“I want to
be a billionaire".”
“I want to be promoted to CEO.”
“I want to run my own company.”
“I want to retire by 40.”
“I want to do my masters.”
That’s you, right? Lofty dreams. Lofty ambitions.
Now
that we are well into 2014, just a week ago you were probably fondly
re-iterating these dreams to yourself and perhaps your nearest and dearest.
And
yet … is this your day?
6:00: {Alarm Rings}
6.01: {Snooze}
7:00: Wake up, shower, dress,
breakfast
7:30: Stage
8:30: Arrive at work
8:31: Twitter. Facebook. Blogs
9:45: Email. Memos. Work
10:00: Tea
10:30: Twitter. Facebook. Blogs
11:15: Work
12:30: Twitter
12:50: Lunch
2:00: Return from lunch
2:01: Twitter. Facebook. Blogs
2:30: Work
3:30: Meeting
4:00: Work
4.30: Put out feelers on
evening action – drink ups, nyama, coffee dates, movies, etc
5:00: Exit, stage left
6:00: Coffee joint
7:30: Local
9:00: Home
9:30: Supper
10:00: Movies / Series
12:00: Sleep
Rinse
and repeat.
It
is, isn’t it?
Chances
are you started January like this and before you know it it’s December.
You
will then wonder how time flies as you pop the New Year drink. You will then
say:
“I
want to be a billionaire".”
“I
want to be promoted to CEO.”
“I
want to run my own company.”
“I
want to retire by 40.”
“I
want to do my masters.”
And
before you know it another year has passed.
The
next thing you know you are married, have two kids, a dog, a mortgage and
credit card debts.
And
come New Year …
“I
want to be a billionaire".”
“I
want to be promoted to CEO.”
“I
want to run my own company.”
“I
want to retire by 40.”
“I
want to do my masters.”
Notice
anything? Your goal is no nearer than it was 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 years ago.
Why?
Because you’re not doing anything consciously to move
closer to your goal. You’re not making any traction.
So, you are stuck in the same job you have been at
for the last x years, at the same level – or perhaps a level above.
And the world moves right on without you.
On top of that, threats are coming up every day.
Younger, faster, more energetic kids are being
churned out of campus every day. Who don’t mind spending the night in the
office.
Which you can’t. Because you must pick up the kids
from school. Or cook. Or pick up your wife. Or take the baby to the doctor.
What happened?
No traction!
You don’t just magically do your masters. Or
magically become a millionaire. Or magically start a business.
You must WORK at it.
Take “do my masters”.
That is an amorphous goal that you will probably
never hit.
Break it down like so.
1.
Do research of what master’s degree I want, which
includes WHAT PURPOSE
2.
Find out which universities offer
3.
Get the prospectus
4.
Choose the university and course
5.
Find out the fees
6.
Save / borrow / find money to pay
7.
Enroll for the course
8.
Do the course, assignments and group work
9.
Do the dissertation
10.
Graduate
11.
Plug in to #1
This way there one
amorphous goal is broken into several concrete tasks that you can track progress.
You then assign resource to each task. Resources
are not just money. Time is another resource, which you probably have plenty
of.
However we fail to
realize that you cannot be enrolled in a master’s and spend your day as the
timetable above. You must find time somewhere. And since the day is just 24
hours, you must make sacrifices.
This requires you
to cultivate discipline. You must be ready to
say no to your friends. Ready to not follow the crowd. Ready to make tough
choices. Ready to pass up fun for the greater goal.
Success
is a long game.
If you like sleeping in, wake up early to get an
extra hour or two of work. Cut down your going out and use that time to study
or do research. Don’t the entirety of Sunday sleeping off hangovers.
If it gets to December 2014 and you find you are
still at #1 – then you know you have wasted your year.
And that – that’s a pity
Adapted from thinkersroom.com
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