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GOAL SETTING AND GO-GETTING; ANY NEXUS? (PART 3) In the previous post, the importance of details was emphasized. Your goal or overarching aim should be able to answer two questions; "how much and by when?" It is better to say that "I will weigh 50kg by 5pm on August 20" than to merely say that "I will lose 10kg" The former is more specific while the later is vague. Like the idiom goes, "God is in the details"          Next, your goals should include specific features; the size, shape, form, make, model, colour, year. The truth is that vague goals produce vague results. Hence, you ought to write your targets out in  full detail. If you want to gain admission or pass an exam for example, know your specific department, the particular score you aim at or the required cut-off mark. If possible cut out your ideal results or a matriculation or academic gown   and paste them somewhere you could see them often; on your shelf, cupboard, fridg...

GOAL SETTING AND GO-GETTING; ANY NEXUS (PART TWO) Scientists have discovered that the brain is a goal seeking organism; whatever goal you give to your sub-conscious mind, it will work day and night to achieve. Goal setting refers to the art of setting specific and measurable , achievable, realistic and time-bound objective. This means that your goals must be smart and you should act on them with the certainty that you will achieve them. KEY PRINCIPLES FOR GOAL-SETTING Your goal must be stated in a way that you and anybody else could measure it. To do this, it must answer two questions; how much and by when? For instance, if you want to lose some weight, which of these seem more appropriate? “I will lose ten kg” or “I will weigh 80kg by 5pm on July 30? You will agree with me, dear reader that the second is clearer. Anybody can knock on your door by 5pm on July 30 to verify the actualization of your goals.

PARADIGMS (PART ONE) King Louis had been taken from his throne and imprisoned. His young son, the prince, was taken by those who dethroned the king. They thought that inasmuch as the king’s son was heir to the throne, if they could destroy him morally, he would never realize the great and grand destiny that life had bestowed upon him. They took him to a community far away, and there they exposed the lad to every filthy and vile thing that life could offer. They exposed him to foods the richness of which would quickly make him a slave to appetite. They used vile language around him constantly. They exposed him to lewd and lusting women. They exposed him to dishonor and distrust. He was surrounded twenty-four hours a day by everything that could drag the soul of a man as low as one could slip. For over six months he had this treatment—but not once did the young lad buckle under pressure.  Finally, after intensive temptation, they questioned him. Why had he not submitted ...

BOOK REVIEW: GEORGE S. CLASON'S CLASSIC George Classon's Classic, The Richest Man in Babylon, published in 1926 has 9 chapters all centering on financial lessons from Babylon, the wealthiest city of the ancient world about 6,000 years ago. Babylon was located in present day Asia, north of the Persian Gulf. The first chapter, The Man who desired gold, begins with Bansir (chariot builder) lamenting about his life's misfortune. Together, with his friend Kobbi, he decides to visit Arkad, the richest man in Babylon to learn possible finance strategies.  The next chapter, "The Richest Man in Babylon" describes Arkad thus: "He was famed for his liberality, He was generous in his charity but each year his wealth increased more rapidly. Prompted by his friends, he reveals that his financial success was built from lessons learnt from Algamish, the money lender. The first lesson is: “All that I earn is mine to keep.” He notes further that with consistent savi...

A CRITIQUE OF THE NIGERIAN CABOTAGE ACT AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EFFECTIVENESS Prior to the enactment and implementation of the Cabotage Act in 2003 and 2004 respectively, the National Unity Line (which replaced the defunct National Shipping Lines in 1995) had become comatose. Its only surviving vessel, the MV Abuja, was auctioned off at an incommensurate price in 2003. Foreign shipping lines dominated the shipping business to the tune of over seventy-five (75) percent. The Cabotage Act, -the first in sub-Saharan Africa- thus became a watershed in the maritime history of Nigeria.  The desired effect of the Cabotage Act as gleaned from its preamble is to restrict the use of foreign vessels on domestic coastal trade, promote the development of indigenous tonnage and establish a Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund. At present, however, indigenous vessels still get stuck in their earlier dilemma- like a vicious cycle that informs the examination of the industry in the context of the inte...

THE PRICE FOR THE PRIZE (PART ONE) Nothing certainly comes easy. Success is rooted in the four-letter-word; PAIN. Yes, in the long run, what seems painful could become pleasurable and the reverse could also be true; what seems pleasurable today could become painful tomorrow, sometimes. This is perhaps one of the most startling paradoxes of life. You are designed for accomplishment, engineered for success and endowed with the seeds of greatness. You were born to win but to be the winner you were born to be, you must plan to win and expect to win. Then and only then can you legitimately expect to win. After all, “Geniuses are made, not born. Moreover, even if they are born, they are born out of labour” – Sunday Adelaja. We are just like tea bags that will not really bring out the juices and flavours inside of us until we have been through some kind of “hot water” – in form of demands and preparation. However, until the pain of change becomes greater than the pain of “same”, n...

       RANDOM LESSONS (PART TWO) Gratitude does really work! No use fretting over the past. The past is useless except for two things; one the lessons gained from it and two, the moments and gifts we can be thankful for.     Enjoy the moment. Enjoy the now. Take in the fresh air, enjoy the swaying of the breeze, the children at play, the music blooming from the loudspeaker. However, take nuggets from the past to apply in the present. Just like a broken piece of raw egg, you can’t bring back moments of the past and words you have spoken. Life is happening right now!  New opportunities are springing up, new moments are being created but to maximize them you must free yourself from all worries, insecurities and fears. This is because Light and darkness cannot dwell together. Next point, beliefs are really important. Ultimately, we become what we believe so you must consistently focus on positive possibilities. Anything is possible, really. ...

RANDOM LESSONS (PART ONE) Life, as it were, is a journey and along the way we pick up snippets of information, knowledge and wisdom. This is a continual process and I usually say that in life’s journey, we occasionally stop at the bus stops of learning, the check points of unlearning and the fuel stations of relearning.           One of the lessons is that anybody can change his experiences to a whole fuller and richer dimension if he or she listens to his spirit more. I call this Conscience directed living. Man is made of three components, the spirit, soul and body. The spirit is the invincible part of you while your soul consists of your will, intellect and your emotions and the body is the visible part you see.              Beyond the physical body in you lies great amount of wealth and wisdom we have not even tapped into. The unseen part of you, I believe, has a glimpse into your future, and when at cross roads o...