PRINCIPLE OF DELIBERATE EFFORT

Principle of deliberate effort. I am going to be sharing with you one of the most dynamic principles of success. Many are poor because they did not adhere to the principle. The rich practiced it emphatically and were rewarded with greatness. Some threw in the towel when they were very close to the peak and ended up as average men and women. I have been on this principle for a while and found it to be quite rewarding.

This principle says, if you engage in any particular work or business for thirteen (13) years, by the end of the thirteen years, you will be successful. It also says that if you can be committed to the success of the business: endure hatred, conspiracy, and imprisonment, in the end, you will smile.

For example, when Joseph was a young man, he had a dream in which his father, mother, and brothers bowed down to him. They hated him when he told them about the dream; his brothers got angry and threw him into a pit, sold him as a slave and he was later thrown into prison. It was thirteen (13) years between his dreams and the time he left prison to become a prime minister in Egypt.
The principle of deliberate effort says, when you are thinking of how to move from your current level to a higher level of life, you should think of the price you have to pay to get there. It emphasizes ‘no price no gain’. It talks about being able to endure the unfavorable moments for thirteen years while waiting for a new dawn.

When David was a teenager (at age 17), he was anointed as the next King of Israel. He faced Goliath, banished by King Saul, hid in the desert, ran from curve to curve, and fought many battles. The period between the time he was anointed as a King and when he actually became King was thirteen years. He was tested just like Joseph. The Bible says in Psalm 105:19 that Until the time came to fulfill his dream, the Lord tested Josephs's character.

The principle of deliberate effort emphasized that every prospective great man must be ready to face his own Goliath, banishment, and desert experience for thirteen years before breaking through. This Principle or pattern is found in the Bible, in the corporate world and it is experienced in every sphere of life, even in government.
The Destiny Child by Beyoncé Knowles was fraught for years with difficulties, setbacks, and failures, and after thirteen years, Destiny Child hit stardom and became one of the foremost musicians in the world. 

J.K Rowling, the number one billionaire author, according to Forbes achieved her historic breakthrough thirteen years after her first book was published. In a related episode, the popular Robert Kiyosaki wrote his international notoriety book Rich Dad, Poor Dad thirteen years after he started his financial education company.
Access Bank PLC was licensed in 1989. Thirteen years later a new management team that positively changed the story of the bank was injected. The bank later acquired, Marina Bank, Capital Omnifinance, Firbank (Burundi), Intercontinental Bank, Kenya's Transactional Bank, and lately, Diamond Bank.

Listen to this, if you have been involved in any business, research, or academic work for thirteen years, and you have not had a breakthrough, you may have to quit the business or project or consider venturing into a new business because the principle of deliberate effort never fails, it can only deliver earlier than expected. The deliberate effort requires your total commitment, body soul, and spirit, your tenacity, sagacity, emotion, and love to achieve your desired result.

It was exactly thirteen years of my staying in Lagos on January 7th, 2020. I came into this city with my school leaving certificate and started life as a housekeeper or what is popularly referred to as a house boy in Nigeria. That shows that a lot of things about me were zero before I came to Lagos. I was born in one of the worst slums in Nigeria to parents who are both peasant farmers. I knew what abject poverty is and what it is like to walk five miles to school barefooted. I experienced what it means to be homeless and cried to bed at times because I was unable to meet my pressing needs. I knew what it means to soak cassava powder (gari) three times a day. I know what humiliation is.

After thirteen years of staying in Lagos, I now hold a degree from the University of Lagos, and a National Diploma from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye. I am a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, (CIBN), as well as have a Certificate in Leadership from Daystar Leadership Academy, Lagos.

Additionally, I hold a Certificate in Computer Education from Izeeteck Computer Institute and a Diploma of Theology from The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) School of Disciples, and a Diploma in Digital Marketing all in Lagos, Nigeria.  I am now an author of the inspirational book titled Awaken the Champion in You: Unleashing the Winner Within, a book that anchors on the decision, focus, possibilities, success, and champions.

I currently work as a Banker in the Micro-Finance sub-banking sector, where I hold the position of a Team Lead (Supervisor) in the Internal Control Unit in Beyond Credit Limited.

Outside the banking hall, I am a Motivational speaker, with a focus on Personal Development, Peak Performance, Management consulting, and coaching.

I am the CEO of Skyhigh Motivational, a human capital development organization that powered the Success Breath Seminar, Success Breath Articles, and Success Breath Blog. All these programs have been running for seven years.

Guess what? By the time we reach 13th years the whole world will definitely hear about us.

Deliberate Effort

SIMULATION

I called this sub-heading simulation because my best-kept secrets are highlighted and discussed here to convey a more realistic experience of mine for you to emulate and replicate.

At the beginning of my public speaking, I started by sharing stories of people who motivated me. Today, I have become an inspiration and a compass to many young people with my life experiences. I have compiled about thirteen success nuggets that I learned in thirteen years of my deliberate effort. These nuggets are my best-kept secrets. Number 7 principle is a highly valuable principle that I will share in my future seminars.

Personal Development

When I came to Lagos from the village, the first name I earned myself was Village boy” (Ara oko, in the Yoruba language).

That name drove me crazy. I would ordinarily fight anyone who addresses me as such but the truth is that they were just stating the obvious. I lived and schooled in the village for twenty-one years before I left my parents.

Guess what? Today, after thirteen years, people call me a genius, wise man, intelligent, smart, and even Ajebota (someone who lives a privileged or pampered life).

Self-Motivation

Like fuel that powers a car, motivation powers your soul for better performance.

When I started years ago as a housekeeper, I met a young lady called Abegunde Damilola.  Damilola was a great source of inspiration to me.

At the age of 17, she was already processing her admission into the university while I was 21years old with no hope of going to university. To me, going to university then was like a mirage. Listen to this, if nothing is pulling you forward, the forces that are pulling you backward will soon prevail.

Make God your Senior Partner

If God is all you have, then He is all you need. I have also learned that when a creature runs faster than the Creator, he runs into pre-mature death.

Fast and Pray in the Holy Ghost

“Rbaraka jukafebjgmjgmnnnn hfbvvbb nbngv hgjhrtndbrjngnngmgfnnmbg.bnmmngngvhbvnnchbrbjgm”.

Are you struggling to pronounce those words? Yes, it is the language of the Holy Ghost. 

Stay in a Supportive Environment

Ensure that your environment is supportive.
The town in which you reside, the house in which you reside, and the place where you fellowship may not determine the size of your dreams, but they can influence the rate of maturity of the seed of your dream.

I have chosen to stay in an expensive environment to support my progress I am not crazy; I just understand that some environments do not support progression. This is my second most kept secret. I can write a book on this, yet it might not be enough to explain how paramount this principle works.

Sacrifice
Sacrifice is like a link or a bridge and a ladder.
You must braze up to endure those dark moments: poverty, painful detours, and life-threatening occurrences. It was during those moments of my life that I got an inspirational question: Why is it darkest when it is about to be done?

Principle of Possibility Calculus

This nugget is the most valuable nugget and it is my topmost secret.

Honesty

I learned honesty the hard way. I am living it. It earns me a job when I least expected it. It earns me the trust of senior colleagues. It gives me some job security. It gives me confidence. It simplified my job and my life. It makes me not have to remember what I said. It gives me an identity. Yet, I learned it the hard way. The corporate world has been looking for and would continue to demand men's and women of honesty. Honesty will make you a hot cake.

Choose Your Friends Wisely

A Togolese friend of mine once said It is better to be a lonely lion than a popular goat”. But my mentor always says If you stay long enough with a he-goat you will smell like one.

A man will remain the same way he is today in the next five years, except for two things: the books he reads and the friends he keeps. You must detoxify toxic friends. “It is better to be the least in the midst of wise men than to be a king of fools.  Benson Adima

   10. Do More Than You Are Paid To Do

There is a problem today. What is this problem? Too many people often try to compartmentalize their life. By working lazily on their pay employment to reserve energy for their own enterprise, only for them to discover that they cannot manage their own enterprise as well.

As a young person, you must be willing to do more than what you are paid to do. By so doing, a time will come when you will use that your extra effort as a basis for a promotion or salary increase. More so, by doing more than you are paid to do, you would be sharpening your skills for your own business in the future. Worst still, if you are the type that steals from your employer, repent, if not, someday your employees will steal from you on a larger scale.

    11. Discipline with Food, Sleep, and Opposite Sex

Many have sacrificed their lives on the altar of what to eat and drink. An example in the Bible is Esau.

According to a recent study of 78 years people, 25 years of their 78 years were spent sleeping. Many young people have traded their destinies and lost their children to sleep. In 1Kings 3:19, we were told a woman killed her son because she laid on him. Also in Acts 20:9, Eutychus was listening to Paul while sinking into a deep sleep, he fell to the ground and died.
Reuben slept with his father's concubine, Bilhah, and was cursed.

    12. Get Mentors, Coaches, and Advisers

“If you allow the life of those who know more than you to serve as inspiration to you, one day your aspirations will serve as inspiration to others. - Benson Adima.

    13. Power of Positive Thinking

This is a practical guide to mastering the problems of everyday living, a 1952 self-help book by Norman Vincent Peale. This book provides anecdotal case histories of positive thinking, and practical instructions which were designed to help the reader achieve a permanent and optimistic attitude. This book influenced me greatly.

     14. The Principle of Conjecture

This principle is a bonus.  Live your life as though you have nothing to defend or to prove.

I learned this principle recently. It is based on a mathematical statement that is believed to be true whether it is proven or not. So you don't need anybody's approval to be you. You've got to stop living your life as though you are at the mercy of people.

Bishop David Oyedepo publicly admonished the youth at the end of the 2018 edition of the International Youth Alive Convention of Living Faith Church Worldwide by saying: “It is not what you know that matters but what you do with what you know.

It is time to begin to take those daring nuggets and put them into practice in a way that will make you become a CHANGE DRIVER!

The Impact Of COVID19: The Future For MFBs

The Impact Of COVID19: The Future For MFBs. What everybody should know is that there is going to be significant financial market disruption post Covid 19. That means massive changes including how the business is done, inability of customer or businesses to make loan repayment, lack of liquids on the part of the MFI to finance all their finical obligations, retrenchment or inability to hire new employees, static remuneration and both participants become concerned about counter-party risk.

I have listen to Economist like Pat Utomi, Richard Eisenberg, contributor at Forbes, Accenture Consulting, China daily Business, USA today and my personal Parler en Public and some experience in MFI. Therefore I make bold to write without dwelling too much on pessimistic side of the coin, they will be critical players, and with the right actions MFBs could significantly moderate the economic damage this crisis is expected to inflict.

Here are some ways MFBs can manage the business impact of Covid 19 and Pitch for a brilliant future

• As borrowers struggle to make scheduled interest and principal payments, MFBs could:

1. Support government actions. The government is trying to combat market inequities through regulation, taxation, subsidies promote and general economic fairness.
2. Initiate credit forbearance and modification programs
3. Prepare for losses
4. Extend credit. Many MFIs have done this already through loan rescheduled
5. Digitize to manage the demand for refinancing. Beyond Credit has been craving for this for some time now, it was rather unfortunate she couldn’t launch before the pandemic.

• While many MFIs branches will stay open as a vital service, customers are and will be increasingly looking to run their financial life through apps and online banking. So microfinance practitioners need to:

1. Educate and train customers on how to use Banking apps and USSD code
2. Minimize physical infection risks, such as going to market collect repayments. MFIs can do collections through agency. BCL is very much into that.
3. Personalize advice to consumers on how to sell and make profit and cultivating saving culture
4. Accelerate digital sales and service plus agency banking

• Cost Control and Innovation.

1. Merge or close down under-perform branches
2. Be flexible with vendors and suppliers. The laptop you bought at 70,000 in January you should think of where and how to buy same at 50,000 without losing the quality
3. Invest in things that will outlive the virus, e.g. treasury bills, new business ideas
4. Innovation. V-banking is doing greatly, guess what they are doing, their customers are also loan officers, they are good example for post Covid 19 future.
5. New business ideas, yes, you hear me right. This because after the pandemic, new business will be birth and those businesses would in the next five to 10 years take the lead. Such business idea will be in ICT, Hospitality and production. Watch out.

Whichever way it goes, MFI or MFB will learn many valuable lessons about their investors, their customers, their own capabilities, and the market as a whole. And the advantage for Beyond Credit Limited is that this is not the first time she is witnessing recession, in fact started business in the hit of 2015 to 2017 recession. So this is another opportunity to for her to reinvent and re-strategies.

Thriving In Chaos Recast

Thriving in Chaos. Can you believe all the chaos that is going on in our world days?

I shed tears watching prominent world personalities and celebrities testing positive to Corona virus. Just one virus... Washington the seat of world power was on lock-down and self-quarantine. Italy, the home of Mafioso’s... The seat of Vatican became almost a ghost town, people falling like packs of cards on the streets, with hundreds of deaths every day. China, The economic capital of the world with its hustle and bustle finally quieted down, the restless society finally calmed down, and the restless teaming population gradually going down and world economy crumbling.

Thriving in Chaos

In a space of 4 months or there about, 160,000 human beings have died of a single virus called corona, with over 2.3 million lying helplessly in wards and medical ventilators all over the world. Billionaires have been donating money liked never before in the history of humanity with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey topping the table with $1 billion (N367 billion), despite all that the rate of infected people is on the increase.

On the (March 29 )Thomas Schaefer, the finance minister of Germany’s Hesse state, committed suicide apparently after becoming “deeply worried” over how to cope with the economic fallout from the coronavirus, according to state report. 

American playwright Terrence McNally, Italian actress Lucia Bos and Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff (Gatekeeper) to President Muhammadu Buhari are elite’s victim of the virus among others. Coronavirus army is without mercy. It is without any milk of human kindness. It is indiscriminate - it has no respect for children, women, or places of worship. This army is not interested in spoils of war. It has no intention of regime change. It is not concerned about the rich mineral resources underneath the earth. It is not even interested in religious, ethnic or ideological hegemony. Its ambition has nothing to do with racial superiority. It is an invisible, fleet-footed, and ruthlessly effective army. Its only agenda is a harvest of death. It is only satiated after turning the world into one big death field. It has claimed the lives of the rich and the poor, as well as imprisoned a large proportion of reasonable people in their homes. It has not refused to humble the arrogant exuberance of President Donald Trump of USA.

Even Boris Johnson prime minister of United Kingdom one of the most humble of men is a survival. In fact, henceforth when you are composing your CV, just write ex-convict of Covid 19

In a related circumstance, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte groan lamented “We have lost control, can’t understand what more we can do, all solutions are exhausted on ground. Our only hope remains up in the Sky, God rescue your people”

Back home in Nigeria, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauch state are survival. The fearless Governor Nasir El-Rufai is still a prisoner of Covid 19. Lagos, the commercial city of Nigeria, an idle city that claimed to be busy became deserted overnight, her Dafo-drivers and market women went on self-isolation, Abuja is less than a ghosts town, men and women of Ogun state have all gone to farm. Daylight robbery and criminality has begins to paint the city of Lagos and Ogun. And according to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Nigerian security forces killed 18 people in two weeks while enforcing lockdowns imposed to halt the spread of the new coronavirus that was according to AS reporter.

Not only do we see these chaotic episodes, but people all over are thrust into chaos. Just some four months ago a families of five were burn to asses in an auto accident. I know people who are experiencing financial chaos, relational chaos, medical chaos, hunger, and chaos at work, school, home, and even internally dealing with those inner feelings of anger, insecurity, loneliness, and stress.

The truth is chaos is part of life. Someone once said ‘life is one chaotic adventure after another.’ So with all this pandemonium around us, how do we cope? How do we navigate through all this and remain in some semblance of peace and more than just survival? How do we thrive in chaos?

Now, I will not pretend that there is some quick answer to this, but I do know where to start. One of the best things that helps us as live this chaotic adventure called life is to have someone who can relate to us. You know, someone who has been there, been through it, knows what you are feeling.

We do have One who can relate to us, One who can identify with what we have or are going through.

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest (Jesus) who is unable to sympathize with our infirmities, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are– yet was without sin.

That is huge! All of who Jesus is and has been through let’s understand He knows our life. I came across a video from a creative Christian speaker, J. John, who took a few of the names of Jesus and related them to some of our walks of life. Here is some of what he said and I added a few of my own.

1. Jesus is the Bread of Life so Bakers could understand.

2. Jesus is the Water of Life so Plumbers could understand.

3. Jesus is the Light of the World so Electricians could understand.

4. Jesus is the Corner Stone so Architects could understand.

5. Jesus is the Bright and Morning Star so Astronomers could understand.

6. Jesus is the Hidden Treasure so Bankers could understand.

7. Jesus is the Life so Biologist could understand.

8. Jesus is the Door so Carpenters could understand.

9. Jesus is the Great Physician so Nurses and Doctors could understand.

10. Jesus is the Good Teacher so Educators could understand.

11. Jesus is the Lyly of the Valley so florists could understand.

12. Jesus is the Rock of Ages so Geologists could understand.

13. Jesus is the True Vine so Horticulturists could understand.

14. Jesus is the Righteous One so Judges could understand.

15. Jesus is the Purl of Great Price so Jewelers could understand.

16. Jesus is Wisdom so Philosophers could understand.

17. Jesus is the Word so Actors could understand.

18. Jesus is the Good Shepherd so farmers could understand.

19. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega so Scientists could understand.

20.  Jesus is the Way so Mapmakers could understand.

21. Jesus is the Truth so Politicians could understand.

22. Jesus is the Redeemer so Recyclers could understand.

23. Jesus is the Wonderful Counsellor so Psychologists could understand.

24. Jesus is the great supplier so Industrialist could understand

25. Jesus is the good news so Journalist could understand.

26. Jesus is the Image of God so photographers could understand.

27. Jesus is the Author and the Finisher of our faith so Publishers could understand

And we could take any of the other names for Jesus and show that Jesus is the One who can relate to any and all people. He not only speaks our life language, but has been through much of the same chaos you and I have been through or will go through. That’s so we would do what the next verse in Hebrews 4 says…

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

I don’t know what personal chaos you are in the midst of or will go through, but I do know you will. It is a part of this chaotic adventure called life. When it hits, get help, don’t be alone and for sure draw near to Jesus as best as you know how. It’s not a magic fix and it will take great effort, and you may not feel better, but you will not just survive, you will thrive.

Jesus is not some distant deity, but our Saviour and Lord who longs for us to draw near to Him. Chaos or not, life is better knowing Jesus. Why not seek to get closer to Him.

Hebrews 13:5 ".... he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

6 So that you may boldly say,

The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear..."

Happy Season.

DON'T WAIT FOR RIGHT CONDITIONS

One of the most difficult skills every future million needs to have is      ability or courage to launch the imperfect product. 
 
“The first draft of anything is shit.” -Ernest Hemingway

When I thought I have completed my first book. After I gave the material to an editor, he said if he is going to work on that book I will not find anything inside. He collect the material wrote a forward and gave the parcels to me with instructions to go rewrite and reorganized. I nearly would have stop the business of writing. But been an author, the editor took time to explained to me with personal examples. Yes those advise really help, the first book was good and the second book will be better and the third will be the best. But I will never know if I never publishes the first one. Most people want to be wildly successful on the first try. But this almost never happens. Everyone’s first draft isn’t that good. That’s because we haven’t learned what “great” is yet. We are not able to produce great work without first producing a lot of crap.

The first draft of anything is shit

All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you got to know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. 

Success isn’t about creating; it’s is about consistently practicing quality actions. Every day. Over and over. Unsexy, boring work. 

Michael Jordan didn’t become great while on the court of his widely-publicized games. And Michael Phelps didn’t become the most decorated Olympian of all time solely through his widely-publicized Olympic appearances. These individuals became great alone, in practice, every day, for years. Over, and over, and over. 

“Champions aren’t made in the ring. They are merely recognized there.” -Joe Frazier. 

Everyone’s first draft sucks. Get over it, publish it, and try again. Your second draft will be better.

Should you want to encourage us, get a copy of our first book HERE

THINK POSITIVE AND STAY POSITIVE

POSITIVE THINKING is the daily practice of expecting the good in every situation. This means that simply trying to think positive only when things go wrong is ineffective and often won't help. Also, trying to apply positive thinking in a desperate attempt to change a negative situation after it has happened will likely backfire and lead to more frustration.

The real power of positive thinking comes from its daily repetition. You need to practice and apply positive thinking every day in order to reap its rewards. This means that you have to change the way you see things – this will affect the way you think and the words you speak.

Positive thinking requires that you daily eliminate negative thinking. Every day we are besieged by thousands and thousands of thoughts. Most of them are meaningless and will have little or no impact on you. But amid all those thoughts you also have a number of negative thoughts which work against you and seek to prevent you from being a champion. These negative thoughts that are tied to negative beliefs need to change – otherwise, things won’t change in your life. This means that if you have a negative phrase that you often say among friends then you likely have a negative belief tied to that negative thought.

So, replace those negative thoughts that are tied to negative or limiting beliefs immediately. The best way to do that is to replace them with positive thoughts and you have to do this every day. Get our latest book Awaken The Champion In You: Unlocking and Unleashing the Treasures Within it will help you a great deal. 

Those who apply positive thinking are naturally more optimistic and upbeat. They enjoy life and bounce back from setbacks quicker than negative thinkers. If you're a chronic negative thinker then trying to apply positive thinking won't come easy. You'll have some setbacks and you'll want to continue thinking negative thoughts - that's only because that's what the mind knows. To change this, you need to constantly change your negative thinking to positive. So, every day, catch yourself thinking. Track your thoughts. Change the negative thoughts to positive thoughts. Do this every day. The more often you do this, the sooner your mind will move from being negative to being positive. This is how you begin to develop positive thinking that will lead to greater success.

Pertinent Case Study

There was a case of a teacher who had two disciples. One of them had a positive perspective of life and always sought out good points from anything he observed while the other one had a negative outlook and always found faults in his observations.

One day, the teacher went out to a park with both disciples and while wandering in the garden, they came across a mango tree, from which, some ripe ........full story HERE

So friend, even though the situation is same, it still depends on how we interpret it, which shows our mental status and the way we think of others. Let's take an example of lovely roses that have thorns on them. A person with a negative vision might say, "Oh God! Even these beautiful roses have thorns on them", while a person with a positive vision might exclaim, "Wow! What a wonderful creation of  - a beautiful rose among thorns."

Always develop a vision that can find out something good even from a bad thing or person. And by doing so, slowly, your mind and intellect will become pure day by day. Please check our book on the LINK