PLANNING AND EXECUTION: TWO INDISPENSABLE THINGS YOU NEED IN 2021

Over the years, I’ve come to realize the importance and relevance of Planning and Execution, as I have seen it produce results. Reminiscing through my undergraduate days, no semester came without me planning about what I would like to achieve in various aspects of my life and luckily for me,I was able to achieve about 80% or more of my goals after each semester. Similarly, I plan also for the year and I want you to do so too. I have written out my goals for this year already and I have started executing them, one of which is blogging which I am doing now.

What is Planning?
Wikipedia defined planning as the process of thinking about the activities required to achieve the desired goal. It is the first and foremost activity to achieve the desired result. To achieve results in 2021, it is important to plan. Ensure to pen down whatever your thoughts and desires are. Don’t let your mind deceive you that you know them. The more you write, the more you remember things you needed to achieve. It helps you to recall your goal as much as it is imperative to review your goals often.

Ensure your goals are SMART- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. Make it simple, have a deadline, use figures, for example, Save 150,000 naira at the end of June, Add 2kg of weight by the end of March. As important as planning is, you can’t achieve your goals when you don’t execute.

What is Execution?

Execution is carrying out a plan, order, or course of action. Without execution, “vision” is just another word for hallucination, said Mark V. Hurd. Planning is different from execution and it is easier compared to executing. There is a price to pay.

To execute, you need to be disciplined, dogged, committed, and unrelenting. For example, cutting down on your budget list to save more might not be an easy thing to do. There is a need to do more, it could be uncomfortable or painful but it is worth it. Planning only is not enough, things happen when you execute.

I believe having done these two things, it will be a fulfilling and fantastic 2021. I wish you a Happy New Year.

CAREER AND STUDENTS

Career is a job or profession that someone does for a long time.
Student is a person who attends a school, college or university.

Growing up, I had a desire to be an accountant and knowing that I ought to be in the commercial department. I joined the department and later switched to science department as a result of parental influence.

There are a lot of influence that determines the choice of career of students:
1. Parent
2. Peers
3. Environment

– Parent have a big role to play in the life of their children and most of them believe and trust their parent choice to be the best which may really at times not be the best for them

– Friends: Some students find themselves in a department because his/her friend is in that department and because they do not want to part with their friend they chose the same department with them.

-Environment: Our society is filled with an orientation that certain career are tagged successful career such as being a Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer, Accountant and so on. And children grew up with that mentality with an interest in mind which they may not be good at.

Now the question is: What should be the right way of choice of career?..watch out for the next post

What would you have done if you knew better? share your thoughts with us on the comment box below.

Stay tuned and Have a great week!

IMPORTANT TOOLS NEEDED IN ACHIEVING PURPOSE

As much as it is important in discovering purpose, so also it is important to know what it takes to keep one on the track of achieving purpose. Here are some tools that is needed in achieving purpose:

1. Courage: In setting out in achieving purpose, one needs courage. You need to be confident and sure about what you are set to do and have courage to start. This is indispensable because it is the first step taken to achieving purpose.

2. Strength: There is a little that can be achieve without strength. I do not mean the physical strength but the inner strength that can withstand criticism. Stepping out in purpose comes with criticism and discouragement to give up. I remember when I started Mary Soetan Initiative. I was sharing with one of my lecturer in my department about my first school outreach, there was another lecturer also in my department that heard all and responded by saying that I should face my academic courses and stop what I was doing. There was way he put it then. I felt bad and also because he almost discourage the other lecturer in supporting. I had to learn not to let that discourage me. I did and kept with my plans for the first outreach.

3. Persistency: Anything in life that is a success was birth through persistency. Challenges would come, there would be a lot of reasons to quit. There would be no one to support, there would be no one to gear you, all inspiration might have gone. It is in persistency, not giving up, not letting go, no more matter what that would help in achieving purpose.

4. Knowledge: It is important to be knowledgeable about what you are set to do. We operate only in the circle of what we know. It is needful to increase in learning to know more either by reading, networking, attending workshops, trainings and conferences. Seek to know more, learn more, it will help to achieve more.

5. Prayer: True success and purpose is achieved through prayer. There is a lot prayer has helped me to achieve. Cultivate the attitude of praying. It is simply putting your plans and steps in God’s hand for direction. And when God who made you direct your steps then you’re sure of getting to the right destination and achieve success in purpose. It is in the place of prayer, one get strength, courage, and other tools needed in achieving purpose.

6. Strive for mastery: Don’t stay in the same level for a long time. Ensure to do something differently. Be strategic, innovative. Read more and learn more about your purpose. The sky is your starting point on the journey in achieving purpose.

Do share your thought on attributes that has helped you in achieving your purpose or how this has been helpful on the comment section below.

Thanks for staying tune
Next post on a story of a young surgical doctor named…..?……

Stay put!

MYTH ABOUT PURPOSE

“Purpose is the reason you exist. It is finding out what your life is made to answer. There is a question you are created to answer. There is a problem you are wired to solve. This is purpose.”

Myth is an idea or story that is believed by many people but that is not true. It is a common misconception.

There are several misconceptions people have about the word ‘Purpose’.

Majority of people think:
– Purpose is an achievement
-Purpose is career
-Purpose is to become rich
-Purpose is Affluence or Influence
-Purpose is talent
-Purpose is skill acquired
-Purpose is about having an NGO
And a lot more.

Let’s look into some of these;
1. Achievement are goals set and attained. It is a result of hard work, something that has been done or achieved through effort.

2. Career is a job or profession someone does for a long time.

3. Affluence is an abundant flow or supply.

4. Talent is the ability that allows someone to do something well.

These are not purpose. Also, Purpose is not just having an NGO. This could be after you have identified your purpose.

” You need to figure out “what on earth am I here for” Purpose is not looking good, feeling good and having the good.”

Purpose is the reason you exist. It is finding out what your life is made to answer. There is a question you are created to answer. There is a problem you are wired to solve. This is purpose. It is an emptiness you feel inside you. It is not to get up in the morning, go to work, return, watch movies and then to bed. That is just existence.

Purpose is living. You need to figure out “what on earth am I here for? “Purpose is not looking good, feeling good and having the good. It is not the influence or affluence. It is in giving our life’s away that we find meaning and significance. It is to impact, to bless others. The purpose of influence is to speak out for those who don’t have influence. Living purposeful is true living and true living is in giving. Purpose is not about you, its about making the world a better place.

Thank you for staying tune with us. Share your thought with us in the comment box below.

Next post would be on:

How do I discover my purpose?

How do I fuel my purpose?

The Benifits of Reading

In the previous post on the blog, I mentioned some of the importance and benefits of reading. Let me remind you, from research and from experience, reading has been shown to improve empathy which positively affects our relationship with others, boosts brain functioning and memory. It also helps to reduce stress.

Let’s look at these benefits one after the other.

1. Reading improves empathy

According to a 2016 study by the human resources consulting firm Development Dimensions International, leaders who master empathy tend to outperform others who don’t by 40%.
Back in 2013, social psychologist David kidd was thinking about which activities might lead to greater empathy. He observed: “And as a lifelong reader, it occurred to me that fiction is a place where we regularly get a lot of support in engaging with the unique experiences of other people.”

The ability to understand that other people have thoughts and desires, and that these thoughts and desires might be different from one’s own is not the same as empathy.

Instead, empathy is the ability to sense what other people are feeling, to understand other people’s feeling, and to respond appropriately to the emotions of others.

Building and keeping strong relationships, cross cultural sensitivity and tolerance, excellent customer service rely heavily on empathy. Empathy could lead to productive meetings and collaborations among colleagues and employees as they relate with one another. Empathy is a great tool in building relationships.

2. Reading boosts brain functioning.

Since, keeping the brain active and engaged prevents it from loosing power, when you read, the brain is at work and it boosts your intellect. Just like any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy, hence the phrase , ‘use it or loose it’. What you don’t use, you loose.

Reading enhances mental stimulation. It increases one’s memory. The more you read, the more likely it is for you to retain and remember what you read.

3. Reading leads to stress reduction

There is a relaxation that accompanies reading a book. It’s possible that the subject you read on brings about immense inner peace.
No matter how much stress you have at work, in your personal relationships or countless issues faced in daily life, it all just slips away when you lose yourself in a great story, or in any other great piece of writing.

These are just some of the benefits of reading, out of the numerous benefits there are.

Have these been helpful?

Now, go pick a book and read, so you could get all the benefits described in this piece. Also, I would love you to share your experiences and lessons learnt.

How do I cultivate a reading habit?
Stay tuned for it in the next blog post.

READING: IS IT A TOOL FOR BEING SUCCESSFUL?

Books donated to a school in Port Harcourt by MSI

The love for reading started when I was 14years old. I was influenced by one of my teachers and a friend. They gave me books to read. I read some and some I could’nt finish. But it helped me develop the reading habit as I grew up. I began to dedicate myself to reading and in the process, found out the importance of reading which is inexhaustible.

Many of the world’s most powerful people today attest to their love for reading. Former US president Barack Obama said that reading made him who he is and taught him what he believes in. There is a level you operate in when you read. Reading has boost my self esteem and relationship with people to mention a few. Reading expands your knowledge, takes you beyond your horizon and makes you to relate better with people. Reading habit has been shown to reduce stress, boost brain functioning and even improve empathy.

Reading is the process of interpreting written language. Like the Adage that says “Knowledge is Power, what you know gives you an edge. You gain knowledge either by what you see(reading) or by what you hear(listening), but most of the vital information that might change your life might not be said for you to listen, you’ve got to read or dig deep by searching through the pages of a book.
” The more you read, the more things you will know, the more you’ll learn and the more places you’ll go. Now that you know some of the benefits of reading.

How does it help to improve relationship?
How does it help to reduce stress?
How does it improve our memory
How do I cultivate the habit of reading?

Next post. Stay tuned.
Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

The Birth of Mary Soetan Initiative

Mary Soetan Initiative kicked off in April, 2018. The Initiative was birthed in December 2016 after attending a programme organised by Kiyeseni Foundation ‘A visit to the slum’. we sang choral songs to the children for them to have a taste of joy and to make them happy. The programme was a success. I was moved with compassion for the children. After the programme, I became burdened and unsatisfied about myself. I felt there was a purpose why I am created, I felt empty. While thinking through, I began to feel the urge to impact younger ones by encouraging them to inculcate reading habit which has helped me personally. Also, for them to discover their purpose early in life.

Personally, my Dad wanted me to be a civil engineer but I ended up studying Aquaculture and Fisheries Management. I wish I knew my purpose early enough to follow the path. Though I am still pursuing my career. I am making out time to fulfilling my purpose. I got to know about my purpose was when I was in my third year in school. I knew God wanted me to counsel and mentor youth. If I had I known early, I would rather have studied guardiance and counselling or a related course. I tried sharing this with people around me but no one understood. I kept it all to myself but eventually it bursted out.

The initiative seeks to achieve it’s goal, by having outreaches in schools. The first outreach was held at Rising Field College. I had little or no idea of how it will turn out to be but to my amazement it was great. You can check on our facebook page and IG page Mary Soetan Initiative for more pictures.

Students of Comfort Field College excited about the programme

Discovering purpose and achieving them is sweet. I’m glad I started this and we’ve had two outreaches after the first lauching and we’ve also been able to partner with other foundations. We are growing and want to expand in our capacity of impact. We are also using this platform as a means of impact to achieve our aim. Stay tuned for stories, tips about reading, enjoying career and achieving purpose along side updates from the Initiative.