5 Reasons Why I Celebrate the Circuit Breaker

The Circuit Breaker is the equivalent of a “lockdown” that many other countries implemented. This was from 8 April to 2 June 2020.

When the Circuit Breaker (CB) in Singapore was announced, I declared a goodwill complimentary session for my regular NovoTHOR light pod clients. This was on the day before we had to close for the CB. Clients took the opportunity to get their last session before the CB commenced and we were fully booked for this day. I snapped a photo with every individual, observing social distance (of course!), to mark that momentous day.

Next, I took about two days feeling sorry for myself that I would have no income for two whole months, but at the same time was counting my blessings that I could be in a worse state with other bottom line numbers to meet, like employee salaries and bank loans. As an entrepreneur and start-up, keeping headcount low is always something I am acutely aware of.

Then I did my four week to-do-list which eventually became an eight week to-do-list because of the CB extension to fifty-six (56) days. I feel very fulfilled from this period and I want to celebrate this by sharing with you the “Wins” from my fifty-six days of being at home.

Self-Reflection

I had the time and space to sit down and reflect on my decision to leave full-time employment and also look back on the ten months of my entrepreneurial journey with Red Light Therapy and my passion project — Kampung Collective. I asked myself if it was the right thing to do and if I was going to be able to weather this storm and survive with minimal casualties, and still continue to provide for my wife and child.

And the answer was consistent with when I decided to leave full-time employment — The important things that I value in my life are family and selfcare. My goal has always been to build a future for my family, to make it safe and comfortable for both my wife and child to live alongside me, and to celebrate every high and comfort my every low. I found this balance when I became my own boss and was in control of my time, choosing how and when I was to spend it. The perfect balance of work, family and myself.

Through this time, I was able to reinforce my personal beliefs, to be at ease with myself, and to concretise my WHY on choosing to leave full-time employment in pursuit of a balanced and healthy work schedule.

Spreading Positivity

There were a couple of things that I wanted to commit to doing differently. One of them was to write one LinkedIn recommendation a day to my closer network and connections. I am proud to announce that I managed to do this very well once I got the style of the writing, and I even looked forward to writing my daily recommendations. Of course it started out with detailed research on how to write a good recommendation, and then it was identifying who these people would be.

Sometimes I was on a roll and would do more than one recommendation a day, and sometimes my mind was not in a writing mood and I would skip the day. I wrote a total of fifty-six LinkedIn recommendations and informed these contacts that there was no pressure for them to do the same, because it was my act of spreading of positivity and love during this CB period.

I realized that I was able to write really positive things about individuals that I had met and worked with before and I surprised myself on how easily the thoughts and narratives flowed to describe that particular person because I was writing genuinely from the heart. If I did not have an easy flow, I would skip that person and move on to the next. I can confidently say that spending eight years as a teacher writing testimonials and referral letters definitely helped!

I was also very pleasantly surprised to receive heartfelt thanks from some individuals who were extremely appreciative for the gesture and were inspired by the pay-it-forward initiative and commitment that I had started for myself.

All in all, I must say I really enjoyed this exercise. One was because I reconnected with many contacts, and that the deeper connections within my network were wider than I knew. Writing LinkedIn recommendations is definitely something I will continue doing for my contacts, but maybe one a month (or as and when requested), instead of one a day!

Getting Fit

I committed to doing one hundred burpees a day during the CB.

A burpee is typically done without a pushup, but to make it more challenging each burpee was accompanied with one pushup. By the first week, the hundred burpees with one pushup was not challenging enough so I increased it to two pushups per burpee. By the fourth week, I had already increased it to three pushups per burpee, which meant that I was doing one hundred burpees and three hundred pushups a day. It was also at this point that I was suddenly down to my pre-dadbod weight days!

This spurred me on to challenge myself to hit five pushups with each burpee, which meant that I would be doing one hundred burpees and five hundred pushups. I am proud to share that I managed to do this on day fifty-two of the CB and continued till the CB ended.

I was also very diligent and consistent with my thrice weekly 6km aerobic runs.

Now, I feel stronger, leaner and fitter, and can fit into my size M tee shirts again!

Discovering my Writer’s Voice

The CB had me involved in a couple of online discussions and fireside chats where I was the presenter, and there were also one-on-one interviews where I was an interviewee. I realised through these sessions, that there was value in my experiences with the different roles that I have been involved in. And one way that I could share it more freely was to put my thoughts and insights down on paper, so that I could continue to spread learning, love and positivity.

It was exactly one year ago that a close friend challenged me to start writing on Medium and to showcase my “voice”, but that never happened, because I was facing a consistent writer’s block. Twelve months down today, through the personal sharing with the online discussions and interviews, I have found inspiration and meaning to very comfortably just speak (write) about my learnings and reflections from my personal journey.

I think one other positive that helped me overcome the writer’s block was the writing of LinkedIn recommendations to my closer contacts during this CB period. The desire to want to write coherently and genuinely with relevance was definitely a key push factor.

I have found my reason to write, to share information and learnings. And that I think has been the most important and compelling motivation for me to pen my articles.

Quality Time with Family

During the CB, I spend a good five to six hours a day with my little one. On a pre-CB weekday, I would be spending half that amount of time with only two to three hours. The bond that I have built with my daughter during the CB is incredibly strong and the dollar value priceless.

From witnessing her tiny baby teeth erupt from her gums, to hearing her speak her first sentence, to seeing her choreograph her own dance moves, to establishing our own daddy-daughter secret handshake. Being around when she fell, from feeling worried on hearing the loud thunder, and when she got upset from not getting what she wanted. Of course, there was also the occasional tantrums and testing of boundaries, but I am thankful that I was present to teach manners, discipline and build character. Being present and establishing that father-figure role has been a key parenting focus for my wife and I.

I am even more thankful and blessed to have an understanding wife (and excellent mother) whom I am able to communicate with on all levels and not just listen, but also critique, ideate and be my pillar of strength for all endeavours.

Final Words

Are we worried about the future? Yes.

But…

Are there things that are within our control? Yes.

Do we have a roof over our head and food on the table? Yes.

Do we have enough to be contented and be happy with life? Yes.

Do we have each other where love and family are the motivation for life? Yes.

With that I not only celebrate the CB, but I also celebrate the end of the CB in Singapore and I look forward to brighter days!

About Alex Loh

My compass is guided by the desire to help people. This could be in building communities through facilitating the best connections between people and businesses so that they may each find fruitful solutions, experience growth and achieve targeted success; or in optimising people’s lives through recovery, pain management, sleep, breathing and oxygen advantage, with focus on athlete performance and general well-being.

Come speak to me about Building Communities and/or in Optimising your Life!

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