Lean In. Follow Through.

image: diversityjournal.com

This month has been a great one for me business-wise. We made a lot of money and in a way we can reproduce. It sealed my belief that I have made the right decision in starting my own business and my choice of business.

Yesterday, we concluded a training for a company and we charged them N80,000 per participant for the two days training. Two weeks ago, we placed an advert on Linda Ikeji's blog about our this month's Excel training and over 100 people called us. We had to tell/beg people to not pay and hold on till the next session.

For once, reality came close to the big picture I have always had.

Back in the university I read an article in a psychology textbook that changed my life. It was about a scientist who believed and tried to proof that anyone can become anything, that it was just a matter of conditioning/learning. He said he could make a scientist, musician, sportsman, doctor or engineer out of any child regardless of his natural talents or limitations. That the human brain is able to change/adapt and learn to do anything we train it to do.

I took it a step further by adding my knowledge of robotics. Some engineers once built a robot that could play a musical instrument and learn music. And we all know that our brain is more sophisticated than that of the most advanced robot.

All these gave me a strong belief that my weakness, limitations and person do not matter (much). That I can learn to do anything or become anything if I put enough effort into learning it. I can program myself to be anything (specific).

I applied this thinking practically in everything I did ever since. In my final years in the university, I studied the lecturers and figured out what they wanted rather than focus on myself and the lecture notes. I never thought anything was about me. I tried to give the lecturers what I believed they wanted. It drastically reduced my efforts/stress. I did not give the courses the same level of study and I even lightly studied a couple I was sure the lecturer just wanted to hear you give him back his exact words and style.

Even when I got out of school, I have always adapted to whatever environment I found myself. I played by the rules there and not force things to bend to my own rule. I also tried to be a good christian and not follow rules that went against God.

This mindset is what is helping me learn the entrepreneurship walk. I tell myself everyday that despite my weakness and lack of business skills I will make it. I will learn what works, repeat it and aim for results. I will learn the rules and play by them. I will lean in and follow through.