everyone is doing (I.e the norm is for your society/circle), I conditioned myself to 1) challenge assumptions, 2) craft my own definition of success based on my values and personality vs taking on the expectations of others & also 3) work on my limiting beliefs.

Which I realized became what I challenge my clients to do now with Neverdrift to help them lead the life that they want 🙆‍♀️

"The person who masters themselves can master anything."

A young apprentice asked his mentor, "How did the valley between these mountains form?"

The mentor picked up a pebble and dropped it into a small stream. "Watch," she said.

The water shifted – just slightly at first. But each droplet followed this new path, and then another, and another. The stream slowly carved deeper into the earth.

Over time, that subtle shift grew larger. The flow of the current deepened into the soil, and the stream's new course began to take shape.

"This valley," the mentor explained, "wasn't carved by a single dramatic event. It was shaped by millions of water droplets, each following the path laid by those before.”

The apprentice watched the water flow. "So the path..."

"Is time multiplied by choice," the mentor smiled. "Nothing more."

Your life's path is being carved by your decisions, even ones that seem insignificant.

Every choice – to speak up or stay silent, to push forward or retreat, to change or remain the same – creates a groove that future decisions tend to follow.

Notice that there is no area of your life that isn’t a direct result of your decision-making.

🟥 If you struggle to set boundaries with family, that's based on your decisions.

🟥 If you feel stuck in a job, that's based on your decisions.

🟥 If you avoid difficult conversations to keep the peace, that's based on your decisions.

🟥 If you keep yourself busy to avoid feeling lonely, that's based on your decisions.

The question is: Are you choosing your course, or simply flowing down channels carved by old decisions?

- Joe Hudson

"In the short term, you are as good as your intensity.

In the long term, you are only as good as your consistency."

While reflecting, I realized my favorite programs for Neverdrift are the longer term ones because that's when my clients truly see transformation and growth.

That's incredibly important to me as I identify as a person who has a bias for action and is results oriented.

I believe that living intentionally is v similar to exercise - it's not something that is one and done, but something we have to consistently commit to.

I am proud of everyone here who showed up month after month, year after year (esp those here who have been with me from the start in 2018) to continually evolve into the best versions of ourselves :)

The people we grow into and the people who we journeyed with as we achieve our goals are what we remember most 🙆‍♀

For those interested in starting their growth journey in Jan, let me know here and I'll send you the details: https://forms.gle/41ZEHtDWDzg9aDzR9

Is your comfort zone a place of rest or a barrier to growth? How can you tell when it's time to move?

Just beyond lies the growth zone, where risks, fear, and uncertainty intersect with learning, personal development, and fulfillment.

Stepping into this space means facing discomfort, pushing boundaries, and acquiring new skills.

BUT: balance matters. Positive psychology teaches us that rest, stability, and comfort are just as valuable as growth.

Staying in your comfort zone is not inherently bad-it can be a conscious choice to refuel and prepare for future challenges.

So ask yourself:

1⃣ Where am I right now?

2️⃣ Is this the right season for growth, or do I need stability to prepare for my next steps?

3️⃣ What small step can I take today to gently stretch my boundaries w/o overwhelming myself?

Growth doesn't always mean diving headfirst into stress.

Sometimes, the most meaningful progress comes from honoring where you are and taking deliberate, manageable steps forward 💪✨

- Positive Psychology

Happy Sunday ✨

I was just sharing with the ND group in yesterday's session that I realized this year was the year I invested the most in terms of money, time and effort into growing myself.

Mediums include coaching, therapy, mentorship, courses, books etc.

I do feel a significant change from the beginning of 2024 in health, work, relationships, self for the better.

And that also enabled me to take on even bigger challenges and helped me learn more lessons from the inevitable challenges and lows.

I'll give myself a ✅️ in the YoY growth goal I give myself each year as I can actually say I am proud of myself (which is something I usually struggle to say) 🥹

I am also super proud of everyone's progress on what they intentionally wanted to work on this year.

Examples include 1) improved fitness, 2) improved relationships, 3) improved risk taking, 4) improved emotional regulation among many others 🙆‍♀💪

Also included some sharings from clients who msged me recently with what they are proud of :) ❤️‍🔥

To me, the act of discerning what I need in that point in time vs blindly going at something has been needle-moving for my well-being.

In turn, it helps me to perform and show up better when it matters :) 💪

Recently someone asked me how I would describe my coaching.

I would say "acupuncture".

Deep, specific, might be painful as we confront certain parts of yourself that you might not like but overall - effective and efficient.

I prefer to solve for root causes (which are essentially mindsets and beliefs) as I believe they cause the different "issues" in our lives be it career, relationships, wellbeing etc to manifest.

And I prefer to empower people with tools that can be used in different areas of their lives - beyond the engagement and beyond the specific situation they are facing at the moment.

I know it works because usually my clients that come to me for one issue e.g career, start to see how what we uncovered is also impacting their relationships and so on.

And after just one session, they are so proud of how much they have grown because of how deep we went and also because of the effort and commitment they put in in themselves.

Not everyone is willing to go that deep. But that is also why not everyone sees the same results.

Clients who put in more also grow so much faster and as a result, we get to solve higher quality "issues" they have in their lives and they just keep evolving from there. I firmly believe that quality inputs -> quality outputs :)

Seeing such results also gave me the confidence to put in notice with my dream job at Google recently to pursue Neverdrift full time in 2025.

I believe leading an intentional life starts with being intentional about your own mind sets and beliefs first and foremost.

This creates a strong foundation so we can then apply intention strategically to everything else in our lives :)

As performance review season rolls around, I see a spike in anxiety and/or mild depression for some of my high achieving coaching clients.

It is likely for high achievers' emotions to fluctuate with their performance when they tightly link their self-worth to work.

This inevitably leads to many unhealthy behaviors such binging of a certain activity that leaves them even more drained or feeling even lower after the short-term high.

Here are some of my perspectives ("harsh truths") I shared during our sessions:

1️⃣ Work with reality:

Promotions are unfortunately not given solely due to competence. Other factors such as business needs, your political capital / reputation, your boss's political capital also play a role.

I also know of companies who give lower ratings so they don't have to give out as much bonuses to protect their bottom line.

It is not fair or right but the sooner we accept reality for what it is instead of avoiding or denying it, the sooner we can get to deciding what we want to do about it.

Outcomes that are not in your control do not have to impact your own self worth or negate your efforts over the past year unless you allow it to.

✨️ Question: What are you making the review outcome mean about yourself?

2️⃣ Design your own life metrics:

It is easy to link your self-worth or emotions to work because its more measurable. Much accountability is already built in through perf reviews, weekly meetings, project check-ins etc.

It is much harder zooming out and doing the hard work of crafting your own success metrics in other areas of life that are also important to you like relationships or growth or health which is why most people don't do it. But you don't have to be "most people".

✨️ Question: Easy choices, hard life. Hard choices, easy life. What can you front-load for an easier (i.e 'lesser regrets life') down the road?

3️⃣ Create resiliency in your systems:

Like in investments where it is more prudent to have a diversified portfolio, I also always advise my clients to invest in different aspects of themselves vs tagging their whole identity to work.

That helps with building emotional capacity and resilience when certain shocks affect one part of our lives. All areas are connected and integral to our sustainable performance and well-being. I also believe that your quality of life is only as strong as your weakest link.

✨️ Question: What areas of your life have you been over- or under-indexing in and how would you like that to change?

Instead of us trying to control the things that we can't, we empower ourselves more when we actually focus on the things we have 100% control over which are essentially ourselves. I hope this helps whoever that needs to hear this :)

Happy Saturday all 🌞

What a week of wins & learnings from different grp and 1-1 clients - super proud that they are seeing of the fruits of their inner work 🥹

I hope they inspire you that change is possible with consistent intentional reflection + action 💪🙆‍♀️

Happy Monday :) Over the weekend, we had a cozy reflection session with nice hot tea when it was storming outside 🍵🌧

Curated the groups and shared with them some expansive questions to reflect on. Questions were intentionally chosen to create space for the groups to think beyond the day to day.

Some interesting feedback I received after the session:

1️⃣ Someone who was new to the group shared that its quite apparent who has journeyed with me for awhile.

🟢 My thoughts: Yes I (and other folks) noticed that people who have lived intentionally for awhile now are more in a stage of being v happy where they are in life yet still excited to grow in other ways. I love that active balance of growth and contentment. It's a great testament to what life can feel like when you are consistently doing the inner work!💪

2⃣ "I honestly feel that ND folks in general could be seen a bit like x men. Different from others, have their own unique skillsets and mindsets, can be misunderstood as being too intense or alpha (because too intentional and not letting up until they understand the why behind things). But having a “school of mutants” to guide the journey helps! And you would be Xavier 🤣 Very random analogy but I felt it was relevant".

🟢 My thoughts: Misunderstood part is real. I do hear that a lot from diff people. Most people say they feel alone and different from others i.e friends / colleagues. Some ask them "why cant you just chill and enjoy life", "why must be so intense", "why must you think differently from others and rock the boat", "why cant you just accept XYZ".

And they tell me they feel less alone now w ND, both in the grp and 1-1 formats (a reflection of their preferences) and I do feel v happy to be that haven for them 🥹💓

3️⃣ Was asked if I had intentionally curated the groups because "the folks at the table where able to go very deep though we just met". And that he "recognizes when things are done with principles in mind. Subtle but very evident in quality."

🟢 My thoughts: Yes I do quite a bit of behind-the-scenes work before every session. Given that the folks present are people I have met before, I have a sense of their personalities, life stages, values so I can curate them in the right groups for quality conversations. I am so grateful that it was noticed and felt :)

Looking forward to meeting more of you in 2025 :) If you are interested to be notified first about the programs next year, let me know here! 🌟

https://forms.gle/WAU6oGpG7XNXNvC76

Dan Koe articulating so well my motivations for starting Neverdrift back in 2018 🥹💪

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of leading 2 workshops and meeting both old and new faces :)

Sharing some takeaways:

1) Wealth can take many forms besides financial. To some, it's slow mornings. To others, it's spending quality time with their children.

✨ Insight: Its more important to know what your own rich life looks like.

2) There is no perfect decision. Every choice has its tradeoffs.

✨️ Insight: What's more essential is knowing what they are so you can make the most intentional choice you can at the time.

3) Most people suppress negative emotions because they dont know how to navigate them. Hence we tend to label them as inefficient and prefer to direct our time/energy to something productive instead.

✨ Insight: Emotions are important data messengers. If we are able to decipher them, they become incredibly valuable in forwarding us.

Always appreciative to meet fellow growth-minded leaders in our journey to lead more intentional lives 🙆‍♀ 💪

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of hosting 2 workshops and meeting both old and new faces :)

Sharing some takeaways:

1) Wealth can take many forms besides financial. To some, it's slow mornings. To others, it's spending quality time with their children.

✨ Insight: Its more important to know what your own rich life looks like.

2) There is no perfect decision. Every choice has its tradeoffs.

✨️ Insight: What's more important is knowing what they are so you can make the most intentional choice you can make at the time.

3) Most people suppress negative emotions because they dont know how to navigate them. Hence we tend to label them as inefficient and prefer to direct our time/energy to something productive instead.

✨ Insight: Emotions are important data messengers. If we are able to decipher them, they become incredibly valuable in forwarding us.

Always appreciative to meet fellow growth-minded leaders in our journey to lead more intentional lives 🙆‍♀ 💪

People who ask for help are strong because they are demonstrating that they are committed to persevering.

They want to get better.

They want to find a way to improve.

They want to heal their pain.

They see a brighter future and they are absolutely, determinedly, courageously moving towards it.

What could be stronger than that?

If you are struggling to ask for what you need, I want you to say these words to yourself: “Asking for help shows just how strong I am.”

Every single person out there needs help. And every single one of our lives would be a lot better if we all learned to offer more help to others and ask for it in return.

- The New Happy

I read somewhere that the Olympics of personal development is how you hold your own when you are triggered by your family / loved ones. I really resonated with that.

Decided to share this personal story since I heard a few people mentioning this in Neverdrift sessions and thought more could resonate :)

I come from a more critical and perfectionist family (similar to most Asian households I guess) and my now 86 year old grandma was my main caregiver growing up as my parents were usually busy with work.

She recently moved in with my husband and I due to health reasons.

1⃣ Situation:

I came home from a nice lunch and the first thing she said to me with a raised voice was that she bruised her hand while helping to pack my things and the bruise is entirely my fault.

2⃣ Trigger:

❌ Past Natalie would get upset that I caused her pain and/or defensive and asked her why she was touching my things in the first place. Both of which I now recognize are "protective" mechanisms.

3⃣ Reframed:

✅ Present Natalie, after much inner work, was able to realise 2 things -

1) She packed my things because that's her way of showing love

2) She wanted to feel care and concern because she's in physical pain

With practice over the years, I guess I was able to put more space between a stimulus (her negative remark) and my default response (defend) to shift it to my "favorite version of self" response (connection and love).

Hence I was able to respond to her remark by asking her about her hand and to take care of it.

I could see that the tension in her body reducing and the convo moved on to what I ate instead.

4⃣ Learnings:

To me, it underpinned the neuroplasticity concept that we are able to rewire our thought patterns and hence actions to something more in line with how we want to show up.

I am not where I want to be yet but I know directionally I am on the right path. It's not easy but definitely possible and I hope this inspires others who are on the same journey 🙆‍♀💪

Neverdrift - Live Intentionally pinned «Happy Sunday all! There are a few more weeks to 2025 and I am excited to finally open the interest form for programs next year :) The programs are thoughtfully designed with my advanced certified coaching background, 6+ years of running Neverdrift + other…»

What happens when you apply intentionality to your job search ✨

1) Client got a 50% pay increase even though pay wasn't even her top criteria.

2) Client landed her dream job that fits all her criteria after everyone told her she's crazy for giving up on 4 other offers in this soft job market.

My reflection: Not everyone wants to live intentionally.

Within the subset who say they wanna live intentionally, they might not have the discipline to execute.

But when you can combine intention + action in a consistent way, esp when people tell you otherwise, results you never imagined will come your way.

So so proud and happy for her 💪 🤩

"This realization changed my life...

You don't plan your future.

You plan your actions today, and those actions create your future.

Instead of planning, try this:

🟢 If I repeated this day for 100 days, would my life be better or worse?

You live your life zoomed way, way in.

It makes it difficult to assess the quality of your daily actions and whether you're on the right course.

On a regular basis, zoom out by asking yourself this question:

🟢 How would your actions from a typical day compound in your life?

🟢 Would they be driving you forward in the direction of your goals and vision?

🟢 Would they be steering you off course?

Remember the 1-in-60 Rule: A 1 degree error in heading means a plane will miss its destination by 1 mile for every 60 miles flown.

Small errors in heading are amplified by distance and time.

Course correct early and often."

- Sahil Bloom

Happy Sunday all! There are a few more weeks to 2025 and I am excited to finally open the interest form for programs next year :)

The programs are thoughtfully designed with my advanced certified coaching background, 6+ years of running Neverdrift + other programs for corporates such as Google, and the tools that I have picked up in my own growth journey.

I hope that through these programs, I can provide protected time and space for people to take a pause from their busy day to day and calibrate themselves thoughtfully so they can live as intentionally as possible.

One of my biggest motivations for creating Neverdrift is to ensure that I do not wake up one day and realizing that I was just going through the motions, checking off the boxes and not really living.

Essentially, surviving but not thriving. Living out someone else's expectations and not a life that I authentically wanted for myself.

Here's to the ones who don't want to merely follow the norms and want to challenge the status quo to live life on your own terms - I look forward to thrive together with you in your most intentional year yet and will reach out in the next week 🌟

https://forms.gle/WAU6oGpG7XNXNvC76

Happy first of Nov all ✨I love this reframed perspective of looking at life from Oliver Burkeman -

'Imperfectionism' - a freeing and energising outlook based on the conviction that your limitations aren't obstacles to a meaningful existence, which you must spend your days struggling to overcome, en route to some imaginary point when you'll finally get to feel fulfilled.

On the contrary, accepting them, stepping more fully into them, is precisely how you build a saner, freer, more accomplished, socially connected and enchantment-filled life - and never more so than at this volatile and anxiety-inducing moment in history.

One main tenet of imperfectionism is that the day is never coming when all the other stuff will be 'out of the way', so you can turn at last to building a life of meaning and accomplishment that hums with vitality.

Another is about how absorbing, even magical, life becomes when you accept how fleeting and unpredictable it is; how much less isolating it feels to stop hiding your flaws and failures from others; and how liberating it can be to under- stand that your greatest difficulties in life might never be fully resolved.

For finite humans, the time to accept that (the notion that we will never be in full control and that's ok) has to be now.

Then we can pour our finite time and energy into a handful of things that truly count.

Neverdrift - Live Intentionally pinned «Reflected today that it has been 4 years plus since I started this Telegram channel to share my learnings wew!! I am very grateful for everyone here that is part of my journey to live intentionally 🥹🫶 As part of my dream to grow Neverdrift even more in…»

Happy start of week all!! Introducing one type of intentional thinking that we can incorporate more into our decision making process ✨

Second-order thinking is a method of thinking that goes beyond the surface level, beyond the knee-jerk reactions and short-term gains.

It asks us to play the long game, to anticipate the ripple effects of our actions, and to make choices that will benefit us not just today but in the months and years to come.

Second-order thinking demands we ask: And then what?

Think of a chess master contemplating her next move. She doesn't just consider how the move will affect the next turn but how it will shape the entire game. She's thinking many steps ahead. She's considering her strategy as well as her opponent's likely response.

In our daily lives, we're often driven by first-order thinking. We make decisions based on what makes us happy now, what eases our current discomfort, or satisfies our immediate desires.

Second-order thinking asks us to consider the long-term implications of our choices to make decisions based not just on what feels good now but on what will lead to the best outcomes over time.

In the end, second-order thinking is about playing the long game. It's about choosing the ultimate goal over the immediate goal.

Source: The Great Mental Models v1: General Thinking Tools from Farnam Street

Reflected today that it has been 4 years plus since I started this Telegram channel to share my learnings wew!!

I am very grateful for everyone here that is part of my journey to live intentionally 🥹🫶

As part of my dream to grow Neverdrift even more in the coming years, I decided to create 2 more sub brands/channels to share more specific knowledge in certain areas:

✨Neverdrift - Live Intentionally (@neverdrift) for overall personal development and life learnings

✨️Neverdrift - Work Intentionally (@neverdrift_work) for learning strategic career and business related topics

✨️Neverdrift - Love Intentionally (@neverdrift_love) for learning to build meaningful connections and relationships of all kinds

These 2 additional pillars of work and relationships make up such huge part of our lives and I believe are worth delving much deeper in.

I have been working hard to develop myself in these 2 areas as well and am looking forward to sharing more with those who are interested 💪

Why I believe an intentional life starts from self-awareness ✨

'Living a reactive life is living an unintentional life.

In a reactive state, your day is filled with constant firefighting - responding to others, and trying to stay afloat in a sea of obligations and expectations.

This creates the illusion of productivity, but in reality, it's busyness that drains your energy and limits your ability to focus on what truly matters.

You're in survival mode, driven by urgent tasks rather than intentional goals.

True productivity isn't about doing more - it's about doing what's aligned with your values and goals.

Instead of reacting to what comes your way, make deliberate choices that focus on meaningful outcomes.'

- Well.Guide by Israa Nasir

Have been chatting with this coachee on chat prior to our first official session.

Totally understand how she feels and also why she decided to reach out after 2 years of going at it alone.

Wanted to share this cos I realize this story is quite common.

An insightful learning I received before that I wanted to share -

🟢 The best time to ask for help is i) when you don't need it / green zone/ proactive measures.

🟠 The next best time is ii) when you start to feel off / orange zone.

🔴 Most people (including myself initially) only ask for help iii) when we are in the red zone / mental and physical health in shambles. It's much harder to climb back from this (similar to physical health) though not impossible.

But slowly and surely, we will get there - for whoever that needs to hear this 💪 🫂💙

The deepest form of self-care is building a life you are in love with, and that is very often an unbeautiful thing.

A book you read this weekend can teach you something that changes your life for decades to come.

A decision you make tomorrow can do the same.

When you get better at relationships, your entire life becomes more connected.

When you get better at managing your emotions, your entire life becomes more leveled-out.

When you get better at managing your money, your entire life becomes more stable.

When you get better at managing your reactions, things last.

They last because you know how to take care of them - because you first learned to take care of you.

Investing in yourself is an evergreen task, the ripple effects of which are often greater than you can imagine.

You have to decide how you want to be. What you are going to value, what is going to matter.

You have to choose, and cultivate, the kind of person you are going to become, because a beautiful life rarely happens on accident.

- Brianna Weist

The importance of self-awareness ✨

It’s possible to be humble and learn from other people while also recognizing that the best strategy for you is the one closest aligned with your unique personality and skills.

A few things happen when you do.

1) You do your best work and have the most fun when you’re not burdened by fear that someone else thinks you’re doing it wrong.

2) You measure how you’re doing against your personal benchmarks, which can both push you to your potential and prevent you from chasing someone else’s.

3) You have a much better shot of getting what you want out of life. Which, again, is all that really matters.

- Morgan Housel

Though arguably there is no difference between 31 Dec 2024 > 1 Jan 2025, the ending of a year and the beginning of a new one always provides a good checkpoint for us to recalibrate.

Given that we are mostly creatures of habit, we sometimes need an extra push (i.e the activation energy) to push towards a new direction that is more aligned with who we want to be and the lives we want to lead.

Excited to be organizing this program for those who would like this boost of activation energy with coaching guidance and with a small group of growth-minded peers.

📅: Kick off session: 10 Nov 2024 (Sunday)
⏰: 930am - 1230pm
📍: Central (Exact location will be shared with confirmed participants)
🥟: Light refreshments provided

There's just something about new beginnings that gives one more hope ✨

Limited slots available, more info here -
https://forms.gle/hbuteyiAZcQFG2iYA

Sometimes we forget that learning to embrace a beginner's mindset is scary but the first step towards getting good at anything 💪🏻

So happy to see this :) Intentional actions --> Aligned-for-you results! Super proud of anyone who is putting in the self work. It's not easy but definitely worthwhile 💪🏻🫂❤️‍🔥

20 Life Lessons I Know at 32 (That I Wish I Knew at 20) by Colby Kultgen

1. Your habits are the silent architects of your life - choose them wisely.

2. Everyone you meet is better than you at something. Always seek to learn.

3. We teach other people how to treat us by how we treat ourselves.

4. Being constantly busy isn't a badge of honor - it's a red flag.

5. Sometimes you have to say "no" to good things to make room for great things.

6. The most valuable things compound over time: relationships, wealth, knowledge

7. Action creates motivation, not the other way around.

8. Stop worrying so much about being perfect - beginners are supposed to suck.

9. You have two ears and one mouth - use them in that ratio.

10. Make a habit of reaching out to people just because they crossed your mind.

11. No one thinks about you half as much as you think about yourself.

12. "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it."- Warren Buffett

13. Sometimes starting over is the most courageous thing you can do.

14. Your mental health is more important than any deadline, meeting, or obligation.

15. Before you chase someone else's dream, be sure you're willing to pay the price.

16. It's never too late to reinvent yourself.

17. The longer you delay taking action, the harder the action becomes.

18. Surround yourself with people who have bigger goals than you.

19. Your worth isn't tied to your productivity; rest isn't a reward, it's a necessity.

20. In 100 years we'll all be dead. Don't let the opinions of other people stop you from going after your dreams.

This workshop is for those who feel lost, like they are just drifting through life, going through the motions day to day, fulfilling others' expectations instead of feeling empowered to design your own inspired actions.

Being able to get clear on who I am and what matters to me has been a game changer in laying the foundation for living an intentional life :)

Last call for the in-person session on 9 Nov (Sat), 2-6pm or indicate interest for other days in the link ✨

https://forms.gle/hbuteyiAZcQFG2iYA

Someone recently asked me how to navigate some office politics at work - specifically people asking him to do some work then claiming credit for.

Thought I shared my responses here in case its helpful to others :)

I think most things in life are a combination of strategy and tactics.

A) Strategy stems more from root causes i.e how you want to show up as in the world and why.

> In this case, if his boss gave him permission to say no, why isn't he? What beliefs are stopping him?

B) Tactics are more of things you can put in place / actions you can take that is aligned with your strategy i.e how you communicate to others, establish boundaries, put in place systems.

> In this case, how to manage stakeholders better.

My approach is to do both in parallel - B) tactics to help alleviate "pain" in the short to medium term and A) strategy to solve root causes for the longer term.

I believe that's more intentional and sustainable - hopefully it's helpful to some of you who might be facing similar issues 💪

Here’s a fascinating paradox: we all want to be confident, yet the only way to do that is to make yourself vulnerable.

The only way to build confidence is through doing hard, scary, and uncomfortable things. As Eleanor Roosevelt so memorably described it, “You must do the thing that you think you cannot do.”

While it’s terrifying, there’s also a big reward waiting for you: a deeper, stronger sense of confidence in yourself and what is possible in the future.

Stop saying, “I’m not confident enough to try that.”
Start saying, “I’m scared to try that, but I’m going to anyways, because I know it will make me confident.”

- The New Happy

Love this most recent post by The Woke Salaryman!!

To me, it underpins why living intentionally is important and why I founded Neverdrift back in 2018.

It's easy to "drift" in life through work as work is an area of our life with much "built-in accountability" already - planned OKRs, set times to be in office, meetings, performance appraisals etc.

What if we applied that same dedication and rigor to our own lives?

Having that clarity when we discover ourselves and then calibrating along the way as we evolve through life enables us to lead a more intentional and purposeful one 💪

I am excited to empower more people with this mission 🙌

Emotions hold valuable data about ourselves - us learning how to decode them will yield us deep insights that can better inform our next steps. Happy mid-week!! 💪

Hi all! Addressing some questions I received about the programs for Q4 -

1⃣ When are the programs scheduled?

💬 Clarity as an Edge: 9 Nov (Sat), 2-6pm
✨ Few spots left!

💬 Quarter Leap Accelerator: 10 Nov (Sun), 10-1230pm
✨ Newly launched!

💬 Master the Inner Game: 1 Dec (Sun), 2-6pm
🙏 Full - Waitlist in the form to be notified for future spots

2️⃣ What's the difference between this and the ongoing membership?

The workshops are more of a "sprint" / skills acquisition where it's half a day to give an overview of key concepts.

The ongoing membership is more of a "marathon": A 6 months group coaching program where there's structure + accountability + guidance with a small curated group of growth minded peers! After all, living intentionally is something one must commit to consistently :)

A good taster of the group coaching program will be the Quarter Leap Accelerator which I just launched since it was requested by some members!

3⃣ When will the coaching slots be open again?

💬 The 6 months H1'25 group coaching program will be opening end Oct / beg Nov.

💬 The 1-1 coaching program is open on a rolling basis!

Confirmations have already been sent out to those who registered - excited to see some of you soon :)

Link: https://forms.gle/hbuteyiAZcQFG2iYA

Happy start of week everybody!! 🌞

Very grateful to have Frank sharing at NeverDrift's 'Conversations with a Leader' series yesterday afternoon :)

Some of my key takeaways:

1) Platinum rule: Treat people the way they want to be treated > Golden rule: Treat people you would like to be treated.

2) Essential to continually work on our 4 pillars of energy: physical, social, learning, spirituality.

3) It's important to take risks and be agile. We either succeed or we learn.

All very important skills to future-proof ourselves for the ever-changing job landscape 💪

Happy first weekend of Oct everyone!! 🌟

Quite a number of you have been telling me that you are not entirely satisfied with some of the progress you have made on certain goals so far this year.

As one person told me and I quote 'While I did managed to hit some, I realised I could do with some help to accelerate my progress as having no proper accountability makes me a bit slack 😂'

Some of you also asked whether there's some program that can i) help you with one last boost to end the year well and ii) also for some of you who want a headstart prepping for the new year ahead.

Coming out of most companies' annual planning cycles, I have also wondered why companies spent so much time and energy in annual planning but individuals rarely do the same for their own lives?

I personally think that our own personal growth / happiness goals are also worth charting with the same rigor and dedication.

Given that there are 3 months left to the end of 2024, I designed this accelerator program for these people in mind.

Additionally, it will also be a good taster for iii) those who have interest in signing up for the 2025 6 months group coaching program :)

Ending off with this quote I resonate with from Sahil Bloom: 'Life definitely isn't fair. It's a troubling reality. Instead of wasting energy on every obstacle in your way, focus on what you can control and how you can break through. Stop looking out. Look in. Be accountable. Take back that power.'

Link: https://forms.gle/hbuteyiAZcQFG2iYA