So much can change in a year.

Assalamualaikum.

It’s been almost a year since my last post, and it’s interesting to see how much can change in my life in just one short year. Like, I know how life can be a surprise with its ups and downs and all that. But still, seeing how unpredictable life is and how I would never, in a million years, think that I’d be where I am now, it’s just… amazing.

So, for future reference (mine, not yours), I thought I could jot down some stuff.

Welcoming our rainbow baby after a hard loss.

Let’s get the big and major news out of the way first – yes, we are now a family of four, Alhamdulillah! After losing our baby in an ectopic pregnancy last year, we never expected to get pregnant again so soon. I was more than ready to spend at least another couple of years with our little girl, enjoying my life as a mother of one. But indeed, God knows best, and He works in such mysterious ways.

A little over 3 months after my laparoscopic surgery to remove the ectopic pregnancy, the double line emerged. It didn’t only take both of us by surprise – even my gynaecologist at KPJ Damansara 2 stared at us with disbelief at how this could happen.

Alhamdulillah, our little rainbow baby brought us more love than I could have ever imagined. Similar to my first pregnancy with Aina, it was a smooth journey. No morning sickness, no weird or random cravings, and no major allergies or medical concerns. I was just plain tired throughout the whole pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. Work was piling up, and managing work with the little energy I had left was brutal.

But we survived it, Alhamdulillah. And on 2nd June 2025, our little rainbow baby boy joined us Earth-side. I’ll write a little more about the whole delivery and recovery journey a little later (hopefully), but it was definitely one to remember.

Getting more responsibilities at work.

When I first joined my current company (TalentCorp) in November 2023, I was assigned to the Graduate & Emerging Talent department. But in January 2024, I was moved to the newly established Group Strategy Office. This was not only wildly new to me, but it was also not something that I was initially inclined towards (but I said yes anyway because the person who asked me was the same person who pulled me into the company, so saying No was not really an option).

The past 1.5 years have been a… roller-coaster ride, to say the least. From not really knowing what it means to be a part of the Strategy department to handling major initiatives and programs within the Group and beyond. From it being just a two-man show (manager and me), to growing the team to a strong seven team. And from only focusing on internal Group-level initiatives and programs to working on international and national-level programs with other big stakeholders.

But it’s been a fun journey, and the people I have in my team made it all manageable. Yes, sometimes I still feel like I’m in over my head. Sometimes I feel like a huge impostor at work, waiting for people to find out that I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. But my big boss believes in me, and my manager does too. If they say I’m doing OK, I must be doing a-OK. And that’s all that matters.

Growth can be uncomfortable, but you have to change to get better.

For me, two of the biggest things I learnt at work were:

1. Learning to let go of work and delegate. I was used to doing everything on my own (especially for the first few months when it was just my manager and I), so I found it a tad bit hard to let go of certain tasks. When things got a little too hectic, I asked if we could take in an intern (which we did!), and it was also my first time overseeing someone’s growth. Delegating tasks has always been a challenge to me, but I know I have to do it. After all, as you climb up the career ladder, it’s not so much about you being able to do everything by yourself, but also letting your team grow and shine.
2. Done imperfectly is always better than perfectly incomplete. Being able to churn out ideas and drafts quickly and going back to refine them as time goes by allows for better execution and management, rather than waiting for it to be perfectly laid out (as life will almost always never be perfect. There will always be room for improvements and feedback; therefore, getting the first draft out as soon as possible is always key. You can always edit and change them as needed.

I also have some plans in mind about where I see my career going in the future. And some of the plans (or ideas) seem scary as hell, not to mention probably near impossible. But, hey, you’ve got to dream big and aim high, no?

Sometimes, priorities change, and that’s OK.

Since I ran my first (and at the moment, last) Kejar Kerjaya Masterclass in March 2024, I could not do much for Kejar Kerjaya. Personal life, work, and family commitments took over, and I decided to let Kejar Kerjaya take a step back for a while. I still answered emails and inquiries wherever possible, and take on the occasional invitation to deliver a workshop or two. But, wherever possible, I re-route opportunities to either my colleagues at TalentCorp, or other coaches whom I know would have better capacity to address them.

It’s not like I want it to stay on the back burner forever. Kejar Kerjaya will always be my baby (well, after my two actual babies). And I have big dreams about what I would like to do with Kejar Kerjaya. To fully make it grow, to actually running it as a full-time business, to recruit and develop a team of career coaches working under the brand, and to grow the influence and build a community.

But, for now, it may not be in the books at the moment. Yes, I know, there are people who successfully run a business while working full-time with young kids. It is possible, yes, with hard work and commitment. And it’s not me saying that I am not committed to this passion project of mine. This is me putting a healthy boundary on my sanity and energy level, knowing what I am realistically capable of doing and managing before burning out and crashing. This is me, on a rare occasion in my life, putting my mental and physical health first before doing anything.

And for someone who grew up as a people-pleaser and loves jumping into ideas ALL THE TIME without due consideration and care for her own health, this is a major win.

I’ll come back to you, Kejar Kerjaya, this I can promise you. Whether it be this year, next year, or in the next couple of years. We will continue our blueprint. But for now, let’s take things a little slow.

Getting the body back slowly.

On a more random note, I am also trying out Pilates now! This started because I got bored at home during my maternity leave and decided to check out my (dead) ClassPass app. ClassPass offered me a two-week trial for only RM25 (cheap!), so I decided to try it out.

Last Thursday was my first time trying out Pilates Reformer at a studio near my house. Mind you, I’ve been thinking about it for the past couple of months, but thinking about doing Pilates during pregnancy was a bit scary. And the laziness was there (not denying it!). But since I have two more months of staying at home (and letting my body recover internally), I figured, might as well get moving.

And it surprisingly felt good to me. Sure, there were a few moves that I had to take things slow because of how it felt on my body (and abdomen, specifically), considering how I am still one month postpartum. But it felt good for me to finally get out and get my body moving again, with the additional perks of meeting and talking to actual people, aside from my baby. Plus, my company allows us to claim up to 1k for wellness benefits, which include fitness memberships and fees. Might as well utilize that for pilates classes, right? :p

Here’s to life, and to whatever the future has in store for us.

As always, I have no idea how to properly end a rambling post like this. So, I guess that’s it then? You’ll see me again, maybe? Let’s hope the next post is not in another 12 months, or else I might as well cancel my hosting package and save myself a bunch of money. Anyhow, if you managed to read up until the end – kudos to you for making it through. But also, whyyyy?

Adieu for now – it’s been good to get back to writing again, even if it is just for one post per year. Until I see you again (whenever that is), stay awesome & take care! And send your prayers over as I survive my new life as a mother of two.