Writing was an accidental career path for me. My dream was to become a banker. I just loved calculations, record-keeping, and accounting. So, I studied Accounting in school. All through my university days, I never wrote anything.
After graduation and the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), I applied for banking jobs. I was invited for a couple of interviews by some Nigerian banks but I always met the usual crowd there. A case of graduates being more than the bank jobs available!
I started by asking myself a simple question:”WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?”
If there’s anything I dislike, it’s laziness. I cannot stand laziness around me even for a second. I love making significant progress with my life. Progress is my perfect enabling environment as a person.
That disappointment was the only motivation that led me into thorough self-discovery. I had never heard that someone could be gifted outside the scope of formal education and actually monetise it. I just wanted to get busy.
I embarked on my first journey to self-discovery. Soon, I randomly started writing as a hobby to forget my worries but I heard a lot of sob stories about writing. I was advised to quit writing and do something ‘more meaningful.’
I was told that writing was not a profitable career; I was advised to keep applying for bank jobs which were obviously not forthcoming. They had good intentions, and that was the best advice they could give at the time.
With the many contrasting talks, I had never been so confused all my life. I think one of the most underrated concepts back then was career mentorship. It’s beyond going to school and getting a job. It’s about knowing what you really want to do with your life.
Most young people only read to pass examinations and come out of school in search of jobs which they have developed no substantial capacity for. This is why I started the Lets Talk Youths Campaign movement to school today’s youths on the power of self-discovery, personal development and capacity building.
To cut a long story short, I built a highly profitable writing career and business. Not just that, I now lead Africa’s foremost Writing & Business Community “Brilliant Entrepreneurs and Writers Academy (BEWA)” notable for impact in the writing industry. I now work on my own terms, creating the most effective work schedule that suits my personality.
I’ve worked with senior bankers, top managers, company directors, lecturers, consultants amongst other career professionals to birth their books. I’ve also been engaged by organisations, business brands and personal brands for content management consulting and other premium services. The list is endless, but let me stop here for now.
I never knew that a talented writer was quietly hiding inside me until a negative situation pushed me into a timely radical revelation. I decided to see the unemployment as an opportunity, not a threat, even though I wasn’t exactly clear on where I was going.
Why am I sharing my story? 4 KEY LESSONS!
1.) The fact that you fail is not the issue. Successful people know that failure is often a stepping stone to greatness. The main issue is your reaction to failure and the behavioural patterns you consistently exhibit.
It’s popularly said that how you do one thing is how you’d do everything. I agree!
As a fresh graduate, I refused to be lazy even when I didn’t get my dream bank job. Since I was not lazy back then, it’s not possible for me to be lazy now that I’ve grown in my career. I had a specific character and attribute that was constant.
Watch your patterns! Your patterns and work ethics as a beginner would most likely be your patterns and work ethics as a professional if you’re not careful. Inasmuch as the situations might be different, the patterns will be the same.
Intentionally train yourself to develop resilient behavioural patterns and unshakeable work ethics.
If you’re lazy now, you won’t automatically become hard-working when a bigger opportunity comes. You must be deliberate about preparing for your future right from where you are now.
2.) Sometimes in life, the only missing link to your greatness is the million-dollar question: “WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?” This was the question that changed everything for me.
My first book “The Driver’s Seat” connotes that you’re on the driver’s seat of your life and you must take full responsibility as the driver. You cannot be blaming others for your failure. If I was blaming others for my unemployment, I would not be where I am today. As long as you keep shifting blames to others, nothing will change in your life.
Do you need to embark on a self-discovery journey?
Do you need to learn a new skill and monetise?
Do you need an expert to guide you through your career journey?
What steps can you take right now towards achieving your goals?
What exactly are you confused about at the moment and who can help you?
Do you need a coach or mentor?
Do you need to attend a training session?
Do you need to join a focussed membership club or mastermind?
A lot of people are stuck for too long because they haven’t really sat down to reflect on these questions and answer them.
3.) People only advise based on their level of exposure. They might have good intentions but end up misleading you even without knowing. It’s your responsibility to go the extra mile to review certain pieces of advice. I like to call this “INDEPENDENT THINKING.”
It’s advisable to take advice from experts who are very knowledgeable and have successfully done what you want to do.
FLIP: Avoid giving advice on something you don’t know. It’s okay to admit that you’re not an expert on a question asked. I know my forte. If people ask me questions on something that is outside my scope of expertise, I simply refer them to the trusted experts in that field. Why? I don’t want to mislead anyone. Intelligence is not about claiming to know everything. Nobody knows everything.
Guess how the dictionary defines intelligence!
“Intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.”
“Intelligence is the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving.”
– Wikipedia
Contrary to general beliefs, intelligence is not about having a say in everything. You keep acquiring and applying new knowledge brilliantly as and when due while building more expertise in your forte.
Majority of the people who were advising me back then were not writers. They were mostly unemployed graduates or civil servants who knew nothing about writing as a profession. Some were authors who didn’t know how to make money from their writing skills. If I had taken their advice, I doubt I would have become a recognised writer today.
Like I said, it’s okay if you don’t know something, but avoid offering advice on subjects you know nothing about. Just admit you are not in the right position to answer accurately. Get a trusted coach or expert to teach you instead.
The fact that something is unclear or impossible for you doesn’t mean the world would automatically revolve around the lens of your personal beliefs. Expose your mind to highly intellectual conversations.
“The difference between where you are and where you ought to be is the information you don’t have.”
– Eno Sam.
4.) Your course of study has nothing to do with becoming a successful author or writer. If that’s your only excuse, then you don’t have a valid excuse.
I studied Accounting in school, but I have built an irresistible business brand as an author, writer and consultant.
If I can, YOU CAN!
Writing is a profitable career which anyone can build. Get my free “PROFIT BUNDLE FOR WRITERS” to get started on your writing journey. The bundle contains two webinars and two e-books. Contact bit.ly/bewawritersshowwithenosam to get the bundle for free.
P.S:
In our prestigious BEWA MAGAZINE, I was interviewed by our in-house media team at BEWA on my transition from an aspiring banker to a highly paid writer. To read the full interview, download BEWA Magazine via bit.ly/BEWAmag
