Learning at work

There was a Chinese saying, "Life until old, learn until old". The first time I heard this saying, I truly appreciated this saying. And ironically, I heard this saying from a very senior (in terms of age) person in my old company.

Therefore, in work, I always seek new things to do. I will easily get bored and tired with repetitive stuffs. That is one reason I have been interested with project and design works from the very beginning of my career.

Some might say, project also repetitive work, but I can tell you, not one single project is the same. Thru my 10 years of working experiences in project, I have never came across 2 identical projects. Each project is unique in its given way. It can be the engineering application of it, it can be the economical point of view, it can me from efficiency point of view etc.

I have side track from what I have in mind for this posting. Back to the learning. I have been using a Computer Aided Design software since day 1 of my working life. All the while I was only able to do plans and 2D views. This is not due to the limitation of the software, it is due to the limitation of my know-how to use the software.

I was planning to design the new kitchen of our house, hence, I was busy drawing the plans of the house and front view of the kitchen from various angles. I was really keen to learn how to draw isometric drawings from the day I learned to use the software.Isometric drawings actually gives you an almost 3D view of the drawing.

I have seen my colleague did it and I am sure he knows how to do it well. So without hesitation, today I ask him how do do that drawing and he showed me some new command and there I was happily drawing away the Isometric drawings.

Now, the lesson learn here are 2 main ones. First, never be too shy to ask for guidance. I always have this philosophy in me that I rather become a stupid person for one time by never be shy to ask someone to teach me of the things I don't know, then becoming a stupid person for a lifetime by being shy to ask. There is a Malay saying to this that is translated to be "If you are shy to ask for direction, you will lost your way to your destination." Even Chinese have a saying that translate to, "Direction of the destination is always beside the mouth"

The second lesson is the saying, "Life until old, learn until old".