Business Vault

10/01/2024

Do you Procastinate?
" A single minute of procastination can destroy a month of hard work and discipline"

During my first year as a professional writer (when i started getting paid to write), my group of friends who often read the stories i posted and sang praises of how good my writing was , talked to me about starting a podcast where i will share stories to a growing audience. I instantly said "Yes" to the suggestion and went to work on finding out all the requirements for launching my own podcast. Before that, i had listened to a few great podcast on the internet some of which includes the Business War Podcast and The Founders. I wanted to imitate these brands and produce great contents like theirs, but there was something missing.

At the time, podcast was just becoming popular and being accepted. I began to research and read articles on how to start a podcast, what to get before starting a podcast and how to name my podcast amongst other things. When i was done reading all the articles i could find, i became discouraged. There was loads of informations and motivation out there but very little support financially. Two of the major equipments for starting a podcast alone cost nearly half a million naira. The rest, could be estimated to be about the same amount needed to build two new central banks in a state.

Back in those days, in attempt to cut cost and begin putting one foot in front of the other, i downloaded a podcast application and started recording using raw voice recorders. i posted the first story i narrated and shared the link and to my dismay i got zero listening and zero comment. I was discouraged. I felt it was because of the quality of the podcast or maybe because it wasn't recorded with professional gadgets. Then i resolved to stop recording until i had mastered voice over, bought the needed gadgets and learned to record a high quality resolution podcast. I thought about this earlier yesterday as i was listening to a podcast by a lady who started about the same time i recorded my first podcast, seeing hat she had gained over hundered thousand listeners monthly and had recorded ov er hundred stories. Then i imagined how big my podcast will have been if i didn't stop after the first one or made the false decision to wait until i was good enough.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not jealous or envious of the ladies success: rather i am motivated about the power of consistency and how much procastination can steal from YOU an me if we let it. Doing what we need to do when we need to do it without excuses is the most powerful a person can do.

Why do i tell you this story?

The answer is simple: Like a lot of adults my age who actually suffer from this self inflicting illness called procatination that have wasted their lives. Ironically we make plans and feel stressed or lack the discipline to get up from our bed or turn off our phones and get to work. We tell ourselves, we will do it later in the day. And yet at the end of the day or year, or even at the end of our lives, we cry about being failures or wasting our time.

We all want to build a business, learn a skill, take a new course, apply for a jo b or read a book everyday. But we have not accomplished any of this because we keep putting it of.

The only people who finally win in life or achieve their goals and dreams ... had learned to deal with kill any excuse and get right to work even on days they don't feel strong enough to do so. The set a time for a task and enure they do it at the set time.

I watched a video recently on facebook where the speaker said these words, "Preparing to do the thing isnt doing the thing. Sheduling to do the thing isn't doing the thing. Making a to-do list to do the thing isn't doing the thing. Reading about how to do the thing isn't doing the thing. Telling people about how you are going to do the thing isn't doing the thing. Fantasizing about the accolades you are going to do the thing isn't doing the thing. Hating on yourself because you failed to do the thing isn't doing the thing...nThe only thing that is d**g the thing is doing the thing."

Somtimes you might procastinate because you are tired, and in that moment you want to quit or rest, but the question is how long can you push your self to do it even when you are tired? Everybody is great when they are not tired, but the difference between champions and everyone is that champions push themselves even when they are tired while everyone quits. Get up today and do what you have to do. Get up again tomorrow and do what you need to do to achieve the success you dream of. Stop procastinating, stop quiting before you are done else one day you are going to wake up an old man or woman and say "I could have been great."

Someone once said "" A single minute of procastination can destroy a month of hard work and discipline"

One of my favorite quotes on self=discipline are these words by Jim Rohn, "We must all suffer one of two pains: the pain of self-discipline and the pain of regret." Self discipline ,eans doing the things that are good for your future but are hard to do in the present. Reading books is hard but watching movies is easy, starting a business is hard but it's easy to procastinate, going to the gym is hard, but sitting on the couch is easy. Choose your prefered kind of pain.

There is a price to be paid for the kind of success you want, and it begins with the ability to get up and do wht you said you will do even when everything and everyone is telling you not to.

Here's a hard pill to swallow , "You will be the exact same person this time next year. The only difference will be if you take ACTIONS or don't. This is what determines your success in life, not what you wish for. Saying you will do it isn't doing it. Only doing what you say you will do is doing it."

Stop procrastinating in the year 2024.

Photo caption: learn to turn off your phone when it's time work.

08/01/2024

Make Up Your Mind
"Every decision you make and every action you take leads to a result."

At the start of 2023, I was faced with a tough decision to make. One that could determine what the next five or ten years of life will look like. The decision involved choosing a career path. I have been in that place before, when I graduated from secondary I was left with the responsibility of choosing a course to study at the university which would determine how I would spend the next four years of my school life and what to do after that. I think we all have been there; had to choose a course or profession at a young age when we weren't even familiar with the real world.

I visited this new mentor I met at a mentorship hub, after several sessions about what life is and how life should be lived, he asked what I was doing and if it was going to lead me to my personal and professional goals of five to ten years from that day. I began to list a few businesses I was a part of and the one I was building for myself. He was surprised to see that I was everywhere. I was involved in business in the real estate sector, agricultural sector, funding sector and a few more. He commended my effort but told me the hard truth; it wasn't the right time to have my mind scattered all over the place. I recommended that I focus on myself first any other thing can follow later.

These businesses he was suggesting I walk away from all have of becoming multimillion-dollar companies, I didn't understand why he would suggest I walk away from them. But when he began to explain I understood. He said I needed to have a track record of success for myself before trying to build somewhere else. He illustrated using a tank of water, saying it can't pour into other containers until it is full itself. Then I understood and made a bold step; I exited some of these businesses painfully.

Why is this story with my mentor important to share?

Now I am not trying to brag about having a mentor even though having the right one gives me a bragging right. I am not trying to brag about being part of different startup companies either. All I am trying to do is take lessons learned from that one conversation that has helped me retrace some of my steps and make some better decisions that determine how and where I spend my time, who I work with and if or not that partnership is in line with my personal and professional goals in life. Coming face-to-face with these questions made me sign up for some businesses I was involved with that have been great for becoming multi-million dollar companies or even more. It's sad but necessary.

I believe everyone has had a moment of tough decision-making. Where you feel the rest of your life depends on that one decision you ought to make and therefore you are confused and scared of making the wrong decision. There was a point in my life where I couldn't choose between two degrees to study n the university. I wanted to apply and study law and I was becoming interested in learning History and becoming a Diplomat. Those who knew me felt I had my mind made up; that I was applying to be a lawyer, but I surprised them when I returned home from the JAMB office and said I had applied to History and International Relations instead. Recently some events unfolded in my life that made me regret not studying Law, these events happened after I had graduated from the History department. But I don't regret the decision I made. I made my choice.

If you are in a position in your life right now and confused about what next to do; maybe you just graduated from university, passed out from NYSC just got a job or even lost one, you are in the position to make a decision. That decision you will make will probably determine what the next five or six years of your life will be, or even the next twenty years. What will you decide and how will you do it? I understand that you might be confused but you have to make up your mind.

If I ask you these questions, can you answer without hesitation:
1. What is/was the toughest decision you have or had to take in this moment or lately?

2. What are the consequences of making the wrong decision or not making any decision at all?

3. Now, what's your best option?

Answering these questions tells me if you are a great decision-maker or not.

make up your mind.

Someone once said "Every decision you make and every action you take leads to a result."

One more thing: If you are in a position to make up your mind and are scared of what to do, there's no harm in reaching out to someone who has walked the path you are planning to walk. Find a mentor. Find guidance.

I LOVE YOU AND WANT TO SEE YOU GROW.

Photo caption: Sometimes you have to pick between YES or NO, Pick wisely.

05/01/2024

Are you stupid?
"The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence. " Charles Bukowski.

Before I became a teenager I had a female classmate who was beautiful and intelligent, and I will never forget how she was once admonished by a teacher after he complained that we all were failing his subject except her. We attended the same primary school here in Jos, Tudun Wada precisely. We sat and wrote the same common entrance to study in the prestigious Gindiri schools on the same day. Out of about thirty students from our school who bought the entrance form and sat for the examinations, only four pupils gained admission to study at the school; myself, her and two other boys who are now grown men excelling in life.

I'm always reminded of the promise my mother made to me if I passed the common entrance examination. She had promised to buy me a can of malt. which sounds ridiculous today but it meant a lot to me at the time. she fulfilled her promise, bought me the malt and even added a few sachets of biscuit to it. Soon it was time to resume and we both enrolled on form one (JSS1). I resumed classes at the Boys secondary school and she resumed classes at the Girls' High School. Little did I know they were separate schools. I might have fantasised about sitting in the same class with her or even becoming lovers.

Back then, we had only the weekend to socialize with the girls and it was either during IBC at their school, during Sub-group programs or at the church premises on special occasions. This meant I had two days a week to attempt to see her or communicate with her if I wanted to. And yes, I wanted to. So, one Saturday afternoon, I washed my check over brown and ironed them neatly as I could with my eleven years old trembling fingers. I borrowed my senior's perfume and sprayed them all over me like an anointing oil. Then I walked out of the hostel and made my way to the Girls' school.

Arriving at the school, I met other students in my class and those who were ahead of me. They all came to visit a sister, a secret admirer or a neighbour from home. In my case, I wasn't sure if I was there to visit an old classmate or a secret admirer. while we laughed in circles with the boys' I asked a female student who was passing by to help me send a message to my secret admirer telling her that someone was at the IBC ground (where boys and girls are allowed to meet) waiting to meet her and that she was free, she should step out. She obliged and went to deliver my message.

A few minutes later, some of the boys I was standing with had the girls they sent for with them. except me and three others. I began to doubt if she was ever going to come. And nervously I began to doubt if I knew what I was going to say to her: why I came to see her and what I expected from that teenage friendship. Gradually as I stood there, I lost the boldness and motivation to wait for her to come out. So, I shamelessly walked away, back to the hostel and spent the rest of my day doing something else. To this day, I still wonder if she came out to meet me and found out that I was gone. Or, if I had stayed, would we have become friends and even written a beautiful short or comprehensive love story?

These are questions I will never find answers to. Today, she is a very good friend of mine. She is still as beautiful as she was and even more intelligent. We are friends and even interact on social media occasionally, but she has a partner and she posts him from time to time. This is one of many events I think about that makes me knock myself in the head and ask myself "Boy, Are you stupid?"

Why is this story important to share?

Now when I share a story of an event in my life where a female was involved, I am not trying to show that I am a lover, or that I am romantic or worse an alpha male. All I am trying to do is take lessons learned from day-to-day happenings in my life and that of those who are close to me and use these lessons to improve other aspects of life that may include business, marriage, personal development or even academic excellence.

I believe everyone has had a moment of doubt. Where you felt like you were not good enough for a person or qualified enough for a position or role in an organisation. Two is The story of Nigerian billionaire and philanthropist Tony ELumelu who shared a story about how immediately after his passing out from the NYSC program saw a vacancy in a bank, he didn't have all the requirements but applied anyway and luckily he was offered the job and secondly, my friend Sarah Tawus who in November was sceptical about joining a Writing competition online, but a little persuasion from loved ones, she joined and emerged the winner.

Now, many graduates must have seen the job vacancy Tony applied for and doubted themselves, many writers must have seen the writing competition Sarah won and doubted themselves. Ironically, these could be people who are more smarter and skilled than these two people who excelled because they didn't let doubt stand in their way. They took a chance and it paid off.

If you think you are not qualified for a position or experienced enough to start a business or invent something new, think about the pain of watching someone achieve was you were scared of trying... Please eliminate self-doubt.

If I ask you any of these questions, can you answer without hesitation:
1. What was your biggest moment of self-doubt?
2. What was the consequence of doubting yourself?
3. What did you gain from doubting yourself?

Answering these questions tells me if you are stupid or intelligent.

Don't be stupid!

Here's a word of encouragement for you from Charles Bukowski, "The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence. "

One more thing: If you love yourself, as I know you do, you must eliminate any feelings thoughts or memories that might have made you feel insufficient for someone, a job or anything. Including your bad habits and decisions.

If it demands that you start a gym program, start today. If you have to read self-help books, read 100 of them. Do whatever you have to do to build your confidence!

This will set you far ahead.

20/12/2023

13/12/2023

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed."

Michael Jordan

08/11/2023

10 FREE SITES TO LEARN NEWS SKILLS:

1. Open Library

Open Library offers a wide variety of digital content accessed through its website.

https://openlibrary.org

2. Untools

Untools is a website that offers a collection of thinking tools and frameworks.

https://untools.co

3. Instructables

Instructables is an excellent website for anyone who wants to learn how to make anything step-by-step.

https://instructables.com

4. FreeCodeCamp

Code Camp is a website that provides free coding lessons and videos. It is one of the most popular resources for online coding education.

https://freecodecamp.org

5. ECorner

find articles & resources on a variety of topics related to entrepreneurship like:

The best ways to build a startup team
How to conquer the tech Startup jungle
Tips for launching your product or service
How to raise money & grow your business

https://ecorner.stanford.edu/

6. Almanack of Naval RaviKant

This website provides free books and resources to help people learn about money, happiness, productivity, and more.

https://www.navalmanack.com/

7. Uxcel

Uxcel is an excellent resource for anyone looking to build a career in UX design.

https://uxcel.com/

8. Coursera

Coursera is a service that enables users to access world-class education from top universities and corporate sponsors.

https://www.coursera.org/

9. Fs blog

http://Fs.blog is a great resource for mental models and learning.

https://fs.blog/

10. YouTube

YouTube is an excellent resource for finding information on various topics, from learning new languages to learning about different cultures and history.

https://youtube.com

Source: Alpha 25

Open Library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Read, borrow, and discover more than 3M books for free.

08/11/2023

3 limitations that we create for ourselves when achieving a goal

1. You are afraid that a new goal will greatly change your usual way of life
It is morally difficult for you to part with the present, which is why your desire to take steps towards change is blocked. You have two scenarios of actions in front of you and only you can choose.

2. Your goal seems unattainable to you.

You dream of buying a yacht, but for some reason you think that it is not for you, it is impossible. Why? You have a whole set of resources at your disposal - mental abilities, talents, inner energy, acquired skills and abilities, free time, environment, etc.

3. You postpone the achievement of the goal until "later"

It seems to you that you will still have time, and for now you can rest. Resting, of course, is also useful, if you do not abuse it. Whatever your goal is, you are not the one striving for it. Therefore, don't be upset if you have been harboring ideas for five years, but you accidentally found out that someone was ahead of you.

07/11/2023

8 Steps to Become a More Disciplined Person.

1. Set Goals. Start by setting achievable and measurable goals for yourself. This will help you stay focused and motivated to reach your goals.

2. Make a Plan. Once you have set your goals, make a plan of action to achieve them. No goal will be achieved without relevant actions. So, break down the steps into smaller tasks and set deadlines for each task.

3. Track Your Progress. Keep track of your progress by writing down what you have accomplished each day or week. This will help you to stay on track and motivated to keep going.

4. Stay Organized. Create a system that works for you to stay organized and on top of tasks. This could include using a planner, creating to do lists, or setting reminders on your phone or computer.

5. Avoid Distractions. It is easy to get distracted by social media, TV, or other activities when trying to be disciplined. So, try to limit these distractions as much as possible while working towards your goals.

6. Take Breaks. Don’t forget to take breaks when needed in order to recharge and refocus on the task at hand. Taking breaks can also help prevent burnout and keep you motivated in the long run.

7. Reward Yourself. Celebrate small successes along the way with rewards such as taking a break from work or treating yourself to something special like a massage or dinner out with friends or family members who support your efforts!

8. Stay Positive. Lastly, remember that becoming more disciplined takes time and practice. So, don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t go as planned right away!

Stay positive and keep pushing forward towards achieving your goals!

07/11/2023

40 Sentences That Will Make You More Money Than a 4-Year Business Degree.

1. People buy with emotion, then justify with logic. Give them the feeling.

2. Sell the transformation (value), not the product.

3. It's easier to sell an offer that solves a pain than one fulfilling a desire.

4. Whatever business you are in, study psychology, cognitive bias, and body language.

5. If your offer has a solid guarantee, it will result in more sales than refunds. Figure out how to deliver a guarantee in your product/service.

6. Memes are one of the most powerful forms of marketing.

7. Copywriting is 80% research, and 20% writing.

8. Your service/product should meet demand, don’t try to create the demand.

9. People don't care about your offer. They only care about what your offer can do for them.

10. Using pictures for written testimonials will make it more believable.

11. You don't need advanced technologies or devices or even a degree to start a business.

12. You become wealthy by becoming valuable, then becoming scarce.

13. The market isn't "saturated", your offer just sucks.

14. There's no such thing as too high of a price, only too little value.

15. Specific words and numbers are more believable than broad ones.

16. A happy customer is the most powerful form of marketing.

17. Sales is about transforming other people's lives with your product or service.

18. Marketing is about empathy.

19. Use the words "you" and "your" in your copy to make it more engaging.

20. Use headlines to steal attention and hooks to keep it.

21. An average product with great marketing will outsell a great product with bad marketing.

22. Charge "high" prices so you can deliver more value for your clients.

23. Selling a good product in a bad market is a losing battle.

24. Your sales pitch shouldn't be over 2 minutes.

25. Never sacrifice your reputation for money.

26. To grow at the start, say yes to many opportunities, but to continue growing, learn to say no.

27. Use Power Thesaurus to replace boring words with strong ones to increase conversions.

28. The less you care about making sales, the more you make.

29. It's okay to fire clients or customer that causes you pain.

30. If you don't think you can help a prospect or a job, be honest.

31. There will always be a market for health, wealth, and relationships.

32. Compete on value, not price.

33. If what you sell is confusing, nobody will buy.

34. Use the same words and phrases as your target market to increase conversions.

35. Study talented fiction writers so you know how to write engaging stories.

36. Persuasive writing sounds conversational, not academic.

37. People want to see pictures of your product or service in use.

38. If you wouldn't work with someone for a year, don't work with them for a day.

39. It’s not how much money you make, but how much money you keep, how hard it works for you, and how many generations you keep it for.

40 Budgeting your money is the key to having enough and more.

06/11/2023

10 Things that Worth Pursuing in Life.

1. Love: You may have not found it, but it does exist. And it doesn’t always have to be intimate.

2. Friendship: Having a few authentic true friends, can really make a difference. But friendships can form when least expected.

3. Self-Awareness: You will know it, when it starts creeping in. Life changing to say the least. Especially if you start surrounding yourself with those in pursuit also.

4. Health: Health is very important. Learn about your body. What you put in it is what you will get out of it.

5. Mental Health: Not with a therapist, but with proper sleep, nutrition, meditation, healthy friends, goals, limited alcohol use, removing toxic people, setting personal boundaries, etc.

6. Higher Power: In reality, whatever works for you. There is something greater than yourself out there. No other way to explain it.

7. Lessons: There are some gut wrenching lessons in this world. And if you don’t learn from them, you will keep repeating them. Accept who was put in your life at particular times and take something from each and every one of them. The biggest heart break can be the biggest lesson for self-growth.

8. Boundaries: Do NOT let anyone treat you as a convenience, or as an object. Watch how people’s actions, not what they say. Actions are everything. With proper boundaries you will avoid much pain.

9. Adventure: Pursue those adventures that you have been longing for while you can. Never too old for adventure!

10. Independence: Not just financial, but emotional. Really take some time to be alone, that’s where true growth starts! It will not come through someone else, or in relationship. If you aren’t happy with yourself, you will surely not find it in a relationship.

31/10/2023

10 Rules of Self-discipline that Only Successful People Know.

1. They don't joke with time.

2. They prioritise things according to their values.

3. They know when to say no.

4. They track their growth.

5. They are not comfortable in their comfort zone.

6. They constantly strive to improve and achieve more.

7. They are hungry for knowledge.

8. They are consistent in their dealings.

9. They know how to maintain life and work balance.

10. They can control their cravings and urges.

30/10/2023

Letting go is tough, but freedom feels so good.

Walking away is hard, but finding safety liberates.

Starting over challenges, but new love is sweet.

Saying goodbye hurts, but hello brings hope.

30/10/2023

15 tips for a successful person:

▪️1. Be silent more.

▪️2. Never ask anything directly.

▪️3. Do not reveal your thoughts in other people's books (do not write in the margins).

▪️4. A wise man will never tell anyone about his true intentions. Boasting causes envy (a strong energy message), which leads to the loss of the boaster. People are inherently envious. Envy is one of the strongest emotions that causes a strong reaction from the Universe.

▪️5. Cunning is the ability to take advantage of circumstances. Wisdom is knowing how, where and what to use.

▪️6. A wise person never uses insults directly in a conversation.

▪️7. Wise people do not show each other's cards to the uninitiated.

▪️8. Wise people try to use the maximum of their capabilities, even to achieve small goals. To not lose your temper. Even in small things they train to do great things (note, the use of connections does not apply to this case, wise people do not use connections for small purposes).

▪️9. A wise person always has everything necessary for important matters at hand. A wise person tries to calculate the situation in advance.

▪️10. A wise person always considers the opinions of others, but never part with his own. Only in cases of meeting with the truth corrects his opinion.

▪️11. Wise people always try to follow the signs and do not miss the opportunity to use the knowledge gained.

▪️12. Wise people monitor their health, and do not ruin it in pursuit of false goals.

▪️13. A wise person does not have failures in life, there is only experience, sometimes negative.

▪️14. Wise people resolve any issues between their own only between their own, without involving third parties (wise people do not scandalize the crowd).

▪️15. In any situation, in order to perceive it adequately, they first look for pluses, and only then they check whether there were any minuses at all.

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30/10/2023

5 THINGS YOU MUST KEEP TO YOURSELF
& REASON

1. Your income

1. Your love relationship

3. Your next move (goals)

4. Your health status

5. Your family matters

REASON:

When an enemy know the above, they now know the right way to attack you. They now know your weakness.

Instead PROTECT YOURSELF.

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30/10/2023

"Opportunities don't happen. You create them."

Chris Grosser

28/10/2023

Best Way to Sell Products Online in 2023.

Selling products online is a lucrative and rewarding way to start or grow your business.

° Sell on your website:

One of the best ways to sell products online is to create your website and use an e-commerce platform or shopping cart software to manage your online store.

° Sell on a marketplace: Another way to sell products online is to join a marketplace, such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy, or Shopify.

Selling on a marketplace can be easier and cheaper than creating your website, as you don’t have to worry about the technical aspects, the marketing, or the logistics.

° Sell via social media:

A third way to sell products online is to use social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or TikTok. Social media platforms can help you reach and engage your target audience, showcase your products visually or creatively, and generate word-of-mouth and referrals.