3 Steps To Strive In Whatever You’re Doing

You may be wondering what you can do to strive. The answer might be the question itself

Wildiani Agustin is one of Quipper Indonesia’s Client Relations Officer. She was awarded Quipperior of the Month, last month. Therefore, we’ve done an interview with her — for her to share her thoughts, feelings, and learning during her work here in Quipper.

Client Relations Officers in general are responsible for making good relationships between clients and the company. Client Relations Officer's roles are not only about delivering services and reports to clients but also about making sure that our clients feel comfortable with us and trust that we understand their needs.

When clients are satisfied with our services, then all the goods that come from that satisfaction will be given.

But the question is how? How do we make our clients satisfied? How do we make people satisfied with what we do? How do we be a good connecting bridge internally and externally?

Of course, the answer seems obvious right, we need to understand our clients! We need to understand the various teams we work with within the company. We need to understand who are the people we’re dealing with.

But to understand, we have to practice the most important skill in life, which is to reflect. To reflect upon yourself.

Reflections always start with questions. These are the three stages of reflection that not only helps you to understand people but also yourself — which makes you strive.

Define You

When was the last time you took a deep look at yourself?

Taking a deep look at yourself once in a while builds connection within you. You start to see yourself in a different lens. You start to see your raw, yet admirable self.

As you start to see yourself positively, you also begin to notice your best traits and ways on doing things. Which is very important when you want to achieve something meaningful for you.

I’m an ENTJ, according to the MBTI description people that fall into the ENTJ group are assertive and effective. Which resonates so much with me!

I may not look like it, and many people may not know this aspect of me, but I’m very ambitious. If I have a goal, I will be very serious about it and create a series of action plans to reach it.

Planning is so important for me as I’m also such an organized individual. So much so, that I can’t go through a day without planning it ahead — the night before I go to sleep.

Every night, I’d run through the things that I’ve done throughout the day, and reflect. I’ll write down things, and think of strategies on how I can do things better. Then I’ll plan out everything on how I should embrace the next day.

I’d write various reminders for myself on sticky notes, and hang it in my bedroom wall.

Writing down reflections and plans, helps me understand myself.

Which leads to understanding myself from a vulnerable side as well, which consist — my struggles.

Define Your Struggles

I graduated from English Literature. So being a Client Relations Officer is not a smooth transition for me.

Being a Client Relations Officer, I have to use Ms. Excel a lot, and also deal with various types of clients. It was quite a struggle for me at first.

But because I was able to define and accept these struggles upfront, I was able to catch-up by seeking help from my team. I got the support that I needed to fulfill my role, especially from my fellow partner in the team, Runi.

She’d help me whenever I forget Ms. Excel formulas needed, give me tips on how to deal with certain clients, and just be a great teammate that works together with me to be better each and every day.

My team is so much so like a family. We’d always eat lunch together, laugh together, and remind each other to relax. My team plays a significant role in me doing my best work.

As we unwrap the layers of papers that the word “struggle” are covered in. We gradually discover that the struggles in life are actually a gift to us.

My ownership towards projects, and my communication skills have improved significantly because of the struggles that I had.

The struggles that I had became fuel for my enthusiasm towards work, it became my learning mat to do better work professionally, and personally.

Of course there are days when struggles just look like struggles. For example the pandemic that is happening right now. It truly felt like a struggle to me. Especially the first month we all had to work-remotely.

I became a night owl, my sleeping schedule became ruined.

I spent a lot online, buying stuff here and there.

It was very boring! I thought to myself, “What am I supposed to do at home 24 hours a day for a whole month?”

But eventually I came to accept the situation, understanding that we are not in control — and there’s nothing we can do about this situation, except to comply with the regulations that are made. Stay at home, and try to adjust.

Adjusting is difficult, but it can be eased when you adjust together.

For example, at work, me and my team adjusted to the situation happening by re-creating our work systems. We’d have meetings and discussions on how to still do our best work even if it’s not done in Office. We’d communicate often, clearly, and effectively.

And as I felt like adjusting to the situation, I started to pick up healthy habits as well for myself, such as eating healthy meals, and exercising more.

Keep Swimming

As you’ve defined who you are, and what are your struggles, the only thing left to do, is to just keep swimming.

Defining who you are, what your struggles are — is already a deep series of reflections. Reflections that awakens you, and creates awareness within you towards the unexpected gifts in life.

Gifts that surprises you, like “Employee of The Month Award”.

Gifts that supports you and give warmth to your days, like a great team.

Gifts that makes you grow and strive in whatever you do, like a good struggle.

And gifts that becomes a mirror for you, and let you see yourself as who you are — the same person you loved yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

As you learn to understand the many kinds of gifts in life, whatever it looks like, it becomes easier for you to stay focused and keep on moving forward.

Because only then you come to understand that the fact when things aren’t going as you planned it to be — it is also a gift. It’s a gift that leads you to unexpected places, that you’ve never imagined yourself being in, and that place turned out to be the best place you are supposed to be in at that very moment.

I never imagined working in an education company, and being a part of the Distributors of Wisdom. I’ve used to always dreamed working in the embassy and going to Graduate School right away after college. But things didn’t go as planned, and it’s ok — cause life isn’t supposed to be perfect as an instagram feed.

We can always make new plans and dreams, and just keep swimming. Eventually, like Nemo, you will find your way to the place you are supposed to be, in the best way possible.

Just like how I finally found my way to Quipper.