Home | start-from-scratch

UPSKILLING

CHALLENGE

Top

Lead

Staying at home for months gave me enough opportunity to think about what else I can do with my time (and my life, really).

Under my belt, I have old curiosities that I once felt were too difficult for me or thought I didn’t have the time for because of serious adulting matters.

Those two reasons, repeated over and over again, eventually gave me a lackluster life. And following the inspiration of Shakespeare and the other guys who were prolific during an earlier pandemic, I say that now is the perfect time to turn that around!

CHALLENGE #1

CHALLENGE #2

Screenshot_20201230-124512_TradingView.j

CHALLENGE #3

pexels-elviss-railijs-bitāns-1389429.jpg

PLAY THE

CAJON

Challenge 1

The premise

I used to play string instruments. I didn't get to that virtuoso level, not even close, but I was in love with creating music. After years of not practicing, though, I gradually lost the skills, until I can only remember basic guitar chords and cringe whenever I bow the violin.

Losing my ability to play music is one of my biggest regrets. I remember justifying it as only natural -- because it's just a hobby -- and I have long forced myself to accept that the most I can do now is to appreciate music.

CHALLENGE #2 >>

The premise

My brother has been a day trader for more than three years now. When he was starting, he would often nudge me to learn because of the obvious financial benefits of trading. Duh?

But the charts were nauseous and his explanations of price action were gibberish to me. Of course, I won’t deny that there were a lot to gain in learning to trade, especially to someone without any financial literacy, but I knew back then that my inclinations never came close to studying charts and numbers.

Besides, I was a full-time teacher. Where would I get extra time?

CHALLENGE #3 >>

learn to

trade

Challenge 2

content

create online

The premise

Since the start of the pandemic, I've found myself consuming more content than ever, with vlogs, movies, social media, and other free resources circulating the internet. I rekindled my interest in drawing, creating music, etc. by following urban sketchers, musicians, and writers on Instagram, and learning about innovative ideas through TED talks and series such as Netflix's Abstract: The Art of Design.

You see, while these things look normal to many, they are enlightening to me who was once energized by divergent thinking and what-ifs and was heavily into visual arts and music as a child. I lost the spark, so to speak, and found it again when I caught myself wide-eyed at the many wonders that other people make.

WRAPPING UP>>

Challenge 3

OKAY, those undertakings look intricate and well-planned. In reality, they’re just way more messy.

But the point is, I gave them a shot because there’s something out there that can support the adventure. Upskilling is not easy, especially if we go at it without a guide. Indulging in my curiosities made me see that the virtual world, where social distancing has pushed us further into, is actually a good place to find good mentors. YouTube? Spotify? Even Instagram? We only need to follow the right channels and names, search for the right keywords, and they'll give us an access to some of the best teachers and resources out there.

In fact, this website? It’s Challenge #4. It turns out a lot of free tutorials are newbie-friendly.

‘Til our next challenge!

BACK TO TOP

A LIST OF PLATFORMS/RESOURCES YOU MAY USE FOR UPSKILLING

Wrap Up