CHALLENGE YOURSELF, THINK LIKE A CHAMPION

To become a champion in life, we face a lot of obstacles; the ability to overcome them brings us to the desired success results we achieve.

Obstacles come in different sizes and forms depending on what our benchmark or desired results are. The more one is willing to fight, the more success and victory you command. The environment, situation, competitors and a lot of other factors bring problems with them as long as we operate within their confines. To me, the problems that come with them are easy to overcome compared to the ones we face when we challenge ourselves.

Challenging one’s self is doing far above your expected limit. This means you are willing to go the extra mile to achieve greater reward. To become a champion in any field of life, one has to determine to do far more than what is expected, far more than the norms or the ordinary.

In English language, we have the words “ordinary and extraordinary”, we know both of them are used to express a situation, but one is more distinct than the other, which we know is the second (extraordinary). This is simply in this context putting extra effort into whatever endeavor we engage in so as to achieve exemplary results. As a mentor of mine says regularly, “Good is the enemy of best”.

Our standards or accepted results most of the time are the problems we have for not doing better. Until we set groundbreaking goals for ourselves, we would not make marks that would set a path for others to follow.

The champions we envy around us today are who they are because of the efforts they put into their work and the ability to look at obstacles as stepping stones towards expected end. Also, your mindset to a large extent affects decisions one take in life which eventually transforms to the results achieved. Our mindset needs to be challenged, corrected, taught, and changed in situation where that is needed to give results that would touch lives in general. Also, positive mentality and having the right company around you that helps in motivating you and giving you the “can do it” mentality is a major step towards making a mark. Doing a little more, being persistent and focus on a task so as to bring it to a conclusive and excellent end makes one a champion.

In Nigeria today, we have business moguls such as Aliko Dangote, MIcheal Adenuga, the reason they are people to reckon with both here in their country and outside is because they have been able to concentrate their effort, put in the extra needed into every stage of growth of their organization, as it is said, “little drops of water over a period makes a mighty ocean”. The major problem people have is the fact that people relax too early, but they fail to understand that to achieve constant success, constant input, effort and improvement is the key.

I read punch newspaper for the 3rd of July 2011 and came across a story of an NYSC member who made an impact around Ikorodu area in Lagos. She built a primary school for the community and was commended by the community, corporate bodies and the state as a whole. Her extra efforts over the years made her a celebrity as against other corp members around her

In conclusion to this, to be a champion, simply do productive work consistently and the results would show, no matter where you find yourself.

Fakeye, Olaniyi Olatunde
President,
Neff Business Concept

Dear readers,
After reading this blog, I would love to read your comments on this topic. Thanks for the time and effort.

LEARN TO MAKE QUICK AND RIGHT DECISIONS

Every day, we make decisions that in one way or the other shapes our lives and overtime creates a type of future, either the type we envisage or not. The decision not to even take a stand is a decision already taken. Why should we then not be actively involved in a process that will with or without our consent build or shape our lives?,.

The difference between two people are the decisions they have taken at different times in their lives, the quality of the decision and how fast they took the decision, which are then implemented and eventually gives the results we see.

As human beings, we have the ability to think as against animals which acts only based on instinct and feelings. We know the difference between good and bad and also can envisage what the results of our actions could be based on the decisions we take after careful thinking.

As we know, RESPONSIBILITY is the ability to respond to issues. This is based on what decision we make, how fast we make them and the ability or will to follow them through. I hear the sentence “hit the ground running”, this to me simply means meeting a problem with a readymade and instant solution so as to get quick result. But you cannot do this without first taking a decision.

My last essay or discussion was about acquiring information and applying them as usable knowledge, the amount of material or information one is exposed to makes one decide rightly. When we see a successful man, we show him a lot of admiration and respect and in some cases, followership. What we fail to look at most of the time is that the sum total of the decisions he took in his life made him who he is and all we see around him. The drive for change or excellence comes only by determination which is born out of decision to see to a conclusive end issues we are involved.

My point mainly, is to advice that in whatever we do or wherever we find ourselves, we should learn to think and make decisions quickly because this is the only way we can achieve our goals and aspiration. Be it as an individual, group or a nation, the decision to move forward, get better and good governance first lies on the decision we take and how quick we make them, this to a large extent reflects on the end result.

Whatever success we see anywhere does not just happen, it took conscious effort from somebody or a group of people to make a change borne out of good decision making, right timing and also determination which eventually translate to continuous working process in closets on a regular basis before the results is seen.

We should always remember that the ability to make right decisions coupled with right timing goes a long way in achieving success.

Fakeye, Olaniyi Olatunde
President,
Neff Business Concept

SEARCH FOR INFORMATION REGULARLY AND APPLY THEM AS USABLE KNOWLEDGE

I had a discussion with someone a couple of weeks ago and he said, “we are all born ignorant, stupid and foolish”. I was angry at what he said because I had not gotten the sense in the statement but before I questioned him, he raised his hand stopping me from interrupting and continued, saying, “the only way we shift away from this natural position is by searching for information either through books or related materials and also through people and transforming the materials into usable knowledge in our day to day life.

Also, an article written by a woman in united state of America was read to me about how ignorant black people are and this is due to the fact that we do not read. She highlighted in her article the reasons for this, which are, lack of interest in reading, being influenced by vane and irrelevant things, wasteful spending on liabilities which would cost us money to maintain and overtime, depreciate and become obsolete.

Hearing those words made me think, sincerely, how many people have picked up a self learning book or material after graduation from school, or have in anyway tried to improve themselves?, for the ones that do once in a while, do they eventually finish the book?, and for the ones that finish the book, how often do they buy or get new ones?.

This topic concerns everyone because I myself sometimes fail to read on a daily basis, though I make it often, hearing this words has in a way ignited a fire in me to always try to improve myself regularly no matter how busy my day is. Most especially the insult from the white woman pushed me to make a stand.

“I don’t think much of any man who is not wise today than he was yesterday.” –By Abraham Lincoln

“Anyone who stops learning is old, either at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The great thing in life is to keep your mind young.” –By Henry Ford

The only way to be wiser or to keep your mind young as highlighted in both statement made by great men is by devouring information (positive ones), for continuing and daily improvement. Whatever you learn opens your mind and helps you to see, think and address issues better. They help in attaining success with very little bumps on the way.

No matter how much this topic is flogged, it would never be enough. Reading and I mean on a daily basis is a process we must engage in so as to strengthen our mind. Just as athlete’s gym to strengthen his muscles, we should learn to strengthen our minds so we can perform excellently in the race of life.
Fakeye, Olaniyi Olatunde
President,
Neff Business Concept