IN THE RING OF LIFE: BE YOUR OWN CHEERLEADER!

Starting a new project or business is a bold and courageous decision. It is so because usually, you are setting out to carve a niche for yourself or probably following an existing trend with a unique selling preposition or value added service provision. It is a bold initiative because it is a fearless choice of sort to set a pace and explore something others can identify you with. It is courageous because it is a risk you psych yourself to take regardless of the outcome. Project or business here spans educational, career, personal life, profit or non-profit making businesses, social initiatives among many others.

It is common to see one have some high level of enthusiasm and drive when setting on a passionate journey to create a new project or business. It cannot simply be well explained in words but it surely keeps one up at night and challenges the individual to think outside the box, design and develop a brilliant concept that can stand the test of time and sometimes the unfavourable conditions anything new grapples with.

Essentially, this post is to encourage you to pursue that vision you nurse passionately but may be afraid to take the step to start because of uncertainty and probably the fear of failure, insufficient resources among other potential limitations. Find below some nuggets of insight to guide you in the pursuit of your dream:

1. Follow your instincts: An instinct is a natural impulse or capacity to get something done. It is an unlearned genetic motivation to action, usually in response to some external stimuli. Except in cases where you are driven to engage in something unlawful or hurtful to others, your instinct can guide you relentlessly to seek to make the move as quickly as practicable. While strong instincts may drive you to potentially be hasty, it is good to combine the instinct with purpose, planning, patience and strategy. If you just jump into a new scope of operation on a project or business relying only on instincts, you may not achieve the best results. You may need to subject it to logical reasoning and as you work on your plan judiciously, you can only excel!

2. Believe in your abilities: The best person to fully appreciate the magnitude of your strength and weakness is You. No one knows you better than yourself because when all is silent and no one is able to measure publicly or monitor your private actions or inactions, you are the best judge of your character. This implies that you are the main determinant of how far your abilities and resources may take you on your initiative. You, therefore, need to be realistic in setting your goals and be sincere to yourself on how far your capabilities can take you. Remember that you are the author of your vision thus you are the ideal person to defend its sustainability or otherwise in the face of any obstacles.

3. Not everyone will support or applaud you: When embarking on a new project or business, there is the tendency to have some sense of entitlement and expectation for others to understand and support you witness your initiative's fruition. This is a big fallacy. Irrespective of how brilliant or beneficial your initiative may be to you and others in society by extension, not everyone will support or applaud your efforts. You need to appreciate that this is really okay! Subsequently, as you journey on your project or business, you may have others come on board when you least expect it. Irrespective of that, you have to be guided that it is your initiative and you ought to be responsible for carrying it on and sustaining it regardless of the support or acknowledgment you may or may not get from others around you and afar.

4. Overtime you will get better and bigger: Nothing exceptional sprouts suddenly to success. It takes purpose, time, patience, nurturing, learning, unlearning, relearning, determination, resilience, focus, passion, courage and the can-do-spirit to start, sustain and excel at any new project or business. There is little room for rest or retreat. You must soldier on even when the seasons get tough and most definitely that period will come! However, your ability to rise above any hurdles is your ticket to attaining excellence. You need to be positive minded and trust that sometimes it may get worse until it gets better. Fight on and it will amaze you how fulfilling it will be to take a seat at the top. When you get there, work hard against complacency. The mistakes you make along the way will sharpen you and the achievement you chalk will be marked in your honour.

5. Remember your why: Your instincts, purpose and passion will drive you to start the journey but the obstacles you may face could potentially hinder your drive to accomplish the ultimate goal you set. That is the stage where you need to remember your why! Why did you start in the first place? Why did you convince yourself it is possible? Why do you need to press on to excellence? Why should you hold on to the end? Why is giving up not an option? Ask yourself the whys as often as possible and remember your responses to them as they will be your fuel on your journey to the finish line. When no one is cheering you on, let your whys remind you that your mission is achievable and will manifest in good time. Let it be your encouragement to take one step more. It will be more than enough to keep you going if you can remember it.

With all you have just digested, I want you to self-reflect and revisit that beautiful project idea or business you have been nursing internally for ages. Is it something impactful that can solve a problem in your home, community or society at large? Then, what are you still waiting for? Go for it! If it makes you restless and prevents you from sleeping on it, it is definitely worth pursuing. For all you know, you may be the solution the world is eagerly anticipating.

Finally, remember that you stand to gain rights of breaking new territories if your project becomes successful but you get to learn lessons if it does not meet your set expectations. That is a win-win situation, right? You therefore have nothing to lose but much to learn and gain. Whatever is hindering you, I charge you to set it aside and just go for it! I wish you all the best and know that, I am routing for you ...