I often find myself sitting on the train ride during the evening rush back home, watching Jakarta’s lights blur as the train runs along its tracks. It is a quiet time for me to breathe and realize that the way I spend my days at work has slowly started to change the way I spend my life. As a Product Manager, I used to think that concepts like roadmaps and backlogs were just for software, but I have learned that they are actually tools for my personal life too! By looking at my own life as the most important product I will ever manage, I have found a way to navigate the “repetitive stuff” of daily life with more kindness and intention. Here are the lessons that moved from my professional playbook into how I managed my life.
1. Set Personal OKRs to Stop Drifting
When I took the MRT to work, I was reminded that if this MRT didn’t have a specific station to reach, we would all just be riding in circles. In my work, we use Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to make sure we aren’t just “busy,” but actually moving toward a goal. I started doing the same for myself because I realized that without a clear target, I was letting my time drift away. Now, I set small, simple goals to keep myself “awake” to my own journey and ensure I am moving toward what truly brings me contentment.
2. Find the LHFs in Life to Build Momentum
I used to feel overwhelmed by how much I wanted to change about myself, but I learned that everything is hard before it is easy. In management, we look for Low-Hanging Fruits (LHFs), those small, easy wins that help a team feel successful right away. On days when I feel stuck, I focus on something tiny, like cleaning the room or writing a new blog post (like this one). These small victories help me feel empowered again and remind me that I am the kind of person who keeps moving forward.
3. Prioritize Your Problems (There Will Always Be Problems)
One thing I’ve learned is that you can’t fix every “bug” in your life all at once, and that is perfectly okay. In a product, we have a list of tasks, but we have to accept that we can only handle a few at a time to avoid burning out. I now ask myself if a problem is truly important or if it is just “noise” that can wait. By prioritizing my energy, I can leave other people’s mistakes where they lie and focus on the things that are actually under my control.
4. Clear Your Personal Technical Debt
In software, Technical Debt happens when you take shortcuts that cause the system to crash later; our lives work the same way when we avoid hard talks or ignore our health. I’ve realized that being “perfectly imperfect” is fine, but letting small problems pile up only makes the journey harder. I now try to handle avoided tasks as they come up so that my future self doesn’t have to pay a high price for my current procrastination. It is about making things simple today so that life feels lighter tomorrow.
5. Write It Down to Clear the Mental Fog
Documentation is how we keep teams from falling into chaos, and I have found that writing down my thoughts does the same for my mind. When my fears or dreams only stay in my head, they feel much bigger and more confusing than they actually are. By putting my feelings into a simple note on my phone and journal, I can see things as they really are rather than how I feel in a moment of stress. This simple act clears the fog and gives me the clarity I need to breathe and move on.
6. Overcommunicate to Build Better Relationships
I used to think people could read my mind, but a lot of my bitterness came from assuming others knew what I needed without me saying it. As a Product Manager, I overcommunicate to make sure everyone is on the same page, and I’ve started doing this in my personal life too. I try to be very open about my feelings and my “why,” even when it feels a bit repetitive. Communicating more than I think I need to builds much stronger bridges and prevents the misunderstandings that often lead to anger.
7. Release an Epic as an MVP
Perfectionism is a trap that keeps us from ever starting, so I have learned to treat my growth as a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). You cannot wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy, so I choose to “ship” my efforts even when they feel messy. This means starting a new habit or project today instead of waiting until I am “ready.” Moving forward imperfectly is the only way to eventually reach the version of yourself that you have been dreaming of. Do come visit my MVP side-projects to know when the next national holiday in Indonesia is here, and the rotating daily kanji card here.
My job as a product manager taught me how to build, but my life is teaching me how to be, to find joy in the process and the small steps along the way. You don’t have to solve every problem tonight or be the “best” version of yourself right away. You just have to keep showing up, one Gojek ride at a time, and keep experimenting with kindness and curiosity. Your life is your most important product; treat it with vision and handle it with love.