insakanet

Mental Health

  • Tick Toke, Tick Toke, Time is Ticking

    “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff that life is made of” ~ Benjamin Franklin.

    Tick toke, tick toke the clock is ticking, never backwards but always forward. You want it or not; like it or not; believe it or not, time does not wait for anybody.

    Time is no respecter of persons. If God is an unfair God then he has been very generous and fair to all of us by giving us 24hrs to be utilized in a day.

    It does not matter whether you are rich or poor, black or white, able-bodied or physically challenged whatever and where ever you may be, we all share the same hours of the day and that is 24hrs.

    No single person or country is more privileged than the other to have more or less hours.

    The first quarter of the year has but gone, ask yourself what you have achieved as against what you have intended to achieve by the end of the year.

    Many of us will not realize that we have achieved very little or nothing at all. If you are in this bracket stop and take a serious inventory of yourself.

    I am not perfect either but am consoled by the fact that I have achieved most of my monthly targets. Certain things have happened to me that may have derailed my progress but I take them as challenges rather than as problems.

    Look Forward

    We all have lost time at some point in our lives. The key is how you get up and recover it. There is so much to look forward to for me than to look at spilled milk.

    Yes, sometimes I have lost a lot of time, but I always encourage myself by rereading my written down intended life’s purpose on a regular basis.

    This gives me a sense of purpose to live for. I imagine and appreciate the life ahead of me and how comfortable it will be. My written down “intended life’s purpose” is one of the motivating factors.

    Whatever is done is done and whatever has not been done has to be done. If you are to become a better person and an achiever you need to improve on how to utilize your time.

    Time management is of the essence. Great men and women are those that have learned and mastered how to manage the precious commodity called time.

    If there is anything that has to be taught or learned at an early stage in life it is time management. Unfortunately, our education system does not teach us how to manage and utilize time. How I wish this could be introduced in our schooling systems.

    Sometimes I feel that most of what we learn from our schools is irrelevant in our lives. Most of the stuff does not apply. What a waste of time and resources.

    Please this does not mean you should not get an education. You need it. When you wake up every morning, regardless of your circumstances, look forward to getting started with the day. There is so much waiting for you out there. Always look forward to enjoying the day.

    Have Courage

    “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage” ~ Anais Nin. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be discouraged” ~ the Bible.

    In order to succeed at anything, you need to be bold and courageous. You will need to take bold steps.  Some steps will of course trample on other people’s toes, but if it is the right thing to do just do it. Warning, PLEASE DO NOT CREATE ADVERSARIES.

    I will be very honest here, some decisions I have made have actually offended other people. But under the circumstances, they were about the best choices I have made in my life.

    These choices have been life-changing and over time wounds have been healed. As a human being, you are bound at some point in life to make some tough decisions.

    Like, I always say decisions have to be made. Wrong or right. It could be resigning from your current job; it could be cutting links with some of your old mates or any other life-changing decisions. It has to be done.

    It could be that you are wasting time in your current job and are not progressing. Please be wise and pray over it before you make those life-changing decisions.

    Have a master plan for your life, especially if you are married and have children to support.

    Conclusion

    If you have a plan to do something just do it. Many of the time we spend a lot of time procrastinating and let our good plans go to waste.

    If I can recall, I’ve had so many plans on how to make money and most of them have gone down the drain.

    Not because they were not viable ideas but because they were not even tested. I know that this describes some of you.

    Lastly, we must all endeavor to learn and appreciate how to manage our time this is the only way to ensure personal development and self-improvement.

  • The 6 Qualities for Self-Development and Improvement

    “You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude towards what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you” ~ Brian Tracy.

    We all have qualities for self-development and improvement. Everybody has it in them to develop themselves to their fullest potential, whatever they set their mind on.

    The last few months have seen me delve a little more into the subject of personal development and self-improvement. 

    This is a very wide and interesting topic that I recommend everyone to be interested in.

    If you want to achieve anything worthwhile you should be a student of personal development and self-improvement, you can never go wrong.

    During the study, I have noted that the following were the common qualities or attributes needed for self-improvement or be it personal development. 

    Yes, there are many more qualities that I came across but the most common ones are the ones that will be covered in this article. 

    Attitude

    The first quality is attitude. Let’s start by defining the word attitude, “the way a person views something or tends to behave towards it, often in an evaluative way” ~ the free dictionary. “Attitude is everything” ~ Unknown.

    The starting and ending point of all self-development is attitude. Without the right mental attitude in life, you will not achieve anything of great significance. Your attitude will largely determine the level of your achievements.

    The mind is creative, and conditions, environment and all experiences in life are the results of your habitual or predominant mental attitude. 

    Personal development and growth starts with the mind. If you have a negative perception of something most likely the negative result will be attained and vice versa. 

    This means that the attitude of the mind depends mainly on what thoughts we harbour. The thoughts we harbour have a great influence on our self-development journey.

    Man has the mental power to determine his future. They say all growth is from within. This means that all self-development comes from within. This theory is very true because you become what you think about most of the time. 

    Personal growth does not happen by chance or accident. You attract it to yourself. If you want to attain your personal development goals you must first change your thoughts and attitude towards life. 

    Having the right mentality coupled with the right attitude will surely guarantee you better results. Yes, setbacks will be encountered; the most important thing is how you react when faced with challenges.

    For all I know is that there is no success without challenges. To every successful person, there are more challenges than success. I believe that our environment reflects the conditions corresponding to the predominant mental attitude which we entertain. 

    It is the attitude of the mind toward life that determines the experiences with which we are to meet; if we expect nothing, we shall have nothing; if we demand much, we shall receive the greater portion. 

    Attitude has everything to do with the mind. We must endeavour to have the right mental attitude as an ingredient to achieving our life’s objectives.

    Faith

    What is faith? The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen is faith.

    “Faith is like a bird that feels dawn breaking while it is still dark” ~ Scandinavian.

    The one thing that distinguishes success from failure is self-belief. In fact, the strength of your faith is the one thing that determines whether you conquer mountains or foothills. 

    It means believing in something that you cannot prove or be certain of; something that you have not seen physically. It means believing in life’s magic. 

    If you are a Christian like me the emphasis on faith in the bible is very well taught. Christianity is a faith-based religion. In this regard, religion plays a major role in helping to increase your faith. 

    One of the best ways to increase your faith is by the recognition of your spiritual nature. 

    The other best way to acquire faith is to have positive affirmations. The bible says “faith comes by hearing.” True to this statement is that you must formulate positive affirmations to encourage you achieve your intended purpose in life. 

    Replace all negative thoughts with positive ones and keep reminding yourself about them. I have some magic words that work for me. Every morning I remind myself that “I can do all things possible through Christ who strengths me.” 

    This is my magic sentence, it has done wonders for me even in the darkest of situations, I have managed to pull through. This is because I have faith that I can do all things through Christ.

    Courage

    “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged” ~ the Bible.

    It is very easy to start the process of personal development, but it is much more difficult to keep it going especially when faced with tough decisions to make. 

    The make or break of your journey to success could end if you lack enough courage to see yourself through trying times. Believe me, you will be tested and tried to your limits before you move to the next level.

    Courage is the main distinction between being successful and being a failure. The people who succeed are those that exhibit enough courage in times of difficulties and are willing to go the extra mile. 

    Those that fail have very little courage. Wisdom, strength, courage and all harmonious conditions are the results of power and we have seen that all power is from within; likewise, every lack, limitation or adverse circumstance is the result of weakness, and weakness is simply the absence of power; it comes from nowhere, it is nothing.

    The following sentence underlines the link between courage and faith.

    “You must first have the knowledge of your power; second, the courage to dare; third, the faith to do” ~ The Master Key.

    Courage can help you eliminate one of the greatest enemies to success and that is fear. If you want to eliminate fear, then concentrate on courage. 

    To achieve greater success always concentrate on the ideal as an already existing fact; this is the germ cell, the life principle which goes forth and sets in motion those causes which guide, direct and bring about the necessary relation, which eventually manifests. 

    Courage is best illustrated by the story of David and Goliath in the bible.

    “It’s not the mountain we conquer but, ourselves” ~ Sir Edmund Hilary.

    Ability

    You will have a tough time achieving your life’s intended purpose by doing something you are not gifted for. 

    Before you set out on your personal development journey, it is very important to recognise what your natural talents and gifts are. 

    Having the ability and skills to pursue your life’s intended purpose using your natural gifts is much easier and more enjoyable. 

    It is of no use running a pig farm badly and only to realise that you should have been a footballer after thirty years. By that time pigs would have been your style.

    The ability to produce is found to be the real source of wealth for the individual. It is for this reason that he who has his heart in his work is certain to meet with unbounded success. 

    He will give and continually give; and the more he gives, the more he will receive. We as human beings are related to the creative principle by our ability to think. It is this ability we must acquire in order that we pursue our self-development goals.

    Action

    Action is perhaps the most important of all qualities. We can acquire all the knowledge and have all the best plans but without putting them into action nothing would have been achieved. 

    They say the richest place on earth is the graveyard. This is a place where you find plans that have never been put to the test, songs that have never been sung, discoveries that have never been unveiled and many more things that would have benefited the human race.

    Do not deny the human race of what GOD has put in you. It is not for you alone but to be shared and enjoyed by us all. Remember we are all part of one big family and if we all play our part, surely the world would be a better place. 

    Whatever plans that you have for your life please ensure that you start acting on them now even before you are very sure of what they are. The picture will become clearer as you go ahead and continuously act on your plans. 

    Imagine how the world have been if the discoverer of the internet had not acted on his plans. We would have been denied the pleasure of communication and possibly you would not have read this article through this medium. But alas they acted and today the internet is a big medium for communication.

    Action is the soul of any business and the cornerstone for prosperity. Action is the only process that brings about results. 

    Opportunity follows perception, action follows inspiration, growth follows knowledge, and eminence follows progress. Necessities are demands, and demands create action, and actions bring about results.

    If you want to see results begin to take action and you will see them. Without action faith is dead. 

    Perseverance

    “All endeavour calls for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hours toil. In the fight to the finish, spirit is the one characteristic we must possess if we are to face the future as finishers” ~ Henry David Thoreau.

    There is no success without perseverance. All successful people will attest to the fact that they persevered before reaching their life’s purposes. 

    Let us take the example of education. If you set out to have good grades or good results at school you will agree with me that you may need to put in extra for the results to show.

    Perseverance and endurance cannot be avoided in your quest for personal development.

    Whatever you set out to achieve if you are not prepared to persevere you are most likely to fail measurably. Perseverance is the ability to continue moving on even when the odds are against you.

    “Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance” ~ Samuel Johnson.

    Napoleon Hill in his famous book “Think and Grow Rich” says “perseverance and persistence are essential factors in the procedure of transmuting desire into its monetary equivalent.”

    Conclusion

    There is a close connection between perseverance and faith. As you have seen we achieve our self-development through faith and perseverance. In the same way, you can only develop faith through perseverance. 

    I have also noticed that faith can be induced into our minds. The more you believe in something the more faith you develop. Remember faith is a very critical ingredient to personal development so please have faith in what you are doing.

  • 7 Tips for Self-Improvement and Success

    “All the evidence that we have indicates that it is reasonable to assume in practically every human being, and certainly in almost every newborn baby, that there is an active will toward health, an impulse towards growth, or towards the actualization” ~ Abraham Maslow.

    Life naturally dictates that we move from point A to point B and to point C. None of us will remain at the same point or place whether by choice or not. It is therefore in our nature that we seek self-improvement in our daily lives.

    Yes, we all grow as nature dictates, the difference, however, is growth that benefits not only you as an individual but society at large.

    Self-improvement and success does not come easily; it comes with hard work and perseverance. It takes time to build and nurture the right mental attitude and character to achieve self-improvement.

    There can never be self-improvement without personal growth. You see personal growth follows knowledge; action follows inspiration; opportunity follows perception.

    The distinction between success and failure lies in what kind of growth one has attained. To achieve better personal development and success we must strive to improve ourselves holistically.

    So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? I have drawn below a list of tips that have been very beneficial to me as I walk on my success journey. These tips can be practised one per week in order to get maximum benefits.

    Write Down Your Intended Life’s Purpose

    Many people fail because of a lack of a well-defined purpose in life. The first and foremost important tip is having a written down life’s intended purpose.

    Before you even begin on your journey of personal development it is very important to know what you want to achieve with your life. There is no hope of success for the person who does not have a central purpose or definite goal at to aim at.

    If you are wandering through life with little or no direction – hoping that you’ll find happiness, health, and prosperity; identify your life’s purpose or mission statement and write it down, as this will give you your own unique compass that will lead you to your north every time.

    This may seem tricky at first when you see yourself to be in a tight or even dead end. But there’s always that little loophole to turn things around and you can make a big difference for yourself.

    Having a written down life’s intended purpose really takes out a lot of excess baggage and makes you focus on what you want to achieve. Just imagine how light you will be when you have your life’s goals in your hands.

    This is the beginning of your self-improvement and personal success journey. Your life’s purpose gives you a measure and direction of your achievements otherwise you will have no yardstick to measure your success.

    It is therefore important that you invest time researching your persona; knowing your weaknesses and strengths; knowing what flows naturally from you. Remember that we were all created with unique talents for the benefit of all humanity, not just you but for all.

    Know Your Values

    The second on the list of tips is about knowing your values. I am sure that we all have values it is just a question of having the right ones. What do you value most?

    You will realise that as you list down your values they will be closely related to your life’s purpose. Make a list of your top 5 values these should be the ones that come to your mind right away.

    Some examples are security both financial and personal, freedom, family, spiritual development, and learning and peace. Check your goals against your values. If the goal doesn’t align with any of your top five values you may want to reconsider it or revise it.

    Your values will mainly consist of your strengths and weaknesses. This might be the right list to use when deriving your life’s purpose. The values we have are a direct reflection of our inner self.

    Remember you are what you think and your thoughts form your character. The qualities of your values are mainly determined by what you feed your mind on. In essence, your thoughts have a direct bearing on your values.

    In order to enhance your self-improvement process, I encourage you to feed your mind with the right stuff. I have always said that one of the best ways to renew your mind is by reading,  listening and watching. Ensure that you acquire as much knowledge as you possibly can and most importantly take action.

    Knowledge increases your personal self-improvement rate. Remember that your value is established entirely by your ability to render useful service or your capacity to induce others to render such service.

    In relation to establishing what you value most do not forget to attach value to your personal skillset with respect to your life’s purpose.

    Know Your Needs

    The next tip is about knowing your needs. We all have needs and these have to be met. Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically.

    Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? There are so many people who live their lives without realizing their dreams and most of them end up being stressed or even depressed for that matter.

    List your top four needs and get them met before it’s too late! They say necessity is the mother of all inventions.

    It’s very important to differentiate between your ‘wants from your needs. Having needs does not mean they are all important.

    We, humans, have a lot of unnecessary ‘wants’ that we think are needs. Some needs are a waste of resources. You should be able to categorise your needs into necessities and non-necessities.

    I will give you an example of owning a car, yes a car is a necessity but, what type of car meets your needs? Such reasoning will help you make the right decisions as you strive to reach your personal goals.

    As you walk the journey of self-improvement there will always going to be challenges that will come your way in the form of “wants.” The body may want something that may not necessarily add value to your progress.

    Know Your Passions?

    We all have passions, don’t we? The next tip is about knowing your passions. Knowing your passions is key to determining what you want to achieve in life.

    Do you know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life? The answer to this question might just be what your intended purpose in life is.

    Review it and compare it with what you have written down as your intended life’s purpose. Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm will only hinder you, but will not derail your chance to become the person you ought to be.

    Express yourself and honour the people who have inspired you to become the very person you want to be.

    You see having a clear mind about your passions and synchronising them with your life’s purpose makes your work easier and more enjoyable.

    Self-improvement is not a punishment it is about living life the way you want it. I always advise people to make their passions a career.

    If you intend to be successful in business make sure your business is around your passion. This way you will be doing what makes you happy every day and earning a living from it.

    Live From the Inside Out

    There is a world within which is governed by the mind and the world without which is the reflection of the world within.

    Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence. Learn to commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind.

    The bible says “as a man thinketh so is he in his heart.” Your character and habits are a true reflection of what your world within is about.

    What appears without is what has been found within. In the world within may be found infinite Wisdom, infinite Power, and infinite Supply of all that is necessary, waiting for unfoldment, development, and expression.

    Therefore, it is very important that the world within is fed the right stuff. Remember we said that this world within is governed by the mind.

    Your mind is therefore your greatest asset. Learn to safeguard it. One of the best ways you can help safeguard your mind and enhance your self-improvement skills is by reading motivational books and thinking positively.

    Explore Your Strengths

    Remember I talked about knowing your weaknesses and strengths when writing your life’s purpose? Well, it is now time for me to pay special attention to your strengths.

    What are your positive traits? What unique talents do you have? List three – if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify these.

    Are you imaginative, witty, and good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you share what you know with others.

    Your strengths are your weapon for self-improvement. Work to sharpen them on a regular basis. This does not mean you neglect your weaknesses.

    These too need attention. Remember you are improving yourself holistically. The benefits of improving your weaknesses are immeasurable.

    Always find new ways to explore your strengths and put them to good use. Personal development is about achieving your goals and learning to share them.

    The only way you can improve your skillset is by exploring your strengths.

    Service to Humanity is Key

    Service service service. We were created to serve each other. There is no greater satisfaction than serving others. When you live authentically, you may find that you develop an interconnected sense of being.

    When you are true to who you are, living your purpose, and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others.

    The rewards for sharing your gift with those close to you is indeed rewarding, much more if it were to be the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done to them.

    All these inventions and technological advancements we are experiencing today are intended to serve humanity.

    People must learn to appreciate helping others before themselves and this begins with you and I taking the first step.

    “Be the change you want to see in the world” ~ Mahatma Gandhi.

    Conclusion

    Self-improvement is indeed one type of work that is worth it. It shouldn’t always be within the confines of an office building, or maybe in the four corners of your own room.

    The difference lies within ourselves and how much we want to change for the better. As we take our journey of personal development success let us endeavour to learn to serve one another for the betterment of our planet.

    Remember we only have one home and it is our responsibility to make it a better place for all humanity.

  • How Being Positive Influences Your Direction of Goal Achievements

    “When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge” ~ Albert Einstein.

    If you are a person who wants to achieve something worthwhile in your life, you must have set yourself some goals.

    Then you should ask yourself what drives you to your goal achievement? If you have not set your goals, well this is about time to reflect and set them.

    Achieving your goals is largely a matter of your attitude which can either be positive or negative. Your attitude has an influence on the outcome of your success.

    We know that you become what you think about most of the time, and what you think about helps shape your character and forms your habits.

    It is these habits; these small little things that you do or fail to do every day that moves you towards or far from achieving your written down life’s intended purpose.

    My goal achievement is largely moved by the positive small things that I have to do every single day.

    If we know that having a positive state of mind has a big influence on our goal achievement then it is important we also know how to make and keep our minds positive and focused.

    Having a Positive Mental Attitude

    “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude” ~ Thomas Jefferson.

    This is perhaps the key to your success. We all know that a positive mental attitude is a requisite to the success of your goal achievement.

    I am pretty sure that you have been told before to have a positive mental attitude if you have to succeed at what you are doing.

    Studies have been made to show that 85% of everything that a person would accomplish or obtain, be it finances; prestige; status, and recognition after they left Harvard University would be based on their attitude and that only 15% would be based on their aptitude and ability.

    If you have to be successful in life then you cannot avoid having a positive mental attitude.

    You see, successful goal achievement begins with having the right frame of mind. There is no way, you will succeed if you are always negative about what you are doing.

    Cultivate or rather develop a positive mind towards your life and all things will naturally fall into place according to your plans.

    I have noticed that every time I expect something to happen I always develop an attitude towards achieving my expectation and believe me the results are always almost perfect.

    Notice also that if you expect something to turn out well, you will have a positive mental attitude and if you expect something to turn out otherwise you will have a negative mental attitude.

    The only explanation I can give is that there is a correlation between expectation and attitude. Therefore, attitude is a product of expectation.

    Your attitude is largely dependant on your expectation. You will agree with me that winners have a tendency of manufacturing positive expectations in advance before the actual outcome. They see themselves as winners even before they are.

    I guess that the expectation of something happening has a direct influence on your attitude. I encourage you, therefore, to live a life of positive expectation.

    Always expect something you planned for to happen. This is the only way you will have a positive mental attitude that will help drive you towards your goal achievement.

    “If you don’t like something, change it, if you can’t change it, change your attitude” ~ Maya Angelou.

    Having a Success Mindset

    “If you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams and endeavour to live the life which you have imagined, you will meet with success unexpectedly in common hours” ~ Henry David Thoreau.

    Perhaps the key question here would be; what is a success mindset? Having a success mindset is seeing; living and feeling success even before it is achieved.

    Remember that all achievement begins with the conditioning of your mind. Having a success mindset will surely help you in your goal achievement.

    When you condition your mind in such a way that you think, feel and live success, believe me, your goal achievement will be sooner rather than later.

    Even just the feeling of happiness and wellbeing is enhanced. Having a success mindset just takes you to another level.

    I don’t know what it is you want to achieve in your life, but whatever it is, tune your mind and begin to see and feel successful.

    Imagine yourself living the life of your dreams; the feeling and the emotion this brings to are so real. This will surely motivate you to work even harder for your goal achievement.

    However, be aware that having a success mindset does not necessarily mean you should stop working. I believe that there is no substitute for hard work.

    “There is no secret to success it the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure” ~ Colin Powell.

    Overcome Negative Habits

    “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny” ~ Frank Outlaw.

    Remember that our daily habits contribute immensely towards our goal achievement. It is, therefore, very important that you know or rather overcome negative habits that have a detrimental effect on your goal achievement.

    It may be of help to know that your brain has two sides, the conscious and the subconscious. The conscious is the part that takes in data from the environment and processes it.

    It is the link between the inside world and the outside world. The conscious is the thinking part of the brain. The conscious mind can only hold one thought at a time, that is positive or negative; yes or no.

    Whenever the conscious mind has made a decision the subconscious mind accepts it instantly and acts on it. Decisions can be negative or positive, yes or no.

    The subconscious mind stores the processed data from the conscious mind. They say the conscious mind is the gatekeeper for the subconscious mind.

    You will notice that most of the habits we have developed are acted upon unconsciously. Different people will react differently in the same environment.

    This is dependent on what the subconscious mind has been fed. I can safely say that all our habits sit on the subconscious mind. It is therefore very important to guard what we feed the subconscious mind.

    I know for sure that some negative habits are hard to get rid of. But through persistent training of the conscious mind, you can change the perception of the subconscious mind.

    Scientists say the mind does not sleep even when the body is asleep. This only illustrates how powerful the mind is and what role it plays in our goal achievement process.

    The value of the subconscious is enormous; the subconscious inspires us; it warns us; it furnishes us with names, facts, and scenes from the storehouse of memory.

    Conclusion

    Personal success and development cannot be achieved with a negative mindset. Having a positive mindset is one of the key elements to moving towards your goal achievement.

    “Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of the blueprint of your ultimate achievements” ~ Napoleon Hill.

    We should all endeavour to cultivate a positive mind if we have to achieve our success.

  • You Cannot Change the Past

    “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, that is why they call it present”- Unknown origins.

    You cannot do anything to change your past neither can you delete it. But you can do something with the present to help shape your future.

    Look, we all have closets and in those closets are skeletons. I mean, “Some of those skeletons would even refuse to be shown to people.” 

    Well, if you do not have skeletons, with time you will surely have them. Whether you want to share them with the world or not is entirely up to you. Simply put, there is no one with a perfect past.

    Even the most successful and humblest of people have skeletons in their closets.

    I have done some things in the past that am not proud of. Really, some of the stuff I did, if I could go back in time, equipped with the knowledge I have acquired, I would change them.

    Unfortunately, I cannot, and neither can you. I am here and doing what am doing mostly because of my past.

    Your past experience helped to shape your present. You, therefore, need to learn to live and appreciate your past, good or bad.

    What you should be preoccupied with is trying your level best to lay a better foundation for the future.

    You cannot make progress by dwelling on your past. The past is history. It’s gone, let go of it. You cannot continue crying over spilt milk.

    You can only embrace and accept the past. Learn from it and move on. There are lessons you can take from your past, that can be taken into the future.

    To achieve growth, life demands that you learn from the mistakes you made and from the people around us.

    Human beings tend to be wiser as they grow older. They say experience is the greatest teacher.

    If you cannot learn from your past experiences, well then you must be untrainable. But I believe that all human beings are trainable. 

    The Importance of Learning from Your Past

    You cannot expect different results if you keep doing the same things over and over. You cannot expect to succeed if there is nothing you are doing about it.

    If you believe that practice makes perfect; you need to change your belief system. I grew up believing that practice makes perfect until I learned that practice only makes room for improvement which leads to improved results.

    Learning from the past is what gives us wisdom. It is what makes us grow as human beings. 

    Sometimes am left wondering what is wrong with our current generation. We want to start climbing the tree of success from the top.

    We want to experience success without going through the mill. No wonder we have people who can not achieve real success. 

    When things go wrong, do not go with them. Make a decision to go the opposite direction.

    You will agree with me that wisdom comes from experience and experience comes with age.

    Every little positive change that you make in life is important. It takes you closer to your goals.

    You must realise that change is not sudden and that it is not easy. Just because you made a mistake at your last job and got fired does not mean you must give up.

    Get up and accept your mistakes and take responsibility for them. Learn from them and stop blaming your boss for having you fired, he was merely doing his job.

    I know it’s not easy when you lose a job, especially in the current economic situation. But I believe that God allows such things to happen so as to position you for better things to come.

    Learning from our past experiences cannot be over-emphasised. It is of paramount importance that we all learn from our past experiences.

    It all begins by first knowing ourselves better. Over the last few years, I have become an ardent student of myself.

    Yes, you heard me right a student of myself. You will be amazed to learn that most of us do not know ourselves very well.

    The fact that I now understand myself better than before is very helpful in my everyday life. I know when to do things more efficiently and what conditions I will thrive in at any particular time.

    I have learned over time what sort of music will motivate me to write articles and will influence my working mood. All this has come by seriously paying attention to myself.

    Live Life in the Present

    Well, it is good to reminiscence about the past. But, this should not be your preoccupation because no matter how good your past was,  it is history. It belongs to the annals of history.

    Yes, it was good while it lasted, but life has moved on. Life dictates that we also move forward with it.

    If you are not moving forward then you are moving backwards. With time you will realise that all your juniors will have progressed.

    Life is never static. Charles Haanel in his book the Master Key says “Opportunity follows perception, action follows inspiration, growth follows knowledge, eminence flows progress.”

    My understanding is that if your life is not moving forward or you are not taking action, the opportunity will surely pass you by.

    There comes a time in one’s life when things seem to be impossible. That is when we are required to show our strength and tenacity.

    I have a very good friend of mine, I won’t mention his name for now. Actually his my childhood friend.

    This is a very intelligent and brilliant guy but has failed to progress because he still lives in the past.

    He has literally failed to move on in life. Every time we meet our discussions are mostly centred on the past and he never seems to focus on the future.

    This is a guy that has gone from being one of the most promising talents in his field to be one of the most unreliable employee.

    All this simply, because of not accepting his previous mistakes and not learning from them, and as a result opportunities have passed him by because he still lives in his past glory.

    What I am trying to say is that we must learn to live in the present. Enjoy today. Remember today is called present. It is your present from God Almighty.

    Make sure you do the right things. Do not take things for granted. Take every opportunity that comes your way with both hands and live your life.

    Conclusion

    I would like to leave you with one of my favourite prayers.

    “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference” – Serenity Prayer.

    For me, this prayer summarises what we need to do in life. It recognises the fact that we cannot change the past and that a bright future belongs to the courageous. Have a wonderful and successful life.

  • Your Health is Your Wealth

    “Within each of us lies the power of our consent to health and sickness, to riches and poverty, to freedom and to slavery. It is we who control these, and not another” – Richard Bach.

    Most of us are living life good or bad without paying much attention to our health and well-being.

    We mostly do not pay attention to it because we think it is a given, that everyone is enjoying good health.

    During the earlier years of my life, I did not pay so much attention to what I ate neither did I pay attention to many little things that affected my health and well-being.

    This was because my immunity could handle many ailments without much difficulty.

    Now that am in my mid-forties and even though am still at the peak of my well-being, I have noticed a lot of changes in my body.

    One particular observation I have made is the slow digestion of food. What has really helped me is the regime of exercising on a regular basis.

    I encourage you to take exercising seriously and recommend at least twice a week as a minimum.

    Now, am not an expert on health issues but I only write my personal experiences.

    You may not realise it or agree with me that maintaining a good healthy and balanced body is very key to your personal growth and success. I believe it is very difficult to achieve success when you have to worry so much about the state of your health.

    Therefore, I encourage you to maintain a healthy and balanced behaviour. I know for a fact that most of the common illnesses are as a result of personal neglect and not just taking good care of our bodies.

    If you are blessed with good health please ensure that you develop a deliberate personal habit to prolong your good health. I also know that it is never too late to change and develop good healthy habits.

    Watch What You Eat and Drink

    As I mentioned before that in the earlier stages of my life I did not care so much about my health habits. I ate whatever came my way and fortunately my body was doing quite well and did not put on so much weight. But I have problems with my teeth.

    Now in my mid-forties, I have to watch what I eat. This is because at this stage in my life my digestion system is beginning to slow down.

    One of the habits that I have totally discontinued is the consumption of alcoholic beverages. I have also greatly reduced the intake of carbonated drinks.

    “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not” – Mark Twain.

    I may not recommend exactly what you should eat but I believe that we must all ensure to eat a good healthy and balanced diet, full of natural foods and less processed foods.

    Try as much as possible to incorporate a lot of green vegetables and fruits in your daily diet. Remember to also drink lots of water. The recommended is six glasses of water per day.

    Reduce on the intake of red meat and processed sugar. Especially if you are hitting your forties, red meat takes a long time to digest.

    Physical Exercising is Very Important

    “It is not good for all our wishes to be filled; through sickness we recognize the value of health; through evil, the value of good; through hunger, the value of food; through exertion, the value of rest” – Greek Proverb.

    I know that we human beings do not like making our bodies sweat. Eating a good diet alone will not necessarily help you achieve optimum good health.

    Coupled with your good eating habits should be a good exercising regime. To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.

    I personally have a routine for exercising on a regular basis. The thing with exercising is that the first few days when you embark on it, it is quite daunting and tiring. But after a few times, you get used and it becomes interesting.

    Do not punish yourself but start slowly. Do what suits you. Your body was meant to work. I go for a road run three times a week. When not running I try by all means to walk as much as I can.

    It is very refreshing for me. Over time I have discovered that exercising in the morning works well for me. It keeps my mind alert and my body is full of energy the whole day.

    Physical exercising helps me increase my water consumption. It also helps me unwind my mind.

    Ever since I embarked on regular jogging my digestion system has greatly improved. I have also learned over the years not to take my good health for granted. That is why I try by all means to do the right things.

    “Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship” – Buddha.

    Conclusion

    There are many ways to keep our bodies in good health and shape. Remember that the longer you enjoy good health the more you will concentrate on enjoying your life. They say your health is your wealth.

    “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver” – Mohandas Gandhi.

    Good health does not stay forever you need to ensure that you prolong it as much as possible.

    Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits.

    I believe that life is worth living healthily. If you do not have a healthy living habit I encourage you to develop one that works for you. Bye and remember to stay safe and healthy.

    For further reading on health issues please visit Health Tips for healthy Living.

  • Do Not Underestimate the Power of Your Actions

    There is power in your actions just as there is power in your tongue. The two are synonymous. You should always be mindful of what you say or do.

    Most people underestimate the power that God has deposited in each and every one of us. Within you, there is more than sufficient energy and willpower to achieve anything that you set your mind on.

    “Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!” – Tony Robbins.

    It is, therefore, important that you realise it and stop underrating yourself. One of the reasons why we do not progress and achieve our goals is because we underestimate ourselves.

    People think they cannot achieve certain things because they do not have such and such. If you are thinking like that, it is a sign of inferiority complex. Please get rid of it.

    God created us equal and it does not matter whether you are black or white; rich or poor. Remove the colour of your skin and we all have the same blood running through our veins.

    I have never seen anyone with white or black blood. We all have red blood in our veins.

    We all breathe the same air. The sun shines on all humanity regardless of the locality and colour of your skin.

    Darkness falls on both the rich and the poor. Everyone enjoys the same seasons depending on your locality. There are 24hrs in a day for all. Someday each and every one of us will die. Why then do you underestimate the power of your actions?

    Every great man or woman knows that every action they take leads to something. That is why it is important that you learn to take decisive actions with your life.

    Yes, I know that sometimes our actions may seem not to be right with everyone at the time. But nature requires us to do the right things.

    Some of the things I learned from my late Dad seemed very harsh then. But fast forward I realise that they are now very useful for my survival.

    I learned at an early age in life to be independent. My Dad taught me to be more independent. Well, back then it looked like punishment.

    Of course, as a young man, I would have loved to be a little bit more spoiled.

    But equipped with more knowledge now, I think It would have been a challenge for me to be a more responsible person if I was spoiled.

    Your Every Action Builds Your Character

    Society will always judge you by your actions, simply because this is what they see. They are not preview of your thoughts and feelings.

    Most of the time they will misunderstand your actions. But always remember that for every action you make there is an equal reaction.

    Some will be positive and others will be negative reactions. Stay your course and do what you think is right. I always tell my children that when they do the right things no one is going to bother them. They will be at peace with everyone.

    No matter how small your deeds may be, do not underestimate the power they carry. It may just be saying thank you to a stranger for helping you.

    That one small deed can go a long way to making someone happy and feel appreciated.

    I remember one time at church as I was on duty, I offered one of my team members a cup of coffee. For me, it was just extending a good gesture to a teammate.

    I was very touched to find out a few weeks later that it was the only meal he had for that particular day.

    You are a sum total of the small things that you do. Your character is built and formed by the little things you do on a daily basis. So matter how small or insignificant you think your actions are, do not underestimate them. You never know who is watching.

    Life is Work In Progress

    My life is a continuous work in progress. I don’t think there will ever be a time when things will just happen on auto pilot. I have to constantly keep pushing myself and find ways of improving.

    Everyday of my life, it dawns on me that am aging and I have to learn how to do certain things as am aging. When I look at people who are really advanced in age and cannot do the very things they used to do when they were much younger. I realise that actually life is a work in progress.

    At every stage you have to learn, just when you think you have mastered one thing another challenge comes along.

    That is why you must quickly learn to become a student of yourself. You may not have the same energy to achieve your goals in the next few years.

    They say make hay when its summer because you cannot make it when winter comes. In order to move in tandem with this world you must learn to evolve.

    Develop ideas on how you can change your way of life and remain relevant to the core. The more relevant you are the more you can contribute positively to humanity.

    For as long as am able to, it is my intention to continue contributing in my own small way to the cause of personal development and self growth.

    I will try and write on topics that are relevant and will continue learning and finding more ways of delivering my messages. I will simply not give up. Not just yet.

    Confidence Comes From Experience

    You can overcome your fears and flaws by gaining experience. Experience is gained through practice.

    Take the example of driving a car. The first time you do it, you are gripped with fear and are nervous. You are lacking in confidence and make a lot of mistakes on the road.

    The more you practice the more confident you get. After a number of times driving, you are so much confident that you do not even think about it. Even when you make mistakes you are not bothered that much.

    Before you gain confidence you will fall and sometimes bruise your self. But if you persist you will soon get the hang of it and your confidence will soon be more than your fear.

    To apply the principle of improving your confidence the following could be of great use. Identify the areas of your life that are outside your comfort zone.

    Take a step by ensuring that you venture into your un comfortable zone. The first time will feel very awkward.

    It will not be easy the first time and believe me it will not be perfect either. Go on and continue doing it and you will eventually get the hang of it.

    Remember that it is not practice that makes perfect but, imperfect practice that results in perfectness.

    Conclusion

    “Never underestimate the potential and power of the human spirit”.

    Your actions are responsible for shaping your character. If you want to build a good reputation you need to guard your heart jealously as this is the source of your actions.

    The bible says “as a man thinketh so is he in his heart”.  It is also says “you shall know them by their fruits”. We do not just act from without. We react with what we have. Remember to “never underestimate the power of your actions”.

  • Start With What You Have

    Everything that you want to be or achieve in life, begins with what you have. You cannot give what you do not have.

    “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them” – Henry David Thoreau.

    The biggest challenge the average person has is starting with what they have. Most of the time we want to wait until we have accumulated a certain amount of money before we invest in an idea; we want to wait until we start earning a certain amount of money before we can start saving.

    But here is the thing, distractions will always be there. Worse still the opportunity may just pass you by.

    Yes, you may not succeed on the first attempt. But the experience, you will have gained is very valuable for your next project or idea.

    Most people who succeed start with the little they have and grow their resources as they progress. In fact, some of the people that have gone on to be successful started with nothing.

    If you want to start a business, resources do not necessarily mean finances. Resources could just be the skills you have or even the idea you are harbouring.

    One of the biggest resources that is overlooked by start-up entrepreneurs’  is human capital.

    Most of the time we always want to justify our fears. We are scared of failure; embarrassment and rejection.

    Justifying our fears is having a poverty mentality. Yes, I call it justifying, our poverty mentality because this is most common among poor people.

    I cannot start this business because its time consuming; who says being in business does not require your time? Stop giving excuses and get on with your life.

    Success is time consuming. A business needs all your time especially when starting out.

    Just Get Started

    The company Nike has a very good motto that I like so much “just do it.”  Stop justifying your poverty mentality and get started with whatever, that is what you want to achieve.

    Look, before starting this website, I had so many excuses. What will people think about me; I am not sure if I can generate enough writing ideas, were some of the lame excuses I was giving.

    Well, a few years down the line am still writing. This site has over 120 original articles published with an average of about 1000 words per posting.

    I now have even discovered more ways to keep generating new ideas. Yes, am aware that for now this site may not be as popular as I would want, but slowly and with time it will achieve the intended goals.

    When you start, things begin to fall in place. Your mind begins to direct you in a certain way. By doing what you love every day, you attract the right resources.

    It is entirely up to you to harness them. It is the beginning that is always difficult, but as you go on you grow in confidence. As you grow in confidence, you grow in stature and this gives you even more confidence. Do not be afraid to change your methods.

    With every article, I publish my confidence is growing and I believe that even my writing skills are being sharpened. My thinking is much more clearer and my plans for this website are even more refined and clearer. Developing ideas has become even more easier than before.

    Today as I write this article I have more than 20 ideas that need to be actualised.

    Every day, I keep adding to this list. My ideas are ahead of my writing skills and ability. It was not like this, a few years ago when I was starting this website. It was a struggle and even when ideas would pop up writing them was still a challenge. But, over time writing has become more easier.

    One Day You Will be Proud

    Sometimes it seems not fashionable to start small.  The bible says do not despise the days of your humble beginnings. We only admire business empire’s when they are big.

    When they become household names. Yet, we forget that Rome was not built in one day. These same big corporations that are now flourishing started small.

    Some of them started in backyards and garages. Alas, the owners are now proud when they sit back and look at how far they have come.

    It takes time and hard work to build something worthwhile. Imagine the joy you get when you see something of your creation flourishing.

    I cannot wait to see this site grow to those levels. Am still very proud of it and proud of myself. For now, my job is to continue doing what am currently doing.

    Improve on Your Skills Set

    Once you start and get going with whatever, you intend to do, make time to improve your skillset. This is important. Devote your time and energy to ensure that you achieve your dreams.

    If your intention is financial freedom, improve your financial management skills. If it means taking further education just do it. With the advent of the internet and advancement in technology, education today has become more accessible than ever before.

    Improving your skillset could be the difference between earning more income and moving up the ladder quickly. Now, improving your skillset does not necessarily mean acquiring formal education.

    I know that it is important to be formally educated. But you can improve your skillset in many ways. You could find materials such as books, audios, and videos on the internet.

    Currently am reading materials on how to improve my writing skills am not formally enrolled in any college or university.

    It is safe for me to say am getting an education. I know for sure that reading more will enhance my writing skills and of course this will have more benefits for my readers.

    The sharper my skill set the more quality articles I generate. This obviously translates to enjoying my life even more.

    Conclusion

    “You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you” – Brian Tracy.

    Successful people start with what they have. They do not wait for the so-called right time. They strike when the iron is still hot. I guess the right time to take your first step is now. You never know what the morrow will bring forth.

  • Stepping Into the Unknown

    Stepping up to start a new challenge can be a very daunting task at first but life demands that we make that move.

    To make meaningful progress in life you need to do things that you have never done before. Sometimes you need to do things that have never been done by anyone before.

    If you are like me who is tired of living a mediocre life, you need to change your approach to life.

    It cannot always be business as usual. It has to change radically. It has to be business unusual. The only reason you keep getting the same results is that you keep doing the same things.

    Over the past few months, I have been busy rearranging my life. I have been preparing to take a big step into the unknown or rather into unfamiliar territory.

    This is the territory of starting a farming business. I have always had a passion for farming and the desire to get started has never been this intense.

    And so I have decided that over the next couple of months, I will be sharing my progress in the new adventure that I have embarked on.

    I hope to encourage and inspire many of you who share a similar passion or any other ideas and have been held up for various reasons.

    You see, life is what you make it. If you want to succeed you need to take action. If you do not act you will remain in the same position. Life will pass you by.

    This is what has been my case. I have taken too long to act on my passion. Mainly because I have lacked the courage to face failure.

    I know that I am not alone on this sphere that is why I have decided to share my intentions.

    I am hoping that by sharing I will be held accountable at the end of the year to talk about the progress made.

    Have the Courage to Do

    “Be courageous. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has emerged from these stronger and more prosperous. Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith! Go forward!” Thomas A. Edison.

    Courage is what you need to get started. It is difficult to get started without having to gunner enough courage.

    But again there is never a time when you have enough courage. For as long as you do not commit you will never have the courage to do something. So make a commitment to doing something and stick with it.

    The thing to do is to just get started. As you go along you will develop even more courage to face your challenges. You will grow out of your fears.

    My fear has always been about how to provide for my family if the farming business does not work out. To overcome this fear I have had to start working on my passion as a side hustle.

    It is my intention to run my farm business on a full-time basis in the near future.

    It’s tough but what has been happening is that I have been getting more confident and learning the dos and don’ts of the business.

    There is nothing much to show for it now but I can see some progress and some encouraging results.

    At least things are taking shape. I hope that by the end of the year there will be some meaningful development to talk about.

    Start With What You Have

    One of the biggest mistakes we make in life is wanting to start with what we don’t have. Usually, we want to start on an ideal footing. If things were ideal you would not be compelled to work harder.

    Look, you cannot keep postponing doing something you love because you do not have enough resources. There will never be a time when everything is in place.

    Start where you are and the resources you need will start falling in place. I guess you already have enough resources to just get you started.

    Break down what you intend to do into smaller manageable pieces and start working on them.

    The more you overcome the little obstacles the more encouragement and motivation you get to continue.

    If you wait until everything is in place they will never be and you will end up dying without realising your dream.

    It’s more or less like building a house. Those that have undertaken such projects know that you start with one brick then the other and so on and so forth until the whole project is complete.

    Along the way, they will have overcome many challenges including financial constraints but they never give up until the house is completed.

    Keep the Faith

    “Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.” – Buddh.

    Have faith in what you want to do. You will definitely need faith to keep you going. When things are not going according to your plan only faith will keep you moving forward.

    I have my faith in God Almighty and I believe that he is always on my side. The more faith you have the more courage and motivation you generate.

    Now let me be clear, faith does not make things any easier nor does it make them any lighter, but faith makes it possible for you to advance your cause.

    Don’t sit back just because you have faith. The Bible says “faith without action is dead.” Let your works speak for you.

    Be a Good Student of Your Journey

    The journey of life is a process and a very complex process, by the way, the only way you can improve the process is by continuously learning the process.

    To learn the process keep a diary of your activities and review them every now and again. Take time to analyse and understand why things have happened that way.

    Isolate the events or things that you can directly influence and control from those that are beyond your control.

    I personally carry around a small notebook where I write stuff. This book has helped me remember things that I would not have remembered.

    It has also been key to my personal progress. Save for social gatherings I rarely attend meetings without writing down what was discussed.

    Along this journey called life, you will make mistakes. Do not despair it is part of the process. When you are challenged learn from your mistakes and failures.

    Be an ardent student of yourself. You will be surprised at how much you do not know yourself.

    Conclusion

    If you want growth in your life you need to move from the shores and step into the deeper waters. You cannot catch big fish in shallow waters.

    Yes, the deep waters might be scary, but that’s where real growth and more rewards are. Besides deep waters are less crowded yet more rewarding.

  • How to Manage Your Time More Effectively and Efficiently

    Time management is a critical aspect of life that many of us have not mastered. Most of the time we are not overwhelmed with work, we are just disorganized.

    If you take just a little time every morning to organise and prepare for the day you will spend the rest of the day being very productive. You will have planned to succeed for that day.

    Most of us just wake up and get going without actually planning for what we want to achieve for the day. Believe me, not planning is actually planning for failure.

    Planning ahead helps you manage your time effectively and efficiently. It helps you focus on your daily goals and reduces time wastage. Remember that time is always in short supply.

    Yes, things may not go accordingly but you will try as much as possible to stick with what you want to achieve. When you have a plan in place you are more focused on achieving your goals than wasting time on nonproductive issues. 

    There are many ways you can utilise to help manage your time, but here are a few suggestions that you can add to your current list. 

    Wake Up Early

    Waking up early gives you a heads start, it provides you with more time and energy to get things done early when your mind and body are still fresh. It also gives you ample time to plan your day and start working on preparing your mood for the day.

    Yes, I know that sleep is equally important, but the body also needs to be worked. There are many things that can be achieved and accomplished early in the morning when your body is usually at its best and is well rested. 

    You will have all the sleep you need in the world when you have achieved your goals. Remember that if you sleep too much you will have very little time to accomplish your goals.

    If there is one limited commodity that is common to all human beings it is time and time is always in short supply. How you utilise it will largely determine how much you will accomplish with your life. 

    The more you spend time sleeping the less you will achieve with your life. That is why even at an early stage in life we wake up early in the morning to prepare for school. There are very few schools that require you to attend in the afternoon.

    They say “the earthly bird catches the worm.”  Usually, the early risers achieve much more than the late risers. They are the pacesetters. They also say that “latecomers eat bones.”

    So there is always an advantage when you start your day early. 

    Create A To-Do List

    Another good practice is creating a to do list. This is probably a game-changer. A do-to-list acts more or less like a compass. It directs what you should do at a particular time or after a certain activity.

    A to-do list is a very good way of organising your time. Most of the time when you have a guide you will try as much as possible to stick with it. You may deviate at some point but you will eventually drift back to your guide.

    It is best to create a to-do list in the morning before you do anything else. Better still it can be done in the evening before going to sleep and read it in the morning before you step out. 

    Tick off the list as you go along the way. Start with the most important items and move on to the least important. If it can be delegated please go ahead and delegate. If you have to maximise your efficiency learn to delegate. 

    Delegation is not a sign of weakness but is a sign of having confidence and trust in other people. It promotes group relationships if you are a leader. It also motivates the people you work with and makes them feel relevant to your life. 

    Set Deadlines

    Deadlines deadlines deadlines. Most people do not like to hear about deadlines. They dread them. But, nothing in this life lasts forever. Everything comes to end at some point or the other and this is where deadlines come in. Even your life will come to an end one day just be prepared for the afterlife.

    If you have worked in an environment like audit firm, where deadlines are strictly emphasied and adhere to, you should have no problem setting and meeting deadlines. You will also agree with me that deadlines act as a barometer to gauge your performance. 

    Always set deadlines for your goals and try as much as possible to beat them. When you set a deadline your mind is tuned in and is constantly reminded about the approaching deadline. 

    Setting deadlines also helps to monitor your progress. I know that sometimes we miss our deadlines for various reasons. Don’t worry or panic, simply reevaluate why you missed them, adjust and start working on them again.

    You will achieve more when you set activity deadlines. You will also easily progress to the next task at hand. Remember that doing the same things over and over can sometimes be very boring, so finish quickly and move on to something new. 

    Your aim should be to set realistic goals and deadlines that can be achieved and measurable. This should, however, not be a limitation to challenge your capability and capacity to handle more complex challenges.

    Work Your List

    Writing down lists is a very good thing. But without taking action, lists are useless. They become an academic exercise. Just like anything else without action, there can never be any meaningful achievement.

    You must have an actionable list every day. Find the motivation and courage to work your list. It is only by working your list that you will know how far you can go.

    Every day gather enough motivation and keep focused on taking action to working your list. Slowly but surely results will begin to flow in.

    Review your list in the evening to see what has been accomplished and what is still to be done. Roll over the leftover to the next day. Don’t worry about what hasn’t been done. There could be a thousand reasons.

    Only worry about those items that have not been done because of you. Remember you have control over what you can do.

    Don’t live your lists un attended to but make them an integral part of your life. Learn to carry a small notebook around that has your to-do list.

    Be Consistent

    Consistency is the mother of all success. You cannot be successful without being consistent. If you are consistent in doing the small things regularly, within a short period of time they will amount to many things.

    Being consistent is usually what makes the difference between success and failure. Those who are successful are very consistent with what they do. They do not stop even when they are faced with challenges.

    They never give up but instead, they find solutions to the current challenges. In the end, the challenges give in or they are subdued.

    Create the tenacity and ability to always be consistent when pursuing your cause for life.  

    Conclusion

    You may be surprised at how much time you spend being on social media reading gossip or watching video clips that do not add much value to your life. Managing your time requires you to reevaluate how you spend it and on what you are spending it on. 

    Only time will tell if you have been successful with your life or not. Your job is to master how to manage your time efficiently and effectively. Be time conscious. 

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