Category: strategicStrength

[20]G7shields@ family_livelihood #severance

Posted on by tiger40490

 

k_tectonic

See also

I now spend lots of time (over thinking?) blogging and analyzing my various protections, which make me feel deeply satisfied (safety).

##layers@ buffer|alternative|batt ⇒security explains the semantics of defense ^ protection ^ buffer^^^ but in this bpost, I prefer the physical feel of a “shield” rather then the abstract concept of “protection”. In this blogpost I will use other metaphors besides “shield”. Pillar and Levee (黄河) each has unique connotations.

Multiple shields on multiple fronts are important to both my heart and mind. Despite their limitations, these shields can even make me feel superior. Together, these protections constitute one of my key strengths, though not competitive strengths per se, as in a scarce-resource context. I don’t need to but often want to compare within my circle.

Note this blog is strictly on livelihood proteciton, not ego protections (like PIP, stigma, trauma,,,) or family pains (like kids delinquency)

— all pillars/levees/shields are precarious, fragile and vulnerable. In a way, human existence is fundamentally fragile, and whatever protections always fragile. A big dose of detachment is needed on a regular basis. Overall, I (and presumably wife) feel less vulnerable in SG than the Chinese immigrants in the U.S.

  • MLP job (not within G5) is the most precarious of all pillars supporting my carefree ezlife. (The tech career longevity shield is better.) Lossing this pillar would expose me to
  • .. large or opaque codebase .. speed of figure-things-out relative to teammates
  • .. painful commute
  • SG citizenship is a stronger pillar/levee because its vulnerabilities are widely analyzed.
  • other vulnerabilities are discussed below.

— legends

  • [4|5|9=among G4|G5|G9]
  • [b=let’s ask those with relatively high branks like Siddesh] — these “Siddeshes” fly high but vulnerable without my protective armor.
  • [d=conscious, active detachment needed]
  • [$$$ etc = value-for-the-family of the protection, and reliability to a lesser extent]
  • [AAA etc = reliability rating of the protection, and value to a lesser extent] — I used to assign higher rating to external protections, but now need more self-reliance and self-confidence. See locus@control:current carefree high ground mostly due2%%effort

==== short-term protections

[BB $] [9d] MLP medbx + sancturary + severance

===== medium-term protections

[B $] [7bd] My growing nest egg and nonwork incomes (beyond rental). Reliability of each income stream depends partly on my active management. CPF-life is more reliable like “A”.

  • Jolt: the investment seminars always exaggerate the value and reliability of this particular protection, which is actually much lower than SG citizenship, wellness etc.
  • 2025 update: To a family on the cashflow low ground (like [39]), a SGD 100k cash nest egg would be an effective shield. For a CMC[ChMidClass], a SGD 2M net (incl some liquid) asset would be a solid shield. See [40]

[AAA $$] [2] robust tech career longevity is arguably the #1 bedrock of my ffree

  • Actually career longevity depends a lot on physical longevity, but in this list, I separate out wellness.
  • continuous, self-driven learning attitude, with plenty of refresh/reinforce, 温故知新
  • [A $$] [b] IV competitiveness including theoretical skills. If I lose my job during covid19, but demand remains, I would rely on IV skills to get another well-paying job.
  • [B] [d] WallSt contract job market — protects against early decline of demand
  • [C] [d] robust demand for java across industries
  • [A $] [b] dev-till-70 as a mentality is an effective shield.
  • [B $] my on-the-job survival skill is slightly less reliable as protection.

==== long term protections

[AA $$] [3b] conserver lifestyle  — good burn rate as Family [6] — protects against many cash-flow threats including job insecurity during covid19.

PERSONAL burn rate would be rated AAA

[A $$$] [4bd] wellness — lifestyle + current condition. title is vague and broad.

  • [A] [d] diet habit, BMI green zone
  • [AA] exercise lifestyle
  • [d] good sleep — protects against workload, ,,,

[$$$] [5d] stable marriage — is a cornerstone and protects against many threats.

  • Is this a livelihood protection? Grandpa would say yes as he pointed out how marriage affects the kids and my own livelihood.
  • How reliable this protection is? Up to me. Grandpa would say you can choose to show more tolerance (包容), more respect,  more understanding, more kindness
  • [$] harmony at home — long term is best, but any harmony is valuable protection for kids and aging parents.
  • This item is an under-appreciated pillar, esp. for the kids.

[A $$] [6b] SG citizenship — protects against healthcare inflation, long-term nursing cost, housing cost, general inflation. Some protective benefits of SG citizenship are not measured by money —

  • protection against poor service (common in many countries) when I’m in need of help
  • protective environment for up-bringing of kids — drug-free,,
  • protects against covid19 job insecurity. Job support (Singaporeans’ livelihood protection) wass the biggest medium-term concern of the Singapore government, arguably a bigger concern than 1) outbreak management 2) food supply
  • the middle/low income working families [11th~60th percentiles of SG citizens] are well-taken care of by the nanny state including NUTC union. In the U.S. the church seems to provide a similar (much smaller) safety net
  • See the full list in ## SG citizenship: value imt GC
  • As listed, all other shields require active, high maintenance effort (Nonwork income is lower maintenance). This shield requires zero effort on my part, as the government puts in a huge effort maintaining this shield.
  • This item “defines” and “anchors” the A-rating. This item has lower reliability because it’s beyond my personal control. Singaporeans tend to have too much confidence in the PAP leaders as if they are Gods and never misjudge, mis-calculate, lack strength/vision. Well, there are very capable leaders in other countries, too, but their citizens don’t have such naive perceptions.

##[23]effective endeavors #unexpected

Posted on by tiger40490

 

k_not_only_luck   k_x_mellow_up  k_tectonic

Genesis: After the Sep 2023 PEK trip (aging parents), I realized something that I ignored for decades. Many endeavors are ineffective — either underwhelming, unrewarding or basically fruitless. Their effectiveness can be short-lived, or hard to maintain.

The more we recognize, respect and remember this human reality, the better we would be able to appreciate those effective endeavors, however small.

A Big-scale illustration .. TeamSG [more than PAP gov].. progressively moved up the global city ranking, on many fronts/indicators, and not by luck or historical advantage. Many countries and cities try to copy Singapore’s formula and often fail to get ahead. SG is exceptional. This bpost goes beyond competition or mindshare.

  • [u=not a foregone conclusion, perhaps unexpected]
  • [u] Covid19 .. SG coped better than many cities. I tend to take it for granted, but in 2020 it was by no means a foregone conclusion. SG system’s reputation is always at stake, and risk of missteps is always clear and present.
  • Traffic jams are less severe than many big cities.
  • Housing affordability for young couples and low-income families is better than most comparable rich cities.
    graduate unemployment rate is well-managed even during a down turn.
  • [U] The rise of NUS/NTU ranking is faster than I thought.
  • [u] From nowhere, SG rose steadily as a regional and now global financial center, overtaking Tokyo and HK in many competitions. Not easy at all. Which city can emulate SG?
  • [U] Many China (and India) immigrants have decided to take root here (not “stepping stone”) … much more than I expected years ago. These immigrants could have chosen N.America, Europe, Australia or HK.

Similarly, it’s no mean achievement of me to avoid falling behind on any front, and to get ahead in a few races. Here are some effective multi-year endeavors .

— half ranked by … the most “unexpected” to the least unexpected within each domain. I prefer fresh, specific items. Do not include “effective solutions that aren’t endeavors”

  • [v=vague]
  • [u|U=unexpected, Unbelieveable success]
  • [b=good battery, relatively easy to maintain]
  • [Battery status ======== battery (hard) to maintain]
  • [Battery status ] reducing academic expectation placed on my kids.. decade-long struggle, still working on it.
  • [b] my DIYHI learning journey since I bought my first home in Blk 177 #4-116 .. effective by my standard. I’m improving and learning. I don’t compare with the pros.
  • [u] books .. a headache for future relocations .. I have /adapted/ an effective solution
  • [] solo flight [search, prep,,,] .. Over the decades I developed home-grown solutions. Cost-effective.
  • [v] Spouse relationship, intimacy and communications .. requires continuous adjustment and effort
  • —- personal tech # usuallly not arduous “endeavors”
  • [] my home printer and multi-laptop set-up .. effective research and experiment. Cost-effective solutions, much needed in my low burn rate lifestyle.
  • ~~ blogg technique/infrastructure
  • [b] my git-blog and wpress customizations meet real personal needs .. effectively. minor tweaks: gd2, commit hooks, and
  • .. minimize count of “open editors”
  • [b] personal blog _review_ .. Most journal writers don’t re-read earlier writings. We lack an effective system to get anything useful out of earlier writings. My blog has some useful content for the future me. An effective review system is challenging. Am working on it.
  • .. extensive x-ref system based on tags and categories
  • .. short titles
  • .. print out to review en-route
  • —- wellness
  • [Battery status U] The 2018/2019 BMI improvement was unprecedented and unimaginable .. effective for 2 years.
  • [u] 2023 JPM5.6k .. my timing was no mean achievement. My workout regime was proven effective in this decisive test.
  • [bU] liking my own appearance .. to my surprise, i have grown to like my own appearance [face, body shape,hair,,]. Not luck. More like mellow-up
  • [Battery status u] my multi-year focus on chin-up among all muscle workouts .. effective monitoring of weight. Builds my confidence
  • [bU] 5/wk (beyond chin-up) .. rare among my cohort. For years, it has helped my self-esteem, BMI motivation/self-assessment
  • [u] small belly .. not common among my cohort. My lifestyle has been effective in this respect. Important for t2dm prevention
  • [b] lotus ] mrt .. for years, it has improved my self-esteem, helped my git-blogg on MRT
  • [u] stretching 1 minute/D (about half the days).. since 2019 (before Covid), I have followed an effective [sustainable, pragmatic] regime
  • [] left hand practice with mouse/toothbrush/basketball .. I believe this is effective in brain training
  • [u] standing desk at home .. I do stand average 30 min a day at home, sometimes 5H
  • therapeutic blogg as mult-decade endeavor… is effective? See ##[23]coping solutions #R.Teo困扰
  • some of those “faking” efforts are effective self-persuasions practiced over the years
  • car ownership as a wellness issue .. see below
  • —- pff
  • [b] exp recon .. highly effective and fairly efficient
  • [b] deposit-interest optimization using EGA etc and RBBT .. effective, as Linna pointed out.
  • [bu] Over decades, my burn rate is effectively maintained around 5k/M, below half my income
  • [b] insurance .. For decades (since my 20s) I thought insurance was ineffective for my needs, but now I feel my suit of (10?) protections fit my family needs, cost-effectively. My effort? Mostly analysis and experiment.
  • [b] IRS annual legwork .. since 2018, I have effectively adapted and /streamlined/ my process.
  • [v] retirement plann .. (comparable to devTill70) It is a concrete plan based on real evidence + personal research, and an effective road map
  • car ownership as a pff issue .. see below
  • —- gz + xx
  • [bU] Chinese composition ..
  • [bu] English .. overcoming my handicap from 1991 to 1993, and turning a weakness into a strength over the subsequent 10 years.
  • .. English vocab blog
  • MSFM study method .. adapted over 3Y based on results + my limitations
  • [bu] professional trec since Verizon .. effective in personal branding.
  • [bU] branded degree .. i was effective to enroll then excel in MSFM after giving up on “branded degree” in 1994
  • [bu] i am still able to help friends with CIV in my late 40s, though I’m slower than before. No mean achievement. It is not an automatic result of some external “system”. I had to work on it and I will need to continue working on it.
  • [bu] bonus satisfactions in recent years… foregone conclusion after some good years? Not at all. Luck is one minor factor. I’m effective in managing my own expectations.
  • [b] devTill70 plan… Many people dismiss it as a mere plan, but I take my plan seriously. It is a concrete plan based on real evidence + personal research, and an effective road map
  • [U] Unbelievably, no operational error committed by me so far. It’s impossibly hard ot keep 100% record.
  • [uv] My Java (c++ to a lesser extent) knowledge retention is robust
  • —- disqualified items .. not really multi-year endeavors
  • diversification in investment .. despite concentration in rEstate (diversified properties) I score high on asset-class and currency diversification. Effective by common standard

— car ownership .. (multi-year endeavor)

Throughout my career and family-building in Sg and U.S., my personal strategy [decisions, plann/executions, adjustments] about car ownership is .. surprisingly effective. Effective in terms of burn rate, physical/mental wellness, dependency reduction, minimalist living,,,

Most of my peers “need” a car. They give various explanations of personal needs. It sounds like “so hard to cope without a car in this (part of) country”, but I think what they mean is “Since I can afford [1] (to lease) a car, it is proving extremely convenient.”

Many point to their own work/home locations, but hey, look at my choice of locations. I chose them to minimize car dependency.

[1] Affordability is personal. I can afford so I do fly up to 4/year for family reunion. Not essential, but a personal priority.

I did spend about USD 1k twice learning to drive. In 2018/19 I also practiced with zipcar. That’s part of my effective endeavor.

— Q: What strategic progresses are relatively easy to maintain? A similar theme and related to [b]
As stated in the Genesis section, many tough progresses are easy to lose and hard to maintain, and require continuous effort. See bpost on battery.

  • [Battery status ] diet experiment, learning .. I think the self-knowledge (and to a lesser extent, the scientific knowledge) is a battery I can build up.
  • [Battery status ] yoga self-practice .. I wrote many bposts and practiced many times. Hard to maintain
  • [Battery status ] coding drill .. battery holding OK
  • div stock picking
  • [Battery status ] rental property … maintenance effort
  • ? r-ikigai planning and research
  • ? parenting .. experiment and discussion. So far, this is not an effective, strategic effort
  • — disqualified items

— unbroken suprisingly.. a related but loose concept. I feel lucky to find many things unbroken. Some of the “unbroken” are excluded from the “effective endeavor” list and “exiled” here.

  • — gz
  • no major compliance issue
  • — parenting and family
  • Boy is showing some control on diet, not getting out of control
  • Kids’ television time is not growing worse
  • — devices
  • pad lock
  • home routers and printers
  • Laptops (Lenovo$399, Dell$250, HP…) + phone no major issue after so long. A95 is slowing down esp. during restarts but fine.
  • — pff
  • HDB home few issues. I had more issues in the past but no details needed
  • BGC rental
  • Energy12 reliable monthly income
  • USD and SGD both staying strong
  • — wellness
  • boy’s myopia
  • ED pills .. continues to be effective
  • eyesight, hearing still holding up
  • blood pressure, and blood sugar …
  • cholesterol, myopia stablized ..
  • my health condition during long flights
  • Dental condition
  • Health of everyone in the family

micro-conserver mode@operation

Posted on by tiger40490

k_ctbz …  k_X_power_descriptor

I keep this bpost in this blog due to the tags.

I frequently find myself (operating) in micro-conserver mode:

  • When I feel my kids may not become “successful” professionals and therefore, my and grandparents’ assets could become a multi-gen reserve. I instinctively feel a need to conserve that reserve for posterity.
  • mtg .. When I start paying mortgage installments, I would semi-consciously start cutting burn rate. I would enter not only micro-conserver but real conserver mode.
  • job loss .. When I lost my Qz job and associated income stream in 2015, I automatically entered micro-conserver mode
  • when I first went to the U.S. in 2007-2008 and again in early 2017, I entered not only micro-conserver but real conserver mode.
  • when in Giant Suntec I was picking items worth $100 as a gift basket for R.Teo, I didn’t want to buy anything unnecessary.
  • when I had to eat at airport or transit station, I would enter micro-conserver mode.
  • [c] when I was researching aircon nightly cost. Running aircon all night is a luxury.
  • sometimes I (following Grandma) try to save a subway trip.
  • [c=ctbz]

— aggregate saving… how much monthly savings can we achieve? Not confident. $200~1k. On this ground, many people dismiss micro-conserver mode wholesale, but .. 粒粒皆辛苦 is valid advice.

Each micro-conserver decision is usually not too complex for Sys2, and sys1 can often make those decisions. Therefore, I don’t feel “burdensome complexity“. On the other hand, micro-conserver can feel empowering and low-stress.

[18]how I achieved%% Comfortable Economic Profile by44

Posted on by tiger40490

 

(I want to keep this blog in recrec or open blog, not tanbinvest. I want to be brief yet incisive.)

See 3 ffree scenarios: cashflow figures. What capabilities enabled me to achieved my current Comfortable Economic profile?

  • — top 3
  • by earning SGP citizenships
  • by developing my own investment strategies, via trial-n-error
  • by staying healthy
  • — the obvious
  • by high saving rate thanks to salary + low burn rate — efficiency inspired by SG gov
  • by consistent body-building with in-demand skills -> job security. I think rather few of my peers have this level of job security. Most of them work in one company for years. They may be lucky when they need a new job, but they don’t have my inner confidence and level of control on that “luck”. Look at Y.W.Chen. He only developed that confidence/control after he changed job a few times.

When I say “Comfortable” I don’t mean “above-peers”, and not complete financial freedom, but rather … easily affordable lifestyle without the modern-day pressure to work hard and make a living. In my life there are still too many pressures to cope with, but I don’t need to work so damn hard trying to earn enough to make ends meet.

A higher salary or promotion is “extremely desirable” but not needed. I’m satisfied with what I have now.

I can basically retire comfortably.

[22]carefree:与众不同 #by half

Posted on by tiger40490

k_tectonic … k_def_of_success

see also

This bpost needs a more distinctive, identifiable, less forgettable title.

When I don’t feel carefree, this analysis might provide clues + perhaps a few tips/nudges.

Q1: living my “carefree ezlife”, perhaps in my bubble, Why do I feel so alone and uncommon like “outlier” (与众不同) among my peers?

The answer is invariably a combination of distinct factors.  Each time we apply one of the factors below as a filter on the global cohort population, half (or at least 20%) of the remainder drop out. I used to joke that the qualifying population shrinks “by half”.

  • — G9 hard [measurable, visible, less subjective] factors underpinn` my carefree ezlife: (See also list in
  • [22]幸福:2precious cornerstones: breakaway)
  • factor: CPI inflation worries beyond retirement .. related to “citizenship” and “cashflow-high-ground”. “Half” my cohort across many countries seriously worry about living expenses doubling every 10~20Y, progressively eroding/shrinking their retirement nest egg.
  • G9 pillar: fully paid home of reasonable size, in a clean, safe, actively maintained neighborhood … Not so common esp. among younger peers.
  • G9 pillar: cashflow high ground .. (for family livelihood) ..  Rare among my peers. I won’t elaborate.
  • G3 pillar: my citizenship.. my appreciation[confidence/faith, gratitude] of my adopted country .. is rare among my peers. A subtle factor, this “shield” gives me a confidence (-}carefree) distinct from that of my WSt friends.
  • G7 pillar: career longevity (based on WStC) .. rare among techies [dev-till70], and also rare across the entire cohort. Bpost [1] has more details, so I won’t elaborate here
  • Layer 2 foundation: stable marriage + bonding with kids .. is shared with perhaps half my peers. I score a B+.
  • Layer 1 foundation: wellness .. (all aspects) .. Note BMI/fitness (also tech bodybuilding) require successZ, rather than “LG-carefree”…

(Pillars rest on layers of foundations.)

Q4: why is my wife not feeling carefree? Why the big contrast between husband and wife? See “half-empty” section.

— harmony .. part of successE (elaborated below).  I feel improving (albeit inconsistently) in my harmony, mellowing up, letting go..
— failureZ .. a common weakness among my peers, and therefore affects a majority of them. Note successZ definition is simpler than successE but still nontrivial.
Bpost [1] examined my continuous, self-driven learning habit

eg: My annual health screening is one example of how successZ underpins my “carefree”. (I won’t elaborate) bone density; heart-healthy diet; cholesterol control; low-sugar, low-salt; research into various conditions/risks;;;; You can never become complacent and let your guards down 🙂

==== utopian/bubble.. Many people would dismiss my (or PersonB’s) “carefree” as utopian, short-lived or fragile. That PersonB could be an engineer, an academic, an early retiree, a pensioner… because everyone’s bubble is fragile to some extent.

I still have (long or short term) stressors in my current job, BMI, parenting, investment issues,,, I still need inner strength, serenity, harmony, zqbx

Q3: level of Fragility of this carefree bubble?

Any analysis/investigation into “carefree” inevitably leads to questions of  fragility/impermanence/vulnerability/defenses//… These questions explain why “carefree” periods are so rare. However, this bpost will skimp on them.

— A very realistic “rude awakening” .. see the missteps/swans in https://tanbinvest.dreamhosters.com/12221/resilience-against-ffree-derailers/

— Jan 2023 update: Miles of Sonic team .. (See also Sonic+Sachin+Anurag) a story about utopia, fragility, storms/bubbles/derailers/// This case illustrates that at any time, for any reason, without any sign, we could lose our comfortable job, or our health etc. This case sounds like a swan event, but there was also a personal misstep (self-acknowledged). My compliance violations are also missteps. These swans/missteps are serious derailers of my carefree bubble, but now is the quiet between the storms, so the other factors feel like better answers to Q1.

This “quiet” feels like a dream, or inside a bubble, rolling on high rails.

— Update after Sep/Oct 2022 .. I feel my carefree ezlife is diminishing/declining/ in some strange way. It takes effort to explain it.

The DIYHI created lots of conflicts, self-blame, zsms about tcost, involution.

Then in Nov, kids’ math exam results ..

Then in Mar 2023, EDyw was a real blow according to the rmSelf, but for the xpSelf, Edyw didn’t /knock me out/ of my carefree zone.

In the grand scheme of things, these pains/unhappy episodes would pass. The “carefree” felt so short-lived to the rmSelf, but (to the xpSelf) it soon returned.

==== wrong priorities .. a key “soft” factor to explain “why so many peers are not carefree”. (In contrast, see the hard factors eralier.)

Some of my peers score higher than me in “cashflow high ground” or “career longevity” (I refuse to pay attention to them) but I feel most of my cohort are fixated on their “half-empty” glasses, while I tend to focus more on my “half-full” glass.

Breakaway .. is a power descriptor. See [22]幸福:2precious cornerstones: breakaway

— successE .. I feel my peers don’t appreciate successE that much. Therefore, my successE is /uncommon/.

Beware successE definition is subject to interpretation.
— zzcl .. I feel many, perhaps majority of, my peers are not mellowing up to zzcl. I think many aim higher and try harder than I do. In doing so, they experience more frustration, less contentment.

  • improve kids’ grades
  • get better job .. objectively, my jobs since 2017 were good
  • get bigger home .. objectively, my home is big enough

— focusing_illusion .. by focusing on the half-full, I feel more contented, more grateful, more lucky, more optimistic… These feelings /seed/ a virtuous cycle of wellness, generosity, kindness, forgiveness

If I were to explain “wrong priorities” , zzcl, failureE, failureZ, harmony ,,, in an essay,  it would involve many power phrases. Many of my peers may not understand these phrases. A  phrase is often subtle, low-power, or poorly defined, and my definition often abstract, unnatural and non-trivial. (Contrast them with those handful “hard” factors above.)

— life chances .. personal! I am contended about my life chances. I pursue the right life chances that are important to me, rather than the wrong priorities of other people

==== a nightmare .. in a 2022 nightmare, I rejoined Macq and was dismissed again. I did my best again, but again was shown to be the weakest in the team, although another set of job requirements may prove otherwise. In hind sight, the 2015/2016 Macq job requirement was simply too high for me, more than the Qz job or GS job. How about Ash.S in his CTO job? CSDoctor’s job? S.Liu’s job?

If I were to benchmark myself with these so-called peers, or try to increase my brank, and join the exclub, I would get derailed, lose my carefree ezlife, take on lots of stress.
If I try, could I become a software architect? Not my strength.
If I try, could I become a lead developer like Ash.S? Not sure.

At my age, I have an implicit self-conviction that most of the higher-paying positions are too stressful, with exorbitant expectations. What I’m unsure is the salary hike of a “jump”. (My EPA job could be worth SGD 160k in another company.) What additional income is possible? After tax, 80k/Y additional? Not worth it.

I told grandpa that my successE [carefree ezlife + harmony, based on wellness and comfortable livelihood] is rare among my cohort, not because I’m wealthier than them, but because I don’t focus on the wrong goals.

The nightmare scenario is much more severe, harsh, harmful than CB2022.

[19]ComfyPosition]cohort #priorities

Posted on by tiger40490

 

k_tectonic .. k_X_FOMO_v_livelihood

I have spent too much time trying to make the title more identifiable. The precise meaning of “comfortable position in my cohort” is crucial to this blogpost. Without a precise meaning, this blogpost will gradually but inevitably lose its relevance among multiple similar analyses like

Comfortable position means “well within the green zone and in no danger of drop-out.” Note green zone can be minority or majority. We instinctively know, to varying degrees, where we stand among our chosen peer group. On some games I feel unlikely to improve my relative standing, so I need to reconcile with these “amber zones”. They include:
* kids academics
* double income, white-collar wife
* brank — OC-effective leadership .. I didn’t say “income”. Consider the Siddeshes in my circle.

On other “games”, I feel confident to maintain my comfortable position relative to peers:

  1. — half-ranked by surprise, beyond the big5 topics like sg citizenship, wellness, cashflow (brbr, Fuller wealth, retirement planning, ffree). It’s important to de-emphasize these big, common factors so they don’t /overshadow/ the smaller, more “interesting” factors
  2. stable marriage, valuable support from grandparents
  3. top college insider insight — relaxed attitude towards and some insight into it
  4. lower fear of job loss, lower work stress .. thanks to contract
  5. HDB home ownership — low maintenance
  6. English proficiency … a growing fountainhead of wellbeing, (stress)protection, a foundation stone for self-care. Writing/oral communication, vocab
  7. coding IV — as benchmarked against my age group on Wall St
  8. QQ IV — coreJava and c++ are both fairly stable and low-churn over a 30Y horizon.
  9. mobility across multiple job markets, work-till-70, life-long learning, access to age-friendly job markets
  10. my primary lang@FT_job has robust demand

The list is similar to [21] G9 short-term factors4ezlife #escape pod

— Q: How did I achieve this comfortable position, this carefree, relatively complete life? (Note “complete” is measured against personal yardsticks.)

Actually, G5 Shields@family_livelihood is a more thorough, more rigorous analysis that’s relevant to this question.

locus@control: carefree high ground mostly due2effort also answers this question, from a different angle.

To further explain my well-protected carefree and ffree that’s uncommon in my age group, I decided to ask two questions below.

Q: how are my chosen priorities “different”, excluding the common, basic ones (like job security, stable family, kids)
A: here are some priorities that my peers don’t give enough attention

  1. career longevity till 80’s — instead of brank, salary bracket (exclub)
  2. healthy longevity — I still need to give more sunshine to my flexibility
  3. current nonwork income — instead of windfall appreciation. Instrumental to my early ffree.

A: here are some priorities of my peers that I don’t care much:

  1. luxury IMO — top schools for their kids
  2. luxury IMO — (usually big) home in a top school district
  3. brank

Q: my strengths?
A: top 3 strengths unranked:

  • brbr;
  • lifelong xx for IV
  • wellness, vitality

Beyond the strengths, here are some advantages:

  • healthcare + retirement provisions I have set up for my family in Singapore;
  • SG citizenship
  • stable marriage
  • property portfolio — including inheritance

— ffree — the poster boy of my comfortable position

Singapore is a success story in many ways. Its position in GDP ranking is the tip of an iceberg. Likewise, My fledgling ffree is the tip of an iceberg. My Fuller wealth rests on a foundation composed of my strengths and my guiding principles (priorities, habits) listed above.

The ffree draws disproportionate attention but is actually less reliable, less important than the G5 Shields@family_livelihood

Humble — My successE is not glorious, but it is rare, commendable, worthwhile. Look at the success of MMM, ERE author and other FIRE legends.

##[21]higher ground than Catcha/Zed guys: pff+

Posted on by tiger40490

k_tectonic

This bpost is yet another free-flow historical review. Don’t aim for completeness. If I come up with one unique item it would be a gem. Let’s focus on higher_ground, related to carefree and my layers of protections and provisions, but I’m deliberately vague about higher_ground. Lower ground is 被动, defensive, struggling,,,

initial Trigger event: I recall my chat with Sonny Lim, and also my recent reconnect sessions with ex-colleagues of Catcha/Zed/NewSilkRoute.

Also Look at Partha or Rajesh. I don’t know where they are today, but the peak of our career is behind us. I feel that since Zed some of them didn’t move any higher beyond inflation. (Exception: Rajesh was promoted to team lead in the same team.) As I described to Grandpa, by default I would have followed similar paths. In reality, I’m on higher ground because of WSt. Mine is NOT a common career path, more like an exception to prove the rule.

Out of, say, a 2002 cohort of 100 male IT professional in SG, I guess 24 would leave technology sectors by now (around age 50), 25 would remain in tech, but hands-off (i.e. zero source code) including support/mgmt [Raymond,], and about half would remain hands-on, perhaps senior roles like XA.S. Nowadays, young guys gravitate towards web2.0 shops more than finDev, but I think less than 2% of my cohort are hands-on in top web2.0 shops.

Due to SG being a regional sales center, a significant subset would be client-facing [consulting, pre-sales, proj mgmt], and the hands-on subset would be smaller accordingly.

In terms of pff, I’m on higher ground (exclub) among the “hands-on” subset (superset of the SWE subset), but I have no insight outside that subset. I would say a broader comparison across my cohort would be statistically more meaningful if feasible, but actually not feasible given my lack of data, so I will primarily focus on the hands-on subset.

Q: why am I more carefree, on higher ground than those guys? There must be a few things my family did right since then. Let’s pin them down as precisely as we can .. the more specific the better. Let’s focus on deeper, less obvious reasons. Even a small pinhole observation could lead to big insights.

  • My bold venture to U.S. and WallSt .. life-changing journey that those ex-colleagues didn’t have.
    • career longevity -> quiet_confidence about family cash flow. My dev career is likely to run to 60’s, unheard-of outside WSt.
  • tsn? .. Thanks to my exploration (similar to “job dating”) I learned what jobs suit me better. Am more confident about my directions.
  • over the decades, coding test has become widespread. I happen to have some competence and a long-term hobby. Together they raise me to higher ground. Am not the strongest.
  • math and abstract thinking .. rigorous training since primary school… hugely important to high-end interviews. Am far from the strongest.
  • [20] wellness habits .. invisible effect except BMI and belly; frq of sickness; frq (I didn’t say “duration”) and absorbency of workout; insomnia; cardio;
  • .. diet control .. while 90% of my peers opt to resign (surrender) to the fate of BMI decline, I took the bull by the horns. Am not the most successful.
  • —- minor or obvious factors, or factors less relevant to higher_ground_than_peers.
  • thrifty and hardworking wife .. Not sure about some of their spouses, but I think mine is a rare gift from God.
  • my kids did put in effort .. piano, diet, tuition, homework. Not sure about their kids.
  • grand parents .. healthy, and financially self-reliant. Not sure about their parents.
  • [20] continually improving English? Crucial to my U.S. adventure. Note speaking was my key weakness.
  • .. Toast Masters?
  • .. Eng expressive writing in recoll (no blog software then)
  • SG citizenship .. a rising foundation (of my high ground), but largely invisible. The same foundation is shared with most of the cohort. 
  • UChicago credential .. fairly visible. It gave me higher ground in terms of insider insight into branded colleges. This credential is rare among my peers.
  • [20] books .. book ownership practices. Library immersion. Stealth-overtake over10Y explains why it matters
  • [20] economizing habit .. for money and time. Economizing is the essence of long-term planning + everyday execution.
  • [20] burn rate control .. cumulative effect! Note 1) portfolio and 2) nonwork income … (as factors) are overrated.
  • appreciation of my HDB home + Beijing home
  • [20] IV + delivery skills .. IV is part of job-hunting which includes trec
  • [20 = personal habit, skill,, over 20Y ]

Q: Are there someone on higher ground than me in some area, someone I can learn from? How about in anger mgmt, parenting, healthy habits?

[19] not leftBehind@any front: real feat

Posted on by tiger40490

I used to feel that my son is one part of me that’s left behind. Now I think he may not go to a top college but he will go to college and find a decent job.

See also wake up1day..left behind #serenity

Since my teenage years I have suffered so much from, and endeavored to avoid, the pain of “left-behind” by so-called peers (chosen so randomly !! )… This pain is fairly similar to FOMO. This pain is the opposite of “other peoples’ envy” concept.

  • early eg: Chinese compo
  • early eg: Y-junction flexibility — I was visibly the weakest in middle school
  • eg: income and brank including startup — see notes below
  • eg: academic kids
  • advanced education credential (UChicago) is an achievement in itself, like a competition title, even if it creates no increased earning.
  • see also the list of “freedom_from_unwanted..” in ##[19] living%%dream life,here-n-now #Detach, such as
    • immigration concerns
    • debt and cash flow concerns
    • overweight — affecting more than half my peers
    • PIP, damaged goods

Remember the movie [[Brad’s status]]? Somehow, miraculously, by age 40 I have achieved at least average status on the east front, north front, south-west front, … virtually ALL fronts. What an incredible feat. I can’t emphasize this point enough.

In other words, on every [1] game important to me, I have achieved enough to avoid the deep emotional pain of left-behind. I wonder how many people can say the same. Pretty rare achievement.

Some of these pains are possibly /neurotic/, but I don’t want to activate the self2judge today. In real life, there are many very real pains not related to left-behind, such as neck pain, appetite, sleep, divorce, family tension.. but these more “real” pains are actually less important to my personality (than to the average guy). From age 15 till now, my #1 frequent pains and deepest pains have always been … left-behind. See the t_1stAid blog tag.

[1] There are some “games” I did care about in my 30’s and 40’s …

— [1] startup dream — for years I had a romanticized dream about tech startups, mostly created in the U.S. pop culture. I often felt left behind when I hear of someone (either considered a peer or not) getting into the startup game. Best example is Zhu Jiang !

— [1] brank — best example is Yiyang. Still a source of deep pain of “left-behind”

— for all of the above.

I have achieved a lot (cf my peers) in many games like wellness, ffree, branded degree, career longevity,,, but still, to earn the worldly, materialistic OtherPeople’sEnvy (OPE), I need to move up (or start up).

This has been the stonewall I hit over and over throughout my career….

Not my game, and I gave up years ago. I think it was wise of me to give up. Over the years I have been working on the give-up, the stonewall, the OPE, and slowly mellowing up.

Now I’m older and wiser. Zhu Jiang, Yiyang… may not have my blessings — my SGP citizenship,,,, my retirement provisions,,,,, my low-stress easy life,,,,, my dev-till-70 path and depth-of-market providing choices,,,,, my overall health,,,,, my healthy and loving parents,,,,,

Q: what’s more important? Other people’s envy or my blessings.

##[21]subconscious brush-off @%%superiority]cohort

Posted on by tiger40490

k_X_focusing_illusion  k_soul_search

(a good title is hard)
For decades, I tend to practice a slightly excessive form of modesty, bordering on self-degradation.

Opening example: I have worked my ass off to improve diet and BMI, but when I meet a OC-effective guy, or a humorous/witty guy, I often ignore my BMI advantage and regard him as superior.

If I can recall and name 50 “superiors” [Yang, Venkat, Shou,], 95% of them would have some serious inferiority such that I would hesitate to trade places with him. The exceptions tend to be people I don’t know so well…. I can’t know their inferiorities.

Overall, I think my habit has served me reasonably well. 谦虚美德. However, sometimes it’s slightly unfair and unjust.

  • inferior: Many of them (or their kids) grew up in an incomplete (if not broken) family. Many of them lost a parent fairly early.
  • inferior: half of them are overweight if we include the non-Chinese.
  • inferior: Most of them do not have my superior diet habits like raw veg/fruits, low alcohol, low starch, low fat, low frying
  • inferior: Many of them have experienced more wellness declines including sexual, bone density, endurance, muscle loss, BMI, eyesight, hearing, hair loss,,,
  • inferior: Unknown number of them have non-trivial but hidden issues in mental wellness, including sleep, relationships, stress, aggression
  • inferior: Most of those occupying higher positions have work stress and career risks far more than I have as a contractor.
  • inferior: Most of those high-flyers don’t have my career longevity. This is another “battery” I have built over decades but I tend to dismiss, esp. when I meet some high-flyer who is without this longevity but… superior ?!
  • inferior: majority of them have long-term financial concerns like medical + inflation, retirement income. Note some of them have no kids.

— reflections on the 92S27 reunion in May 2022

I told grandpa later on “not worth my envy: their cars, expensive homes, maids, top schools for their kids”. These are often white elephants.
This is part of my emerging wisdom as a greying and thinking adult.

I also told grandpa that my skills are in demand, with market depth in a growing sector.
I want to actively reduce attachment to the EPA comfort zone.

I tend to brush off my advantages in diet, workout, bonding with kids, brbr, cashflow high ground, lifelong learning.
Many of my advantages over these ex-classmates are in successE and successZ.

In whatever that matter to me, I don’t feel left behind. I am getting ahead, in stealthy footsteps.

[20]G5 Personal advtg Revealed over15Y

Posted on by tiger40490

rmXp?

def@success?

life chances?

k_tectonic

See also

Past title — How many percent of my peers have my {…}

I also have many personal disadvantages (like…) but this analysis doesn’t have to include them for completeness. For years I was fixated on my weaknesses, hoping to overcome my limitations, but at my age now I’m more willing to accept them (Kyle Stewart) and shift focus to my advantages.

— top 5 personal advantages revealed over 15Y.

  • #1 [bcL] my continuous, self-driven learning habit … since secondary school, rare personal advantage. See related advantages below
  • .. [r] see library immersion ] younger years
  • #2 [Lr☆] my burn rate best practices … rare personal advantage. See other cash flow advantages below
  • .. my expense tracking insights + capabilities
  • #3 [bdr☆] my wellness .. a growing advantage over my cohort
  • — The rest are not strictly “personal” advantages
  • #4 [bLr★] SG citizenship advantages .. See ## SG citizenship: $value imt GC
  • #5 [r] stable marriage… Note having 2 kids is not an “advantage” but a luck.

“Revealed” — because some these advantages slowly reveal themselves to be strategic and extremely valuable

“Advantage” — because everyone is trying to achieve (roughly) the same goals. Only the [c] items are competitive in nature.

— Other advantages, not strictly personal or “revealed over 15Y”

  • [Lr] English .. My English skills esp. in writing and vocab — helps my career, kids but more important is reflective blogging.
  • [c] my robust career prospect; my competitiveness on my chosen job market
    • [cr] Here my advantage lies mostly in candidate selection, less in after-sales
    • [b] my dev-till-70 plan — just a plan, but a major difference in attitude
    • [bd★] my WSC option — a rare option among my peers outside U.S.
    • [bcd] my position in coreJava / c++
    • [r] I feel some of the hands-off managers don’t realize my advantage until their 40’s.
  • [bcd] my Beijing asset .. or a property with a similar valuation
  • [bL★] tropical .. my home base in a tropical place, good for retirement.
  • — the minor, the familiar, or the less-specific items
  • [c★] UChicago .. branded degree from a global G50 college
  • [bd★] FullerWealth .. my bare-bones ffree based on FullerWealth, NNIA, brbr
  • [br★] 5/wk .. my current 5/wk workout. If sustainable, this factor would have a real impact on my successE and successZ
  • [] diet .. recent habit/attitudes
  • my (recent) family harmony, with my beautiful wife, lovely kids and grandparents. This is relative. Some friends are luckier, but other people experience major conflicts. Divorce is the biggest _injury_.
  • [bd] my current carefree job with plenty of leisure time
  • [d] my straight and healthy teeth
  • —
  • [b=let’s ask those with relatively high branks like Siddesh]
  • [c=competition goal is for some limited resources]
  • [d=active detachment needed]
  • [L=long-term advantage over 20Y+]
  • [r=slowly revealed]
  • [★☆= this (★=measurable) advantage disqualifies my cohort, definitively by half or more.]