‘Today was once regarded as tomorrow, the same way this year was once regarded as next year. To have a better tomorrow and a great year, plan ahead.’
AUTHOR.
The year 2010 that started just like yesterday remain only a few weeks to go. Many people started the year with high hope. Some started it with wishful thoughts. But a few people began the year with a clearly written out goal plan. These few people constituted about 99% of those with worthwhile achievements to show for all their efforts in the year. To succeed in the year ahead, you have to join this group now and do what they did. They did what? They plan ahead for the year.
Planning ahead for next year is not a rocket science. It only requires a detailed conviction that you really have a burning desire to achieve certain goals during the year. These goals are therefore streamlined into basic tasks that are expected to be performed so as to make the goals achievable. The process of deciding in advance what to be done, how to do it, when to do it and the result expected is called planning.
One beautiful thing about planning is that it builds your confidence, makes you become more focused, increases your success awareness and gives you the impetus needed to go ahead when the going gets tough.
Your plan towards having a successful year 2011 could be based on your desire to achieve a worthwhile goal in the year which may include one or more of the following goal plans:
• Plan to get marry.
• Plan to own a car.
• Plan to be a better and more caring husband or wife.
• Plan to further your education.
• Plan to own a home.
• Plan to be more committed to God.
• Plan to get your dream job.
• Plan to start your own business.
.
Your plans must centred on what you intend to achieve in the year. New Year resolutions are good but they’re different from real plans, real plans are result oriented. Most New Year resolutions are just wishful thinking. While New Year resolutions die off after few weeks in the New Year, your detailed plan for the year, done well in advance, will keep you going.
To have a result oriented goal plan, do the following.
• Get a goal notebook with ‘my 2011 goal plan boldly written at the back’.
• List out what you intend to achieve in the year in the order of importance.
• Assign a due date or time to each goal.
• List out all tasks, resources and people needed to achieve each goal under it.
• Brainstorm on various alternatives available to you in achieving all your goals.
• Identify and select the best among the competing alternatives.
• Break down your goal plan into tasks to be performed on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
• Monitor your progress on a weekly and monthly basis.
Have you drawn up a goal plan for the year 2011? If you are yet to do so, you still have some days to go. Get down to business now. Don’t procrastinate. Take a notebook where you are now and begin to brainstorm on what you desire in the year 2011. Your goal plan must be clearly written out before the 31st of December, 2010. Turn your desires to your goal plan. Delay is dangerous, do it today.
Ajiboro Ayodeji is a Chartered HR Practitioner based in Lagos, Nigeria. Tel: 2348027807452. Email: jibdej@gmail.com.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
IS THAT ACTION LEGAL?
‘No amount of profit is worth the worry of being caught doing something illegal.’
RICHARD BRANSON.
The challenges of life are so numerous that if one is not careful enough, one would have ventured into an illegal action or deal just to survive in this challenging world with little or no consideration for the implication of such a deal. Things are so difficult these days most especially in the developing world where vast majorities of the population live on less than one dollar a day. The level of poverty amidst plenty is better imagined in the developing countries, most especially in Africa. The conclusion drawn by a vast majority of the populace in this regard is that the high level of poverty is the key rationale behind the outrageous level of armed robbery, financial frauds, prostitution, oil bunkering, vandalism and kidnapping for ransom that is now a common place in some countries of the world.
One bitter truth about this scenario is the fact that these illegal actions do not pay in the long run. The reason being that the long hand of the law will sooner or later catch up with the people so involved. No matter your present level of affluence; if it was gotten illegally, you will one day be exposed and lose everything, either to the government or to the rightful owners. So it’s better to stay away from illegal deals.
Age cheat and lying under oath are some examples of illegal actions that seem less critical compared to rubbing at gun point, but the end result of them all could be a jail term, lost of reputation, lost of trust and lost of one’s source of livelihood. So stay away from any activity or actions that could tarnish your hard earn integrity. Stay away from such deals no matter how attractive.
The level of corporate fraud, document falsification, profit and stock manipulations in the corporate world all over the world is alarming and it has led to the demise of hitherto reputable corporate giants like Enron, WorldCom and Arthur Anderson. In Nigeria, the high level of corporate fraud, stock and profit manipulation has led to the sack and prosecution of some top bank CEOs. The former MD/CEO of Oceanic Bank International, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru was jailed when found guilty of a high level corporate fraud, running into several billions of naira. She was subsequently sentenced to a six months jail term. All her efforts, labour and activities in the corporate world thus ended shamefully. The several billions of naira worth of assets she acquired fraudulently were confiscated. Due to this singular shameful act, she can never again hold any political, social or corporate post in Nigeria forever, being an ex-convict. It pays to shun illegal actions. It pays in the long run. Of what value is your wealth when you lack integrity? Good name is better than ill gotten wealth.
In conclusion, be content with who you are and what you have. Maintain a life of integrity; be open and transparent in all your dealings. Sooner or later you’ll get to your desired destination. Shun illegal deals and activities, they may disguise as opportunities today but the end result is shame and regret.
Ajiboro Ayodeji is a Chartered HR Practitioner based in Lagos, Nigeria. Tel: 2348027807452. Email: jibdej@gmail.com.
RICHARD BRANSON.
The challenges of life are so numerous that if one is not careful enough, one would have ventured into an illegal action or deal just to survive in this challenging world with little or no consideration for the implication of such a deal. Things are so difficult these days most especially in the developing world where vast majorities of the population live on less than one dollar a day. The level of poverty amidst plenty is better imagined in the developing countries, most especially in Africa. The conclusion drawn by a vast majority of the populace in this regard is that the high level of poverty is the key rationale behind the outrageous level of armed robbery, financial frauds, prostitution, oil bunkering, vandalism and kidnapping for ransom that is now a common place in some countries of the world.
One bitter truth about this scenario is the fact that these illegal actions do not pay in the long run. The reason being that the long hand of the law will sooner or later catch up with the people so involved. No matter your present level of affluence; if it was gotten illegally, you will one day be exposed and lose everything, either to the government or to the rightful owners. So it’s better to stay away from illegal deals.
Age cheat and lying under oath are some examples of illegal actions that seem less critical compared to rubbing at gun point, but the end result of them all could be a jail term, lost of reputation, lost of trust and lost of one’s source of livelihood. So stay away from any activity or actions that could tarnish your hard earn integrity. Stay away from such deals no matter how attractive.
The level of corporate fraud, document falsification, profit and stock manipulations in the corporate world all over the world is alarming and it has led to the demise of hitherto reputable corporate giants like Enron, WorldCom and Arthur Anderson. In Nigeria, the high level of corporate fraud, stock and profit manipulation has led to the sack and prosecution of some top bank CEOs. The former MD/CEO of Oceanic Bank International, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru was jailed when found guilty of a high level corporate fraud, running into several billions of naira. She was subsequently sentenced to a six months jail term. All her efforts, labour and activities in the corporate world thus ended shamefully. The several billions of naira worth of assets she acquired fraudulently were confiscated. Due to this singular shameful act, she can never again hold any political, social or corporate post in Nigeria forever, being an ex-convict. It pays to shun illegal actions. It pays in the long run. Of what value is your wealth when you lack integrity? Good name is better than ill gotten wealth.
In conclusion, be content with who you are and what you have. Maintain a life of integrity; be open and transparent in all your dealings. Sooner or later you’ll get to your desired destination. Shun illegal deals and activities, they may disguise as opportunities today but the end result is shame and regret.
Ajiboro Ayodeji is a Chartered HR Practitioner based in Lagos, Nigeria. Tel: 2348027807452. Email: jibdej@gmail.com.