It’s been seven days since I stepped into my new role at the bank. The lines of codes feel taller than I am, acronyms fly faster than golf balls on a windy fairway, and every meeting and discussion reminds me how much there is to learn. Yet beneath the buzz of first-week excitement, a simple lesson keeps me grounded — a lesson I picked up over coffee with a seasoned banking leader two weeks ago: “Before you can lead anyone else, you have to lead yourself.”

That line has become my North Star. Below is how I’m trying to live it—lifting weights, running shoes, late-night study sessions and all.

Self-Management First, Management Later

During our conversation, my mentor (I’ll keep his name private) stressed that credibility starts with self-discipline. People notice whether you show up prepared, keep promises, and stay calm under pressure long before they care about your technical chops. His advice reminded me of this quote I encountered at an event: “Your habits speak louder than your résumé.”

Walking into this internship, I knew I wouldn’t impress anyone with industry lore on day one—but I could impress them by managing myself well: being on time, asking thoughtful questions, and finishing tasks when I said I would. That’s the foundation he was talking about.

Two Weeks of Small, Consistent Wins

Over the past fourteen days I’ve tried to let small, repeatable actions do the talking.

• 5 a.m. gym ritual – Twelve dawn workouts in fourteen days sharpened my focus before the inbox lights up.
• Evening jog cadence – Ten post‑work runs gave me a mental reset and a reason to step away from screens.
• Daily gratitude log – Fourteen quick lines of thanks kept perspective front‑and‑centre, especially on tougher days.
• Intentional planning block – Every morning I sketch the day: deliverables, side‑projects, even this blog (even if nobody reads it yet).
• Reading while commuting – 14 days of reading while on the train instead of doom scrolling TikTok.

These habits aren’t glamorous, but strung together they form a quiet declaration: I can manage myself. I backed those routines with small human gestures—chatting with the pantry auntie, introducing myself to a colleague across the office, thanking the bee‑hoon auntie for the extra chili. I’ve invited fellow interns to join the evening jog (two took me up on it) and I make it a point to ask at least one genuine “why?” or “how?” in every conversations. Curiosity breaks ice faster than small talk

Discipline in Action—What Colleagues Actually See

1. On-time deliverables with substance.

   When I presented the proposal on schedule, my manager nodded appreciatively and complimented the level of detail I’d packed into it.

2. Evening runs.

   My after‑work jogs that I openly invite fellow interns snowballed into an unofficial “run club,” and I’m now known around the office as the intern who started it. A few full‑timers even indicated interest in joining our loops, turning miles into potential moving team huddles.

3. Curiosity over ego.

   Instead of bluffing through finance jargon, I ask “Could you unpack that?” The room usually pauses, someone explains, and a couple of other silent interns exhale in relief. Consistent curiosity builds trust faster than pretending to know it all.

Each tiny action whispers, “I can manage myself, so you can trust me with more.” That’s the currency I’m earning right now.

This isn’t easy…

I won’t claim this is effortless. The 5 a.m. alarm still hurts, and I missed an evening jog because I chose retiring into my bed early over the park… But owning those slips — writing them in my journal and adjusting — keeps me from drifting into autopilot.

Looking Ahead

Week one showed me that self-management isn’t a box to tick; it’s a daily practice. If I keep stacking small disciplined choices — meeting deadlines, staying curious, running my evening miles — I’ll build the credibility my mentor talked about. And who knows? Maybe one day I’ll pay it forward to the next new hire, reminding them that the smallest team you’ll ever lead is yourself.

For now, I’m grateful: grateful for a mentor’s timely advice, grateful for colleagues who notice effort more than polish, and grateful for the chance to prove—one run, one report, one curious question at a time—that strong personal management really is the first step toward meaningful leadership.

👋 Connect with Me

I’m Javian Ng, a Full-Stack Infrastructure Architecture & LLM Solutions enthusiast based in Singapore. I love building scalable infrastructure and AI systems.

• 🌐 Website: www.javianng.com
• 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/javianngzh
• 🛠️ GitHub: github.com/javianng

Feel free to reach out or explore more about my projects and experiences.