Introduction of Myself — Why I want to start this blog

As someone skeptical about personal development, I felt it was impossible to be “smart” and “successful” because of my limiting beliefs.

At one point in my life, I was severely overweight and could hardly recognize myself in the mirror. Feeling depressed and hopeless, I was afraid to exercise and became a patron at the trim and fit (TAF) club.

Often criticized as the “fatty bom bom” in my class, I was an easy target for bullies. I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable about myself.

Eventually, I left my comfort zone where I knew I had to change my belief system. I was committed to getting out of this constant struggle, being pushed around with no validations.

With that little grit in me, I exercised consistently despite being doubted by everyone, including my family. After staying convicted, I lost 25kg and regained my confidence. My body transformation was a life-changing experience, which also created a new identity for me.

Having renewed confidence in 2008, I gradually redeemed my self-esteem, but it didn’t last for long. While I regained myself, my academics took a plunge because of my poor time management.

Whilst I used to blame the country’s educational system, I realized I was never great in my academics. Much as I was passionate about music, art, and design, they weren’t exactly as important as the core subjects such as English, Mathematics, and Science. Even though I worked hard for my O’s levels exams, I did not qualify for most courses. With limited course options, I had to give up pursuing my dream course, which was in pharmaceutical science.

When I started studying Civil Engineering at Singapore Polytechnic in 2011, I didn’t plan to further my undergraduate studies because of the high competitiveness of entering a local university. As I vividly recalled scoring a below-average grade point average (GPA) in my first semester, it dashed my hopes of securing a college slot. It almost convinced me to head to the workforce, which led me to signing an industry work bond.

Despite securing a stable career in the built environment industry, I wanted to improve my GPA. With all the odds against me, I reevaluated my approach to my studies and turned things around.

From an average student to ace in each class, having a mental shift toward pursuing education was critical. Eventually, I immersed myself with many driven individuals, and changed my study habits and environment. Even though I was still lacking behind my peers, I worked hard, albeit managing all my self-doubts. In the end, I secured a spot at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

During my two-year mandatory national service (NS) in 2014, I suffered from major imposter syndrome. Being unathletically fit, I couldn’t help but doubt my ability to cope with the mental and physical demands of the tough training in Commandos. With strong mental resilience and support from my peers, I endured several military exercises with almost no injuries. Then I started serving my 2-year bond with a local construction company.

While serving my bond in 2016, I did not enjoy my work as I had not set my expectations right for the role. With that brief stint, I learned a lot about myself.

Rushing into a career I assumed I would enjoy may not be a wise choice. Nevertheless, I took a leap of faith to move on, and it was one of the biggest decisions of my life. Thereafter, I took a gap year to restart my college applications.

After failing several interviews in 2017, I got a place to pursue my undergraduate studies in a different field. Notwithstanding the fact I did exceptionally well in polytechnic, I struggled badly through my first two years of college, which aggravated my imposter syndrome. While I envied my peers for their exceptional academics, my academic journey was not the smoothest. Failing school tests became prevalent, and bottling intense academic pressure led to many anxiety episodes.

Getting constant burnouts and isolated during the circuit breaker (CB) was overwhelming, which led me to reassess my options to stay on the course.

After using several means for coping mechanisms, I overcame those episodes with relentless self-assurance and moral support, persevering through the remaining semesters. At last, I graduated from Singapore Management University (SMU) with a Bachelors of Accountancy.

Despite the fact that graduating with an average score was not ideal, the recent pandemic made my job search even more terrifying. After a long and arduous job search with many failed interviews, I became a business consultant (internal audit) at one of the Big 4 accounting firms.

Why do I want to start this blog? I want to share my experience through this small channel to reach out to anyone who is feeling uninspired, unmotivated, and even procrastinating to reach their goals.

If I could help one person turn their lives around, I would be happy. I hope I can reach out to as many readers through my tiny voice and keep this positive energy going!

About The Author:

Vince Law is an Accountancy graduate from Singapore Management University. He has worked at one of the Big 4 Accounting firms and having completed a consulting internship with an SME in Singapore. After his graduation, he will be heading to one of the Big 4 Accounting firms as a business consultant. During his free time, he writes on topics related to personal development and current affairs through his lens.