My 2019 YP Experience and Finishing Unfinished Business

-



Folake Odediran: Chair, Sanofi Nigeria, Ghana. Image: Twitter
I attended the YP Lagos group mentoring event in 2019 but if not for the book I am currently reading (Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss) which touches on the subject of closing unfinished business amongst other things, this blog post would not have happened. I learned from Caroline that a lot of us are depleted of our energies because we have a lot of tasks we have mentally committed to, but we keep procrastinating.  I wanted to write this blog post immediately after the event but here we are 10 months later. Better late than never.
I was one of the six people mentored by Ms. Folake Odediran, The country chair for Sanofi, Nigeria and Ghana at the event and these are the things I learned.
  • You learn how to cut down trees by cutting them down. That is, you learn by doing.
  • Time is not your problem. Your problem is what you do with time.
  • Have a good profile on Linkedin.
  • In life, what you want will change with time.  
  • As a leader, you must be able to give back.
  • If you are diligent, someone will recognize you.
  • Develop your skills.
  • Understand the direction of your company.
  • Gain multicultural experience.  
  • Determine what your own standards are.
  • Determine you are going to give life whatever it takes.
  • You don’t wish a good career. You work for it.
  • Resume work on time.
  • The way you are dressed is the way people will talk to you. Wake up in the morning and dress smart.
  • Opportunities come in the form of hard work
  • Don’t look for the opportunities, prepare for the opportunities.
  • You will never hear of a star in the galaxy complain that they look its place.
  • Endure affliction
  • Be Focused
  • Encourage yourself
  • Don’t joke at your desk.
  • Respect people
  • Anybody can know anything, it takes [knowledge and] practice.

So that’s it. I have highlighted my favorite nuggets. Which ones resonated with you? Let me know in the comments section.

-Tobi Amokeodo


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IMAGINE MESSING UP A BIG BREAK, YUP THAT HAPPENED TO ME ONCE. HERE'S WHAT I LEARNT!

-
Image
A few years ago, I did a styling gig for a major boutique brand in Lagos and it flopped! The next day I couldn't get out of bed because I could not believe how bad I messed up.   After that incident, I took a break from fashion styling for about six months. I would have quit for good if not for my fashion designer sister who asked me to style her summer collection a few months later. The summer collection went on to be a hit and I've continued styling since then.  We have all experienced setbacks before. At work, at home, and in our various relationships. I've had my fair share as well.  However, being unable to accept the fact that something unbecoming happened to us, is the worst thing we can do to ourselves.  No one is promised a life free of adversity or challenges. So being in denial of our shortcomings would prevent us from growing. Looking back, I realize that I couldn't deal with the embarrassment of failing even after I had taken responsibility for my w...
Read more

BG REACTIONS: THE SILHOUETTE CHALLENGE

-
Image
I really love the silhouette challenge. Maybe I'm a low-key bad boy. But I know for certain that I'm not alone here. Despite the fact that the challenge has been met with so much backlash from men and women, more and more people are participating. The silhouette challenge basically involves one switching from a robe or PJ into lingerie while dancing to Paul Anka's "Put Your Head On my Shoulder". The Silhouette is created by a crimson red Snap Chat filter available on the mobile App.  Why is this challenge bursting my head?  1. It's the fact that a song from 1959 makes a come back in the year 2021! Up until yesterday, I had never heard of a Paul Anka. It's also very heartwarming that he's alive to experience all of this. And really, from the looks of Paul's website, it seems the old man is also going with the flow.  "Life is Short, Art is long" is something I say a lot. And I know for certain, that art never really goes away. It is always ...
Read more

"WE LEARN TO CUT TREES BY CUTTING TREES"

-
Image
A while ago, I was part of a mentoring session with Ms. Folake Odediran, the General Manager for the pharmaceutical company, Sanofi Nigeria, Ghana. And as she took her seat to start her session, She looked around the table and said, "I want you all to remember this: you learn to cut trees by cutting trees. " She went on to explain that performing a task over and over again, makes us better at doing that task in the Long run.  However cliche, the truth is that Practice makes perfect.  For example,  I try to read some of my old articles sometimes and I sincerely can't believe how awful they are. For real. Over time and through practice,  I've been able to find my own writing voice and I know for sure that I am better at writing now than I was, a few years ago.  I also remember clearly when my sister first started out as a fashion designer. For a while, the only thing she could make by herself was an A-line skirt and a bustier top. But now, her fashion brand can pr...
Read more