“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” is one of the random quotes I have posted on my Facebook page over the past six (6) years. During that year, I wandered on foreign soil with a different language to speak and a small circle of friends. The journey, with obstacles that I had never experienced before, made me think about who I am in this world and what my purpose is. Today, the self-leadership module by Prof. Astuty made me think that I may know who I am generally, but do I know myself, my values, and my goals in academia? I start asking myself.
In this life, we will not always get what we want, which may lead to disappointment and demotivation. Our attitude toward handling this situation determines who we are and who I am. I believe “with hardship comes ease” Surah AI-Insyirah (The Relief) [94:5-6]. As popular Malay proverb,
“Berakit-rakit ke hulu, bernang-renang ke tepian, bersakit-sakit dahulu, bersenang-senang kemudian”
What’s important to me is the attitude. A positive attitude helps me see opportunities in challenges, leading to better problem-solving and perseverance. I think a positive attitude helps me to stay sane. One of the positive attitudes that I could think of is “sabar”, or patience. Even though it is challenging to gain patience, I’ll always try my best to have at least a little patience.
In every lecture session, my aim is for my students to learn something new and enjoying the learning process, no other than that. My long-term goal is to be a Muslim Malay lady’s expert in brain signals analysis.
My action is my responsibility. Accountability is a leadership value that should be instilled in every individual in academia. Owning mistakes and celebrating our successes is part of it. I would always acknowledge students’ feedback on my good or not-so-good teachings by maintaining the good parts and improving the not-so-good parts. Self-reflection is the key, which can be done by continuously improving teaching methods and course content to engage students and facilitate effective learning. Whereby my responsibility is not only this 1P (teaching) but also the other 6Ps which are supervising (penyeliaan), research (penyelidikan), publication (penabitan), consultation (perundingan), commercialization (pengkomersialan), and professional service (khidmat profesional). These seven core responsibilities motivate me to drive forward and help me to identify my self-potentials.
There are a lot of things I have to learn. One of them is building networks for collaborations. Some say, “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go in a team.” With a team, people will put their trust in us by investing and facilitating academic activities such as research, consultation, commercialization, and professional services. This can be done by seeking mentorship from the seniors in the academic fields. As of today, I have appointed a mentor with a similar research background in my department. She is helpful with her guidance, advice, and support in navigating academic challenges and career development. To enhance my skills and knowledge in academic fields, I also actively participate in open courses offered by the Center for Talent and Leadership Development (CTLD), UTM. The courses I have attended are Supervisory Orientation Course (AS101), Publishing Your Research In Indexed Journals (APP4), Strategies For High Impact Publication & Citation, and many more.
Time management and productivity are important for building successful habits. They drive me forward in the correct direction. I must prioritise tasks and be able to set boundaries between work and personal matters. I would also always write schedules and things-to-do lists to keep track of all the tasks. This habit can help me develop an efficient working attitude. I’ll always surround myself with individuals with positive attitudes to ensure my health and well-being (less stress). People in our surroundings can indicate our success, thinking, actions, reactions, and well-being. Nevertheless, kindness towards others is very important. It goes by “what goes around comes around”. Ultimately, my intention shall stick to the UTM Motto “Kerana Tuhan, Untuk Manusia” because of Allah, for mankind.