If you have faith you can move mountains they say, how much more when you add effort to faith? ~ Odogwu Cmoni
Act: Now to conclude our 4As we’ll take a look back at Anticipate, Allocate and Adapt.
You can see that all the first 3 As are a form of action. Everything we want to achieve in life requires action. Besides motivation, planning and determination, you must add effort else you will still end up with nothing. One must act to get results. As Natalie Goldberg repeatedly says, write, write and write. So if you have to write please get a pen, paper or keypad and start hammering away. If you need to make a call, then make that call. If you have to drive get up and start the engine. If you have to roll up your sleeves and lift, push or pull, then by all means roll up those sleeves.
Concerning calls, let me quickly say that some conversations are better held in person. Yes, what we commonly call face-to-face is important. Of course, with the current technological evolution, we can work smart with video calls that are just a click away, but meeting eyeball to eyeball and breathing the same air have psychological pros.
My first experience with acting greatly multiplied my income. Then I was still a student hauled into the tasking business of petroleum marketing after my father’s demise. I usually drive to Enugu by 9 am on my lecture-free days. By the time I arrive at the depot, the day’s allocation would have been done with. And when I meet the depot chief to lobby for products, I’m usually told to wait for the next day.
But then one of my mentors Chief Enekwe started waking me up earlier. he will be in my living room at 6 am while I quickly shower and we’ll leave for Enugu. I wondered why so early and he said to me; “Cmoni the only way is the hard way. If we are not there before 8 am others will be there to take the allocation which we otherwise would have gotten”.
We usually get to Enugu before 7.30 am. Just in time to lobby the depot chief before he goes for the daily allocation meetings. The result was obvious. We started getting more allocations. The major reason this happened was that we acted. We got up early and drove to Enugu while our competitors showered and sealed the deal at the depot while they had breakfast.
Action will naturally produce results. And that’s what we all need, results. It could be good or bad. If it is good, build on it. If it is bad, learn from it. But what you can’t afford is not to ACT.
Now choose the actionable part of your daily tasks and take action!
Happy New Year!
