5 things you should be doing after work hours to be successful
If you don’t know that the time you spend outside the office has a big impact on your career, you really need to. When you return home after closing at work, the first thing on your mind may be rest, food or curling on the couch to watch reruns of “Grey’s Anatomy”. Don’t do it. Time is very precious and if you’re aiming to be highly successful in your career, every minute counts including the time you’re not in the office. We’re not saying you should have work on your mind 24/7, but what you do after office hours can either build your career or hold you back. Highly successful people know this and that is why they engage in some of the following activities when work is closed for the day. 1. Work Out There is a reason some Japanese companies host exercises for their staff. Working out keeps you alert and is a great stress reliever. It’s also a great way to regain the energy that literally drains from you while you’re seated at your desk for hours on end. Exercising helps to increase your productivity which ultimately gets you working towards your career goals. 2. Network & Connect Networking is an important after work activity. But there’s good networking and there’s not so-good networking. The former gives you the chance to engage in deep, meaningful conversations with others. We’ll leave you to guess what bad networking looks like. If you have the opportunity to network after work, grab it with both hands! Connecting with colleagues, friends and/or mentors may even lead to brilliant ideas that could positively impact the course of your career. 3. Unplug Turn off everything, your laptop, your TV, your phone, your iPad too. You need time away from devices and the Internet to renew your mind, body and spirit. The close of a work day provides a great opportunity to unplug and ensure work is left behind at the office. If you find yourself bored while unplugging, meditate or read. The most successful people are known to always read books, fiction and non-fiction alike. 4. Make plans for tomorrow It’s best practice to plan ahead for the following day. Review your calendar every night and ensure you have everything ready for tomorrow. Check through so you have enough time to notice if anything is missing and then get things in order. This saves you the stress of panicking in the morning because you forgot something important. 5. Don’t forget to sleep Highly successful people sleep for more than eight hours. It’s true. Don’t be under the false impression that staying up late is good for you or your career. Adequate sleep is a wise career choice, if you’re not getting enough sleep it could affect your judgement and mood. Even worse, chronic sleep deprivation can lead to serious health problems. What do you spend your time doing once you’ve closed from work? Kindly share them by leaving a comment below.
24 hours with the perfect 21st century African woman
At the start of a new week, Lady Perfect African woman needs to ensure that the kids eat a healthy breakfast and are ready for school. Dressing them up from the neat piles of uniforms, drawers and socks locked up in dainty cupboards gives her the greatest satisfaction. The drive to work as therapeutic as the cool refreshing air is intertwined with endless questions such as, “Mama why can’t we a purple car”, “Have you noticed that the trees have been following us ever since we left the house?” Fully knowing the perks of not communicating with her children, suppressing their imagination and self- expression, the next minutes that ensue are based on endless fantasies as to why the trees did not stop following the car. By lunchtime Ms. Perfect is frazzled, in between meetings all she needed was that breakfast she had to forgo because she had deadlines that were detrimental to her yearly bonus. She couldn’t forget that could she? That bonus was the key to days of sunshine at the beach. At 3:00 pm she was sure she had ticked off most of her daily action items only to remember that she still had that meeting with her child’s teacher at school. Could she call Daddy to be there? But how could she be so insensitive to his hectic Monday schedule. At a last resort, she called to reschedule. She knew that she couldn’t afford to skip her monthly women’s meeting based on family matters. As the chair for this quarter her involvement with the organisation had not only boosted her association with the right people but she could really see the difference in her sales portfolio. At 8:00 pm she was craving for a foot soak, had some reading to catch up with but could barely make it through dinner time. The last she could remember was setting the alarm to mark the start of a new day. Tomorrow she was certain that she would do better at her tasks. Ms. Perfect is the 21st Century African Woman, who has the world at her feet. She is living the life of her dreams by being everybody’s best except to herself. The world constantly expects high performers, successful people and achievers. None of these expectations are wrong or undesirable rather choosing the path of proper planning, realization of our human capabilities and self-care might prevent the host of people who battle ill-health, are burnout and fatigued, stressed out parents, depressed professionals and unhappy people as a whole. Does this day reflect a fragment of your lifestyle or can you identify a Ms. Perfect in your network? We can make it better together as we will look at strategies to keep Ms. Perfect imperfectly whole: Stay Present Becoming fully aware of your body and its limitations can be a first step to staying present. Enjoy moments in your daily activity without projecting into the next. Staying focused in your tasks will increase productivity. Savour your moments! When was the last time you really tasted the flavours of your lunch? Involve Others Bionic women exist only in fiction books fictional characters; it will not make you any less than a dutiful partner to ask for help. Get other people involved in sharing your daily tasks- delegate responsibility to older children. Do not get caught up in micromanaging every single detail that concerns you. Something’s were meant to go wrong- Own it- It is not always about you and how you do it. Stay connected with people that support you, find time to make that call or send that message to someone you care about. Don’t be an Island. Applaud Yourself Daily Find moments each day to tap you on the back, say well done champ; I am the best! Accept compliments. Don’t you know that you are unique by simply being you? Research has proven that self-praise boosts levels of your feel-good hormones; serotonin and dopamine. Realistic Expectations Accept that the price of commodities is not determined by you. Not having a good bargain on groceries does not equal to a bad day. Looking after yourself is what you determine; eating healthy, exercising, taking routine vitamins are within your scope. Taking care of you guarantees the future of great expectations. Pamper Yourself Make time to accomplish the big goals of fine dining, body massages to exotic holiday trips when you can but don’t forget walking on the beach, watching the sunset. Enjoy your favourite book/movie. Do what you love! Ignore the Crowd Don’t be one to follow the trends and expectations of society, set your own rules that will govern each area of your life i.e. social- professional – family life. There would always be people waiting to condemn and criticize where you went wrong in being a lady, a good mother or a boss. Take in the good points and throw out the rest with a good laugh. Remember that simple things such as choosing to eat lunch by yourself might be termed wrong by your best friend. As humans we can never please everyone. Romance Your Pillow Make time to sleep, let nothing or no one disturb your sleep. When you sleep rest in peace, forget the sorrows of today and the maybe’s of tomorrow. Rather be grateful for the little things that went well. Let all other things go. The new you that pays attention to self-care will grant you a healthier and a meaningful life of purpose!
Why Motherland Moguls seriously need to start blogging
With the growth of social media and in Africa, everyone, even businesses are blogging. Yet, there’s an ongoing debate on whether a blog is really necessary for business especially among those who feel they don’t have the time or money to start blogging and maintain it. Trust me, there are many legit reasons to blog. Blogging is really cool once you look past the work that goes into it. Even when you have little time, it’s possible to make it work. Here’s why. Control your content As a business, you want to have direct influence over how consumers perceive your brand. Blogs allow you to determine what people know and think about you and your hustle. They also allow for interactive conversation when customers leave comments and receive your responses directly. Being constantly aware of consumer’s perceptions allows you to develop content that speaks to their needs. This way, you always have the opportunity for customization and continued relevance in your market. Cool terms with the Web Blogs improve your search engine optimization (SEO). This is a fancy term for visibility. Search engines are always looking for dope content and you raise your chances of being noticed by potential customers when you use keywords related to your business on your blog. This ultimately leads to more web traffic and leads for your business. There are many free options like WordPress and Blogger which allow you to have a blog before you choose host it on your own business website. This means you can start blogging without breaking the bank whilst achieving your business goals. Connect with your customer We can’t deny that customer is king and queen. According to a survey conducted by Hubspot 60% of businesses who blog attain more customers. Blogging for your business really gives the impression that you care about your customer and want to be transparent about what you do . Blogging frequently allows the customer to be aware of the boss moves you are making, they get to see you as a person. Conventional marketing outlets do not allow you to have the personal touch that blogging does. People get to glimpse at the heart of the business, see what it stands for and who the business is. In the end, we all relate to that more than just the numbers. A blog allows you to share timely, relevant information about your services and products which will always please clientele. With Africa being more and more connected a blog could allow you to reach a whole new market within the continent thus increasing your outreach. Creating value Do you have trouble coming up with content for social media, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and others? Well, blogging is a way of designing content and giving your social media strategy an upgrade. Now you can share articles from your blog across your social networks. Not matter the size of your business, you can make a meaningful contribution to your industry. Whether you are a photographer sharing tips on taking great pictures or a multinational business, with a blog you create an opportunity to be a thought leader in your area of expertise. This way you’re showing your clients just #whorunstheworld. And it doesn’t end there, through your blog you also express your views related to changes in your area of business. This speaks to not only your consumers but your competitors as well, making you credible and worth seeking advice from as an expert. What’s more, you can move from just writing on your blog to being noticed by other established bloggers. From there you can seize the opportunity to guest blog which will give you even more of an edge as a brand. It’s also a great way to collaborate with like-minded individuals in your industry. Past the business and profits, you offer helpful advice which is always valued by anyone who visits your site so people can associate you with the awesomeness you are. So, whether a small business or not, you have a cost effective medium to offer greater value to existing customers and finding new ones, creating a niche for your brand, an affordable method for your advertising and improved writing skills, and that’s is definitely a worthwhile investment.
6 things to consider before launching your Youtube channel
So, you’ve decided to start your own Youtube channel. Maybe you were inspired by Toke Makinwa’s projection. Or maybe you are confident your make up skills are better than all those other beauty beauty bloggers. Don’t jump the gun, here are some points you should think through before taking your first vlogger steps. Technical skills The average Youtube video is about 4 minutes. In that short while, few of us consider camera angles, not to mention the recording and editing that probably went into making a video. Now you can go low-budget and own it but you can also choose to invest in a good camera and video editing software. Don’t be there thinking, I have a webcam. You’ll have to invest in a good camera both video and audio wise. Cameras don’t come cheap but if you have a good phone you can hack your way into appearing professional. Writing skills Before you start making your first video, you’ll have to test your writing and research skills. Choose a subject that matters to you, then start your research. You may not know if from watching Youtube, but some of the most successful Youtubers actually write scripts for the video. This is an effective way to ensure that you stay on track and get your point across effectively. It’s not cute to sit in front of a video going on and on. Put your writing skills to use when crafting your page, you’ll need a description to attract potential subscribers. Strategise Your book of plans should be titled, “How to make viewers want more of me”. What are you going to do to ensure that people keep coming to your page and watching your videos? There are number of questions you will have answer. How often will you post? What kind of topics will you cover? How will you remain relevant in a world of shortening attention spans? Draw up a calendar for your Youtube videos, plan ahead and make sure you follow your plans as closely as possible. Aim for quality over quantity. Confidence I have a friend…okay let’s be real, when I started blogging as a university student, I panicked as my page views increased. This increased when friends and family who I hadn’t told about my blog stumbled upon it, and left comments ugh. It was all a matter of confidence. If I was confident in myself back then, I wouldn’t have bothered. Confidence is even more important for vloggers. You’re putting your face out there for the world really, because the Internet never forgets. Grow an extra thick skin and brace yourself for all the haters that will surely appear. The name Sometimes the hardest part of starting something is coming up with a name. Ask anyone who has tried to register a business in Nigeria, it will sometimes seem like all the good names are taken. Then even when they are not, we wouldn’t advice choosing a username like “hotnike1987”. It’s a great idea to just stick to your legal names, but you can also choose to walk the creative path. Whatever you do, come up with a name that is catchy and related to your online personality. Creativity This comes in handy for when you’re coming up with topics. It will also show in your filming style. There’s more going on in your video frame even though your face will be centred. Think about the background, is it dark and plain? Consider making makeshift backgrounds for each video yourself. Don’t have the time? Try moving to different locations in your house/room.
How a slash can transform your answer to the dreaded question; “What do you do?”
Before I delve into the slash, let me start with a question…When people ask you, “What do you do?” Does a one word answer come to mind? Or, is there a bit of mumbling, as you try to find the best way to describe what it is you do in a way that this person might understand. This one is for all my fellow Motherland Moguls who explain what they do by referencing one thing and then feel like they have left out a huge part of what they actually do. I used to just give up and say the title of my job, but since finding out about the slash effect by Marci Alobher (from her bestseller “One Person/Multiple Careers”) has helped me understand that we can create very interesting dynamics in our lives when we combine all our gifts and talents into our ‘what you do’! It is all a matter or being strategic and adding a simple “/”. According to Gail Sheehy, “a single fixed identity is a liability today”. She was totally right then, and is definitely right now. In this challenging economic climate, we have to be flexible and creative! So, what is the slash effect? In very simple terms, it is multiple identities, managed simultaneously! If someone asks me what I do? I’ll say I work in finance/life-coaching. I am a SLASH and that is totally okay. The thing is so many people already have the slash effect, but because the role on the other side might not make money, they disregard it and think of it as a side-gig only. That may be so, I mean we all have our side hustles, but embracing your slash just might be the extra step you need to make it profitable. Let’s look at some basic questions: Why? What? and When? So, why SLASH? Having a slash in your back pocket can be a wonderful luxury if your primary vocation turns out to be anything less than what you hoped for. Taking on a hobby as a full time career puts a lot of pressure on it to succeed. Instead, if you take it on as a slash, the pressure to succeed is off. You already have a career so there is a lot less to lose. Taking on slashes is a personal challenge that shows you just what you are made of! So, what do you actually SLASH? Like many things in life the answer here is: whatever. The slash life is not exclusive to certain type of passions or jobs; it is completely inclusive as long as it is an investment in something that is in line with who you are. The ‘what’ in this case depends on two key things: creativity and discipline. I will use myself as an example here. No one ever gave me permission to call myself a full blown life-coach. I constantly found myself advising people on life issues spanning form careers to relationships. With encouragement from good friends I realised that inspiring people either through speaking or writing was something I wanted to be more intentional about so I created my website. Another route in developing a slash based on talent and gifts is to see a need and fill it. This is how my friends and I gathered to form a foundation focused specially on educating girls in our home town Nigeria. None of us had any experience, but we have passion, dedication and a willingness to fail and learn along the way. We also have a lot of help, which is crucial as well. My work slash is my biggest slash, it’s the most for me. The other slashes are a lot about pouring out, whereas work is for my personal development and financial stability. All these aspects form my answer to the question, “What do you do?” Key points in slashing You may be wondering, how do I decide what my slash is? Some key points ladies! Choose anything, but be clear on the reason. Is it a raw talent? Meeting a need? A niche service? It needs to come from YOU. Make sure there is a balance between things you spend your energy on and things you can gain energy from. Life is all about balance, even in a busy slash life. Think about the whole picture, and not just the parts. If you work 16 hour days, and are thinking of slashing by running a website that requires 10 hours of reading and writing weekly, think Again sister! Clearly those are not compatible slashes. You will be exhausted. A slash is meant to elevate you, not cripple you with unattainable obligations. Know your limits and create a platter of slashes that makes you full enough to be satisfied. Not overwhelmed because you’ve eaten too much, or snacking because you are hungry. You know that feeling you get when the food was just enough to fully satisfy you? That nice and easy feeling? Yep…that’s the one you need here. A slash should bring balance and fullness to your life, not stress and angst. Slash something you are proud of! If you can’t sing your praises, no one else will! Say it loud and proud! I am a banker/dancer or I am a lawyer/blogger. Own who you are and enjoy the ride! For the third question, ‘when to slash’, look out for the next post. Before that get in formation ladies! Start thinking about your slash and when next you are asked, “What do you do?” Like a badass include that slash. Girl, Show them!
6 key points to consider when writing an elevator pitch
In this day and era of being an entrepreneur, you may find yourself writing an elevator pitch over and over again. They say collaborations are the best way to engage in business. There will be different organizations, brands and personalities you would like to collaborate or work together with on a particular project. It’s key to identify a brand/organisation that is in line with what you believe in and shares similar values, and goals with you. Today, we will be sharing 5 key factors to take into consideration while crafting your elevator pitch. This does not only work for business owners, entrepreneurs. Even those in employment looking to partner with other companies on different projects may find this useful. Keep it short and simple An elevator pitch shouldn’t be too long. You want to pass your message almost immediately in the first few sentences. So keep things short, clear and precise. State who you are, what you want from them, what you are offering, why you chose them and how you can work together moving forward. Get down to the nitty-gritty This is your introduction, where you sell your brand and yourself or what you do. At this point try to be very specific with the information that is required to get to know you better. Sell yourself and/or your product/ brand. Emphasize the value you offer After introducing yourself, you now need to explain or reveal more on how you do what you, and why they should work with you. This is where you clearly define your qualities, strength and your passion for your career. Also show the value it comes with. Include links and Photos This is quite important especially if you are using your products as a selling point. Have the images attached where necessary. You can even links to your website where more of what you do can be seen and assessed. Mention any huge achievements Here is where you state all that you have achieved in relation to what you are proposing to offer. The value will then be easily aligned with your achievements, depending on the person receiving your pitch. Follow up After sending in your elevator pitch, give 3-5 days before you send a quick email to touch base. They may missed your mail or are holding back on their response. This can happen easily as they receive many emails, and depending on schedules, emails can be overlooked. A kind reminder to check your mail is necessary. You can even forward your initial email again so they don’t have to search too hard and can see you sent it earlier on in the week.
10 more TED talks by African women that will inspire you
In January, we shared 10 TED talks that will inspire you this year. As we’re already midway through the year, we figure inspiration levels may need a reboost. So, here are even more TED talks by African women running things that will remind you how awesome we all are at winning. 1. Siyanda Mohutsiwa Siyanda Mohutsiwa is a 22 year old blogger and writer from Botswana using the Internet to pursue her pan-African dreams. She is the person behind the #IfAfricaWasABar hashtag that went viral gaining over 60,000 tweets in July last year. Siyanda’s TED talk is a funny look into how young Africans are using the Internet, particularly through Twitter to get to know each other better. 2 Kechi Okwuchi Kechi Okwuchi is has achieved a whole lot in her lifetime. She survived the Sosoliso plane crash in 2005 that took the lives of 60 of her schoolmates who were flying home for the holidays. Kechi used her second chance at life to uncover her passions and went on to graduate magna cum laude from university. Her story inspires us to know ourselves and our vision. To remember that scars that don’t define us and that our passions can make our dreams a reality. 3. Achenyo Idachaba Achenyo Idachaba’s idea turned a plant associated with death and destruction to a source of lifelihood. In 2009, Achenyo left the United States to relocate to Nigeria where she put to life her concern for sustainable development in the country. She took the water hyacinth, a plant that clogs many Nigerian waterways and found a way to dry and weave its stems, transforming the plant into ropes that make pens, purses, tableware and much more. 4. Kakenya Ntaiya As a young Maasai woman, Kakenya Ntaiya already did things that no one else in her community had. She bucked gender expectations, negotiating with her father to stay in school, getting the male elders to support her to go to university in the United States and returning to set a girls’ school in her community. Kakenya’s story reminds us that when there’s a will, there will always be a way. 5. Juliana Rotich Juliana Rotich is the co-founder of Ushahidi and iHub. Ushahidi is a Kenyan open-source software used globally that collects and maps out information while the iHub is a collective tech space in Nairobi. In her TED talk, Juliana shares how she and her friends developed BRCK, a service that offers stronger Internet connectivity specifically designed for African needs such as power outages. 6. Ory Okolloh Ory Okolloh is an activist who regularly reports on the going-ons of the Kenyan parliament. She started the blog Mzalendo that shined a light into the goings-on in the parliament, bringing citizens closer to their government at a time when what went on in the Kenyan parliament was secretive. Here she gives insight into her heroic work as an activist. 7. Kah Walla Kah Walla is a Cameroonian entrepreneur, activist and political leader. She is also the first woman to run for president in Cameroon. Kah has worked in developing solutions to encourage economic growth and democracy in her country. It doesn’t get more inspiring than listening to the words of a pioneer. 8. Panashe Chigumadzi Panashe Chigumadzi is a writer and storyteller from Zimbabwe. Her debut novel, “Sweet Medicine” is highly acclaimed and she has produced a documentary, “Africa’s Upstarts”. Here, Panashe reminds us that stereotypes can shape the way even we view ourselves. While this makes them hard to shake off, technology can change that by more equally distributing power that Africans can use to their advantage. 9. Jepchumba A digital artist and founder of the African Digital Art Network, Jepchumba is a role model for working where your passions lie. At TEDxEuston, Jepchumba says her entire life is based online and reveals that Africa’s digital potential is hidden submerged under the surface just waiting to rise. 10. Lindiwe Mazibuko Lindiwe Mazibuko was the youngest parliamentary leader and the first black woman to be the Leader of the Opposition in South Africa. In her talk, Lindiwe gives her reasons why young Africans in the Diaspora should return to work in civil service in their respective countries. Lindiwe reminds young people not to run away from politics and find ways to give back to our countries for the better.
Sitting still is the new move: On meditation
Almost everyone I know is either busy or tired. In this age of hyperconnectivity, we’re always “on.” In the race to stay on top of work, news, and friendships, it’s difficult to find time for self-care. By creating the space to embrace the present, meditation gives us the time to tune out the noise and listen to our inner voices I first learned the importance of meditation at my Quaker high school. Silence is a unique features of a Quaker worship service. Through silence, Quakers believe they can listen, reflect, and deepen their connection with God, their community, and themselves. For forty-five minutes once a week, teachers and students met in a sunlit room to sit in silence. In such a competitive, Type A environment, the fact that we came together weekly to affirm the time to reflect and to dream is extraordinary. Taking the time for mindfulness helped me listen to my inner self rather than follow the crowd. As a teenager trying to figure out life, that space was essential. But as a young woman in the digital age, I find the need for silent reflection even more essential. It was easy to meditate in high school when the time was carved out for me—it’s harder to accomplish now as an adult with a hectic schedule. But according to experts, meditation one of the best ways to focus and be present rather than in “react” mode. Ready to start meditating? Here are a few tips for incorporating it into your life: Start small Sit for just five minutes a few days a week, and gradually build upwards. Check in with yourself How do you feel—tired, anxious, energized? Focus on your state of being and you’ll learn more about yourself. Don’t worry about doing it right For some people, meditation is about clearing the mind or avoiding all thought. While that can happen during meditation, that’s not the point. It’s normal to have thoughts, and meditation can help you better focus the direction of your attention. Create a space When you’re meditating for short periods of time, your location might not matter as much, but as you increase your time spent meditating, you should be comfortable. What does your soothing environment look like? Do you need a pillow? Do you prefer sitting in the sunlight or an evening session with candles? Design a calming space that helps you clear your mind. Make it part of your daily routine Set a reminder to meditate each morning to help get your day off to the right start. Switch off your phone and find a quiet space. Can’t take the time before the morning commute? Try carving out a little bit of your lunch break or use meditation as a strategy to unwind before bed. Join a community There are Meditation Meetups in thousands of cities worldwide. If you can’t find a group that suits you, create one with family, friends or colleagues. Depending on where you are, you can look into your company benefits—many employers now provide meditation training to promote wellness and productivity. Try an app Some crowd favorites include Headspace, Buddhify, and Mind. Every morning, I take half an hour to meditate. The silence helps me cope with the deluge of information I receive everyday in my full-time job as a Communications Manager at a multi-stakeholder industry association and my night-owl assignments as a freelance writer and editor. In the words of Buddha, “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.”
Business Alchemy: Creating the extraordinary from the ordinary
In its simplest form, alchemy is the process of taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary -sometimes in a way that cannot be explained. Alchemy is seen in the way an artist can, quite magically, transform a heap of scrap metal into a breathtaking piece of art. I believe that in the business world, we are all trying to create alchemy. We want to take something ordinary and turn it into the extraordinary. Whether you are social entrepreneur Patrick Awuah, taking tertiary education through it transforming lives so that students learn to shape their societies in remarkable, unique ways. Or whether you are Mo Abudu, CEO of Ebony Life TV, Africa’s first Global Black Entertainment and Lifestyle network, taking up the challenge of owning an African TV network where Africans can demonstrate their artistic skills and creativity in a relevant way. Lessons from Coelho’s “The Alchemist” One book that continues to have a profound effect on me is “The Alchemist”, by Paulo Coelho. A simple fable about pursuing your dreams, “The Alchemist” has enough wisdom in it to inspire and motivate you. It can push you to pursue and take charge of your business aspirations as much as any work you will find in the Harvard Business Review –the story is that good. It starts in Spain, where a shepherd boy, Santiago has a dream. He literally slept one night and had a dream that he travelled and found a treasure in Africa, Egypt to be precise. The dream was so compelling –just as your business aspiration might be– that Santiago could not let it go. He had to actualize it. Selling all his sheep, he set off across the ocean to find his treasure. Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be Much of “The Alchemist” is about the Santiago’s odyssey. His adventures, the people he came in contact with (the good, the bad and the ugly), his new learning, love, and eventually finding his treasure in the most unusual place. This reminds us that as we pursue that compelling vision, that business aspiration, we must be aware of the dynamic world we live in. We need to be flexible to succeed at alchemy. Now to connect “The Alchemist” to Patrick Awuah and Mo Abudu. It may have been on a CNN’s African Voices interview, that Patrick recalled that he was driven to leave his work and life in the US. What pushed him was his vision of starting a first class tertiary institution founded on strong leadership principles in Ghana. He was further motivated by that most famous quote from Goethe; “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” Like Santiago in “The Alchemist”, I imagine that the dream was so compelling for Patrick that he could not let it go. And similar to Santiago who sold all his sheep and set off to find his find his treasure, Mr Awuah forfeited an assured life in the States and came to Ghana to start something new and risky. And what genius and magic that boldness has delivered through Ashesi University, Patrick’s creation. The first lesson that you learn from “The Alchemist” is that business, often requires us to leave our comfort zone and take risks, but wherever your heart is, your treasure will be. For Mo, she was a succcessful HR consultant who left a fabulous international career to host a talk show. Many people asked why, let them wonder. Like Santiago, Mo was drawn to her dream and focused on her purpose. She perfected her art by raising and talking about pertinent national issues. She gave visibility to the work and lives of remarkable Nigerians and international personalities on her show Moments with Mo. Her show may have awakened Mo to the opportunity of creating something bigger than Moments and giving Africans an opportunity to display and demonstrate their own creative skills through the platform of a global entertainment and TV network. Today, EL TV is a testament to not only Mo’s hard work, resilience and vision. The network has also become a channel through which many other African creative entrepreneurs and story tellers can effect and build their own creative dreams. That is alchemy. Transforming the ordinary to extraordinary.
3 subtle ways to increase your daily productivity
Daily productivity can sometimes feel so elusive. We all the many goals we would like to achieve each day. We easily make our to-do lists and set reminders then distractions get in the way. By the end of the day, we’re left feeling like we could have achieved more, and wishing that there were more than 24 hours in a day. I’ve faced the same challenge. But with a few adjustments to my daily routine, I have been able to cope better. Here are three subtle changes that really help with increasing your daily productivity when you add them to your routine. Choose your outfits the day before If you’re going to work or attending a meeting tomorrow, you need to select everything you’re going to wear today. When I say everything, I mean everything. From your underwear to the mascara you’ll be using, to the shoes that will match your outfit and the jewelry you’ll wear. I have been a victim of casually deciding on outfits to wear…only to discover in the morning that the outfit needed a camisole, and then discovering that I could find said camisole. Everything got frantic from then on. I sent clothes flying in the air while muttering prayers and curses concurrently. Do you know how much time you would save each morning by just planning ahead? If you’re able to do this effectively, you would have some time left over to jot down your thoughts or create a to-do list for the day. Trust me, you would start the day all calm, composed and dignified. This will be a huge boost to your daily productivity. The woman rushing around in search of a missing earring while hopping on one foot as she tries to locate a second shoe only looks cute in romantic comedies. In real life, it’s just a mess and brings about unnecessary stress which you do not need. Journaling for side-hustle success You know that spare time you have at work to complain about Nigeria, your boss or whose turn it is to buy the office provisions? Or those times you waste daydreaming about a much needed exotic vacation (when you’ve actually exhausted your vacation days)? What about those other times you wished you had more time during the day to take note of your creative ideas? It’s time to start using your spare time wisely. Get creative and write in a journal. As a writer with a 9-5 job, I carry a journal with me everywhere. In it I write down random thoughts which eventually become poems, stories or essays. But journals aren’t only for writers. Everyone can benefit from a journal. It’s a place where you jot down the random ideas you have throughout the day, and which you can review when you have some down time. You’ll be surprised at the end of the day how many ideas you’ve come up with. Journaling also reveals things about your psyche. What you write down randomly could reflect your state of mind and highlight areas in your life which you might need to improve on. This will take you one step closer to achieving your desired goals. If carrying a journal can’t fit into your designer bag, use your phone to capture your thoughts. Do whatever is convenient for you, just make sure your thoughts don’t fade away. You are what you read: The social media feed conundrum This, for me, is one of the most important things towards subtly increasing your daily productivity. So, you complain about not getting enough information about your areas of interest. Yet your social media feeds are only for entertainment, gossip and videos of cats playing pianos. Can you see the problem here? Social media is a very useful tool for absorbing information in our digital age. Whether we like it or not, we need to consciously moderate our feeds to reflect our interests and aspirations. Let’s face it, I enjoy a good meme. Who doesn’t?! I spent hours on the internet last year laughing out loud to funny pictures inspired by Drake’s “Hotline Bling” video. However when I began to write, I started to follow blogs and forums which reflected my interests. I signed up to Reader’s digest, Writer’s digest, Grammarly, The Sparkle Writer’s Hub, The Reading Room, Writing Tips and of course, She Leads Africa for daily inspiration and motivation. Think about the amount of time you spend on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media daily. Is it a normal part of your day to idly scroll through your feed? You should try to make this activity as intellectually stimulating as you can. If you can’t let go of your social media pastimes, consider multitasking to increase your daily productivity. If, for instance, say you usually spend your lunch break playing Candy Crush on your phone whilst eating. You could use that time to browse the internet for topics related to your areas of interest instead. This is not an exhaustive list, but it’s definitely a starting point to increasing your productivity as a #MotherlandMogul!