來新加坡兩年，我後悔了嗎？｜Two Years in Singapore: Do I Regret It?

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2024年8月，轉眼間在新加坡的生活，滿兩年了。

由於最一開始的簽證是兩年一簽，度過這個門檻，順利續簽了簽證，還真的有種跨到全新階段的感覺。
霎時間也感到有些百感交集，一方面發現離開家人朋友已經兩年，一方面又突然意識到，在這兩年中，真的也發生了不少事，腦袋中的跑馬燈不自覺旋轉起來。

對於來到新加坡的這個決定，現在的我，回頭看兩年前的選擇，感受如何呢？
是享受，是開心？是委屈，是壓力？是慶幸，還是後悔？

時間回溯到兩年多前，當時我還任職於台灣的前東家，公司裡有位資深的前輩，我們都暱稱他為負能量大魔王。

他總是喜歡跑來找我們聊天，美其言是聊天，實則為滿滿負能量及抱怨。他完全不在乎聽者的感受，只抱怨他想抱怨的東西，滿意後便拍拍屁股走人，留下被搞得烏煙瘴氣的我們，獨自懷疑人生。

他的負能量有多強呢？之前公司有位剛畢業的分析師，在他常常上班也抱怨，下班也抱怨的狀況下（是的，這位前輩甚至會在下班後打電話給她，她因著是新人，不敢不接前輩的電話)，差點得到憂鬱症。因此當時公司甚至下了禁令，勒令他不得來找我們這些新入職的同事聊天，以免他繼續在公司散播負能量，殊不知在上面沒發現的情況下，他依然故我。

抱怨的內容舉凡：
1. 現在我們任職的公司有多糟糕，多麽沒有發展的前景，在這裡繼續工作下去真的看不到未來。
2. 現在年輕人畢業人起薪跟他們20年前一樣，房價又居高不下，真的是太慘了，台灣沒救了。
3. 中國真的是一片欣欣向榮，反觀台灣，接下來到底何去何從？（他本人非常喜歡中國，不過這是中國2023年經濟走下坡之前的台詞了)
4. 同事和我詢問他的建議，是否在台灣還有可能的發展方向，是否有機會可以到海外工作。他的回答通常是：「太難了，不可能」。
5. 某些他認識的名校畢業生，現在發展也是起起伏伏，工作機會及產業充滿限制，真的為他們感到很悲傷，台灣對不起這些年輕人。

每次在他拍拍屁股結束談話後，我跟同事總是會陷入深深的憂鬱情緒，覺得我們的未來好像真的就是看不見其他可能性，這些結構性問題太龐大了，憑我們也改變不了什麼，只能接受這樣的現實，繼續過一天算一天的生活。

我有時會對他的言論感到不快，他僅是想要抒發他的負能量，卻沒有任何有建設性的解法，這樣真的是很不負責任。他身為社會上相對的既得利益者（在台灣經濟起飛的年代出社會工作，以他的年資和經歷到現在，資源及收入都相較我們好很多，也買了在仁愛路附近的房子），卻帶著一個優越的角度，來談論現在的局勢有多麼不理想，到處散播負能量，真的是個很不負責任的長輩。

他的言行舉止，讓我在找工作不順利的時候，覺得更加絕望了。是不是人生真的就只能像他說的這樣，大家一起困在台灣？

然後，場景切換來到新加坡。

在新加坡的日子，雖然也不是那麼容易，但每一天，都感覺被推著在快速的成長。

一開始來到新加坡，順利的從台灣偏後台基金管理的工作，換到前台投資為主的職能，但前台與預期中相同，腳步較基金管理節奏緊湊許多，需要用到英文溝通的比例也頗為吃重。其次，由於目標市場也從單一國家，轉變為整個亞太區，工作範圍自然也增加許多，加上剛來語言還沒有這麼流利，光是要適應這樣的節奏，便已經感到頗為吃力。一直到現在進入第二年，我才逐漸開始產生游刃有餘的感覺。

這兩年來，不管是工作能力、語言能力及心理素質，我覺得我都成長許多。辛苦歸辛苦，但新加坡較大的市場規模，以及多元的種族背景，也讓我認識了很多不一樣的人，有了很多不同的際遇及人生體驗。

為什麼選擇來到新加坡？除了職涯發展，我也想拓展其他生命的經歷與可能性，我想看看接下來生命還會把我帶往何處。

「閒到懷疑人生」和「忙到懷疑人生」，這個問題，你會如何做選擇呢？

再讓我選一次，我還是會選擇相對辛苦的新加坡。在台灣的生活雖然舒適，但我每天也過得鬱鬱寡歡，除了感覺我看不到未來而焦慮外，那位前輩時不時的負能量灌頂也讓我懷疑人生。我一直認為，現在的閒不是真正的閒。之前在大人學《沒了名片，你還剩下什麼？32個上班族增加自我籌碼的方法》一書中，看到了一個讓我印象深刻的例子，記得內容大概是這樣：

飛機與白努力定律（Bernoulli’s Principle）

飛機在空中飛行的情境，看似維持平衡，但實際上需要製造與重力等量的上升力道來使飛機維持穩定飛行。看似自然的狀態，其實亦需要不斷地付出努力才能至少保持在相同的位置，若是完全喪失上升的力道，飛機其實是會慢慢往下墜的。放到人生的實境，其實亦同，你以為你是在維持現狀，但是隨著周圍環境不斷地改變，或是週邊的人不斷成長，其實你是在慢慢向下墜的。

因此，若想要維持平衡，我至少需要付出基本的努力，讓自己得以漂浮在空中。
新加坡，提供了我這個環境，讓我可以保持上升的動力。在現在的人生階段，新加坡與我的發展目標一致。

選我所愛，愛我所選。既然做了決定，就要堅持下去。現在當下經歷的每一個瞬間，都會型塑出未來不同版本的我。

那位前輩，在我來到新加坡後，曾經私訊我引介我來新加坡headhunter的資訊。
當時的我如果被他所說服，相信他所說的：「到海外發展太難了，不可能」。現在的我，可能還在台灣。

永遠不要讓別人告訴你「不可能」。

不可能的或許是他本人，但不見得會是你。每一個人都是不同的個體，努力、機運及信念都可能會創造出不一樣的人生際遇。最重要的是，在機會來的時候，你是否已經有勇氣去抓住，是否有勇氣奮力一搏。

這條路雖然沒有那麼容易，可能也有點孤獨，甚至要堅持很久才能看到成效。但我相信，只要有方向，提早開始規劃，並持續朝這個目標努力，就算期望無法100%完全實現，但就像<原子習慣>提到的，每天這樣持續複利累積的你，也已經走在正確的道路上了。

最後一點，我覺得也很重要的，是持續保持正向的信念。
若是一直都處於看什麼都不順眼的狀況下，怎麼可能相信好運會有登門造訪的一天？宇宙怎麼敢把好運留給這樣狀態的對象？就算真的以這樣的狀態到了異地，這樣的心態，又怎麼有辦法順利度過異地生活的各種考驗？

兩年，從一個初來乍到的菜鳥，變成稍微沒有那麼菜的菜鳥。

我期待我的下一個兩年，以及接下來的每個兩年。
在異國生活，很多事情都沒有一定的絕對，也充滿了不確定性，但我相信宇宙，總是會替我安排最適合的方向。

Santé! 敬我在新加坡的第一個兩年！

P.S.

這篇文章的初衷，並非意圖聚焦於台灣的缺點，而是想要表達，人生的每個時期，都會有當下的追求及目標，不同的期望，適合發展的環境也會有所不同。沒有一個國家會是100%完美的，有時它的優點，甚至就是它最大的缺點。

我愛台灣舒服的生活步調及美麗的大自然，但反面來看，這可能就是台灣經濟成長沒有這麼快速所衍生的結果。

我欽佩新加坡國際級的視野及令人驚訝的經濟發展，但新加坡高度的競爭及工作壓力，也是時常被拿出來討論的議題。

我欣羨倫敦的自由自在，在那裡我我可以盡情做自己，不會有人批判，但相反的，自由帶來的代價則是較為令人擔憂的治安問題。

我希望強調的是，找到適合自己生活的環境，並且努力成為一個，「若今天環境不理想，我是一個有能力及餘裕做出其他選擇的人」，這也一直是我持續努力的目標。

希望我們都可以成為一個對自己生活有餘裕的人，一起朝成為更好版本的自己努力！

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August 2024 marks two years since I began my life in Singapore.

Since my initial visa was renewable every two years, passing this milestone and successfully renewing my visa feels like I’ve entered an entirely new chapter of life. In that instant, I find myself awash with mixed emotions—realising that it’s been two years since I left my family and friends behind, while at the same time acknowledging just how much has happened in that time. The mental slideshow of the past two years begins to spin in my head without me even realising it.

Looking back on my decision to come to Singapore, how do I feel about the choice I made two years ago? Is it one of joy and contentment? Or perhaps frustration and stress? Relief or regret?

Looking back over two years ago, I was still working for my previous employer in Taiwan. There was a senior colleague we used to jokingly call the “Dark Lord of Negativity.”

He always sought us out for “chats”—although these were less conversations and more an endless stream of complaints and negativity. He didn’t care about how others felt, only about venting his frustrations. Once satisfied, he would casually leave us to wallow in the toxic cloud he’d created, leaving us questioning our very existence.

How powerful was his negativity? There was a young analyst at the company who had just graduated. Between his constant complaints during work and his frequent calls outside of work hours (yes, he would even call her after work. As a newcomer, she didn’t dare ignore his calls), she nearly developed depression. It got to the point where the company had to forbid him from chatting with any of the new recruits to prevent him from spreading more of his negativity, although, unsurprisingly, when management wasn’t watching, he continued his ways.

His complaints often followed a similar pattern:
1. Our company is terrible, and continuing to work here offers no future.
2. Young generation’s starting salaries haven’t changed in 20 years, yet housing prices have soared. Taiwan is beyond saving.
3. China is thriving, while Taiwan seems directionless. (Of course, this was before China’s economic downturn in 2023.)
4. When colleagues and I asked him for career advice or opportunities abroad, his usual response was, “It’s too difficult. Impossible.”
5. He’d share stories of top university graduates struggling in limited job markets, lamenting how Taiwan had let down its young talent.

Each time he left, my colleagues and I would sink into a deep depression, convinced that our future really did hold no other possibilities. The structural issues seemed too overwhelming, and there was nothing we could do to change them. We could only accept our reality and drift through each day.

I often found his words incredibly frustrating. He was simply unloading his negativity without offering any constructive solutions, which I felt was irresponsible. He had benefitted from the system, having entered the workforce during Taiwan’s economic boom. His resources and income were far better than ours, and he even managed to buy a property in one of the most expensive areas in Taiwan. Yet, from a position of relative privilege, he would talk about how dire things were now, spreading negativity wherever he went. I thought, how irresponsible.

When my job search wasn’t going well, his words left me feeling even more hopeless. Was life really going to be as he said, with all of us stuck in Taiwan?

Then, the scene shifted to Singapore.

Life in Singapore hasn’t been easy, but every day, I feel pushed to grow rapidly.

When I first arrived, I successfully transitioned from a back-office fund management role in Taiwan to a front-office investment position. As expected, the pace of front-office work was much more intense. I had to use English far more often, and since my work now covered the entire Asia-Pacific region rather than just one country, the scope of my responsibilities increased significantly. With my language skills still developing, adapting to this pace was challenging. It wasn’t until now, in my second year, that I’ve begun to feel more confident and in control.

Over these two years, I’ve grown significantly in terms of work skills, language proficiency, and mental resilience. It hasn’t been easy, but Singapore’s larger market and diverse cultural environment have exposed me to people, experiences, and opportunities that I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise.

Why did I choose to come to Singapore? Beyond career development, I wanted to broaden my life experiences and explore new possibilities. I wanted to see where life might lead me next.

If you had to choose between “having so much free time that you start questioning your purpose” or “being so busy that you question your sanity,” which would you choose?

If I had to choose again, I would still choose the challenges of life in Singapore. Life in Taiwan, while comfortable, often left me feeling melancholic. Besides the anxiety of not seeing a clear future, that senior colleague’s constant negativity made me question everything. I’ve always believed that idleness isn’t true peace of mind at my relatively young life stage. I once read an example in the book <What Do You Have Left When You Don’t Have a Business Card? 32 Ways for Office Workers to Increase Their Self-Worth> that left a lasting impression:

Aeroplanes and Bernoulli’s Principle

When an aeroplane flies through the air, it appears to maintain balance effortlessly. In reality, it needs to generate an upward force equal to gravity to remain airborne. What seems like a natural state of equilibrium actually requires constant effort just to stay in place. If the plane were to lose all upward force, it would slowly begin to descend. The same applies to life. You might think you’re standing still, but as your environment changes or those around you grow, you’re actually slowly sinking. Therefore, to maintain balance, you need to put in a basic level of effort just to keep yourself afloat.

Singapore has provided me with the environment to maintain that upward momentum. At this stage of my life, Singapore’s pace aligns with my goals for growth.

Choose what you love, and love what you choose. Once you’ve decided, it’s important to stay committed to it. The future version of yourself will be shaped by the accumulation of who you are today.

That senior colleague once messaged me after I moved to Singapore, requesting the headhunter contacts. If I had let him convince me that “it’s too difficult to develop overseas,” I might still be in Taiwan today.

Never let someone else tell you something is impossible.

What’s impossible for them may not be for you. Everyone’s journey is different, and with enough effort, opportunity, and belief, you can create your own path. The real question is: when opportunity knocks, will you have the courage to seize it and take that leap?

Although the road isn’t easy and can sometimes feel lonely, I believe that with a clear direction, early planning, and consistent effort, even if you don’t achieve 100% of your goals, as <Atomic Habits> suggests, you’ll be on the right path, steadily compounding your efforts over time.

Lastly, maintaining a positive mindset is crucial. If you’re constantly dissatisfied with everything around you, how could you ever believe that good fortune will come your way? The universe wouldn’t dare deliver blessings to someone in such a state. Even if you find yourself in a new country, this mindset will only make it harder to navigate the inevitable challenges of life abroad.

Two years have passed, and I’ve gone from being a complete novice to being slightly less of a novice.

I look forward to the next two years, and all the years to come. Life abroad may offer no certainties, but I trust that the universe will always guide me towards the path best suited for me.

Santé! Here’s to my first two years in Singapore!

P.S.

The purpose of this article is not to focus on Taiwan’s shortcomings, but rather to express that each stage of life brings its own pursuits and goals. Different aspirations may require different environments that are more conducive to growth. No country is perfect, and at times, what may be its greatest strength can also be its greatest weakness.

I love Taiwan’s relaxed pace of life and its beautiful natural scenery, but conversely, this may be a factor in its slower economic growth.

I admire Singapore’s world-class vision and impressive economic development, yet the intense competition and work-related stress are frequently discussed topics here.

I envy the freedom I experienced in London, where I could fully be myself without fear of judgment. However, this freedom comes with the trade-off of concerns about public safety.

What I want to emphasise is the importance of finding an environment that suits your lifestyle while striving to become someone who, if faced with an unfavourable situation, has the ability and means to make other choices. This has always been my ongoing goal.

I hope that we can all reach a point where we have control over our lives and continue striving to become better versions of ourselves. Let’s keep moving forward together!