It recently occurred to me that I am so big on self – reflection and my typical analogy would be that of a moving car: You don’t just face front to speed, overtake and/or pull all your driving stunts. The side mirrors and rear mirror exist to support your forward movement.

The practice should be same with your thoughts. While I have improved on doing this more often, doing this at the beginning of each new year is a routine. The festivity nudges me to take a step back and reflect on how well I’ve done in the outgoing year and identify my major focus in the new year.

I ended 2017 with the hope of buying one Hyundai Veloster in 2018: in reality, it was a misplaced priority as the idea wasn’t even supposed to be on the table. Consistency with my annual review and planning made me realise it’s not just enough to reflect and plan: there is a need to also assess whether you are focusing on the right thing all round.

Mental Model

This year, I found myself asking a number of my students: what if your fear is a habit? You might begin to wonder why? Psychologists, Life coaches and success experts have identified the relationship between success and choosing better habits. I found it safe to say failure can also be traced to a choice of habit.

While interacting further with people, many were swift to bring fear into their failure picture. I was scared to… What if… My response was sharp: what if your fear is a habit?

I concluded that identifying your neurological pathway to success and failure might be one of the best things you could do for yourself.

You’d need a pen and a piece of paper.

Task 1:  Identify ONE thing you wanted to do and you succeeded at doing it.

Task 2: Identify ONE thing you wanted to do and you failed at doing it.

Task 3: In not more than five steps, itemize the actions you took that made your goal a success.

Task 4: In not more than five steps, itemize the actions you took that made your goal a failure.

Task 5:  Identify another thing you wanted to do and you succeeded at doing it.

Task 6: Identify another thing you wanted to do and you failed at doing it.

Task 7: In not more than five steps, itemize the actions you took that made your goal a success.

Task 8: In not more than five steps, itemize the actions you took that made your goal a failure.

Take a good look at your list and see if you can identify a pattern. You might have successfully hacked your neurological pathway to success and failure. It’s okay if there is no correlation (you don’t have to create one by force) – you need to pay more attention to your actions and inaction.

Having answered these questions personally and helping 12 others find their answers, here’s what I found out: there is an unconscious way you are spurred to action that results in you succeeding or failing at a quest.

If you took part in the exercise, here is a challenge that help you put what you found to test.

Task 1: On a scale of 1 – 10, rate the following

• health and well – being: how healthy are you and your habits?
• achievements: you shouldn’t be caught in the web of comparing self with another. match your current achievements with what you intended to have achieved.
• contentment: are you actually content with what you have? how content are you?
• work and career: how would you rate your work/career moves?
• friendships: how would you rate the quality of your friendships?
• security: are you actually secured? how secured are you should in case you lose everything and you have to start from scratch? when i say everything, i mean everything.
• energy: how much energy do you put into the things you do?
• self – esteem: rate your level of self – esteem
• fun & recreation: do you set out time to relax from the demand of work?
• family: how would you rate your relationship with your family?
• relationship: specifically, relationship with your significant other
• finance: how are you doing with your financials?

Take a closer look at your score and look at the things you want to work on in the coming year. Pick ONE and I’d assist you in working through the process if you shoot me an e-Mail or DM on Twitter (I’d be open to doing this in February)

Task 2: Identify steps you need to take to improve the theme you have decided to work on in the first quarter. (Feel free to consult your self – discovered neurological path to success)

Task 3: Be sure of what you really want and by when

Task 4: identify two things you need to:

• start doing
• do more
• do less
• stop doing

As I’ve always pointed out, the future favours action takers. It is important that you channel your energy into doing so much more in the new year. Identify what you need to motivate yourself and those who’d hold you accountable.

As for me putting 2021 in perspective: Work, Financials and Relationship

My Goals:

Writing

• Expand the scope of the Daily Writing Group to include editing
• Information and Digital Marketing
• Weekly blog posts in H1
• Daily blog posts in H2
• Double organic traffic
• Weekly Newsletter
• Daily Tweets

The Productivity Mindset

• Weekly Podcast
• Weekly YouTube Video
• Consistent Instagram Posts (Thrice a Week)
• Improved Video and Sound Quality and Editing
• Build a $1 product once and repeatedly sell on the Internet

Waste Management

• Digital Advocacy on Instagram

Career

Post – NYSC, I stumbled into the waste management space and interestingly, it’s been 3years in the sector. It’s been an amazing ride with privileges and opportunities. It wasn’t until I sat with my thoughts recently that I realized how deeply I defined most of my work by the waste management guy tag. Instead of focusing on what I found truly motivating, I found myself sifting through other waste management companies that would give me similar accolades.

It is in my practice to try interesting things: dip cookies in milk and chase butterflies. I am choosing to prioritize my goals, aspirations, and all – round balanced life. As such, I will explore a new role that would let me refocus on my skills.

Routines:

Annual Routine

• Annual Review
• Setting Goals for the year
• Identifying Habits and Goals for the year
• Painting pictures of my dream life

Quarterly Routine

• Mindset and Habit Worksheet
• Habits and Goals for 3months

Monthly Routine

• Focus goals
• Financial goal
• Habit Worksheet

Weekly Routine:

• Weekly Reflection
• Review Morning Routine
• Review Evening Routine

Daily Routine:

• study and prayers;
• reading and writing;
• listening and speaking; and
• meditation and affirmations.
• daily schedule
• priority tasks

Expect me to:

• build in public;
• prioritise my goals; and
• test fast, fail fast and adjust fast.

Looking through the rear and side mirrors with you comes with a lot of insight and relief. I hope it helps you locate your rear mirror as you pace forward.

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