The year 2011 will present very hard situations and it depends on how you navigate through the storm that will enable you survive or thrive. Whether you are working now, whether you are job hunting, or whether you are satisfied with your status, I am sure that there are challenges that you have put forth which you intend to achieve. There are strategies normally implemented by businesses that I will be sharing today. Normally in a business, the strategies that you implement each financial year will see to it that you thrive or survive. There is no business in the world that does not target profits or surplus earnings, this is one of the leading goals that each organization targets. In Kenya, there are businesses that are thriving while others are just surviving. Ask yourself why, it all boils down to strategy and mode of tackling the goals.
In 2011 targets and objectives that will improve your confidence, stature and self should be based on the following:
1. Evaluating and understanding all your problems whether present or from the past: It is very important to know where we are coming from and where we are headed. It is by defining the past that we can forge the future. Know the problems you have faced in the past and the mistakes you have made, vow never to repeat them again and if you encounter something that can lead you into committing the same mistake then avoid it like a plague.
2. Change and redefine your priorities: Maybe you should start focusing on what you put as a leading objective or what you want to get first. Do you want a good job first, do you want a car first, pimp your house first, a business or whatever you put first be careful. At this point I want to use myself as an example, after university I wanted a well paying job, I got, I married, started a business and packed my house with home stuff, then got a car and life continued well after that. Although this were my priorities, please set yours in the order in which you want them and if you put one on top last year and did not achieve it, please redefine your priorities.
3. Verify yourself worth through commitment: How do you rate yourself before anyone can tell you what you are capable of. Do very deep soul searching and know what your worth is, be careful to be realistic and define what you can do. If it is business fight towards that goal, if it is a specific skill, the go for it. I feel also that I use my example and I am sorry for being too selfish but my first job was well paying (something above a six figure) and that was straight after university but that is not what I wanted because I was doing accounting while my passion was in human resource but because accounting seemed the one with opportunities. When I sat and evaluated myself, I knew I wanted to move and left a job one day without thinking twice. I went ahead to complete a MBA and now a PhD in what I love. I wish I had evaluated myself earlier.
4. Overlook and ignore distractions your detractors: These are factors that will always be there. A job like my first one offered medical insurance and pension. If you are the fearing type, you will never have moved into a world without medical insurance and pension with only forty thousand in my account with a very young family by then of two kids. These are detractors and even other people or friend can be detractors. Please see beyond them, assume that they do not exist and forget that they ever were there. A friend may misadvise you against an idea that you like but move on. A friend of mine took dj classes while at campus and despite being a science student, he decided to pursue his dream, today he is a producer with a local radio station making above Sh. 300,000 per month. If he listened to us who thought that djying does not pay, then he will be languishing by now. Listen to good advice but shun wrong words.
5. Cherish and care for your loved ones: These probably are the most important people that you have. Are you a person who earns or makes a few coins and straight calls friends who even don’t matter and you buy them crazy amounts of bear. Do these friends buy you when they have made some money? Please be careful with people who you cannot gain from because they always want you to do the spending. Most of your cash and resources should be diverted to your family and loved ones always. You may think that life is good and you enjoy it, old age will hit you fast without any asset to show for all the active years you had and your loved ones will not be there for you. Do what you can and how you can and to the distance you can but don’t hurt yourself trying to please people.
6. Embrace everyday as if it were your last: This is probably the best ever you can do for yourself. I remember our 2011 message was that you take life simple. Don’t hurt yourself about how someone is thinking about you, don’t kill yourself that you messed yesterday, don’t come to work late and look over your shoulder the whole day. Be careful to avoid deep thoughts of concern always, bring forth positive thoughts into your life without thinking of the past too much. When you wake up, thank the Almighty and move to attack the day the way it presents itself. If an accident happens to you and you die, will you frown to your death or with a smile? Smile every day, laugh off bad attitudes and thoughts, shrug bad people and jump up and down in your room when you are free. Be happy like a kid and love yourself.
This message may affect those that like frowning too much or who take life too serious but we apologize if we hit your character herein. To grow confidence and be you in 2011 is the target and the way to live. When you enter an office, don’t feel intimidated, assume you are acting a movie and behave like a movie star, if you love politics then be the president, if you love heaven then be the small god of your world and if you love power be the king.
We at HCC want to wish you all the best in 2011.
