Learning to Improve Life

Learning to Improve Life

May 15, 2026

I'm feeling sick. It's not full blown cold but I'm just not feeling my best. This is the most annoying really. I don't really want to do much. I keep on scrolling on my phone and when I want to watch something on Netflix, I just got distracted. I'm now watching Marie Kondo's show and somehow I can enjoy them Then I remember that I didn't really allow myself to rest when I actually needs to. Does this show make me feel productive thus I'm able to watch it?

I need to learn this resting thing more. I find that I'm able to do these more abstract things and even more straightforward thing when I understand them better. Like how salicylic acid cleanser works and what is fluoridated toothpaste and waking up early. Yesterday I was reading this random article about why it was so hard to wake up early for Subuh and the approach told was a mix of modern affirmation stuff and it just triggers like this undersatnding in me. 

I really need to learn all kinds of things. I love learning things that directly reflects my life. I feel like this is an important step of my life to "upgrade" it. It's not about I'm not in a good place. I just want to continue improving my life. I need to find more platform to learn and I found that there are many materials available for it. For instance, material like Marie Kondo book.

One of the best and least effort platform is Spotify's podcast. I also sign up for  a journaling workshop. I think it's supposed to be about self discovery. I just want to go out and about and see what it has to offer. I need this cold to be fully healed tho or else I'm not going to be able to enjoy it.

I've been doing more focused things for work. I did waste a lot of time learning random things for it. Mostly parameters to monitor work more efficiently and also training materials. I feel so good able to learn these but I would love to be more intentional and structured about it. 

My Instagram is showing ads of all these courses and I feel overwhelmed but I'll choose through and plan well. Apparently, according to ChatGPT, course about public is also good for self development even if I'm not going be using it for work. I do think free ones will not be doing it for me. I found one from Harith  Iskander and it's more to promote their paid ones and it does seems like they are looking for talent too. It's not bad per se but it's not useful for me. I think I'll scroll through my social media to research more. I found one that provide health related content and it's free called SOL Integrative Wellness Centre. I'm not really sure if it is a training centre or is it a clinic. I think I'm going to do a list on this.

That's all from me today. I'm feeling a whole lot better now. I'm going to fold some clothes and I want to cook a really good lunch to work my appetite. I'm not sure what will work with my throat feel itchy but I need it to feel better.

If You Know, Then You Know.

If You Know, Then You Know.

May 5, 2026

For future me, you didn’t post for two days straight—you just forgot to publish the last one. It was supposed to be posted on 1/5/2026. This one was also supposed to be published yesterday.

I am waiting excitedly for a new bag I bought for my tablet and keyboard. It has been so heavy hauling everything inside my handbag. I also bought a new book for journaling, and I hope it will turn out good. I do wonder if I’m just made for online journaling—i.e., doing this, writing on my blog.

I had three days off. I went to my friend’s wedding, and I was so happy for her. Then I spent a night in my hometown. The last time I went home was last August. I even went to my parents’ grave. I don’t know why I don’t like going there. I didn’t feel really connected somehow. I feel a lot more connected when I’m praying for them after my solat.

Today was a little dizzying. I know I need to be doing a lot, but I just can’t remember or focus because there are little things that keep taking my attention. Mostly, it was my siblings, since we got together this weekend, so topics of next activities and repairs around the home were discussed. Also, we need to settle this pusaka thingy, which clashes with my dental appointment. My head is spinnniiinggggg.

Apart from that, I need to focus on my work. For now, I aim to quickly settle the material needed for onboarding. I need to liaise with people. I just want to be done with it quickly. I need to tweak these introductory slides—I had a good idea of what I needed to add into them, but of course I didn’t note it down, so now I forgot. I also need to follow up with zakat. Actually, I’ve been texting people while writing this because, of course, I just remembered.

There are certain SKUs we have issues with while doing invoices, which reminds me I need to prepare material about different inventory-related terms. I’m so confused about how to prevent these SKU issues. I really hate it when issues are system-wise, but no proper systematic approach is done to prevent them. It’s simply: if you know, then you know. If you don’t, then problems.

Okay, let’s work on it.

Career Talk

Career Talk

May 4, 2026

I noticed a crack on my tablet today and almost let it get to me. Just as I was about to get annoyed, I remembered I have a tempered glass protector on—everything is fine. False alarm, folks. Today is still a good day.

We had a meeting between the pharmacists and headquarters today. I’m still a bit confused about what the official name for it is, but I know it’s intended to be a deep dive into sales planning, understanding the market, and improving our knowledge—covering both soft skills (like leadership and personality) and clinical expertise. This is only the second time we’ve held this session.

During the meeting, the topic of journaling came up. When I asked what I should actually write about, a new staff member from HQ explained her own process. It was nice to see someone share their perspective. Another person mentioned that journaling is about seeing the changes we’ve gone through in retrospect. Regardless, I’ve bought a new book for journaling and I plan to write every random thought inside it. Wish me luck!

Apart from that, I want to deep dive today into a topic from a book I’m reading called Tentang Pilihan. I was originally more interested in the author than the subject itself, but the concepts inside are very educational.

I want to try an exercise from the book where I tabulate my interests, skillsets, and related career paths. I couldn't quite think deeply enough on my own, so I prompted Gemini to help me discuss it in detail.

Here is how it looks:

Category	Your Attributes
Passions	Tabulating data, creating spreadsheets, administrative organization, and structured training/teaching.
Skillset (Kelebihan)	Corporate-level document design, inventory strategy, supplier relationship management, and high-impact sales training.
Working Style	Stern, straightforward, and efficiency-driven. You prefer high-impact "behind-the-scenes" influence over constant face-to-face retail interaction.
The "Sweet Spot"	You aren't just a pharmacist; you are a Pharmacy Operations Strategist.

AI always has a way to butter up a person because this sound too cool. But we'll take it! Then, I asked for suggestions on different career paths:

 The Clinical Education Path

1. Clinical Training Manager (Corporate HQ)
2. Medical Science Liaison (MSL)
3. Technical / Product Trainer

The Operations & Systems Path (The Architect)

1. Pharmacy Operations Excellence Manager
2. Procurement & Category Manager
3. Quality Assurance (QA) / Regulatory Affairs Manager

The Hybrid / Leadership Path

1. Medical Education Lead (Pharma MNC)
2. Clinical Operations Lead (Health-Tech Startups)

 

I was wondering if this skillset—which feels like a newfound discovery—means I need to change my career. Looking back, I’ve always realized I had these predilections, but I initially dismissed them as just general "life skills" I happened to be good at. I have a natural knack for understanding systems, mastering SOPs, and creating the kind of corporate-level work that isn't typically taught in a retail setting.

It’s a far cry from why I originally chose retail pharmacy; back then, I didn't want to stay behind a desk and I loved the idea of constantly interacting with new people. But after years in the field, I’ve honed these analytical skills to fit the retail environment perfectly. At this point, I’ve realized I don’t actually mind moving away from constant customer interaction. While I still enjoy it, I prefer it not to be my sole purpose. I’ve found that I actually serve customers better when it's something I do "on the side" rather than my primary focus.

The next thing I need to focus on is building my portfolio around this direction. However, I realize it’s difficult to secure these positions because they are limited in number and usually require building from the bottom up within the same company.

Lastly, I know I would lose my passion if the company culture didn't align with my values. Which is precisely where most of the positions is available at. I’m not saying I’m letting race create a bias, but working in a Bumiputera-led environment aligns well with my spiritual needs, which ultimately helps me enjoy my work better.

For my own satisfaction—and to ensure I’m ready if the right door opens—I’ve decided to make the most of my current role at the startup. Startups are the perfect place to experiment, so I’m going to take every chance I get to build a solid portfolio. Gemini actually framed a sound strategy for this, and I’m going to start tracking these pillars:

Building the "Strategist" Portfolio

1. The "Killer" Materials: I’m going to start keeping copies of every training slide and manual I draft. These aren't just work tasks; they are my "design portfolio" that proves I can communicate complex ideas and structure information effectively.
2. The Data Wins: I need to start writing down the exact impact of my supplier and inventory decisions. Instead of just "managing" things, I want to show results—like how I created a procurement system that unified 5+ outlets and helped us hit sales targets for the first time.
3. The "Deep Dive" Success: I’ll use my specific clinical modules, like the kidney toxicity training, as case studies. It’s a perfect example of how I can translate high-level science into actionable knowledge that the staff can actually use.

Wow. This took a lot of my time today. We'll stop for now.