Here’s what I learned from living like a high performer for one day! For the past 24 hours, I followed my ideal day as closely as possible. Starting my morning early with prayers and a short workout gave me a sense of peace and mental clarity that carried throughout the day. I noticed I was most energetic in the morning, so dedicating that time to learning and practicing cybersecurity skills through hands-on labs worked really well. What worked best was having structure. Knowing exactly when I would learn, practice, work out, and reflect helped me stay disciplined and intentional. Replacing mindless YouTube scrolling with a productive habit, such as language practice, also made a difference. I felt less guilty and more in control of my time. What didn’t work perfectly was maintaining the same level of focus later in the day, especially after long learning sessions. I realized I need to be more mindful of breaks and energy management. By the end of the day, I felt tired, yet fulfilled. This challenge showed me that consistency isn’t about being perfect, but about showing up, staying accountable, and aligning my actions with my goals. One day of living intentionally made it clear that small habits, done consistently, really do compound over time!! My Morning Mantra - "Hard work and patience are my strength, I work hard and patiently towards my goals!"

Been great hearing from everyone since I’ve joined, guess it’s my turn! If my life were a movie, the next chapter would definitely be called ‘The Big Leap’, handed in my resignation notice last week, to move to the UAE in January so I look forward to connecting with anyone out there!

Hey everyone, Day 3 done! The FinTech role that excites me most is Tech & Development — especially the cybersecurity side of it, where I can help defend FinTech systems from threats. I want to be part of this industry because people completely rely on these digital financial systems for their salaries, savings, and security, and I want to help protect what they trust. Over the next 90 days, I’m going to focus on developing my cloud security skills, strengthening my Blue Team/SOC abilities, and building the skills needed to contribute effectively to defending the FinTech space. Bonus Community Challenge: I believe the next big innovation in FinTech will be AI-driven fraud detection and prevention systems, as the cybersecurity landscape is shifting from traditional, manual methods to more autonomous and intelligent technologies. With AI’s ability to analyze massive amounts of financial data in real time, identify unusual patterns, and respond instantly to potential threats, FinTech companies can greatly strengthen their security. This level of automation will not only reduce human error, but also help protect users’ money and trust on a much larger scale

Hello everyone 😊! My name is Aaliya Khalil. I am a recent Cybersecurity graduate based in the UAE. I am passionate about applying my knowledge in a real-world environment, learning from seasoned professionals in the industry, and hence defending the digital world from threats. I am also passionate about developing the skills needed for this career path and continuously learning through hands-on practice. I am thankful to the Global Careers Group team for considering me eligible to join the 7-day Challenge. I hope to develop skills such as discipline, self-awareness, mental strength, and time management, which will help me become career-ready. I am excited to participate in this challenge, learn new skills, engage with the community, and learn from everyone here! Through today’s task, I have been able to determine my career goals, the things that hold me back, and ways to overcome them. This exercise helped me gain clarity about who I am, what I want to achieve in my career and life, and how I can become a better version of myself by addressing these obstacles.