5 LESSONS DRIVING THOUGHT ME

Life they say is a lesson. Inherent in every event is a lesson for us to learn.

No one was born knowledgeable or let me put it this way nobody can lay claim to say he’s all knowing but one thing is sure we are all born with the capacity to acquire knowledge.

Some years ago, I read an article that highlighted knowing how to drive a car as one of the survival skills that one must learn. I have a couple of times heard people say to me, ‘You mean you cannot drive a car at your age that’s appalling’.

I will be sharing with you 5 things I learnt from this experience and I hope you find it beneficial and apply it to your day to day pursuit of greatness.

1.      Master Your Fear

This for me is key and I will like to mention that the first thing to succeeding in any task or endeavour is that there is going to be something to discourage you from doing it. Your first task is to highlight what those possible fears are and proffer tactics on how to deal with them before you embark on your task that way you are better equipped and prepared to deal with the doubts when they arise because they will. Back to the subject, as a first time driver on Lagos roads there are so many things to watch out for. You have every cause to be afraid to hit the road even after you have gone through proper driving lessons. Having heard tales of how The Yellow buses (DANFO), tricycle riders (KEKE NAPEP) harass other road users it instilled some fear in me about wanting to drive on Lagos roads but because I have been prepared I devised a means to get through.

2.      Focus On What’s Important

During my driving lessons before I start to hit the road, my instructor told me severally Tosin you have to focus and I remember telling him on one occasion that I am focused but he smiled and said to me yes you are but not on what’s important.

Focus is simply sticking to a plan without wavering that does not mean you are not open to new ways of doing things but like I say to one of my colleague, ‘Eyes on the goal’. You must identify what your goal is and religiously focus on it and also constantly innovating on new ways and methods of reaching the goal.

3.      Move At Your Pace

As a learner, one important thing I learnt was that we will all arrive at our destination either early or late or later. Don’t accelerate the vehicle of your life, career, marriage or vision because your friend who supposedly you entered the industry together is 3, 4 or 5 steps ahead of you professionally. That’s not to say you should settle for less or mediocrity, NO.

What this means is that keep improving yourself, learn things in your field and position yourself strategically so that when opportunity come knocking you are available, ready and ripe for it because the truth is opportunity will definitely come.

4.      Avoid Distractions

Driving taught me to avoid distractions. As I drive on the road in Lagos, especially during peak periods when I am leaving the office, the rate at which cars blare their horns can make one lose focus. There was one incident that I had a large truck behind me in traffic and because I did not move on time based on his calculations the manner in which he blared the horn of the truck almost made me hit the car in front of me.so, in the same manner avoid this little distractions in your pursuit of greatness. Sometimes they could come in cheers or criticisms or even ramblings to derail you off the track. It is up to you to either ignore or respond.

5.      Arrive Safe

It is better to be late than to be the late says the old maxim.

Live a healthy lifestyle, go for medical check-ups.

We will all get to our destination maybe not at the same time, day or hour. The truth is you need a sound mind and body to able to achieve your goal.

Watch what you eat, drink and what takes most of your time. Life is too short so, have a balanced work-life and make time for your loved ones.

I hope this has been helpful.