51 Ways Ordinary People Reached World-Class By Robin Sharma with comments Part 1

Hi guys, as usual, when I see an article that strikes me, I decide to share with most of the thoughts running through my head as I read. It's  been a while yea? I completed my first online program on Coursera - Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship! Yaay me!! I also got me a verified certificate for the course that I am so proud to share, hehe - https://www.coursera.org/signature/certificate/UMLUJGTPRV Yes ke!! The day you stop learning is the day you die.....

Back to the matter.... Fasten your seat belts, this is going to be mighty long. I'll try not to lose you.

51 Ways Ordinary People Reached World-Class
By Robin Sharma
#1 bestselling author of The Leader Who Had No Title

With comments from Mofolusade Sonaike...

1. Know what you want. Clarity is power. And vague goals promote vague results.
   As simple as this sounds, knowing what you want is one of the toughest hurdles to cross in life. Things as basic as what to wear, whether to relax your kinky nachi hair and give up the nachi hair crusade or no (yea, that's where I'm at right now).
2. Remember that every problem has a solution. Maybe you just can’t see it. Yet. 
   I know right, the wait time or search time is just so tiring. You keep thinking, where's this solution already!
3. In this Age of Dramatic Distraction, the performer who focuses the best wins the most. 
   Focus, Focus!!! In this world of #mimirod and #kardishian sex tapes (scandalous sumtins!), instagram flexing and the hard pursuit of wealth, we need God himself to help us focus in this generation. Lord help us.
4. Before someone will help you, you need to help them.
   Yea I agree. You can't expect to just call someone out of the blues to ask for help when you haven't been there for them ever! It doesn't always have to be monetary, sometimes all people need from you is some empathy.
5. Become the most passionate person you know. It’ll be contagious. 
   Passion speaks for itself. If you really want to make a difference in your chosen field, you have to be passionate about it.
6. Know more about your craft/the work you do than anyone who has ever done the work you do…in the history of the world. 
   Omo! More than anyone in the history of the world ke!! Mr.Robin, this one go hard small sha. Chai. To achieve this, one would need far more than Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours of practice! Pleeenty of work! Wheew.
   
   But seriously, nothing good comes easy.
7. Join The 5 am Club. Your most valuable hours are 5am-8 am. They have the least interruptions. 
   Before I started raising kids I was such a sleeper! I loved sleep and hated my bank job because I had to wake up early. My cousin and I would fight because I always made her late. Nowadays though, I am up without an alarm clock by 5, sometimes 4:30, life! lol.
   
   I have read in so many books and articles that one of the habits of most of the successful people is rising early. Why does this make a difference? It's easy to get sucked into a daily routine that does not add value. The way you start your day makes the difference in how your day goes. Commit the day to God's hands, exercise (it makes you sharp! seriously), then plan your day in order of priority. You achieve more this way. Thank me later.
8. Devote yourself to learning something new about your field of mastery every day. Success belongs to the relentless learners. Because as you know more, you can achieve more.
   Nothing beats continuous learning.
9. Remember that when you transform your fitness, you’ll transform your business. 
   Aha! I didn't even know this would make the list when I mentioned exercise earlier. I hear the Dutch are really fitness crazy, they ride to work most of the time - so says my friend who works there. They must be super productive, I imagine. We on the other hand are so lazy that even to visit a neighbor within the same estate we drive! SMH. Since I heard the gist about the cycling Dutch, I made a mental note to get me a bicycle. Yes! I can. (only on the good roads though, which is within my estate pretty much, lol!).
10. Don’t check your mobile when you’re meeting with another person. It’s rude. And rude people don’t reach world-class. 
    Er.... I knew drawing up a list of 51 could not be that easy! That's how come "and rude people don't reach world-class.....because they check their phones" makes the list. It just sounds funny Mr. Robin. Not that it's not rude to check your phone when in a meeting but....
11. Every time you do what scares you, you take back the power that you gave to the thing that scared you. And so you become more powerful. 
    Very true this!
12. A problem is only a problem if you make the choice to see it as a problem.
    Easier said than done, but true. Many battles are first won in the mind.
13. Stop being a victim. Your business and personal life was made by you. No one else is responsible. To make it better, make better choices. And new decisions.
    Think about this one deeply! Many times we wallow in self pity and blame everyone else but ourselves for our problems. Truth of the matter though is, where you are today is a result of the seeds you sowed yesterday - the relationships you formed or didn't, the books you read or didn't, the choices you made! Trust me, it's all YOU!! If you want a change, the change has to start from you.
14. You can lead without a title. Don’t wait to get a position to stand for excellence, peak quality and over delivery on every expectation. There are so many empty titles around us..... I bet you know one or two. Try not to carry one of them on your head. Has any of you seen the official houseboy of the federation one?!
    
        Seriously, it's a real title. Lol.I saw it and was like huh?!! Only in Nigeria!
15. Find your own style. Be an original. Every superstar differentiated themselves from The Herd. And marched to their own drumbeat. Its so much easier to follow the herd/crowd. Want to be successful, you have to follow your inner voice. There's really no other way to say it.
16. Understand that when you play small with your success, you betray your potential. And the birthright you were born under. 
    Hmmm, this one is a bit lost on me..... help somebody!
17. Eat less food and you’ll get more done.
    Hahahaha!! As funny as this sounds, I bet you agree that it's so true. Overeating makes you less active and creative. Try eating eba at 7pm and attempt to study that same night. Even the sleep that you try to sleep will be a restless one. 
18. As you become more successful, stay really really hungry. Nothing fails like success. Because when you’re successful, it’s easy to stop outlearning+outOverDelivering+outthinking and outexecuting everyone around you. (Success is Beautiful. And dangerous). 
    Don't think you have arrived just because you hit your target. Celebrate the success, but set new targets and keep moving or else you'll fall back.
19. If you’re not overprepared, you’re underprepared. 
    Wooow!! This is a hard truth. That little extra crossed 't' and dotted 'i' is the difference between a strong second class upper and a first class.
20. The only level of great manners to play at is “Exceedingly Polite”. In our world, this alone will make you a standout. And differentiate you in your marketplace. 
    We need more "Exceedingly Polite" people in Nigeria, what we have mostly is "Exceedingly rude" people. I was at shoprite yesterday waiting in line to pay for my goods, only for the lady at the counter to walk away without a word to those of us waiting! I was livid. When we confronted her, she said she was looking for change and she said this rolling her eyes! Gosh. Some people are so so rude here.
21. Remember that the moment you think you’re a Master, you lose your Mastery. And the minute you think you know everything, you know nothing. In simple terms, humble yourself...... I know this saying has been over-flogged, but "Pride goes before a fall". Remember that.

I have to break it at this point. The list is so long it should be digested in parts. Will post part 2 in a bit.

Have a great day guys! Cheers.

See more at: http://www.robinsharma.com/blog/04/51-ways-ordinary-people-reached-world-class/#sthash.DdZkNmD7.dpuf

Memoirs of a Lagos City Hustler - LCH 17

My Dad used to tell me this particular story as a kid, it didn't turn up as much use then as it does now.

“The obstacle is the path.” – Zen Proverb

Here's the story;

"In ancient times, a King had a large stone placed on a roadway. He then hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Majority of the poor civilians loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. (Very typical......) Then a peasant farmer came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the stone, the farmer laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the farmer picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the stone had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the stone from the roadway." (Yipeee)

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition, retrace our steps and 're-concentrate' on our goals. Facing trials and challenges in life is a programmed aspect of our life...the only fateful thing we can do is our attitude towards the challenge when it rises.. When it rains, all birds take cover by staying out of rain, but the Eagle fly above the clouds pouring the rain!

As an entrepreneur, these choices are hard; do I quit now after this much effort? Do I let someone else invest and I do all the work? Do I go for cheap materials or risk running at a loss to maintain starndards? Do I sell online or get a shop? But when the rain beats hard you either complain about how heavy it's raining and reject the opportunity of getting a good umbrella...sometimes, the choices are not this clear, It all boils down to our attitude and will to survive.

On one last note...see every challenge as an opportunity!

Have a great week.

Memoirs of a Lagos City Hustler - LCH 16 He's Alive!!

#attheCross,

He went to Hell with our sin-ticket on our behalf so we won't have to be there; He was beaten so we would not be beaten, He was condemned so we will escape the condemnation of the world; through His poverty we were made rich..and in His weakness we are made strong -- simply because we accepted His love for us and the gift of salvation.

Just like the Brazil nation is represented by 11 men, and when they win the whole country celebrates, likewise, #attheCross Lord Jesus Christ represented the whole World at the battlefront; sin and death were were conquered through the shedding of His precious blood..

He holds the key to death and eternal life; He championed over Satan and his angels; and handed the victory unto us never to fight Satan again. So if you are still battling a defeated enemy in area of your life, it's not worth it, it's just like using pin to pierce a mosquito net.. All you need do is to "rebuke him" and he will flee from you.

Jesus lives!

Enjoy Phil Driscol's rendition of he's alive again! I love this song. #throwback

Happy Easter from the Lagos City Hustler

Naturebuddie Concepts - Akintola Fade-Aluko #inthespiritofenterprise

Tell us about yourself

My name is Akintola Fade-Aluko, the C.E.O of Naturebuddie Concepts, a landscape horticulture outfit based in the city of Ibadan, I am 28 years old and a graduate of horticulture from the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and currently running a Masters degree programme in Horticulture at the University of Ibadan. I love nature and I take it as a responsibility to protect it. Hence, the name nature buddie.

Tell us about your business

Naturebuddie concepts is about meeting the landscape needs of the ever increasing urban population, a lot of people want their property looking all beautiful with ornamental features but there are only a few professionals who would be able to meet such needs and at the same time taking responsible decisions about the environment.

What motivated you to pursue horticulture as a career 

I grew up being passionate about plants but I never for once thought of making a living out of it, I was admitted to study horticulture in 2003 and that was the turning point for me, I got to know about the prospects of choosing horticulture as a career and that it wasn't about the road side thing I used to think it was. From that point I deliberately took steps to acquire skills in the field outside what the school curriculum was going to teach me, and that was it.

How did you get into it as a business

I had done a series of landscape jobs for free for family members, friends and churches but I never really saw it as what I could make money from, it was someone that liked what I had done at one of the places that gave me my first major landscape job and its been on like that since then, though I still do some Jobs for free.

What challenges do you face and how have you been able to overcome them 

The major challenge I face is competition with already established players in the landscape industry and getting clients to believe you will deliver a great job, also most of the clients are used to the roadside gardeners that come up with a combination of plants with some of them not knowing how, when and why a particular planting material is used in a landscape. To overcome the challenge I had to do free jobs which serve as a part of my resume. 

How will you summarize your journey so far?

So far it has has been full of highs and low. It’s a matter of time, with persistence and hard work we will get there.

Given the chance, will you do this again? 

Making nature look beautiful is a part of me, it is who I am or how do you explain going for a job interview and the first thing you notice on getting to the venue is that they need a landscape horticulturist here..lol, I'll choose being a landscape horticulturist a million times again if given the chance.

Feel free to follow here -  +Akintola fade-aluko

or mail him @ fadealukotolar@gmail.com

Budgit - Oluseun Onigbinde (Co-founder) #inthespiritofenterprise

Finally, we got budgit to share their story. I know some of you would have been wondering, who is this budgit that Mofolusade is always talking about sef! hahaha. Well here they are....

Enjoy....

Tell us about yourself 

My name is Oluseun Onigbinde. I am the Team Lead and Co-Founder of BudgIT. I am really confused what to call myself. Maybe I should say data analyst, data journalist, data scientist, citizen scientist or even budget expert. Actually, I did not set out to be all of these. I graduated from the University of Agriculture Abeokuta as an Electrical/Electronics Engineer. Since my days at the university, I knew I won’t practise engineering because I felt the kind of knowledge passed was not what works in fast-paced, viral and technological driven world that we live today. I worked in two banks – Access and First Bank - for four years before leaving to fully focus on BudgIT. That’s what I have been doing since then as well as other consultancy for DFID and sub-regional projects. I am also a Knight Foundation Fellow, which requires me to teach creative tools that can improve storytelling.

What is BudgIT about?
BudgIT is what makes me tick and it is a product of an idea with huge assumptions that if we shows citizens regardless of their literacy class and level of interest how the budget works and how it affects them, hopefully they will become active participants and strive to be vanguards of budget performance. These assumptions are what we are testing by looking for all means to explain the budget to citizens. This includes infographics, interactive applications, games, apps, sms and other tools. We just want to deepen access of the budgets, as we believe that this is key to civic engagement and institutional reform. We also act as a catalyst for all stakeholders such as media, government institutions by providing support in terms of capacity building and data access.

How did you conceive the idea for BudgIT?
I was sitting in my desk in First Bank and I thought about a new offer made by Co-Creation Hub to look for new ideas that can strengthen governance. This was an intense hackathon that was meant to build prototype of ideas. I put in for the hackathon in February 2011 and we came second. It was at the hackathon that I met Joseph Agunbiade who co-founded BudgIT with me. However, I know BudgIT was out of the desire to do something that reshapes the paradigm.

How did you bring it to life?

I wondered if I would be able to do it all alone and keep paying my bills. I decided to combine my work in the bank with BudgIT for a year before I decided to face it fully. This is about a lot of toil, hardwork and discontent. I just feel like I am a steward of an idea whose time has come. The online availability of the data, the evolution of social media and also Co-Creation Hub that provided mentorship, space and seed funding all showed that this idea appeared at the right time. Like I said, I am just a steward accountable to the work committed to my hand. 

What has the experience been so far?

Amazing experience so far. As an entrepreneur, you lose your steps momentarily which makes you to nearly doubt if you are on the right path. I have gone through those times before but today I count it all joy. Leading an organization is a mind building exercise. It makes you think, innovate and also want keep winning. It’s been more work but I am enjoying it. Right now at BudgIT, we are thinking of building products, which might also be profit-oriented as we don’t want to run BudgIT as an organisation eternally dependent on grant.

How would you summarize the social impact of Budgit in Nigerian Governance today?

We can take a cue from the comment by Reuben Abati that roadside mechanics and okada riders are analyzing the budget. I don’t want to take the full glory for that but we have a made dent somewhere and you will agree that the interest is getting deeper. We have trained officials of the National Assembly Budget and Research Office. We have held data journalism classes and provided funds for citizens. We are doing our best to make impact at the social urban and rural grassroots level.

What challenges do you face and how have you been able to overcome these challenges?

Access to data is a key challenge especially procurement data that can be used to deepen conversation. Most states still treat the budget as state secret making it difficult for citizens to get. We are also trying to validate government projects by demanding accountability. A big challenge is also getting funds to scale. For such scale we are still dependent on grant and we want to ensure that we build a strong financial model that is sustainable.

Given the chance, would you do this again?

Another chance? Maybe this idea might come to early or might be too late and be of no value. Right now it is what our democracy needs and I am enjoying it. Another time? Depends what works for that season. One day, I will quit BudgIT and handover to someone else. That’s the mindset I carry.

Want to know more? Want to get involved in promoting accountability and good governance in Nigeria? 

Visit - http://www.yourbudgit.com/

follow - @budgitng

Read - http://www.yourbudgit.com/blog/view/4

Have an opinion? Speak out, it just might help make a difference.

Cheers guys!

Patriotism in Nigeria - It's not about a country's accomplishments

I am volunteer for a non-profit group known as the generation for societal change, made up of young vibrant people with a passion for this country. Every once in a while, we hold workshops in schools where we discuss benefits of values with the students. It is usually a different one each time, ranging from courtesy, punctuality, integrity, respect and so on. Earlier on in the week though, I got a call from Seyi to say we had a workshop in unilag, no sweat until I asked for the topic and he said "patriotism " haaaa, lobatan. Lol. How was I supposed to treat this topic without choking on myself?

While preparing for the event, I looked up a few quotes on Patriotism and found  these two as my hit quotes, don't ask me why;

Loyalty to country always, loyalty to government when it deserves it .... Mark Twain

The duty of a Patriot is to protect its country from its government...Thomas Paine

These gave me a good place to start without getting stoned by the students. But then I started a search for reasons to be patriotic about Nigeria, some hard facts to present to them (and myself apparently). Perhaps if the re-basing had already been done before then, that could have been a point (NOT!! hahaha). You wouldn't imagine all the horrors on the internet about Nigeria, until you try to search yourself. Even worse is that majority of the tongue lashing and washing is by Nigerians, yes US! I even saw an article on Nairaland sharing 50 or so statistics that would make you ashamed to be Nigerian! Then I saw something and it hit me;
Patriotism has nothing to do with a country's accomplishments, It's about a heritage, it's about who you are. We are Nigerian, that's who we are, forget how this came to be, that is after the fact, we have to make this family work.

So back to the matter, from my research I found a mini list of the benefits of patriotism and adapted it to our context;

• Social Support
  There is a sense of community, motivation and inspiration among citizens. It's not "them" but "us". Citizens who are patriotic don't turn the other way when they see something that is not right.
• National ImprovementThe more people we have interested in governance the better. The general apathy towards how our money is being spent and how decisions are being made fades away. Patriotism fosters a more positive national discourse as opposed to "beer parlor" arguments that don't lead to progress.
  
  Kudos to Budgit's efforts to analyze all that data on government budgets and spending and make it accessible and easy to understand by the ordinary citizen.
• National Defense
  People would rise up to support the preservation of their country. More people would not only be concerned about the carnage going on in some parts of the country but will also think of ways to end it.

A country needs its citizens as much as the citizens need their country.

So I shared this much and wrapped it up. Some day I will share my own list of Nigerians who are making a difference in their own space. No matter what anybody says, we are largely good people! We need more people to rise up so we can have this change we so desperately need.

Here are a few pictures from the event. By the way, I was told this is the research and design laboratory for metallurgical and materials engineering. I entered and was like woooo! Some good progress, working personal computers and air-conditioners. That's like a big deal to me because in my days in unilag, we had no such luxuries.

GOD BLESS NIGERIA!!

Memoirs of a Lagos City Hustler - LCH 15 Shitty Ideas

How true is this? Hahaha....... only experience can tell

Sweat dripping off my face as I approached the door, about to go in and one of the cleaners stops me to say I had to order something before I could use their toilet, in a very subtle voice(unlike me), I told him I would, right after I used the loo(lemme form posh small), he refused till I had to go buy one 'scotch egg', walking as slowly as I could back to the cleaner, he then handed me a roll of tissue and a flashlight, and then told me to roll up my trousers...I could barely make out his words till I stepped in a pool of water leading to the bathroom.

I spent half of the toilet roll on covering every piece of ceramic on the cistern(posh again) and sat down to do my business while holding up the flashlight. Outside the toilet looked so lit up, it would confuse you for an alien abduction and in here, the only source of light was in my hand. I couldn't help but notice all the different scribbles of perverted Nigerians (Yea, why do people do that!! lmao) on the toilet door and cockroaches racing each other on the ceiling. (But guy, which toilet was this sef? GTB's one doesn't have roaches)

Next my phone rang, from the ringtone, I could tell it was my girlfriend, I wasn't gonna pick the call in there, I learnt the hard way when my phone fell into the poo I just let off at my grandma's burial (I had too much to eat), had to rinse off the phone first with soap and water before repairing it for thousands. This wasn't my first time with constipation, that demon has been haunting me since primary school where I once 'shat' on myself when 'aunty' refused to let me go to the toilet, did it once in secondary school too, we had just got back from an excursion from badagry slave trade route; you know that built up feeling you get when you are close to the toilet and its like you can't hold it anymore? Well as we got to the school gate, I was hoping to run in and use the toilet, then some bighead teacher slammed the door shut and decided to have a revival of prayers, I was this close to making a clean getaway with constipation and next thing I know, I had let it all out (I was the talk of the school for a term) Ewwwww!!

University went easy on me, if I felt weird, I'd rather not go to school and I was one of the few people who knew where they kept the toilet key for the library, my friends used to assume I enjoyed reading(if only they knew why I frequently visited the library).Okay, I had to hold this shit in to write this, I heard the gas would slowly build up and rise to the brain.....that's where shitty ideas come from!!!

See ya next week!

BIG BOLD RED DISCLAIMER - LCH, this is LCH by Adetayo Kennedy please note!! hehe

Sesewa - Adekunbi Adeoye #inthespiritofenterprise

All these Obafemi Awolowo people sef..... hian! Lol. The way they say "from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University" you will just be wondering. *takes cover* hahaha

Beef aside, we can agree though that a lot of talent and good stuff has come out of this "prestigious" school. Let's meet yet another one of them as she shares her passion.

Enjoy.....

Tell us about yourself?

Adekunbi Adeoye is a smart, dynamic young lady, the Executive Director of SESEWA Support Services, a graduate of law from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University. I am best described by strengths and values; I am creative, enterprising, purpose-driven and committed to excellence and integrity.

Tell us about your business?

SESEWA is a social enterprise driven by the passion to give direction to youths; to ensure that they perform at their best. SESEWA is more than just an organization but a movement for excellence and professionalism in the workplace.

At SESEWA, we run with the vision of becoming the one stop centre for the best wave of talent across the globe.

How did you get into this line of business?

I love talking about how SESEWA started. As you know, a major part of what we do is providing internship opportunities to young minds that are ready to kick-start their careers. SESEWA was birthed after an awesome internship experience I had as an undergraduate in OAU. I interned with a law firm and it gave me a chance to really see my life start. That single internship experience inspired what is seen today as SESEWA.

What is the idea behind the name SESEWA?

The name SESEWA is a coinage from the Yoruba expression- se ise wa? translated as “is there a job?” This sums up the questions in the heart of youths. There is this unending quest for youths to be employed but the real problem has never been so much about the availability of the jobs; it has been the inability of youths to fit into the available jobs.

In simple terms, most Nigerian youths are unemployable not because they don’t have the certificates and school degrees but because they lack the skills needed in the 21st century corporate environment. SESEWA stands a wave of fresh air as we say, “we have the job for you!” The very type needed to help groom the needed skills for the workplace. Our internships are avenues to gain employability skills and increase in value to be more relevant in the society.

What are the challenges you faced and how you overcame them?

The price of success is not cheap. It comes with numerous hurdles which make people that are weak at heart to retreat. Starting up a business that is not common in the society can be challenging. The biggest challenges have been that corporate organisations do not define structures for internships and the undergraduate is still unaware of the importance on their career path. We use advocacy to enlighten both companies and undergraduates on the importance of internships and advantages for both parties.

How would you summarize your journey so far?

The journey towards fulfillment of purpose has been an incredible one. I have had obstacles to overcome, decisions to make, successes to celebrate, mistakes not to repeat, friends to treasure and the best part is, the dream is getting bigger by the day as the vision gets clearer.

Given the chance, would you do this again?

Oh yes! Yes! Yes! I would do SESEWA again and again; I would love to take the path of self-discovery, self- development and achieving success. It is known that many people have dreams but only a few have the courage to pursue their dreams until the dreams become their reality.

I have seen individuals walk into my office; some of them were certain about what the next line of their lives will be, some could only paint pictures, a lot others didn’t even know but the joy of fulfillment I get when interns complete their internships better and become confident about their chosen career path is something I can’t measure.

Website - http://www.sesewa.org/
Twitter - @seswa
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/SesewaNigeria