This is a self-interview done by LUCK-IT creator, Sy, to test the experience of answering questions for LUCK-IT and also to get the spirit of sharing going. This interview is also the first ever posted on LUCK-IT, and the one that got the ball rolling, so to speak.

“I always wished for a textbook or encyclopaedia of case studies that would explain how to deal with all sorts of life matters and since I never found one, I guess it’s up to me to create one for myself, and everybody else.”

Q: So why did you start it?

A: I had a complicated childhood, grew up without a mum or much guidance, so I spent a lot of my life confused about how I was supposed to behave as a woman and what I should be doing with myself as a person. After many decades of blindly trying to figure life out on my own, I eventually came to understand how helpful having knowledge of other people’s experiences was for decision-making and problem-solving purposes. I always wished for a textbook or encyclopaedia of case studies that would explain how to deal with all sorts of life matters and since I never found one, I guess it’s up to me to create one for myself and everybody else.

What were the early days of LUCK-IT like?

It was an affordable art store! I was a few months short of 30 when I felt compelled to go into business on my own and I frankly didn’t have the slightest clue as to what I was really doing. All I knew for certain was that there’d be a huge learning curve and since that was unavoidable, it was best to just jump right into it and get those 10,000 hours down.

Why affordable art first and not a resource of answers from the get-go?

Simple—I didn’t think of it till much later on. Affordable art was the most doable ‘product’ idea I could think of back in 2013. It suited my personality then. Six years on however, I had acquired more work and business experience, met more people, travelled more, witnessed more births and deaths, become a minimalist and rediscovered the joys of acquiring wisdom through reading. I was racking my brain to think of how to make my art business more useful to more people while vacuuming one day when the idea for a resource of answers appeared in my head. It stayed there for months and wouldn’t go away so I just had to do something about it.

What was your routine in the months that led to you starting LUCK-IT?

In 2013, I had a full-time job as a TV producer so I had to wake before 7am to work on the business for an hour and a half before going to work, then continue after work and on weekends. I have to say it was hard to focus on either job, especially since TV production is time-consuming, mentally and physically stressful and subject to sudden overtime any time.

I was able to grow my art business much faster after I quit that job but that growth stalled again when I gave in to curiosity and took on a digital journalist job a former colleague offered me less than a year later.

It was through my years as a digital journalist however, that I learned many of the skills I would need to set up and run LUCK-IT as a resource of answers. When the time to do so came in late 2018, it was just a matter of setting aside half a day every work day to put together what I already knew could be done. I was really chill and open-minded the second time around because I knew what to expect and what I needed to do. Those hours put in really helped! Still, I’m not experienced enough to say if this version of LUCK-IT will succeed so I guess you’ll just have to check back every few months to find out how it turns out. 

What is your current work routine like?

I am presently 100% dedicated to doing business and working out a sustainable lifestyle for myself because I have experienced the inefficiency of burnout, followed by a year-long illness from being careless with my body. So I start my day by feeding all the living things living with me, go for a 5-minute jog to get my brain awake then jump right into coffee and deep work the second that is done. I break at lunch, during which I’ll do some toning exercises while waiting for food to cook, then it’s collaborative work all the way till dinner. In the evening, there will be a walk, chores and time with loved ones and books till bedtime.

How do you spend weekends?

On leisurely activities only, unless I’m really excited about getting some work thing done faster. I’m a big believer of sustainability and improving productivity with rest so I schedule rest into my week and stick with it religiously until excitement tells me otherwise.

Why is LUCK-IT called LUCK-IT?

It’s a kit you can use for luck. Get it? Kit you can use to make your own luck? Luck-kit? 🙂

If you could go back and live your life all over again, what would you do differently?

Lots. I think I was really dumb and ignorant all the way up to age 35 and if I could go back and redo everything, I would certainly make wiser and kinder choices. 

What advice do you have for the users of LUCK-IT? What is the best way to use your site for maximum benefit?

Read everything available before deciding on the best course of action for yourself. Remember that timing matters and micro-differences can affect outcomes. Treat LUCK-IT more like a 10-year-series rather than as the answer booklet to the exam you’re going to take. LUCK-IT may not give you the exact answers to the exam questions you get but you will certainly be more likely to know how to guess the correct answers after reading it.

Can a person succeed by simply following the recommended paths provided by LUCK-IT interviewees from start to end?

Every circumstance is different in minutely different ways so it is hard to say if entirely different people can get the same result by doing the exact same thing at different times. However, if you don’t know where to start at all, or if you’re hoping for some help and advice, LUCK-IT will certainly be able to provide you with clues, direction and a channel of communication with people who’ve been in the same boat, who may be able to answer the questions you have.

Which major event in your life made you who you are, in your opinion? Why do you think so?

My parents’ ugly divorce. What happened all those decades ago set in motion a series of consequences that, in hindsight, influenced my perception of life, methods of function and every last one of the major choices I’ve made. I’m very certain I wouldn’t be the person I am now if their divorce had been more amicable, though I can’t say if the difference would be for better or worse.

What were you like as a child? And how did you change at every decade? Or did you not change?

As a child, I was shy, imaginative and scared of everything. In my teenage years, I was sullen and desperate to rebel, though mostly compliant on the surface. In my twenties, I was into trying everything and anything and staying out for as long as I could. In my thirties, I finally understood who I was and what I wanted from life, learned to say ‘no’ and settled into a domesticated routine. I am still in my thirties.

Which 3 objects/people in your life can you not live without, and why?

Loved ones, text-input device and charger or pen and paper. Because I find love, in-depth observation and creative expression most meaningful and rewarding.

Of all the objects you bought in the past year, which has most positively impacted your life? Why?

The BOOX Note by Onyx—an e-ink tablet running on Android which I use to type large volumes of text on (with a Bluetooth keyboard) and read documents and books off. Before owning it, I had to grapple with printing and dealing with large volumes of paper or tedious transferring of e-book files to my Kobo (an older e-ink reader) if I wanted to save my eyes from the glare of digital screens. Now, I just do all my reading, writing and text vetting directly on my Note and no longer have tired eyes at the end of the process.

Which person do you wish LUCK-IT would interview for you to learn from? Why?

All sorts of people. All ages, races, nationalities, genders, orientations, religions, walks of life, especially those who seldom get to speak their minds. I believe every single person has something he/she can teach everybody else about. Maybe after a thousand interviews, we might end up noticing some patterns? See something we don’t yet know now? This is my quest and you can help out by telling me yours.

What’s the worst advice you’ve been given, or have heard people giving? And what’s the best?

Worst advice: “Just do as he/she/they say(s).” Unless you’re a complete noob on your first day, I don’t think anybody should simply do as another person says in the long run without first processing the said words with his/her own conscience or intellect. The Holocaust happened because many people did as they were told; during 9/11, right after the first WTC tower got hit, building authorities told people in the twin tower next door to stay in because it was safer than going outside. Other people don’t necessarily know or want better, I think.

Best advice: “In life, you get what you put in. Want love? Give love. Want friends? Be friendly. Want money? Show value. Want to be miserable? Cause misery.”

You can link up with Sy on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. She almost always follows back on those platforms.

Photographs courtesy and copyright of Sy.
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