1096 Days!

There were three invigilators in the exam hall that day. In their eyes, I could see amusement, respect, and encouragement, but all that was playing on my mind was a prayer, “Lord, let the differentiation be the ones I have practiced." In a few seconds, I had my paper in front of me, and with sincere smiles, they wished me all the best in my exams as they stepped out of the hall, still in plain sight, to gist and have a good time as I fought one of the critical battles of my young life. I took a deep breath, and I filled in my name on the Further Mathematics WAEC answer sheet; I was the only one in the entire school writing the paper.

Unlike most people who struggled with mathematics and even changed their career path because of it, I have always loved mathematics and the certainty it brings. Its predictable and universal nature made it my favorite subject while English became my Achilles' heel. My spoken and written English were average at the minimum, but I disliked writing essays and comprehension exercises. I mixed up word spellings, and for pronunciations, I couldn't wrap my head around what was going on in my phonetics classes most of the time. I avoided writing as much as I could. However, I have come to realize the power of the written word and deem it imperative for my personal development to improve my writing skills.

In 2021, I was counting down to my birthday on Jan. 10th when Pelumi teased me about counting down days throughout the year. The adventurous part of me wanted to prove him wrong, so I took up the challenge. A few days into it, I saw an opportunity to improve my writing skills one day at a time by writing clear, concise sentences, original to me, that would leave people motivated, encouraged, and challenged. Thus, Tt's Random Thoughts was born.

DAY 1 - DAY 365 (2021)

The first 100 days were fun; I was basking in the euphoria of doing something new and challenging, and, of course, a lot of people were cheering me on, sharing stories of people they knew who had given up on the way. However, I still remained strong. I even created a design that would make it easy to share and munch; I was on a roll. However, the novelty wore off, and I could no longer hear the cheers. Instead, my head was amplifying the voices of the kind people who pointed out blunders – places where I used 'has' instead of 'as' or 'being' instead of 'been' in my thoughts, so I could correct them. Furthermore, I started feeling the heat when I posted on LinkedIn, and for the most part, I was the only one liking my posts. Was I making sense? Why were people not liking my posts? I was starting to feel really bad, and sometimes, when I saw my grammatical blunders, I would cringe.

One day, instead of wallowing, I had the presence of mind to ask myself the why question. Why am I doing this? Is it for the applause? For the likes? Or for improvement? I remembered that I started this journey to make my words more punchy, to improve my grammar and writing. So I forged on. Around the 300th day, I noticed that people would post my thoughts on their status. Some would tell me how they agreed or disagreed with my thoughts. It was no longer about the fluff of being praised for starting; people were starting to engage with my posts meaningfully. Close to the end of day 365, the applause was different – it was a testimony of how some of those thoughts had encouraged, challenged, and motivated different people, to the extent that they kept the graphics on their phones.

I was so excited to have achieved to a large extent what I set out to achieve that I declared that I would do this for two more years, despite a part of me screaming, "Are you sure you want to do this again?!"

Lesson Learned:

1. The real work starts after the novelty has worn off, and the applause is quiet. Keep at it.
2. Always have a clear "why?" It will be your anchor in the storm.
3. Taking small steps every day has a huge compounding effect.
4. Most times, we change the world by first changing ourselves.
5. Don't worry; people are watching. Keep developing yourself.

DAY 366 - DAY 731 (2022)

By the second year, I had already proven that I could show up every day, both to myself and to others. Despite the fact that it was a bit easier to come up with punchy thoughts, I started missing more days than I did in the first year. I could deduce from people's words that, to them, the point had been proven; therefore, it was okay to miss days or even stop. Yes, I had proven in 2021 that I could be consistent, and it would have been so easy to stop, at least, I had done it in the first year.

However, I had a pep talk with myself: 'Even when people hold you to a lower standard, still hold yourself to higher ones. Even if people would understand why you gave up or failed, still give it your best shot before throwing in the towel.' I announced that I would do it for three years, and indeed, I am going to. It was a different kind of challenge, but I faced it.

Lesson Learned:

1. Be a person whose words can be taken to the bank.
2. Even when others lower their standards, don't lower yours.

DAY 731 - DAY 1096 (2023)

I missed more days in year 3 than I did in the last two years combined. Sometimes, I went five days straight without releasing any random thoughts. It was a year I literally walked through fire, but I wasn't consumed. To put it mildly, 2023 was stretching on every level.

Nevertheless, I showed up regardless when I could, and on the days I couldn't, I learned to extend grace to myself, to forgive myself for missing days and breaking my streak. For me personally, 2023 was the year I experienced the most growth in my development journey because I learned to write from my heart, not just my head.

Lesson Learned:

1. Learn to extend grace to yourself, be kind to you.
2. It is okay not to show up after you have done all you could to.
3. Focus on encouraging yourself first when all seems dark. In doing that, you will find the strength to encourage others as well.

Seeds Becoming Trees

Just by showing up every day to write a few lines and publish it, I was planting and watering my seed, and today, after three years, that seed has become a tree that is bearing fruits. Tt's Random Thoughts has yielded:

View most of Tt's Random Thoughts : https://www.instagram.com/p/C1iA8M_MYrS/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

1. My writing has greatly improved. I still have a long way to go but I am very far from where I started.
2. I am a more consistent and resilient person.
3. Lives has been positively impacted through my writing.
4. I have 3 Manuscripts almost ready to be published. The first book will be published in 2024.
5. A startup was born. Jolevi, with a growing community (Join the community : https://chat.whatsapp.com/CsOm0fmgaQFD38b98i8qid ) focused on helping authors self-publish and connecting creatives.

Shoutout

To everyone who reminded me on days I had not posted, who encouraged me to keep going, who liked my posts, reshared on their status, was my muse, corrected my grammar, inspired me, disagreed and shared their views. Thank you; you made the journey easier and worthwhile.

Pelumi Okunrounmu, thank you for teasing me three years ago.

Mr. Sodiq, my biggest "re-sharer", thank you for always re-sharing the many thoughts that resonate with you.

Abiola Oreagba , you were such an inspiration in 2022. I drew strength a lot from your daily thought.

What’s Next

Favour Omoruyi shared a fantastic idea that I decided to run with; he advised that I should put a little context behind my thoughts so people can have a robust understanding of what I mean, and they can apply the thoughts in their lives.

Two years ago, I started doing that, and by the special grace of God, I will be publishing the first volume in 2024. If you would like to pre-order, please do so here:: https://forms.gle/1hj9YNvyxBdcQ7DS7

What is your seed?

Yes, I know you are very busy, and you barely have time for yourself. However, there are things that you can do that would only take a few minutes of your time every day, and they can take you on an interesting journey and open up doors that you never imagined. Just plant the seed and water it; don't worry about how it would grow.

My seed was showing up every day to write at most three sentences of thought, inspired by many things but original to me, and it changed me tremendously and set me on a path I couldn't have imagined.

2024 is here. What seed are you going to plant?

I would love to know some of your favorite Tt's Random Thoughts. Furthermore, if the thoughts have impacted you in any way, please let me know in the comment section.