10 Things That Are Holding You Back as a Professional

If you follow successful professionals, you’ll notice that there are certain things they have in common, and that there are many similarities in the pieces of advice they share.

The interesting thing is that, from speaking with others, I know that these aren’t peculiar to me.  Every time I sit down with someone to talk about what they could have done differently, and the small moves that made a big difference, it turned out many of us were making one or more of these mistakes that are probably holding you back as well.

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7 Things I Love About My Side Hustle

Love is putting it mildly, actually. I’m crazy about it! Here are just 7 of the many reasons why:

 

1. Peak performance: A healthy mind in a healthy body is the goal of #SelfCare, and my side hustle has taught me a lot about the latter. Did you know that your body is the best doctor? It’s designed to heal, cleanse and rebalance itself, and it does its job better the more you elevate it to peak state of health. Just ONE addition to my diet, and my body has begun to heal itself; a health condition I’ve had for over two decades (of which the last five years were the scariest) has been reversed! Oh the joy!

 

2. Serving others: Learning, and sharing what I’ve learnt, is the passion of my true self. Now, I’m able to share the knowledge I’ve received with others, and help their bodies become healthier too. My best friend was one of the first people I shared with, and after over 20 years of excruciating period pains, she had a pain-free period for the first time ever!

 

3. Extra income: Even though I share this knowledge at no cost to listeners, I still get paid for my work weekly. It’s genius.

 

4. Upgraded associations: I have colleagues all over the world (55 countries and counting) and my outlook on life has broadened beyond anything I thought possible. Plus, I can’t think of anything else I could be doing right now that would gift me with a millionaire mentor and a multimillionaire grandmentor (we’re talking US dollars!). My mentor’s mentor is an Amazon bestselling author who owns an oil and gas servicing company, a software company, plus two restaurants in Texas, and he’s sitting at a table talking to me?!

 

5. Training: I have access to my company’s academy at all times, including mentorship sessions. Have you ever woken up and felt how much you’ve grown?

 

6. Recognition: Beyond pay, I’ve always dreamed of being recognized for my hard work, but I never thought it would happen any time soon since I was a solopreneur. Here I am now, basking in accolades. It’s so fulfilling and encouraging.

 

7. Room to grow: Starting out as a consultant in any field, it’s totally okay not to know much; you’re not expected to. In fact, your job is to learn and follow instructions as you’re trained. The sweet thing is, you earn as you learn. I’ve grown so much, and I’m still growing. Gifts I haven’t been using in my editing and writing career (public speaking for instance) have come out to play, and I’m loving it.

 

Collaboration is the new competition. I’m always on the lookout for fun, talented people to work with on different aspects of our projects; share the work, share the income. If you’re interested in partnering with me a few hours a week, send me an email with the subject SIDE HUSTLE: anafricandiva@gmail.com

 

 

Live grateful!

Letter to my Friend, the Nigerian Undergraduate

Dear Friend,

In a country where many universities are struggling and some have already begun to decay, students like you who still strive for excellence and greatness against the odds, are in the minority.

I want you to know that I’m rooting for you, and I have a few things to share with you that will help you if you don’t merely read, but actually take them to heart.

7 Reasons Your Goal Setting Isn’t Fruitful

After all the fuss that has been made about setting goals, and SMART goals for that matter, you’ve finally started setting goals and yet, you don’t have the results you expected.

The thing about goal setting is, it’s not just enough to “start doing it” because you’ve heard you should or because you’ve seen it work for people. There are certain things that can sabotage your goal setting, and here are some of them.

5 Traits of Bosses Employees Love

A couple of months ago, I wrote about handling difficult bosses and it got me thinking, what does a good boss look like and how can you ensure that YOU are one when the time comes?

1. Know your onions: To be a good boss, you’ve got to know what you’re doing; none of that barely getting by and cutting corners to get to the top. There’s nothing like a boss who knows their stuff. Oh, the joys of working under a maestro, an expert, a master of the game! If you’ve never had one of those “Nah, MD is good!” moments, I have been there, and I can tell you that this is the kind of boss we all dream of working with and learning from, and this is the kind of boss you want to be, at any level. Read more…

Letter to Dee

Dearest Dee,

It’s been a while. We don’t talk as often as we used to, and yet nothing has changed; not my admiration of your femininity, poise, wisdom, grace, eloquence and uncommon kindness, not your inexplicable fondness for and devotion to me, and certainly not our ability to talk about any and everything – when we do get to talk.

I remember the girl that I was when I first arrived Lagos. When I think of her, and then look at the woman I am today, two words flash before my eyes; God…Dee.

In May 2007 I left my little job in Warri after many months of longing for a better life. I remember walking home from work one day and, in a moment of intense awareness of the sheer ordinariness and tedium of my existence, muttering a quiet but heartfelt prayer: “God, please let me be somebody in this life.” So the next time my friend in Lagos raised the issue of relocating, I said yes without knowing how it would come about.

It turned out that saying yes to myself – yes to my potential, yes to my greatness, yes to more – was enough.

On the 4^th of September 2007 I showed up ready to begin a career in Public Relations. I was prepared for work, but I was not prepared for you, Dee. When I first set eyes on you that first day at work, I had no way of knowing how much you would come to mean to me. It still amazes me how quickly we took to each other, even now that I can clearly see it was meant to be. What would a senior colleague, 11 years older than I for that matter, stand to benefit from a relationship with me?

I did not understand it at the time, but I do now. It was through your eyes that I truly saw myself for the first time. It was you who made me aware of my personal brand. My ability to look at a document and spot errors – from typos and grammatical blunders, to double spaces between words – was something I took for granted.

“It’s not about knowing English, Joy. I have a good command of the English Language myself; I was a broadcaster for almost a decade, FRCN trained. It’s the combination of language proficiency AND attention to detail. Don’t take it for granted. My husband’s company would benefit greatly from having someone like you.”

You influenced everyone in the office with your opinion of me. It wasn’t long before the MD insisted that no document leave the office without having been checked by me. You praised me publicly and corrected me privately. You gave me books and magazines to read. You gave me clothes, shoes and jewellery. You shared life experiences with me. And if that was all you did, it would have been enough.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about our relationship is the fact that you did not need that job. Oh, everybody who worked there knew that; we all realized from the car you came to work in, the clothes you wore, and the trips to South Africa and Paris for medical checkups, that you were not there for the money; but it was only later in our friendship that I would realize just how much you did not need the money.

You also did not need to keep in touch with me after you resigned to go start a family. You were no longer my boss, and even though I still wanted to be friends with you, it was your call, really. And you chose to be my friend. You chose to drive from the Island to the mainland just to take me out for starch and banga soup. You took my calls and counselled me when the need arose. When it became necessary for me to leave that office, you recommended me for a role in your husband’s company.

The pride you took in me as I grew in my new job meant almost as much as the fat pay check. You made sure to tell me all the wonderful things your husband said about my intelligence, dedication and readiness to learn new things. “He believes you can do more than research. He says he’s discussed with the Consultant to train you as a scriptwriter.” By believing in me you gave me more than a job, Dee; you gave me a sense of worth, a new career, the opportunity to learn new skills and a lifelong mentor who taught me how to write documentary scripts, and more.

You saw my gifts when I couldn’t see them, and you did your best to open my eyes to my own value. I look at my life, count my blessings, and count you 10 times.

There’s no way I could possibly recount all the things you’ve given me and done for me, and all the opportunities I have had because of you. Neither is there any way I could ever pay you back. Still, when I remember the girl I was when I first arrived Lagos, and look at the woman I am now, I purpose in my heart that I will pay. I have made a commitment to be to someone what you have been to me, God willing. I will pay it forward.

 

Love,

Joy.