Most continue to fail at work & life is because they think by working hard at work they will get what they want. The reality is that you got to work harder on becoming better so that you can get better results for work and life. Work on your attitude. Work on your skills sets. Work on your knowledge & most importantly work on your habits. It’s never just about your job, your company or even your boss not giving you the opportunity you need. It’s always about you not working on your self to get better ahead in work and life. Have a great week and get better every single day just by 1% and you will be better by 365% this year. 😉
48 comments:
3 years at my previous company, I was just doing the same tasks every day—documentation, documentation, and more documentation. I tried to get opportunities to do more, but everything stayed very conventional and traditional.
At PORTMAN, action comes first because talk is cheap. I’m grateful to be given real chances to grow, take on new responsibilities, and build my skillsets beyond just teaching. Every day here pushes me to become better, not only in work but also in life. Thank you for creating an environment where we can level up and progress continuously.
Rahm
PORTMAN International School
Thank you, for sharing such a thoughtful reminder about personal and professional growth. Your message highlights an important truth: real success does not come only from working hard, but from continuously improving ourselves in attitude, skills, knowledge and daily habits. Appreciate the way you emphasise the importance of becoming better from the inside so that our work can grow stronger on the outside.
3 years at my previous company, I was just doing the same tasks every day—documentation, documentation, and more documentation. I tried to get opportunities to do more, but everything stayed very conventional and traditional.
At PORTMAN, action comes first because talk is cheap. I’m grateful to be given real chances to grow, take on new responsibilities, and build my skillsets beyond just teaching. Every day here pushes me to become better, not only in work but also in life. Thank you for creating an environment where we can level up and progress continuously.
Rahm
PORTMAN International@ICity
Powerful reminder! Success doesn’t come from working harder on the job but from working harder on ourselves. When we grow in mindset, skills, habits and discipline, everything else in life naturally improves.
I agree with you, Mr. Ernie. Success isn’t just about working hard, it’s about improving ourselves every day. Small steps lead to big results in work and life.
Nurul Ain Fatehah binti Baharuddin (PORTMAN College Lecturer)
>1000% true of all that you said Mr. Ernie. Working on oneself in the right way will help us to achieve our goals faster, better, stronger and more everlasting. The phrase “…better every single day just by 1% and you will be better by 365% this year” is superbly impactful; it is a game changing awareness. The immediate environment (workplace or social space) is getting more competitive in its own unique ways. Upgrading oneself is very much needed, especially in the age of AI.
I completely agree with this! Improving ourselves truly makes the biggest difference. I’ll keep working on my attitude, skills, and habits too. Thank you for the reminder—always aiming to grow a little more every day!
Well said. Success becomes more achievable when we focus on developing ourselves, not just our workload. A great reminder to keep learning and improving daily.
Thank you Mr.Ernie for the reminder. Yes, opportunities will not come to us if we are not actively looking for them. We must be willing to step out of our comfort zone, keep improving ourselves, and continuously seek chances to grow. Reminder for myself!
-Lyana Roslan-
It’s true that once we take the time to work on ourselves, our mindset, and our habits, everything else slowly starts to fall into place. Sometimes we forget that the small improvements we make daily actually shape the bigger results in our life. Thank you for this reminder Mr Ernie! - Husna
Doing good work is necessary, but growth begins the moment we step outside our comfort zone. At times, we must invest in ourselves first so that we can better contribute to others. Yes, it is hard to change what we are used to, but it is possible.
100% agree with you sir. Focus on making our self better especially on skills and attitude first then eventually our work quality also gonna get better.
yes sir, we must aim to be perfect in everything. Excellence in our creates excellence in our work. Stop waiting for chances and create them by becoming better. Perfect ourself, and success has no choice but to follow.
Great reminder, Mr. Ernie. Focusing on improving ourselves truly changes everything. Small daily improvements can create powerful results. Thank you for the opportunities that continue to help me grow and improve day by day.
Totally agree with you, Mr. Ernie. If we want to succeed in anything, we’ve got to be brave💪🏻enough to try. Good knowledge, attitude, and habits are really the best investments for our future.
Having worked in PORTMAN, I feel truly grateful for everything I’ve learned. Thank you for the support and for giving me the chance to keep growing and becoming better.
Over the years, I’ve taken on many different roles — from taking care of the cafeteria, managing daily operations, handling maintenance work, fixing things, to supporting customer service. These tasks may seem small from the outside, but to me, they were meaningful lessons that shaped who I am today.
I’m genuinely thankful for every experience and for the opportunity to continue improving myself every day.
Aisha PIS@Akasa
Thank you, Mr. Ernie, for this powerful reminder. Your words highlight something many of us tend to overlook, that growth starts from within. It’s not just about working harder, but working smarter on ourselves: our mindset, skills, habits, and the way we show up every day. I truly appreciate this perspective, and it’s a timely encouragement to keep improving, even if it’s only 1% each day. Your guidance is always valued. Thank you, sir.
Very well said sir Focusing on skills, attitude and habits truly makes a difference. Thanks for sharing this.
I completely agree with you Mr. Ernie. Focusing on improving our mindset, skills, and habits truly makes a difference in the results we achieve. We need to keep improving ourselves everyday to achieve better results
Hanisha Kaur - Very well said, Mr. Ernie. Daily learning truly helps us improve every day. Thank you for always sharing and guiding us to grow further.
Thanks for sharing this, Mr. Ernie. It’s a timely reminder that growth starts from within. We’ll continue working on our habits and skills. Results don’t lie — we’ll keep improving ourselves to work smarter and faster, catch every opportunity, and make things happen. Follow the system with no excuses. 👍
This is a powerful reminder and sharing. Many of us focus so much on working hard that we forget the importance of working on ourselves. It is a great perspective and will definitely take it to heart. Growing even 1% each day is a simple but impactful mindset.
A great reminder to keep improving ourselves even just a little whether in mindset, daily life or even work. Consistency in upgrading our skills and logic thinking will always bring something new in ourselves.
This hits hard because it’s true. We often blame circumstances instead of upgrading ourselves. Real progress begins within. Well said.
Well said. Real progress comes when you focus on improving yourself, not just working better.
Truth. The hardest job is working on ourselves, but the returns are the highest.
Agree. A 1% daily shift sounds small, but it rewrites your whole direction. Thank You Mr Ernie.
I always believe hard work and attitude are very important for a successful career. You won't reach to the limit if you are not pushing yourself enough and you won't be discipline and consistency without having a right attitude. These two methods could lead into better and more successful individuals and successful in coming years!! Thank you for highlighting these important points, Mr. Ernie!
You’re right, Mr. Ernie. Success isn’t just about hard work, it’s about growing bit by bit every day. Tiny improvements can add up to significant achievements.
Noorainiazila Azmi
Business Management Lecturer
PORTMAN College
Thank you for this inspiring message. It’s a powerful reminder that our habits, mindset, and personal growth shape our success. Since joining PORTMAN, I’ve learned to continuously improve and push myself beyond my comfort zone. I’m genuinely grateful for the supportive environment and the opportunities given to me to grow, develop my skills, and become better in my role. Truly appreciate the leadership and guidance.
-akmadaud-
powerful truth. Thanks for sharing this Boss—definitely focusing on improving my attitude, skills, and habits this week. Also agree. It's all about self-improvement and developing those habits. Really motivating way to start the week and thanks for the insightful reminder. Focusing on that 1% improvement every day, starting now.
Thank you, Mr. Ernie, for your insight. Every day we have the chance to learn something new and improve, to become the best version of ourselves. Working hard is good, but working hard with a clear aim supported by the right attitude, strong skill sets, solid knowledge, and good habits will drive us even further.
It’s a good reminder that growth starts with ourselves. Thank you for the warm reminder Mr Ernie. Keep focusing on improving our habits, skills, and attitude daily.
Starting a new journey is never easy, but seeing all our efforts bear fruit is truly satisfying. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to grow and ride this journey together with PORTMAN!
Thank you for this inspiring reminder, sir. I’ll keep working on improving myself and becoming 1% better each day. 💯
"It’s always about you not working on your self to get better ahead in work and life", this is a very important reminder. If we don't work on ourselves, we wont move forward in work and also in life. Our growth, success, and progress depend on our personal responsibility. Thank for this great message. -Kirthiga-
Last time I kept doing more and just made sure I stayed late, did more, took more. Every time, everywhere, whatever also I wanted to do for my career… whichever student also I wanted to close… whichever partner also I wanted to collaborate… whoever friend also I wanted to keep.
Until I realised and learnt along the journey of my career:
not necessarily doing more, staying late, or layan more will give us more or equal to more value.⚖️
It's about becoming smarter in everything you do, valuing your work, the decisions you make, and the actions you take.🧠💪🏻
You can spend 1 week or even 1 month doing 1 thing, making 1 move. But that one plan or move can bring a bigger leap than 100 things you did that are not necessary or not helping towards the ultimate goal.🎯
So being smarter every day is a lifelong learning journey that cannot stop. To keep doing that, most people need to keep failing to get smarter. To make it a little faster, you can stick and follow the people who are smarter. And one last tip: remove all the zero-value or negative-value people from your life.📈
Thank you all 🙏🏻 You have helped me throughout this journey.
Absolutely agree with this, sir. Many people forget that real growth doesn’t come from just clocking in the hours but it also comes from continuously improving who we are. Working on our mindset, skills, habits, and knowledge truly makes the difference between staying the same and moving forward. Thank you for the reminder to take ownership of our own progress. Here’s to becoming 1% better every day and showing up as a stronger version of ourselves. Both at work and in life. Let’s make this week count
I used to think that working harder at my job was all I needed to move forward. But over time, I realised the real breakthrough comes from working on myself improving my attitude, building new skills, strengthening my knowledge and adjusting my daily habits. This message really speaks to me because it reflects what I’m still learning every day. Thank you Mr Ernie for the reminder. It encourages me to keep growing, even if it’s just 1% at a time.
A truth many overlook success isn’t just about grinding harder at tasks, but about deliberately improving who you are every day. It’s less about dramatic leaps and more about steady, intentional progress.
Nothing in this world is impossible.
Even the word itself says that ‘IM POSSIBLE’.Congratulations for
this amazing success.
Totally agree, boss. Small consistent steps really do lead to meaningful progress.
Thank you for the reminder. I’ll keep focusing on improving myself day by day.
Have a great week ahead!
Insightful as always sir. Thank you for always sharing things that keep us grounded and motivated ❤️
Working hard is definitely challenging, but it has pushed me to reflect and realise how much room there is for growth. When the intention is growth, every effort becomes worthwhile. I appreciate the opportunities at PORTMAN that allow me to learn, grow, and improve step by step. Thank you to you, my line managers, and everyone who has been part of my growth journey. I look forward to continuing to improve myself even more.
Totally agree with this. After being with PORTMAN for the past four years, I’ve really seen how much I’ve grown day by day. The biggest change for me is being able to solve problems today that I couldn’t even handle yesterday. With Experience and a willingness to learn, we are able to achieve this 1% daily.
Great Reminder, will keep reminding there is room for improvement.
Absolutely agree, Mr. Ernie. Thank you for the continuous guidance and the daily lessons you share with us. What you said is very true, many people assume that working harder at their job alone will bring success, but real growth comes from working on ourselves first.
Your reminder about attitude, skills, knowledge, and habits is powerful. These are the foundations that determine our long-term results, not just our workload or position.
I truly appreciate how you always push us to look inward, to improve our mindset, and to take responsibility for our own progress.I feel blessed to learn from you every day. Your insights consistently help us realign our thinking and strengthen our approach to both work and life.
We will continue striving to grow, even if it’s just 1% better each day , because that 1% compounds into something truly meaningful over time.
Thank you once again for the inspiration and for investing your time to guide us. 🙏✨ 🥰 💪
I started my journey with PORTMAN not as an educator or leader, but as a college student pursuing my Diploma in Business Management. Looking back, the biggest lesson wasn’t just about the Diploma, it was being trained to think critically and creatively, to solve real problems for people, and to understand that value will always return in abundance when you serve with the right mindset.
As Mr. Ernie always says:
“If you think you are working hard, work harder.”
That mindset shaped me.
I began to explore who I could become and what kind of life I truly wanted. PORTMAN transformed me, from a typical Chinese-educated student into someone exposed to Western thinking, bold belief systems, and renewed confidence, while still holding on to the strong Asian values I was raised with.
When I started my first job in PORTMAN as a marketing executive, I was the first to arrive, unlocking the office, and the last to leave, locking up after everyone else. I took every opportunity to be involved in new projects, collaborated with every department, and made it my mission to understand how everything worked behind the scenes.
Most people overlooked what they considered “unimportant” tasks, like reading company history, studying every media article ever written about us, digging through old files, or helping directors with backend work and many more. But I didn’t question it, I just did it. I trusted the process because I wanted to truly understand the DNA of the company, so that when the opportunity came, I would already be ready.
I was once just a junior, curious, hungry, and willing to do what others dismissed as “stupid work.” But through those tasks, I uncovered the story, values, and vision of the organisation. That made me more valuable. When bosses needed support or answers, I was ready. That opened the door for me to be part of meetings, business partnerships, and to observe firsthand how leaders think, decide, and lead.
While others at my level were out gossiping at mamaks or hanging out at cafés, I was unknowingly building my career. Work is just work, what makes the difference is how you see the work. Every small detail matters.
And yes, improving just 1% each day really does turn into 365% better by the end of the year.
Today, I am truly grateful for the values, belief systems, and transformational education instilled in me through PORTMAN Education and the leadership of Mr. Ernie. I was once a little girl who couldn’t even speak a full sentence in English.
Now, I run 2 schools, work with partners and families,
I helped launch the world’s first AI-powered university in the U.S.,
And I’m building the AI-powered IGCSE tuition platform – Portdemy with the team,
All while helping to shape the next generation of leaders.
I used to wonder,
“Why am I always the one handling all the difficult challenges?”
Now I understand — it was part of the process.
Because I was willing to push through, solve problems, and keep getting better,
That is exactly why I’ve become who I am today.
Thank you, Mr. Ernie.
Thank you, PORTMAN.
Ivy
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