15 Personal Lessons in April 2009

Obligatory jumping picture by the Pacific Ocean :)

First, thanks for all the birthday wishes, and special thanks to those who celebrated with me and mailed gifts haha. Also, congrats to all those who decided on grad schools this month! Here we go…

1. You can become like a natural at something if you work at it. I was told this month that I am a natural speaker and a natural salesperson by two different people. I’m really not; I know in reality that my speech skills were developed from years of practice in Model UN and that my sales pitches and negotiations are just extensions of those Model UN skills.

2. Use your diaphragm to tap into your best voice. I learned this at a CAAEN communications workshop with professor Preston Ni. Breathing and talking from the diaphragm will enable you to get a much richer, fuller, and engaging sound (think Barack Obama). Unfortunately, I was mostly using my throat when I last spoke at the UN. Now one of my goals in life is to speak on a big stage again except using my best voice this time.

3. Communicate clearly what you want. I wanted to relocate for my second rotation at AT&T but was flexible in terms of location (“I’d be interested in Dallas, Atlanta, or Chicago”). I didn’t get relocation; those who clearly specified a city (e.g. “I want to go to Dallas”) were the ones who got it. Side note: the same goes for all those who are tapping into their personal network to find a job right now – you have to communicate clearly to others what you are looking for if you expect them to help you.

4. Plan your goals backward instead of forward! This enables you to plan on possibility rather than on limitations. Think, without taking current limitations into account: where do I want to be five years from now? What do I need to do three years from now to get there? What do I need to do this year to get to where I need to be three years from now? (Tip also from Preston Ni).

5. Nothing is based only on chance. Or as Vince Lombardi put it, “luck is preparation meeting opportunity.” My low performing sales rep explained that sales is all chance to justify his/her low performance, but I disagree. This goes for everything in life: How well prepared are you for each opportunity? How many opportunities have you seized… or created?

6. Explore your own state! My friends and I drove down Pacific Coast Highway to Hearst Castle (pictures here). It was a fun day trip; we got to eat lunch overlooking the Pacific Ocean, take in spectacular views, and check out a colony of elephant seals on the way. It’s so worth it to venture outside of your bubble!

7. Find a friend who is a connector and explorer. My friend Rebecca knows many people and loves to live life, and by proximity I’ve gotten to meet new friends and have fun in the Bay Area.

8. Si, se puede (“yes we can”). I’m currently reading applications for the Ronald McDonald House Hispanic scholarship, and many of these kids write about how they’ve overcome hardships. It’s very inspiring to see their potential, determination, and positive outlook. I think those traits are what will empower them to be successful more than what money can (though it always helps to have financial assistance).

9. Blogging is hard, especially when you’re not immersed in the industry of your primary topic. I need to get myself more involved with Model UN again if I’m going to help make bestdelegate.com a success. By the way, Anna (non-MUN friend) pointed out that my recent posts on effective listening and cushioning statements are applicable to daily interaction, so check them out even if you aren’t in MUN.

10. I need more friends on Twitter. Though I’m on Twitter as often as Facebook now (mostly because the iPhone TwitterFon app makes it so easy), my quantity and quality of interaction is still much higher on Facebook than on Twitter because that’s where most of my friends are at. Sign up and follow me and I’ll follow you back!

11. Use your birthday to re-connect with friends on Facebook. You’re bound to get birthday greetings from friends and acquaintances alike. When thanking them, start a conversation by asking them about what have they been up to or something exciting they’re looking forward to.

12. Memories of your childhood or high school friends are frozen in time. My friend Cynthia saw a picture of me with a hefeweizen and was surprised that I drink now. Of course I do (I learned to enjoy beer while in abroad), but it makes sense that by growing up separately, you may not have kept up with the changes. My friend Chris has a worthy goal this year is to rekindle 5 old friendships.

13. Follow up if you are fundraising. My friend Amanda is running a marathon and I donated to her fundraiser. I really felt good about it because she kept me updated with her efforts and challenges preparing for the marathon.

14. I miss college. I’ve walked around Berkeley a few times this month after work and the students look like they’re enjoying life and so full of potential. Several thoughts: 1) My life is so different now even though I was in college only less than a year ago. 2) Where have all my Berkeley friends gone?! 3) What would life as a Berkeley student be like? 4) What advice could I tell these students now that I’ve graduated?

15. UCLA Day is not really UCLA Day without my friends being there. I think the organizers deterred many people from going by charging a fee. But the UCLA experience was so great because of the people that went. UCLA Day would’ve gotten much more hype and probably more money if they solicited donations during or after a big alumni party rather than charge a fee upfront that limits attendance.

That said, who says I can’t drop by campus that weekend? I’m so excited go back to LA May 8-10 and NYC May 11-17! Fun times ahead in May!!