meekia

Growing Up

5 days into a new year.

6 months to go before you turn 25.

How do you know you've grown a little older?

You start with the filing.

Boys, worry about toys.

Bosses, worry about their business.



I try to convince myself that I am not that young, naive chap anymore.

In the past, I only had two files. They had no labels on the outside, only mental notes. The grey file had "important personal document thingies " like CPF statements, NS documents etc. The other, in black, held my freelance invoices, payslips, project contracts and other business related paperishizzi.

I was especially sloppy with the way I handled my finances in the past because...well, I didn't exactly have much finances to handle!

$10.31

Yea, go ahead and create a "Savings / Investments" folder when that is all you have in your bank account.

But times are different now. I have enjoyed...*whisper* a short period of rewarding employment (you can't holler about these things or you'll scare all the good-luck charmies away).

So, anyway, with professional success, comes files and folders!

Yes, I can finally afford nice-looking files. (Isn't that amazing?)
But I'm still scrimping on labels, so recycled pieces of paper with hasty scrawls and cheap double-sided tape will suffice.

The thing about being a freelancer is that you never know when a well-paying project will come in, or when a series of lucrative deals will dry up. You can pitch and plough but the harvest will almost always be elusive.

So what can you do to sustain your financial, professional and personal freedom?
(The main reasons you became a freelancer in the first place)

What can you do to rein in your consumerist excesses?
How can you attain that dream of being a carefree car-owner on an island with C.O.E & E.R.P?
How will you be able to start a family and afford those trips with the queen/princes/princesses to Japan for miso soup?

The answer:
Filing!
Filing? (Not Fling lah!)
Filing.
Yes!
Filing!
(no, lah, put your fingernails away lah, KNNBCCB).

Files and Folders.

Organize your chaos. And then convince your slothful inner twin to listen to the other one with more discipline and drive.

When you are a young, irresponsible freelancer with a healthy dose of disrespect for many things, it is easy to say "Screw it!" when faced with the need for personal discipline in the realm of professional/financial self-organization.

It is tempting for Mr. young, irresponsible freelancer to toss the paperwork somewhere within the vicinity of his desk, and proceed to do something infinitely more entertaining. Very, very tempting.

BUT,

HOW LONG CAN YOU LIVE LIKE THIS??????


Postmodernist living (i.e. bochup like crazy)



Now, don't worry. In addition to filing, I also cleaned up my room this afternoon.



A clean and neat room, indeed, has a calming cosmic energy





So let us ask that question again:

How do you know you've grown a little older?

You blog about growing old, and filing,
in your very clean room.

Wo Lau liao!

posted by audaciousjoy @ 8:51 PM