5 ways to move on from Disappointments and Failures
The reality of life is that things don’t always work out the way we would like and expect. We might find ourselves in a job that wasn’t what we hoped for. The business we invest in might not take off. The relationship we form could come to an end. We are met with disappointments and failures that come in many different forms. When this happens, we can easily sink into despair, depression or self-pity. However, there are better ways to deal with failures that will not leave you broken. [bctt tweet=”Dealing with failures or disappointments? @isireflectdaily highlights 5 steps that will help you move on and start your year strong. Read more…” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 1. Accept that things don’t always work out the way you hope The truth is that no matter how much we can plan, prepare and invest, life is still always unpredictable. The things we aim for might not go according to plan and that’s okay. This happens to everyone. No one is immune to having been disappointed in life. That’s why you have to be okay with the fact that these things happen. Sometimes, you might fail at your pursuits. Accepting that this is a normal part of life is what will help you to move on because you’ll know that you can still be okay. 2. Consider what you can learn from the failed situation/endeavor Another way to help you deal with failures and disappointments is to evaluate what the experience has taught you. In every situation, there is always something to learn and gain even though it doesn’t work out. So if you find yourself in a predicament that wasn’t what you wanted, ask yourself what you know now that you didn’t know before? Considering what you can learn from a situation is beneficial because it gives you a better outlook on life. It gives you a mindset that is seeking personal growth. That way, you don’t see yourself as a failure because something doesn’t work out. Rather, you access what went wrong, what you learned and how you can use that moving forward. [bctt tweet=”Though life might kick us down, we have to be able to have a resilient and open mindset to look to other avenues and platforms for where to try again – @isireflectdaily ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 3. Reach out to others and learn from their experiences When we face difficulties and challenges that deter us from vision, we can feel embarrassed and ashamed. It can be easy to want to keep things to yourself and wallow in self-pity. However, it is better to reach out to others. It’s great to seek advice and mentorship from others who are doing what you aspire to do. When you seek advice from others, you learn from their experiences. You can also take comfort when they share their struggles and failures. You’ll know that you are not alone in having gone through disappointments. It’s always good to reach out to others. Reach out to people you value, admire and trust. By sharing your story with them, you might gain encouragement and inspiration to do something new, different or simply, starting again. 4. Have an open mindset to enable you to try something different and new Our mindset has a great impact on how we function in life. When things don’t work out the way we plan, we can become closed off. We give up on ourselves and our lives. We become passive and refuse to try something else because we might be afraid of failing again. If you have this sort of mindset to life, you won’t be able to move on. It’s important to be able to move on. One of my favorite quotes from the late Maya Angelou states that ‘we might encounter many defeats but we must never be defeated.” Though life might kick us down, we have to be able to have a resilient and open mindset to look to other avenues and platforms for where to try again. To try a different strategy. To try a different approach. To look for something that might work better. The renowned author for the widely popular Harry Potter series: J.K. Rowling often shares her struggles and failures when she speaks. She says that she sent out her work to several publishers before it was accepted. She faced many rejections. But she still kept sending her work out and the rest is history. Watch Here: If you tell yourself that a failure has defeated you, you could be denying yourself of opportunities that are still out there. You have to be willing to keep your feet moving. There is more on the horizon. Tell yourself that the failure could later lead to a success story. How do you deal with failures and disappointments in life? Click here to share your story with us.
Mendy Lusaba: Creating jobs in Zimbabwe through Housekeeping
Mendy Lerato Lusaba is a Social Entrepreneur making changes in the domestic work industry. She is the Founder of Chris and Geo Domestic Placement Agency which recruits, trains and places socio-economically disadvantaged women as domestic workers. The innovative agency also offers unique housekeeping services of weekly maids for those that do not need full time stay in maids hence slowly disrupting the sector. She also founded the Domestic Workers Association of Zimbabwe which is a network of Zimbabwean maids with a focus on capacity building and advocacy work. DWAZ has members in Zimbabwe, South Africa and is growing daily. In this article, she talks about how she took advantage of her background in HR to create more jobs by starting her own business. [bctt tweet=”Meet @mendylusaba – a Social Entrepreneur making changes in the domestic work industry and creating jobs in Zimbabwe.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tell us about your professional background? I have a B.Sc. in Human Resources Management, a Diploma in Labour Law from the Institute of People Management and Post Graduate Diploma in Law from the University of Zimbabwe. I’m also a Mandela Washington Fellow 2018 Alumni and a YALI RLC Southern Africa 2016 Alumni. I have done Entrepreneurship Training with Empretec, ACT in Africa. Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce and Social Entrepreneurship training with the Udugu Institute. So far, I have worked in the energy, mining, catering and hospitality industry in the Human Resources Department holding management positions before going into entrepreneurship full time. I write articles for different publications about domestic work and I run a blog. I have written a handbook for domestic workers. Because of my bubbly nature and being a motivator, I am often invited to speak at various women’s events nationally. What led you to start the housekeeping business? When I had my first child, I struggled with getting the “perfect” maid. In a space of 6 months, I had changed maids four times! I realized that it was very difficult to get the perfect maid when you needed them. Upon further research, I discovered I was not alone. Majority of working women need a maid but struggle to get one on time. I also realized that there were also so many women who needed jobs as domestic workers but did not know where to start. Coupled with my background in Human Resources Management, I realized I could provide a solution. I simply had to bridge the gap between the employers and the employees, hence the birth of Chris and Geo. My work drives me and I have a great passion for what I do. Running my own organization brings me great joy and seeing one woman’s’ life transformed by simply being a maid is enough reward. Seeing a previously disadvantaged child go back to school because her mother can now afford it is enough satisfaction. [bctt tweet=”Business success is a combination and a recipe for many things – @mendylusaba” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tell us about Chris and Geo Chris and Geo is an organization that was formed with the family in mind. It recruits, trains and places socially and economically disadvantaged women as domestic workers. It offers fulltime stay-in and stay-out maids and also has contract maids that are available on specific days to the clients. Chris and Geo offer on-the-job training for maids. Through Chris and Geo, I realized there was more that goes in the sector. From working with the maids, I realized they were vulnerable and they also needed capacity building hence establishing the Domestic Workers Association of Zimbabwe. My work is more of a calling than anything else. Domestic workers are very important with almost 70% percent of urban households relying on the help of domestic workers. It is also, amongst one of the oldest professions. Unlike in developed countries, the profession is still informal and not officially recognized. The sector is so behind with both the employers and employees lacking the professionalism required of any profession. This is why I do what I do, I am in it to change the game. How does a normal working day go in your business? My work is mostly about societal impact rather than monetary impact. Being your own boss means your workload is never normal! You do what needs to be done whenever it needs to be done. Our business is heavily centered on convenience meaning a client must be able to call us any time when they need a maid. As such, every hour is a working hour for us. [bctt tweet=”Being your own boss means your workload is never normal! You do what needs to be done whenever it needs to be done – @mendylusaba” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] In Zimbabwe are people comfortable with strangers coming to their homes to clean? How have you managed client inhibitions? Actually, in Zimbabwe majority of households have stay in maids. It has been like this for so many years. Families prefer having someone that stay within their homes. Generally, Zimbabweans are open people and the family structure is very important. We have huge families and the extended family is usually a close family. As such, it is not very difficult to have someone join the family. Our private space is so accommodating that we have few inhibitions about having someone in our homes. It is only now that we are beginning to have formal distinctions with domestic work, Otherwise, culturally the maid is part of the family with titles like Aunty or Sister. Now, people are beginning to have stayed out maids that do not stay with the family. This is why the domestic work sector is very huge in the country. It only lacks professionalism and formalization but it has been in existence since independence. What has been your major challenge on your business journey? What can be done about it? I know this is going to sound rehearsed and rhetoric but it is the truth. Capital is a challenge for many businesses and mine has not been exempted. I did not start
9 Great Internship Opportunities for Students in 2019
Across colleges all over the world, students are encouraged to take educational transfers to other schools or gain work experience through a number of programs. All geared towards building new skills, meeting new people and improving on coursework. Doing an internship serves many purposes, including giving you real-world experience that will serve you well when you finish college and enter the workforce. [bctt tweet=”Are you a student looking for internship opportunities in 2019? Here are 9 options to consider … ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] While considering the right place for your internship, you should ensure to examine all opportunities available to students which can make up their Internship semester. Below are 9 options and opportunities for IT students and for parents looking to recommend these upcoming opportunities below to recommend to your college kids for their Educational exchange or IT semester. Use a Job Board Job boards and forums like Indeed and NGCareers list opportunities available by companies looking for interns. These are easy to apply to and provide a slew of opportunities from all over the country and the world. Residency opportunities Every year platforms like Chimamanda Adichie writing Farafina workshop. Art noise residency programs also offer a number of programs for students graduate and postgraduate alike throughout the year. You can sign up to either of these to get alerts on new residency opportunities. Online Experience/working from home Websites like fiverr.com and upwork.com provide opportunities for people who want to earn money from home. While these tend to give more freelance options, they also serve as great options for IT students. Volunteer writing Platforms like The Sole Adventurer and She Leads Africa have regular openings for volunteer writers. Having such brands on your resume can help boost your CV and give you the opportunity to publish your thoughts and hone your writing skills. You can also intern at She Leads Africa, and gain hands-on experience on how to work with a diverse team and navigate the training period in a fast-paced company. Short Practical Courses Another option for your IT semester is to take a short-term course in a practical course like baking, catering or fashion design that not only allows you an opportunity to learn practical skills, but also a great opportunity for you to earn an additional skill that can make you money immediately. International Volunteering You can become a United Nations volunteer through the UN Volunteers platform which provides a slew of opportunities for students and graduates alike to volunteer and gain work experience as well as meet new people from different parts of the world. Entrepreneurship With business registration now easier than ever, your holiday period presents a good opportunity for you to try your hand at entrepreneurship! Look into setting up a small scale business and creating an opportunity not only for you but for others. Cryptocurrency Trading Cryptocurrency is currently at an all-time high, with bitcoin getting to over $30,000 = B1 during the end of 2017. Try your hand at trading in this new way for little to nothing and explore the opportunity of making more. There are varying classes on meetup offering free bitcoin classes and meetings to get you started. Investment Investing is also another opportunity to learn and earn money. While this is significantly more difficult and requires some money on hand, there are investment options that anyone can hop on. Pork money which is a great way to invest in agriculture, gain new experience in investment as well as make more money.Not to mention pork agriculture investment runs a fairly short cycle. These are a number of options that would ensure that students do not miss out on or waste their Internship Training opportunity as the skills, knowledge, and experience you gain through an internship are fast becoming one of the most important things that employers consider when they hire. You’d be doing yourself a real disservice by not seeking out an internship opportunity before you graduate. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
Unlocking Success: The Advice Every Entrepreneur Must Hear
Ten years ago, if someone told me I would become a law school dropout who owns two successful businesses, I may have laughed in their face. The only thing that may have sounded more ridiculous would have been to add that both ventures will put me in position to help hundreds of entrepreneurs start and run successful businesses every year. Thankfully, even things that sound ridiculous can actually become reality. The truth is, I never had much of an interest in entrepreneurship. As a child, I watched my father work tirelessly to build businesses. Some were successful. Others were not. [bctt tweet=”What sets the successful and the unsuccessful entrepreneur apart is not luck, worth ethic, or even skills, its usually the power of flexibility. – @andrena_sawyer” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] I now know my father was not alone in his plight because Bloomberg Research suggests that 8 out of every 10 businesses fail within the first 19 months. The Small Business Administration suggests that only half of new businesses survive the first five years, while only 35% are able to survive for 10 years. Despite my early exposure to the unfortunate side of entrepreneurship, I have come to believe that what sets the successful and the unsuccessful apart is not luck, worth ethic, or even skill. Most times, it comes down to the power of flexibility. When you first become an entrepreneur, you are inundated with solicited and unsolicited advice. There is an incredible adrenaline rush that comes from seeing yourself manifest what had only been a vision in your mind for weeks, months, and sometimes even years. Most of the advice is given with good intentions and meant to be motivational. Yet, some have absolutely no significance to you because your primary concern early on is simply to survive. Admittedly, I don’t remember much of what was said to me when I launched my first company. However, one piece of advice that has not only stuck with me but saved my business several times is to marry the mission and date the model. To marry your mission is to remember your why, and to maintain your covenant -so to speak- with that why. To date your model is to make flexibility a bedrock in your business. It is your how. I learned the true meaning of this after my first year in business. The excitement and adrenaline had worn off, and the money I’d saved up for the initial capital had depleted. I now faced “real” business issues like cash flow, leadership and human resource challenges, customer service and iterating our value proposition. [bctt tweet=”To marry your mission is to remember your why, and to maintain your covenant -so to speak- with that why – @andrena_sawyer” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] While your mission – the reason you went into business and the need that your business solves should never change, the way your business does business had better change if it is to survive. This includes your marketing strategies, your price point, and sometimes even your company culture. All of these things are still connected to the mission, but this how allows you to stay relevant and top-of-mind. For some of us, we went into business to disrupt the industry. We were tired of inefficiency or annoyed that a few big players were monopolizing everything, leaving no room for anyone else to play. For others, there was a glaring need that one too many people complained about, yet no one was offering viable solutions. Then there are those of us who started a business because we recognized our gifts and talents and saw business ownership as a way to walk in our purpose. Remembering this is critical to success. It is your mission. It lays the foundation for the story that your business will tell. However, even that why is not enough sometimes. That is where dating the model comes in. The reality is there are many factors that influence your success as an entrepreneur. Some of these factors like industry trends, sales cycles, current events, economic upturns and downturns, and even your organization’s capacity are sometimes beyond your control. By adjusting your model, you develop a culture of freedom that allows your business to adapt to these changes. Ultimately, this hones your business’ survival instinct in difficult times and leverages positive trends in good times. This ability to be adaptable could very well be the deciding factor between being part of the success statistics or the failure rates. Got some advice that can help others succeed in 2019? Click here to share.
On loving you: 5 powerful videos on self-love to begin the year with
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the universe, deserve your love and affection.”- Buddha Loving oneself is one of the most profound and yet also most difficult things to accomplish- it takes practice, patience, unlearning old ways of being and forming a new understanding of who you are as a person. This is a journey I have personally been on for the longest time, I still find the need to remind myself to practice self-love even after reading and listening to tons of material on it. The truth is that practicing self-love is a lot like practicing good hygiene- it must become a daily ritual. For those new to this incredible journey or for those looking for a slight reminder of what it means to love oneself, here are a few TEDx talks to inspire you, to love you. Caroline McHugh: The art of being yourself The message from Caroline in this talk is simple; your individuality is your greatest gift. You weren’t put on earth to be a cheap imitation of anyone else, you were put here simply to be yourself. Caira Lee: I search for it blinded – the power of self-love and self-esteem In this TEDx talk, Caira Lee, an award-winning slam poet uses her gift teach us about the power of self-love through her own personal story. Marisa Peer: “I’m not enough” – The biggest disease affecting humanity In this talk, Marisa Peer opens our eyes to the powerful connection that exists between thoughts about ourselves, our health, wealth and quality of life. You are enough. Pretty enough, intelligent enough, talented enough, strong enough, courageous enough… You are enough. Searching for love to escape ourselves Hayley Quinn This wonderful talk by Hayley Quinn helps us realize that romantic love and the pursuit of it can be a form or escapism, simply an excuse not to deal with the real issues we have with ourselves. Niko Everett: Meet yourself: A user’s guide to building self “You need to meet yourself. If you could meet yourself, you might really like her!” Allow me to finish this article off with a radical thought from one of my favorite books, “The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz”- In this book, the author uses the analogy of a magical kitchen to illustrate the importance of self-love. He compares self-love to having a magical kitchen inside of us, if you had a magical kitchen in which you could produce all the most delicious meals you can think of, you’d never starve but most importantly, you’d never allow anyone to dictate to your being you while using food as the reward. No one would come and offer you food in exchange for control over your life, your habits, and your decisions. However, if the situation were reversed, and you had no food, you’d allow anyone and everyone to control everything about your life. This is the same with self-love; when you have a deep love and respect for yourself, you won’t let others control you, use you or even abuse you. A person might come offering love in exchange for control but you won’t let them in. “But what is going to happen if you are starving for love, if you don’t have that love in your heart, and someone comes and says, “You want a little love? You can have my love if you just do what I want you to do.” If you are starving for love, and you taste that love, you are going to do whatever you can for that love. You can even be so needy that you give your whole soul just for a little attention. Your heart is like that magical kitchen. If you open your heart, you already have all the love you need. There’s no need to go around the world begging for love: “Please, someone love me. I’m so lonely, I’m not good enough for love; I need someone to love me, to prove that I’m worthy of love.”- A mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
A case study from The Safety Chic on How to crush your 2019 goals
It’s a new year and you’ve set those amazing goals that will propel you to your next level. How do you go from being a novice to getting international recognition? How do you go from your current great level to the higher rung on the ladder of success? I would be sharing with you a few tips that worked for me while building “The Safety Chic” brand from zero to almost a hundred. I am not at my destination yet but I am a good distance from where I started. Even though I’m still a work in progress, I believe you can pick a thing or two from my experience. In my opinion, there are 5 major things that you’d need to consider to ensure you go from zero to influence or from the level you’re on currently to the next. [bctt tweet=”How do you go from your current great level to the higher rung on the ladder of success? Learn from – @TheSafetyChic ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Preparation What do you have in your hands right now? Do you have some training or certifications in a certain area? Do you have work experience either paid or unpaid? How about requisite soft skills and good behavior? What life experience do you have which has charted you on a certain path? These things are tools available to you that if used correctly will prepare you for your next level. As someone with a communications background, I later got interested in the Safety profession but had to ensure I was qualified by getting the right certifications and gaining work experience through volunteer work. While working for free, I put my best foot forward with good behavior and that led to my bosses recommending me for jobs that paid and took me out of state. Based on your set goals, what do you think you can begin to do NOW to prepare you? It’s never late to start Grit and Consistency When the going gets tough, the tough get going. As motherland moguls, you need to decide upfront that you’d have staying power no matter the disappointment or challenge you face. What would you do when friends disappoint you or when no client shows up? What will you do when no one is reading your blog, watching your videos or listening to your podcast? Would you still continue? There was a time it felt like no one was seeing all the work I was putting in. There were times friends I asked to give me a shout out on social media did not do it. [bctt tweet=”At a time, I had no customer. I had to keep doing my bit because I knew this was just a phase that would pass – @TheSafetyChic ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] When you stay consistent, even though your audience is unresponsive, you’d have what we call a top of mind awareness and when something comes up in your niche, you would be the first person remembered. There were many times safety situations came up in the country and everyone would be seeking my opinion on social media. This made me appreciate my consistency. More importantly, I honestly assessed what I was doing and decided to seek help in areas where I needed it to ensure I achieved my goals. Seek knowledge He that knows not and knows not that he knows not is a foolish man. If you know you do not know something, seek knowledge centers. There are many ways to acquire knowledge in today’s world. Besides Google, there are thought leaders in almost all subject matters. Read and listen to what they say, pick up what is relevant to you. Do courses online and in-person. Find mentors and coaches. There are a lot of mentors you can learn from by watching them, they do not need to be in your DM for you to get it. I learn a lot from reading Strive Masiyiwa’s posts on Facebook but he does not know I exist yet. When my business needed redefinition in 2016, I took Steve Harris’s Mastering the Business of your Talent Course. That exposed me to the path to tow, increased the number of quality people in my network and he linked me to my current Coach Rotimi Eyitayo who works in the Education space. [bctt tweet=”Prepare yourself for success by doing courses online and in-person. Find mentors and coaches. – @TheSafetyChic ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] This placed me on the right trajectory because I needed to break into the education space. I’m also very selective of the people I listen to on social media and the groups I join. There is a great Facebook group with so much knowledge being shared regularly that has helped me tremendously. It’s called Headstart Africa. This is a good way to get informed. Look around you, how do you plan to acquire knowledge for your desired goal? Remember, you can get this formally and informally. Execute the tasks Whatever thy hands find to do, do with all diligence. There are so many coaches, mentors and courses can do for you. If you do not execute, you will not move an inch. Put your learnings to work. Create products, organize events, write blog articles, shoot videos, record podcasts, write a book, collaborate with others etc. Basically, step out in faith and do what you need to do. Do not lose focus because of what people are saying. You must also be your own PR agency. [bctt tweet=”It is important you have a digital trail so that when a search is done, you and your work will pop up. – @TheSafetyChic” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] As you execute, talk about your work and document digitally on your social media for a start. As you go, you’d eventually get mentions in blogs and other media. It is important you have a digital trail so that when a search is done, you and your work will pop up. This is really important most especially if you want your work
Takeaways from Sheryl Sandberg’s Book – Lean In
Lean in is a book I’ve always wanted to read from the first day I saw it. The three words at the cover caught my attention – Women, Work, and Leadership. These three words have unique interconnectivity that I just could not resist. I’ve been looking forward to reading this book and I gripped it from the moment I found it on the shelf. Sheryl Sandberg is the Chief Operating Officer for Facebook where she has worked in since 2008. She has also worked with Google and lots of major brands. She began her career as a staff at the US Treasury Secretary, Larry Summers, since then she has climbed the corporate ladder and is now the only female at the board of directors for Facebook. Her book –Lean In encourages women to be more assertive in the workplaces, stock filled with her experiences on motherhood, leadership, and career. Lean in is a book I encourage every Motherland Mogul to read. Here are some few tips I picked from chapter 1 alone. I hope it wills you to pick up on this book from the shelf. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN’T AFRAID? Statistics show that: At the top fifty colleges, less than a third of Student Government Presidents are women Profession ambition is expected of men but is optional, or worse, sometimes even a negative-for women “And for all the progress, there is still societal pressure for women to keep an eye on marriage from a young age,” She wrote in her book. Sheryl shares the story of her first marriage. She married early expecting that it would secure a happy life for her. “In my head, 24 is the perfect age to get married, I think it’s time I do some rethinking”. She said. [bctt tweet=”For all the pressure to be successful, I felt a higher pressure to get married early – @sherylsandberg” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] “Many women still see ambition as a dirty word,” she says That’s true. Just the other day I told my friend that my sister was very ambitious like it is a bad word. She works with a large editing firm and when I tell people that, they go “hey that’s cool, she should think of getting married’. They honestly do not expect more from her. She has proved her point, she has worked hard, now it’s time to get married. “Leadership roles are not the only way to have a profound impact.” – Sheryl Sandberg Hellen Keller says “Power is being able to make a decision in the thing that matter to you” sometimes being a CEO may not be the thing that matter most to people. Sheryl closes the chapter saying – “Writing this book is what I would do if I weren’t afraid” Now you, what would you do if you weren’t afraid? Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
How to Achieve your 2019 year resolutions
Happy New Year Motherland Moguls. Let’s jump right into the year, shall we? More than half of all year resolutions fail, but this year, they don’t have to be yours. Many people find it difficult to maintain and accomplish their resolutions. Here is a list of things you can do to help make sure you accomplish the goals you set for the New year, create a plan on how to reach it, and become part of the small group of people that successfully achieve their goal. Believe in yourself Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.”- Samuel Johnson. Your values in life determine your beliefs, about yourself and the world around you. When you believe in yourself and chose to be a good person you will find yourself to be more positive and successful in life. Believing in yourself is the first step to success whether it means your life, your career, or simply your confidence, and in that lies your power. Say it again and again The more you say it, the more you believe it. The more you believe it, the truer it will become as you strengthen yourself and your confidence! The beginning of a new year is a good time to make a resolution to change your behavior in some way because you know millions of people are doing the same thing. So you get positive reinforcement when family members, friends, and coworkers talk about making and trying to stick with resolutions. You feel like you’re part of a worldwide self-improvement movement – and you are! Be Accountable People make better choices and perform at a higher level when they know they are being watched by others. The reasoning is simple when you are held accountable for your actions, you will work harder. Share your goals with people around you. It’s important to have another person ask you about your progress. When there is someone else other than yourself holding you accountable, you are more likely to get your tasks completed Track your progress What separates a person from achieving their goals and not achieving their goals is staying focused and being persistent in following through. There are many different ways to track your progress toward your goals. Look at the big picture Why do you wanna accomplish this certain thing? What is the purpose? Think about these things and answer these questions with the end result in mind. Take the time to reflect upon your goals and imagine what the big picture looks like. motivation. Plan and Organize Everyone has dreams and goals, but without planning and organizing what you need to do, you’ll get nowhere Celebrate Celebrating your wins not only feels great physically, but it reinforces the positive attitude and behavior you want to show up when you face a new challenge or opportunity. [bctt tweet=”Believing in yourself is the first step to success whether it means your life, your career – Makalela Kgotlelelo ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
SLAYing your productivity from the inside out
In a world flooded with so much negativity here, it’s high time we realized that in order for us not to become like lost balls in the high weeds, we have to maintain certain personal standards and values to keep afloat. Yes! It is true that teamwork will always create room for a deeper level of productivity. But most times, we tend to forget that there is no great team without great individuals within. And the level of productivity of any team will be determined by the level of value within each team member. All these bring us back to the importance of building ourselves as individuals, whether in our business, our career or even our personal lives. Following the guidelines below, from John C. Maxwell in his book ‘The 360° Leader’, we can be able to determine where we belong in this pursuit for productivity. “These seem to be the two main paths for people to get ahead in an organization”. People who rely on production… Depend on how they grow Focus on what they do Become better than they appear Provide Substance Do what’s necessary Work to control their own destiny Grow into the next level Base decisions on principles People who rely on politics… Depend on who they know Focus on what they say Appear better than they are Take shortcuts Do what’s popular Let others control their destiny Hope to be given the next level Base decisions on opinions The big question now is, having looked inside out, where do you think you belong?The Rush! No doubt the year is sprinting to an end, the clock is ticking endlessly, yet, many personal and corporate goals lie unachieved. At this point, there seem to be many pointless reasons not to double our hard work, and see to it that no stone is left unturned, but really?? Do you really think productivity is about those who sweat the most? “It is not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?”. – Henry David Thoreau Take a deep breath! The breath here goes beyond taking out Carbon dioxide and taking in Oxygen. It’s more about taking deep reflections on not just what we are yet to achieve these past eleven months, but most importantly who we have been, who we have become. This is the beginning of our ‘inside out journey’. The Inside Out Journey This will help us restructure our lives in all ramifications. Taking a deep breath will give us a cue to the direction of our paths the past eleven months. It will help us see the loopholes within which may include laxity in a particular area or even too much concentration in another. This journey will help us balance our lives. No one is saying this is the time to start setting new goals and objectives. (although that wouldn’t be a bad idea, at all). However, what is paramount here is that, we already have targets and set goals that are yet to be actualized. The inside-out journey… Give us a sense of focus and direction Help us set our priorities right. Yes! It may be called a journey, but its unbelievably right and quick too! This journey to productivity is quite different from the others we mat have been through these past months; chasing success and leaving behind every other aspect of our lives, forgetting that even exhaustion reduces the quality of our productivity. Therefore, this is not the time to keep running in the usual circles. The only circle we should run within at this point is inside of us. [bctt tweet=”Productivity should not just be something we strive to go through but rather, it should flow through us – Eden Benibo” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] That’s the true success! Like Lisa Nicholas rightly advised “make sure you measure success by the right barometer. Success is a holistic experience. It’s not partial. It’s not compartmental. It’s an entire experience.” So! Focus on the real deal at this point. Grow into your next level, do not hop into it and watch ‘you glow before your own eyes’! Slay on!! Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
YETUNDE TAIWO-SHORTERS: 7 POWERFUL WAYS TO LEVEL UP YOUR PERSONAL BRAND IN 2019
It’s Yetunde Shorters here, chiming in sharing with you, as we plan for the New Year, seven powerful ways to level up your personal brand in 2019. This year flew by so quickly that we couldn’t even catch a breath, but it’s never too late. You can start now and start today, and let’s plan for manifestations in 2019. Below are my suggestions of 7 powerful ways to level up your purposeful personal brand in 2019. PLAN AHEAD Planning means take the time one of these days before the year is over and sit down and plan for the things you want for your brand or your business. Plan what your social media would look like, what each quarter would look like, and what products you’re going to launch. Write it out. You have plenty of time to do that this year so that you can be prepared and schedule things for next year. That way, you save yourself some time. [bctt tweet=”You can start now and start today, and let’s plan for manifestations in 2019 – @Yetunde .” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] MANAGE YOUR TIME Manage your time like a boss. We all have 24 hours in the day. If you’re a solopreneur or you have a small team, you have 24 hours a day. You have a lot to do. What that means is you need to be conscientious of how you spend your time. What are you doing with your mornings? Do you find yourself on Facebook or Instagram immediately? STOP IT!!! The first 90 minutes set the tone. Be intentional about those 90 minutes. CONNECT, BETTER That means online and offline. Sometimes we get caught up in posting, and we forget that we have to engage other people, so dedicate 20 to 30 minutes of your time per week and go back to the people that follow and engage on their pages. Like the comments, like their pictures, read stuff, and leave your thoughtful feedback. Also, do this in live events. That means go out more, look for networking or marketing events that you can be a part of. MAP OUT YOUR SYSTEMS If you are going to be doing events, a photo shoot or consulting with clients, write out what that looks like. For example, when a client inboxes you, what is your response? Or when a client responds to you. What do you reply to that? Write it out step-by-step. Having automated content helps in a way that when anything happens, you’re literally just cutting and pasting again saving you time. Or you can use e-services to create an auto send out. DOCUMENT IT This is one of the things that were actually in the recent book I had with the Better Business book. I shared the 10 things I’ve learned from my 10 years in business. If I knew then, I would have documented any good thing that happened in my business. When you’re going to do a review of the year or an analysis to a client, you can go back and have documentation. [bctt tweet=”Documenting things is a great way to track your progress – @yetunde” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] So, at the end of the year, if you have to do a year in review, you have all your ducks in a row. You have content for your portfolio. You have content for testimonials. It’s a great way to track your progress. TRACK AND ANALYZE This often depends on how engaged you are on social media or your newsletter or in person, to see what’s working. Test it out and then come back and take off the things that are not working. Tracking and analyzing helps you see that your efforts are being put to good use. That way, you will get into the quality of what works for your brand, and so you just rinse and repeat and use the things that work over and over again. AUTOMATE YOUR PROCESSES Create your automation systems. What does it look like when someone signs up for your newsletter or signs up for talking to you, what is that process? If there’s anything you can automate, which means use a mailing service where something is automatically sent to them without you, your business can function without you; you automatically automate all the stuff that you want your customers or potential clients to know. Again, you have a plan ahead, manage your time like a boss, map out your systems, connect better and more, document the milestones, track and analyze often, automate, engage, and convert. These 7 steps are what you need to level up for your brand in 2019. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.