To me, setting a goal is like aiming that bowling ball at the white pins; the amount of effort and calculation put in determines how many bottles will be cleared which is why your goals do not matter more than the mode of setting them.
I’ll give you a better illustration. Setting a goal is similar to aiming a missile at a spaceship from this planet, you don’t know for sure if your aim is going to bring results but you just close your eyes and do it anyway!
IT MUST SCARE YOU
The number one lesson which is fundamental to setting goals is going way beyond your limit. Now I’m not asking you to be unrealistic, set a goal within your human capacity just let it scare you a bit.
How does your own goal scare you? You know you’re scared of your set goals when:
I. It’s within the limits a motherland mogul like you does not have
II. It’s something you can do even though you think that you cannot attempt it
III. You don’t believe it’s something you can do or someplace you can get to
BE REALISTIC
When it comes to the art of setting goals, my dear you must be very realistic. For instance, you shouldn’t submit your CV for a job which requirements are higher than your professional level knowing fully well that you cannot get those papers before the interview.
You must meet the requirements of your requirements! You have to strive to reach the eligibility level and never relax on your oars.
UPGRADE YOUR OS
I know this is 2018 so everyone probably knows OS means Operating System right? Right. Ever wondered why Apple keeps upgrading the performance level of their gadgets? To keep up with the consumer market! Same way you cannot stop being eligible!
You have to continue being the best person for that position, the one they are losing out on if they don’t put their monies on! How do you do this?
I. Get professional
The ‘masters syndrome’ in today’s Nigeria has ravaged most appointment seekers. What they don’t know is that professional certification singles you out of the master’s multitude.
You need to attend a course today, start from somewhere, be it WIMBIZ or a Nigerian Women Techsters training just do something!
II. Build your experience
Fill your resume with internship/externship experiences, work for free if you have to!
III. Get out of your comfort zone
Your comfort zone is that place in your existence where you feel totally at peace, rested and fulfilled. I will tell you a secret today (promise not to tell nobody?), your goal will never be in your comfort zone!
Beyonce had to go solo, leaving behind friendships and carbs to become who she is, Malala went over the fence of children and women not being heard in a rather conservative state and Joe Okei-Odumakin had so many visits to detention and prisons to be an activist.
None of these people felt entirely happy leaving the comfort of friendship, being obedient to repugnant laws and the comfort of their bed and peace to be moguls but they did anyway!
That’s my point exactly! Don’t reject offers in other regions! Stop telling yourself you’re too young! Stop telling yourself you’re a woman! Just stop!
Learn something outside of your known area of specialization, think of a business idea someone in your society is not taking up, be creative.
IV. Don’t try to be regular
Try setting goals negating what you were expected to do. For instance, in the legal profession, most ladies decide to work in the civil service to minimize stress in order to combine law with making a home but some outstanding ones still take up jobs as company secretaries, private practice, maritime legal experts etc.
Sometimes our purpose lies in our ability to think outside of the box, in order to get the honey out of the rock, you might have to roll up your denim and begin to cut it out instead of just taking your mind off it totally.
These tips are great life builders and I hope they help someone.
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Sithembile Ndlovu is a qualified Child and Youth Care Practitioner and a young Social Entrepreneur from Dassenhoek in Kwa-Zulu Natal. She is a co-founder of Sithuthukile PreSchool and Eliny’ithuba NPO in KwaNdengezi near Pinetown. Sithembile is future-oriented and passionate about developing, restoring, advocating for as well as educating children and youth at risk.
She hopes to make the world a place where women and children are safe from sexual violence. This is because she herself has been a victim of sexual violence and has experienced some of the darkest moments of her life. This did not break her, instead it motivated her to help others who have gone through similar situations as well as ensure that the same doesn’t happen to others.
Read about how she tirelessly works towards fighting new HIV infections, political liberty and advancing youth leadership skills by volunteering her time to a range of organisations.
Has helping the youth and children always been your dream?
While growing up I dreamed of being a psychologist, I always wanted to help people but I was not specific about the age group.
What inspired this dream?
Life trials inspired the dream while growing up there were always funerals at home. I was born in a family of six; my parents, myself and three siblings. Unfortunately, all my siblings passed away before I even turned 10 years old and from then onwards I became the only child with no brother or sister to help me through life.
In my early 20s I was sexually and violently abused and I almost lost my life. My life was falling apart and I was in and out of hospital throughout 2011. I was infected with TB and in June 2012 I lost my mother through diabetes. Life was difficult in a way that I had to be booked for counselling sessions at the Open Door Crisis Centre in Pinetown for a while. While attending these sessions I was introduced into a group of young girls who were going through similar situations.
In my early 20s I was sexually and violently abused and I almost lost my life. My life was falling apart and I was in and out of hospital throughout 2011. I was infected with TB and in June 2012 I lost my mother through diabetes. Life was difficult in a way that I had to be booked for counselling sessions at the Open Door Crisis Centre in Pinetown for a while. While attending these sessions I was introduced into a group of young girls who were going through similar situations.
After hearing their different stories week after week I knew I had to do something about it. It broke my heart to realise how much trauma children, youth, and women go through with all the abuse and inequality happening in South Africa. From then onwards I wanted to make a difference, to change lives and to advocate for the rights of women and children. I then decided to go back to University and study Child and Youth Development.
What would you like to see change in the world that would make the lives African woman better?
I would like to see a change in people’s perspective about the strength of a woman. Women are taken for granted in many spheres of life resulting in gender inequality. I would like to see female excellence rising all around the world, with no gender-based violence and cruelty against women and children. I would like to live in an Africa where the peace and the security of women is a priority for everyone.
Tell me more about your involvement with Progressive Youth Africa, SADC youth network, and the Ethekwini Youth sector.
Progressive Youth Africa is championed by proactive youth in the pursuit of political liberty in Africa. it is present in all 54 countries in the African continent and each country has one ambassador who then acts as a President for their country platform. I was selected as an ambassador for South Africa in 2016 and my role is to assemble highly courageous youth capable of pioneering change for a prosperous South Africa. So far I have gathered 45 young great minds from different provinces in South Africa who are undertaking amazing initiatives in their respective communities.
We formed the SADC Youth Network during the YALI regional leadership centre program in South Africa in February 2016 with fellow YALI alumni with an aim to collaborate ideas to deal with social issues facing the youth in the Southern Africa region. We want to increase youth participation and representation at high-level meetings; to identify and bridge the gaps in policies and to allow the youth to participate in the formulation of policies, and to be a platform where we can discuss regional integration issues on both national and international levels. We have managed to influence more than 500 innovative young people in the Southern Africa region to join our network.
I joined the Ethekwini Youth Centre after the 21st International Aids conference in Durban by invitation. I am involved in the provincial youth initiative that encourages young people to work together in order to implement the resolutions of the conference to stop HIV transmission by 2030. Particularly in Kwa-Zulu Natal as we have the highest percentage of transmission of people below the age of 35.
What are your roles in these organisations?
I help youth-led organisations professionalise their work by sharing my expertise and experience. I assist in reviewing business plans, funding proposals and offer mentorship to those in need. In addition, I advise and advertise available opportunities to young people and enhance self-development, I also recommend them to potential employers.
How did you come to be part of the MSALEAD fellowship programme?
That was God’s grace upon my life. I applied for the fellowship two days before the closing date and my application went through a panel of judges along with other applications and my name was on the list of the top 10 young social entrepreneurs.
Monash South Africa selected 10 youth-led projects that were impacting their communities for their first MSALEAD Social Entrepreneurs yearlong fellowship. We are the first generation of innovators and entrepreneurs to be introduced to Monash’s first formalised business incubator. We were trained in leadership development, project management, communications, and other topics. On the 8th of December 2016, Monash South Africa hosted an awards ceremony for us in recognition of our work.
How was your experience with the YALI leadership programme?
YALI was amazing, it is surprising a year has already passed since it happened. I learned a lot about myself through the programme and I learned so many things regarding Africa and its people. I met 130 young leaders from the SADC region together with the UNISA Graduate School of Business Leadership staff who gave us the warmest hospitality. We were given lessons on Responsible Leadership, Gender and HIV/AIDS.
I was in the Civic Leadership track for four weeks being lectured by different TMALI’s Professors and Doctors on topics such as the Millennium development goals, Sustainable developmental goals, Feminism, Philanthropy and the role of the youth in civic society just to mention a few. We had site visits to the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, Gender Links, Southern Africa Trust and many other important places. I had a chance to network with a large number of substantial people and formed long-lasting partnerships and friendships. I really had a great experience at YALI I would do it again if given a chance.
How do you think your work with all these organisations has shaped you as a person?
I have grown intellectually and developed my people skills. I can think more rationally now as well as act in an ethical manner in any given situation. Finally, I’m able to appreciate diversity and I have gained emotional intelligence, entrepreneurship skills, and leadership skills.
What do you hope to achieve through your work in the next 5 years?
In the next 5 years, I’m hoping to have made an impact on children accessing education from Early Childhood Development to tertiary education while also encouraging entrepreneurship and scarce skills to eradicate poverty in our communities.
My passion lies in Early Childhood Development because the first seven years in an individual’s life are of paramount importance in sharpening the mind. My goal is to implement Sustainable Development Goal no.4 –Quality education on the highest level possible. One goal of the NDP states that “South Africa should have access to education and training of the highest quality” and it begins with a child.
What motivates you?
Working with young people motivates me on its own, I get unexplainable fulfillment when I see a smile on a child or young person’s face.
Plus seeing young people creating innovative solutions to our daily struggles in the hope to make this world a better place motivates and inspires me to continue doing social good.
Do you have any words of inspiration to young women that would like to get involved in social entrepreneurship?
Do not allow anybody to tell you that your dream is impossible; if you put your mind to it you can do it. No dream is too small or too big, you just need to believe in yourself then everything is possible. A successful Social Entrepreneur never stops learning.
You know what they say about being all work and no play, what do you do for fun?
I’m a big fan of poetry so for fun I attend poetry sessions. I also love nature so a good walk at the beach, park or a camp site is my kind of fun.
Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
Nomfanelo Magwentshu is a partner at McKinsey and was the lead organiser for the SA Fifa World Cup. She was previously the GM for South Africa’s national carrier, South African Airways. Nomfanelo provided some tips on how to be leaders at #SheHiveJoburg. She also opened up about her upbringing and her reasons for leaving certain roles in her career that did not fulfil her.
With that said, one saying we took from Nomfanelo and her journey and that can resonate with Motherland Moguls is this, Take a leap of faith and follow your dreams and add value to other people’s lives even in the smallest ways.
Nomfanelo shared what has shaped the leader that she is today:
Show up and take risks
Always show up and take risks when you are given opportunities in your career or in business. Show up and be counted.
People must know you, and acknowledge you. Ensure that you’re not just a number to an organisation, you need to make sure you leave your mark.
According to Nomfanelo, find sponsors and mentors that will challenge you. Someone that will challenge some of your deepest issues and fears. One of her deepest fears is the fear of failure, especially the fear of not being good enough in a new environment.
She pointed out that mentors will not make the decisions for you. It’s important to make yourself accountable for everyday decision, even if you have a mentor to help you navigate through your life.
#MotherlandMogul tip: Find people to coach you —different people who can coach you on different aspects of your life and find those people that will challenge to get the best out of you.
Think about the bigger picture
When Nomfanelo joined the SA Fifa World Cup organising committee, it was not about being the best in football.
She shied away from the media but her biggest goal was to think of the bigger picture, and that was to ensure that South Africa delivers the best World Cup.
Listen, follow your head but don’t neglect your heart
At times where she lasted 5 months in an organisation, in her head Nomfanelo knew this MIGHT be the right place for her but her heart told her otherwise.
Ensure that you listen to both to make the right decisions for yourself.
Failure is a step towards success
You need to learn from your failures as they are a step to your next success. When you go to your next step, learn from your failures and you are guaranteed to be successful. If you make another mistake, always get up and keep moving.
#MotherlandMogul tip: Ensure that you reflect and you learn from the failures and make sure that you do not repeat them.
Think about the bigger picture