The power of rising up early

As a child, i was taught a very interesting nursery rhyme and it went thus ' if you have anything to do ; do it quick'. We sang this song in the morning during the assembly of all the kids in the school, before we matched like soldiers into our classrooms. Little did i know or fathom the importance of that song until i was much older. 
There's one thing in life that we could never get enough of and that one thing  is‘Time’. Many tend to get lost in the vague ideology that there is always the availability of time. But alas, this isn't true thus we use expressions like "time is running out, time flies, time waits for no one', when we speak of time? Every minute lost is irreplaceable and every passing minute time is running out on you. This isn't a go card to do things in a rush, but redundance or mediocrity is not the same as preparation or proper planning. A patient dog they say eats the fattest bone; ever cared to ask where did all the flesh go?

The time to establish relevance is now while you still have the zest and strength. A wise man once said “go through the process, but start now and perfect later’. You don’t learn to read and write at home before going to school, you learn that while in school. So you are already working at it while at it, now that’s the process. You’ve got to start something and stop hiding under the lazy thought “I’m taking my time”. The world"s greatest achievers begun at tender ages and arrived before the world woke up.
There’s a generation behind you with teeming hungry hearts and intelligent minds warming up to the front line.
Starting early actually gives you ample time to make the necessary errors, take falls, correct mistakes, gain ground, break records, establish relevance and take a chunk of the market share . Many tend to criticize those who throw their stuff out there in the open too early without proper work and I totally agree. But it is important that you are making evident progress towards achieving your dreams or you are going to find yourself in a spot, where the lesser man by your standards takes the podium and you sit there in the pew whispering to the next guy “I could do better”. Those are the lines of a mediocre, wake up, get up and get to work. Even birds that fly the skies are most times placed in a tight spot by this invariable factor called time.
Is it the fear of failure or criticism? Is it the lack of professionalism or skill? Failure is an event and not a person, so even if you fail; you are not a failure and one of the ways to become professional is through experience. There are many keys to success and amazingly failure is one of them. There’s a saying “if you have never failed then you haven’t tried anything new”.
No matter what happens along the way, the only way to go is upward, forward and onward. Some of the greatest breakthroughs are premised rocky grounds.
A final word, are you spending your prized time on fruitless ventures? If it ain’t worth it, don’t waste time on it. Time is priceless, irretrievable, and invincible plus it flies. You want to know those who beat time? They are those who understand the power of rising up early. They give their dreams wings and set them on a course. You can’t control it, you can’t stop it but you can manage it. More on how to manage your time in my next article.

How to remain unforgettable 1

1.    Wear a smile: a smile is like a protective cloak that shields your true personality and present mood. It is appreciated by everyone and humans built to respond to warmness, naturally open their hearts and arms to anyone wearing a smile.

2.    Do a characteristic confident walk: one of the ways you describe people is using the way they walk and a walk tells a lot about your personality and degree of confidence. Walking with shrugged shoulders and head low or hung on one side could be very unattractive and exemplifies a weak personality. Make an entrance with your every step, calculated timed landing, soft but strong. I like to call it the executive walk.

3.    Have a first liner or last liner: this is a punch line that glues memories of you to the hearts and minds of those you meet. It could be simple e.g. hello everyone, stay healthy, keep hope alive, one love or like pastors would say ‘peace be unto this house’, I love to say ‘Paul is leaving the building’.

4.    Share a compliment: even the toughest of people in the world want to be appreciated either for their looks, dressing, smile, achievement, ability, style, taste and so on. Sharing a compliment helps initiate a soft landing and a healthy.

5.    Offer assistance if necessary: Human beings are reciprocating beings. They love to give back when assisted in some way. When you make my problem your problem, you become more than a visitor or acquaintance in my world. It shows you care and are concerned with my business and your business becomes my concern.

6.    Study the mood: As you make your entrance, make eye contacts, wear a smile, take gentle confident steps and watch the responses that follow. It’s easy to detect a tensed environment or individual. This would help your approach to situations.

7.     Have a listening ear: Listen to understand i.e. Know what’s beneath the stand. When you listen and not just hear, you detect stress signals, negativities, excitement, doubts, skepticism, intelligence, and so on. People say you don’t get heard by listening all the time but I say contrary, the best way to get heard is by listening. Because after listening, you just know what and what not to say.

8.    Learn to lighten the mood: People appreciate comedians not because they are genius but simply because they possess the ability to ease tension. A kind word or statement to show concern works wonders e.g. you need a vacation, can I get anything, please don’t work yourself to death, can I buy you lunch, get some air, let’s take a walk etc.

9.    Assume the critic a concerned view: critics are two sided; positive and healthy and negative plus unhealthy. But whatever the case they are meant to help you improve, get better and if not just ignore politely.

10.    Flow away with encouragement: one key source of motivation is encouragement. It’s like pouring cold water on you head on a sunny day. It’s refreshing, energizing, and restoring. You want better results! Pour some cold water on that hot head.

11.    Don’t take long phone calls: Every minute spent with people is important and they create a lasting impression (save it for later). The person on the other side or the client is more important if you would sacrifice time with me for him or her. It most times blots the previous good impressions and intentions. It gives your converser time to think and re-evaluate your business relationship or relationship.

12.    Have a sense of humor: learn to see the fun in work and life. Smile or laugh at jokes, a little mischief here and there, punk someone, remember you are not a stone. It makes people comfortable around you and makes you easier to work with.

These points cut across every sphere of life.

6Keys to Being Excellent at Anything

     1.    Pursue what you love

2.    Do the hardest  work first 

     3.    Practice intensely: 90mins a day    least, for best performance 4 ½ hrs.

     4.    Seek expert feedback, in intermittent doses: the simpler and more precise the feed-backs, the more equipped you are to make adjustments. To much feedback, continuously however can create cognitive overload, increase anxiety and interfere with learning

     5.    Take regular renewal breaks: relax after intense efforts provide an opportunity to rejuvenate. It’s also during rest that the right hemisphere becomes dominant leading to creative breakthroughs.

     6.    Ritualized practice