Click here to read the first part of this series. This article was the first blog post at the time I was starting off this project in October 2019, eleven years after I could have started off.  Now I have some real catching up to do. But with the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that should this post be written 11years ago, I would probably struggle painfully to write 11 real life lessons- 7 of which are documented in the first part of this series. At 29, there is a lot to learn, yeah, at least a lot more to learn than at 40!

Life is about learning anyway. Writing about it is even a much better experience. Many times my brain is churning out far more details than my fingers could catch up with on the keyboard. Writing about this gives some kind of closure too. Allowing the aggregation of thoughts, the analysis of the several experiences and a wide choice of delivery to teeming followers.

So, somehow I am stuck at 29years of age. Not one day older or younger. Stuck in an endless loop of calendar years, revolving around task yet uncompleted at 29.

I hope you find the remaining life lessons worthy of your reading time.

8, Do not postpone what you can do now till later.

I can easily recall several instances where I dilly dallied on great and fantastic ideas for many months. I just believed that no one else could have thought about the idea and that somehow when I am ready, It would still be mine to actualize. How wrong I was!

Whatever you need to do must be done NOW!

Don’t push till later that business idea that has been niggling on your mind every week. Don’t shelve till later that sms to a dear friend, or the visit to your parents. Life is too short to allow defining moments fall through the cracks. It may appear as though we have all the time but truly, great people never have enough time to play with and so everything must be done nimbly and with the gusto of an achiever.

We often justify our laziness with tons of excuses and find a way not to feel guilty about passing on opportunities. But in reality, every chance is unique and deserves a shot at.

My advise? Just do it!

I would rather fail while trying than doing nothing at all.

9, Everyone in your life is there for a reason.

At some stage in life you will meet all kinds of people. Fake friends, fair weather friends, leeches, mentors, great bosses and others. *Winks* But while some of these people come with their baggage and troubles, they are likely to get you to the next level than if you went the whole hog yourself.

Your job is to prove the doubters wrong, to disappoint those who would rather see you fail, to celebrate with those who genuinely care, to use some friendship as a springboard, to learn from mentors, to grow with some and to ditch others. Each stage in life requires a different set of people, resources and learning. Playing safe will not get you far, but the scars from all sorts of friendship will constantly remind you of where you are coming from and why you mustn’t let up.

Not all the people you meet at one point in your life will transit into another. Not all your friends are there to cheer you to success. Some are there to compete with you, others are there to slow you down. You must discern which you would rather keep and when.

I got friends for every part of my life. I’ve got close social buddies, work buddies, family, church buddies, truly academic pals, motivators,life coaches, professional buddies, childhood friends, secondary school buddies,politicians and a lot more. Rarely do they intersect. They play their part and I don’t demand more from any of them. I know who to approach every time I need a word, a loan or a push.

Identify and categorize the people in your life. No matter which side of the divide they fall into, they always serve a purpose. God did not bring them into your life for nothing!

10, Plan every move. Don’t leave your life to chances.

I plan everything. I wouldn’t drive out of my house without deciding (with the help of google map of course) which route will allow me to arrive in good time. I plan for my salary weeks before I am paid. It is my firm belief that money must always find a plan to flow with.

I plan for one week, then I plan for one month, then for one year, then for five years! No one says everything you plan for must happen exactly the way you desire. But it will provide you a guide and strong direction at the time distractions come your way- and they will.

Don’t leave your life, finances, choices to chance and happenstance. Decide how every action you choose to embark on will add value to you or your family. Write down your plans. It will make you more accountable for the choices you have made. It would make you appreciate the challenges you face and allow you stay focused.

Plan every move, every detail, not just the big picture, but every action. Through your eyes, go through the intended line of action. Imagine it. If you can dream it ( see it, envision it, imagine it) you can achieve it. Achieving your plan becomes much easier when you already know what your end game is.

I remember one time while giving a talk to secondary students at the Mayflower School Ikenne, I asked a few students to tell me their dreams. I recollect one little girl saying she wanted to be a pharmacist and had dreams of living in a 10-room mansion. When I asked the girl if she knew the color for the external walls of the dream house or the rooms, she looked dazed for one instant. When I asked if she could tell me the exact kind of scent her house would have. She probably just about gave up on me.

You must plan every detail! Leave as little as possible to chance.

11, You must deliberately decide what your personal values will be.

I learnt this quite early, that choosing the set of personal values that would ultimately guide my behavior was important as I aspired to rise quickly in my career.

If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything. You must carefully select values that align with your personality and innate strength.

I make it a personal point of duty never to arrive at meetings late. No matter how unimportant the meeting appeared to be, whether formal, casual, a movie, a stage play, family gathering etc. You are very unlikely to arrive at these functions before I do. And on rare occasions when I run regrettably late, I send a notice and apologize.

Your personal values will define who you really are. The behaviours you exhibit in support of these values would be used by friends, colleagues and family to judge and describe your personality. Therefore you must be deliberate about them. They must speak to your personality and your strengths.

Think this through and decide to live your life purposefully.

I am glad to share all 11 life lessons with you. See below a concise summary of all of them;

1,  You must take Life by the scruff of the neck!

2,  You must never stop learning!

3, Hardwork always pays – forget smart work

4, Always put in the extra at everything

5, Don’t hesitate to fall in love

6, Watch what you say

7, Dream Big

8, Do not postpone what you can do now till later

9, Everyone in your life is there for a reason.

10, Plan every move. Don’t leave your life to chances.

11, You must deliberately decide what your personal values will be.

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