While learning how to read and write at school is undoubtedly essential, it is only one piece of the puzzle for achieving a successful and fulfilling life. To truly thrive, we must delve into other critical elements. Let's embark on this exploration together.

1. Self-discipline is essential for taking control of our lives and establishing positive habits. This entails making choices that support a healthy diet, waking up early, constantly learning, and practicing the skills discussed later in this blog. Self-discipline requires effort and dedication, but it ultimately leads to personal growth. With self-discipline, we can stay focused on our goals,  maintain our sense of purpose, and constantly self-reflection.
2. Active lifestyle is crucial for our physical well-being. Setting aside a dedicated time, like 30 minutes daily, for sweaty workouts can release endorphins, help manage weight, and lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, regular exercise can improve our appearance, leaving us feeling more energetic and confident. Consider the following recommended programs to incorporate into your routine: Walk from Home Program, Step Bet, Apple Fitness+, and YouTube channels dedicated to fitness. 
3. Meditation is a beneficial activity that helps us focus on the present moment and calm our minds. By dedicating just 10 minutes to this practice, we can reduce stress, manage our emotions, and cultivate patience.
4. Personal finance skills are vital for effectively managing money and attaining financial independence. This entails creating a budget, keeping track of expenses, and investing for long-term success.
5. Listening actively and asking questions are fundamental for understanding others and the world around us. When we come at situations with authentic curiosity, we can gain a more profound comprehension before attempting to be understood. By recognizing that there is much we don't know, we take the time to listen, observe, and ask questions to uncover the unknown.
6. Communication skills are essential for interacting with the world. It involves expressing ourselves verbally or in writing, public speaking, and effectively influencing others. Developing these skills is essential for creating meaningful social connections and achieving success in both personal and business life.
7. Being honest with ourselves requires acknowledging that we are imperfect and accepting our flaws. Everyone encounters challenges, but the hardest part is facing them head-on and overcoming them. Honesty enables us to confront real issues, such as our limitations and mistakes and ultimately builds our self-confidence while providing new opportunities. To be truthful with ourselves, we must learn to recognize and manage our emotions, avoid impulsive behavior, and conquer fears and greed that often lead to failure.
8. Leadership is bringing people together, empower others to work towards common goals. Possessing this skill can be highly fulfilling, but it demands commitment and hard work to cultivate.
9. Decision-making is a critical skill for recognizing opportunities, evaluating options, and making choices or taking risks to build success. It also requires evaluating the potential risks that come with each decision. Our lives are made up of a series of connected moments, and every choice we make creates a link that shapes our journey.

To live a successful and fulfilling life, it's essential to do more than learn to read and write. It involves developing several skills and habits contributing to personal growth and well-being. These include self-discipline, regular exercise, mental wellness through meditation, managing personal finances, active listening and questioning, effective communication, honesty, leadership development, and sound decision-making. By embracing these aspects, we can enhance our life experience and work towards achieving personal and professional success.

What's your favorite place at home? If you don't have one, let's explore how to create one for ourselves. 

My favorite place at home is my office. As an introvert and minimalist, my comfortable place contains a clean desk, a computer, a teacup, and a notebook. That is it. It's a relaxing place to stroll the world through the internet, listen to music, read something fun, chat with friends, and write to express my thoughts and ideas... It is a place to escape when I don't have a plan and can do whatever I want. I also put a reminder on my desk to know when to leave my favorite place for essential things, such as tea time with friends, family time, and outside walks. ​

Many places can be favored, such as a home gym, an art studio, a game room, a home theater, a reading nook, a meditation room, and a spa bathroom...To create the favorite place, we can do the followings: 

1. Keep it clean
2. Keep it organized 
3. Get the most fantastic light. 
4. Put on our favorite art. 
5. Make it quiet 
6. Reminder our hobbies 
7. Add a clock and a calendar to remind us about time and when to leave our own world. 
8. Put a lotion so you can apply them when you are relaxing. 
9. Surround ourselves with things we love 
10. Keep a notebook to drop down ideas that spark in our minds.
11. Keep memorable things related to our experiences and family. 
12. Let our pets be with us when they are quiet.
13. Remove food to void overeating. 
14. Add the personalized item that is created by our family members or us. 
15. Add flowers or a diffusion aroma that smell amazing. (I always add jasmine flowers to my desk. Its fragrance is fantastic.)
16. Add white noise, like a water-flowing sound, to create a calming environment.

What's your favorite place?  Join more discussion in Zen club.

The two-year journey building a PMO office has proven to be successful. The PMO services are appreciated and bring in substantial impacts on the business. Let me to summarize the approach to help you if you encounter a similar opportunity within your organization.

1. Understanding the organization  Before building a PMO, it's crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the organization, including its politics and the personalities of your team. Taking the time to observe and gather insights over a quarter or two  allows a thorough understanding to be developed. 

2. Building trust: Establishing trust is of utmost importance for the success of the PMO. Start by implementing helpful and less disruptive changes that demonstrate the value of the PMO. It's also essential to maintain transparency, particularly in business engagements, so that the team perceives the PMO as a valuable resource rather than a threat.

3. Celebrating small wins: Acknowledging and celebrating small wins is vital for boosting morale and showcasing the positive impact of the PMO. Recognize achievements such as process improvements, successful project deliveries, and improved stakeholder relationships to reinforce the value of the PMO and motivate the team.

3. Defining project management standards: Clearly defining project management standards is crucial to uphold professionalism and ensure consistency across projects. This includes establishing project lifecycles, methodologies, templates, and best practices that align with industry standards and the organization's needs.

4. Creating change management plans: Change is inevitable when implementing a new PMO. Develop and execute change management plans to effectively manage the transition. This involves addressing resistance, communicating the benefits of the PMO, and providing the necessary support and training to ensu re a smooth adoption of new processes and tools.

5. Waiting for the best opportunity: Patience is key in waiting for the right opportunity to make a significant difference. Identify strategic projects or areas where the PMO can add substantial value and focus your efforts and resources accordingly.

6. Recruiting an elite team: Assembling a high-performing team is critical for the PMO's success. Consider hiring individuals who excel in their respective areas, particularly in tactical project management functions. This  ensures that the team possesses the necessary expertise and effectiveness to drive results.

7. Creating a collaborative team culture: Foster a collaborative team culture within the PMO. Encourage open communication, knowledge sharing, and teamwork among team members. Cultivate an environment that values diver se perspectives and promotes the generation of ideas. This collaborative culture enhances innovation, problem-solving, and overall team performance.

By following these approaches and adapting them to your organization's specific context, you can increase the likelihood of building a successful PMO office. Remember that building a PMO is an ongoing journey that requires continuous evaluation, adaptation, and improvement to meet the evolving needs of the organization.

Let's stop here for now. We will elaborate on each point in detail in Club's PMO discussions. ​

Daily walking promotes physical and mental well-being, but can become monotonous. Let's explore ideas to make it enjoyable and part of our routine.

1. Walk outside with family: Spending time with family is always worthwhile, and walking together can strengthen bonds while enjoying the outdoors.
2. Walk with colleagues: Instead of sitting in the office during breaks or for 1on1 meetings, invite  colleagues for a walk. It's a great way to socialize and boost our physical activity.
3. Walk with friends: Plan regular walks with friends to catch up, chat, and motivate each other to stay active.
4. Walk with music, a podcast or an audiobook: Create a playlist of favorite upbeat songs that energize and inspire. Let the music enhance your walking experience or explore a musician’s work or a genre. Listen to engaging podcasts or audiobooks while walking to make the time fly by and expand our knowledge. 
5. Walk while grocery shopping: Instead of driving to the grocery store, consider walking if it's feasible. It combines errands with exercise and saves on fuel.
6. Walk while window shopping: Explore local shopping district on foot. It's an excellent opportunity for light exercise and discovering new stores or products.
7. Walk with a dog: If you have a furry friend, take them along for a walk. It benefits both you and your pet, providing exercise and bonding time.
8. Explore various locations in town: Change the walking route regularly to explore different neighborhoods, street art or murals, historic landmarks, parks, or scenic areas in town.
9. Walk to take pictures and videos: Bring a camera or smartphone and capture interesting sights and moments during the walk. It adds a creative element and makes the experience more memorable.
10. Walk to research birds and plants: Use resources like Cornell's All About Birds website (https://www.allaboutbirds.org) or the iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org) app to identify bird species and plants encountered during walks. It adds a sense of discovery and learning to our outdoor excursions.
11. Walk the Talk: Use your walk as an opportunity to catch up with loved ones by making phone calls. It's a productive way to stay active and connected.
12. Walk to rehearse video recordings or presentations: If you have a presentation or video recording coming up, practice while walking. It helps with memorization and adds a dynamic element to practice sessions.

By incorporating these ideas, we can make our daily walks of 10,000 steps seamlessly integrate them into your daily routine. Remember to bring a bottle of water or healthy drinks to stay hydrated during your walk. Let's prioritize our health and make walking a delightful habit!