About This Blog
Life Optimizer is about living your life to the fullest. I believe many people (me included) live below their maximum potential. While they do achieve things in life, there are still many more they can achieve. The problem here is they do not optimize their life. There are aspects of their life which can be made better and more effective than they are now.
I got the idea about life optimization from my background in computer science. In computer science, people always try to optimize the computer’s resources. Whether it is about the time required to complete a task or about the memory space needed, people always try to achieve better and better results. Even minor inefficiency will be the subject of intensive research. In short, they always try to optimize everything.
I believe the same idea can also be applied to life. Of course, this is a never-ending journey. But through this journey, by optimizing our life along the way, I am sure we can live our life to the max.
About Me
My name is Donald Latumahina and I am an avid learner who have deep passion in information technology (IT) and personal development.
Since 1994 when I got my first computer, I have already “fallen in love” with computers. IT gives me huge opportunities to learn new thing after new thing which is very exciting for me. On the other hand, I also like organizational activities such as student body. Through these activities I can develop skills which I won’t get in the class such as management and interpersonal skill.
I believe that every person has huge potential which is commonly “underdeveloped”, and because of that, I am also very interested in personal development. Unleashing the full potential of me and others has become my ultimate goal.
After finishing my master degree in Singapore, I now work as an IT lecturer in Indonesia.
If you want to, you can read more about me at Eight Random Things About Me.
Comment by TerryG
#1 8. May 2007, 7:16 pm o'clock |
Wow Don you let some comments above go here. I see you were also successful in increasing your Google page rank. No wonder it should be hitting 9 its that good. Nice reading your posts.
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#2 9. May 2007, 10:05 pm o'clock |
Thanks, Terry. About the spam comments, I just noticed that they get into the blog. Usually Akismet (the spam filter) does its job well.
Comment by Alex Yeo
#3 19. May 2007, 11:50 pm o'clock |
Hi Donald,
Happen to browse through your site.
Cool, You are studying in NUS now.
I am from Singapore and now in NTU.
Yeah, I love personal development too. :)
Have a great day ahead!
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#4 21. May 2007, 10:36 am o'clock |
Hi Alex. It’s great to meet someone from Singapore, especially from a neighboring university :) I’m glad we have the same passion on personal development. Thanks for stopping by, and I wish all the best for you!
Comment by Debbie
#5 22. June 2007, 8:50 pm o'clock |
Hi Donald,
I just stumbled across your blog today. Yours is really an awesome blog. I’m into personal development myself so this blog strike a chord with me. I’m an Indonesian who has lived in the US for some time. It’s nice to see a fellow Indonesian who has interest in personal development. Keep up the good blog, I’ll sure be reading it every chance.
Thanks,
Debbie
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#6 23. June 2007, 4:36 pm o'clock |
Hi Debbie,
Thanks a lot for your encouraging words! It’s great to meet a fellow Indonesian in this personal development side of the cyberspace. I wish you all the best, and I’m looking forward to knowing you more in the future.
Cheers,
Donald
Comment by Peace Bella
#7 16. July 2007, 1:42 pm o'clock |
Hi Donald, your smile definitely our ‘Life Optimizer’. Wonderful blog you have. Welcome to Singapore. Looking at your smile really brightens up my day!
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#8 17. July 2007, 12:51 am o'clock |
Thanks, Peace Bella. I didn’t know that my smile has such an effect to brighten someone’s day ;)
Comment by Peace Bella
#9 17. July 2007, 5:22 am o'clock |
Indeed it does. I had just received your email. Looking at your smile is great. It warms the heart. In fact you can enlarge your pic. You look good!
Comment by Jiffry
#10 26. August 2007, 11:05 am o'clock |
Donald
Gr8 blog. I’m surprised to note that you are a student in NUS. You ought to be a LECTURER in NUS, by the way you write.
All the best.
Jiffry
Sri Lanka
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#11 27. August 2007, 8:40 pm o'clock |
What a compliment, Jiffry :) I’m glad to know someone from Sri Lanka. I wish all the best for you too.
Comment by Tammy
#12 29. August 2007, 10:06 am o'clock |
Bro, meet you at this blog !
^_^
Hope you still remember me ^_^
Thanxx for the ebook, by the way ^_^
Never know that you have another blog that about Personal Development beside Gaya Hidup Digital blog…
Ternyata ada juga Indonesian yg punya Personal Development blog !
Cool !
Akhir – akhir ini lg suka browsing hal2 yg berbau Productivity en GTD. Very usefull resources…
Keep the good work bro ^_^
GBU
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#13 30. August 2007, 9:31 pm o'clock |
Hi Tammy! Of course I remember you, how can I forget? :)
Yes, productivity and GTD topics are very interesting and useful, I’m a big fan of them myself. Thanks for your kind support! Gbu too :)
Comment by setiaji
#14 25. October 2007, 2:09 am o'clock |
Pak Donald, kenalkan saya Setiaji Kurniawan.
Saya dapat link blog bapak dari lifehack.org.
Terima kasih pak, buat artikel2 nya yang membantu saya keep improve my self..
Ijinkan saya add site bapak di blog saya, boleh ?
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#15 25. October 2007, 5:15 am o'clock |
Hi Setiaji,
Sure, you may link to this blog as you please. Thanks for stopping by!
Comment by Usiku
#16 5. December 2007, 8:38 am o'clock |
Thanks for your blog. It’s good to find people trying to be the greatness that they are, a continual process. I started my renewed journey earlier this year and wrote, Wasting Time.
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#17 6. December 2007, 4:57 am o'clock |
Welcome, Usiku. I’m also glad to meet someone with similar interest. Keep on blogging; it’s always nice to see people share their thoughts on personal development.
Comment by Jennifer Mannion
#18 10. March 2008, 4:52 pm o'clock |
Hi Donald, GREAT posts and a wonderful blog! Congrats — I’m subscribing and I’ll be back! Gratefully, Jenny
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#19 12. March 2008, 5:14 am o'clock |
Jenny,
Thanks for the encouragement, and welcome to Life Optimizer!
Comment by Aries
#20 21. April 2008, 8:54 am o'clock |
Hi there Don :D. Nice blogs you got here.
It’s me Aries from STTS. :D
Looking forward your next write.
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#21 22. April 2008, 8:20 am o'clock |
Hi Aries! Nice to meet you here and thanks for your kind words :)
Comment by Jordan Cheng
#22 29. April 2008, 12:21 am o'clock |
I like your website design, very neat and sleek!
Also, being a runner, I am please particular attracted by the banner.
Cheers,
Jordan Cheng
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#23 29. April 2008, 12:38 pm o'clock |
Thanks, Jordan! I rarely find someone praise my website design, let alone the banner ;-)
Comment by Krishna kant jha
#24 17. August 2008, 3:22 am o'clock |
Very interesting and practical tips on your site. Excited to visit your blog,so much to read and know about humans problems.
Whether you return comments on individual and specific issues related to human growth?
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#25 19. August 2008, 11:41 pm o'clock |
Krishna,
Though I can’t promise that I will reply to all comments, I do try to reply to as many of them as possible. Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and questions. Thanks for stopping by!
Comment by janelle
#26 27. August 2008, 12:44 pm o'clock |
Hey Donald- just wanted to say ‘great job’ on your blog…I’ve actually included you in a post I’m writing for Create Business Growth (www.createbusinessgrowth.com) so look for it on 8/29/08! Thanks again, and I’m happy to be a subscribed reader!
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#27 28. August 2008, 1:27 pm o'clock |
Janelle,
Thanks for the encouraging words! They mean a lot to me. I also appreciate your including me in your article. I’m looking forward to reading it.
Comment by PT
#28 12. November 2008, 8:25 pm o'clock |
Thank you so much for this extremely useful and enlightened blog.
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#29 14. November 2008, 1:02 am o'clock |
You’re welcome, PT. Thanks for stopping by.
Comment by Jean
#30 18. December 2008, 7:50 am o'clock |
Hi Donald,
Just found your blog yesterday. I really love it. Thanks for taking the time to write all these articles. I will definitely be a regular visitor here. Don’t stop writing!
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#31 7. January 2009, 11:24 am o'clock |
Hi Jean,
I’m glad you find the articles useful. It’s my greatest pleasure in writing this blog. Don’t worry, I have no plan to stop writing :)
Comment by Michael Harr
#32 20. January 2009, 11:46 pm o'clock |
Donald:
I really appreciate your blog. I stumbled upon it and found your tip from some time ago about the Cool Timer. I’ve been using it ever since and my average task completion time has been accelerated to a new level. It’s cut my work time in half for a variety of projects. GREAT TIP!!!
Thanks so much,
Michael
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#33 21. January 2009, 9:56 pm o'clock |
Michael,
Nice to know that the tip also works for you :) Thanks for stopping by!
Comment by Atika
#34 18. February 2009, 10:11 am o'clock |
Hi!
I like very much the tone of your blog, the way you say (write) things makes me – and I guess all other readers – identify with you and what you have to say.
Cheers!
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#35 18. February 2009, 11:31 pm o'clock |
Thanks, Atika!
Comment by Jason
#36 2. April 2009, 12:30 am o'clock |
Hi Donald,
Just wanted to say great blog! I like the article on 17 ways to being happy, a lot of great stuff there. Keep up the good work.
Cheers!
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#37 5. April 2009, 11:59 am o'clock |
Jason,
Thanks! Glad you like what you find here :)
Comment by Herdian Mohammad
#38 9. June 2009, 4:43 am o'clock |
Hi Donald,
Great to come across your blog!! Awesome. I’m Herdian also a huge personal development addict… (<-good thing or bad thing .. hahaha), Are you residing in Indonesia? Whereabouts? I live in Jakarta. I do truly enjoy your writing and insights. I am now a subscriber and I look forward to reading your entire blog. Keep in touch !!
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#39 9. June 2009, 9:48 pm o'clock |
Hi Herdian,
Nice to meet you :) Yes, I stay in Indonesia, in Surabaya to be exact. You have a nice blog, keep up the good work!
Comment by Grampa Ken
#40 11. July 2009, 9:45 am o'clock |
Donald I am a lover of computers also. My first PC was a RadioShack Color Computer which had a plastic button on top ‘4K’ and I upgraded it to 32K. It was a great little machine with color graphics and I used my tape recorder for storage. The printer’s lower case characters were all even (ie the lower case letters j p q were stuck up higher). There was no WWW but perhaps the internet was established. A non-professional I still struggle with upgrades etc.
I also share your life improvement interest, my 32 Keys About Life has been online since 1999.
Your blog is looking great and I have linked in from my Social Fix blog.
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#41 14. July 2009, 6:03 am o'clock |
Grampa Ken,
That’s a very interesting machine you worked with! It’s also nice that we share similar interest in self improvement.
Comment by Paul Sabaj
#42 26. July 2009, 12:02 pm o'clock |
I am so glad I found the site and the time to read the posts. I love the fact the fact that while we might be miles apart all seem to have a common goal for personal development and the want to share this information with the rest. I am currently working on a project about people who find a change of direction latter in life and seek the information to chase their dreams on their terms and not the company. I hope to see your works in a book one day. Thanks for the inspiration and all who comment for all the views
Comment by Jennifer
#43 11. August 2009, 2:05 am o'clock |
Hi,
Just discovered your website! A lot of practical info on how to be your best….not just new age hoo-haa…I like it already! Keep it up!
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#44 20. August 2009, 7:47 pm o'clock |
Paul,
Thanks for your wishes. That’s a very good project you are working on and I wish you all the best for it.
Jennifer,
Thanks! I do try to be practical and I’m glad you find it so.
Comment by Ismael
#45 15. September 2009, 4:21 am o'clock |
Hello Donald!
Congratulations for your web page, as a 19-year-old student many of your articles have been very helpful. They should be a must-read for everyone!
I assume you must be very busy but I would like to recommend you something for your writings:
Why don’t you write articles targeted for college/university students? Your articles are good for any age, but you could do some focusing on teenagers. For example, you could write advises on the usual categories you write but aimed for students who are just about to start an undergraduate degree. I think this would be a good idea, you could even write a book; in the UK there are many articles and blogs that talk about students’ worries. If you talk to prospect universities students, just as myself, we are not only worried about issues concerning university life but we are all ANXIOUS to be successful, and we all need the sort of advises you have written! They are student handbooks for university life, but nothing about personal development!
I hope this is helpful to you. I assume you must have many ideas to write about, and what you need is time. You must have had lots of recommendations, but well, mine is just to write more student-orientated articles.
Thanks
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#46 19. September 2009, 1:07 am o'clock |
Ismael,
Thanks for the suggestion! I appreciate your thoughts on how I can better contribute value. I would love to write articles targeted for college/university students, but the demographic profile of the readers shows that only 8% of them are between 18-24 years old. I might start a new blog for that someday.
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[...] 5 Reasons Why Relationships Should Be Your Top Priority by Donald Latumahina [...]
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[...] Donald Latumahia has uniquely compared investing financially to the investment in knowledge in ‘How to Become a Millionaire of Knowledge.’ This is a great little read because it rings true. Applied knowledge really is power in today’s world and God knows there is no shortage of knowledge out there waiting for us. With correct knowledge you can Master any area of your life, from your body to your finances to your relationships. So as Donald says, build up your ‘Knowledge Bank Account‘ and start today! [...]
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#2 11. July 2008, 3:14 pm o'clock |
[...] Donald Latumahina nos ofrece, en LifeOptimizer, 10 cosas a evitar para encontrar la felicidad en la vida. Lo traduzco y publico pues se trata de valores que se nos inculcan desde chicos (y estoy muy seguro de eso), pero que en el afán del mundo moderno y el consumismo, ignoramos. Los dejo con la traducción (libre, como siempre): Si quieres ser felíz (y estoy seguro de que todos lo deseamos), es esencial asegurarse de no caer en los escollos al recorrer el camino hacia la felicidad. Caer en los escollos te hará más difícil ser y mantenerte felíz en la vida. [...]
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[...] the LifeOptimizer blog posting “Two Basic Relationship Problems,” the author, Donald Latumahina, breaks down both the value of relationships and what he sees as the two most basic [...]
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#4 21. May 2009, 2:50 pm o'clock |
[...] Photo source [...]
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#5 9. August 2009, 3:53 pm o'clock |
[...] Donald does a great job of sticking to his website’s “mission statement” by posting original articles (written by himself or those he approves from guest bloggers) about well, how to “optimize your life” (e.g. living your life to the fullest). You can normally find a new article posted every week, and often multiple times per week, so the website is updated very frequently… and has been that way for years (the website was started way back in September 2006!). You can tell that Life Optimizer is in it for the long run, and not just another blog that will get lost in “space’” in just a few months. [...]