Business & Financial Times Column : EFFORT

EFFORT = THE SPACE BETWEEN THE DREAM AND THE REALITY

Sleep…. The most enjoyable thing to do at any time of the day. As a matter of fact, cancelling all your meetings and putting your phones on silent feels about right! Besides, with this flesh cooking sun, the idea of hiding in a cool space, quiet place and reading a juicy book or an inspiring novel would be the best thing to do right? After all life is short right? Wrong!

If you want to realize your Dreams, you have to make an EFFORT! Effort is the one thing a lot of us seem to overlook. I have heard a lot of people sharing opinions about entitlement of opportunities be it within the Corporate world or in their entrepreneurial ventures. They tend to be angry because OTHER people are always given that promotion…that raise…that new contract…that new business. It is very well understood that we live in a world in which one’s socio – economic advancement doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve worked extremely hard for it. I’m being cheeky here! In the same breath however, MOST people are advancing simply because they are making an EFFORT!

Two weeks ago I had a small discussion session with a group of university students. - four Undergrads and one Masters student. We discussed work – life balance, work opportunities and how to break through in Africa (Ghana and then eventually across the Continent). After telling them about my own career and my continuous efforts, two of them said matter of factly, they DON’T have 20 years to wait till they become successful, referencing my 20 year quest to be the best at what I do. It was the most interesting statement I had ever heard. The reality is, they were not being rude or anything, they were correctly describing the world as we know it now and how the internet, alone, makes it possible for anyone to be successful overnight! I was not worried about those two. I was worried about the Masters student who is here for the third time she wants a promotion at work! I will let you ponder over that for a minute. I asked her about how much Effort she makes at work. I asked her about her strategy within the company’s strategy. Her commitment and dedication in the company’s vision. I asked if she lived the Brand of the company for which she worked. I asked her if she knew where her direct manager even went to school…..I will let you ponder on these questions yourself.

When I started my career in radio and television, I knew nothing. Absolutely nothing. All I had however, was that desire to work! I wanted to work hard, work smart, work around the clock, knowing that eventually that work would bring me to the realization of my dreams. The work was often, doing the things NO ONE else wanted to. Taking shifts at times everyone else wanted to sleep or better still party! Don’t get me wrong not every opportunity was as glamorous as it may read on my ten – page single line spaced CV today. But I simply saw every tiny opportunity as a great way to add to the efforts I wanted to make. I needed to prove to anyone who was looking or watching, that I was capable. Trust me, even now after starting on my path of discovery in 1997, I have to make that Effort! Perhaps more now that ever before – thanks to the internet!

Throughout my career, I have almost NEVER had enough requirements to be given an opportunity. It’s been 20 years and counting….at every turn, I have to prove what I am capable of doing. I have to put in the extra time, extra energy and extra everything else that puts me ahead of my competition. There’s always a voice lurking and asking why Anita?

 Effort is a painful thing. It needs the kind of consistently that make your spiritual muscles burn! Effort is sweet pain, along the way, your ego will bruise like your knees scraping a pavement while you skateboard! Mentally, Effort requires preparation, strategy and planning. You must be aware of the degree of Effort you want to put in getting or rising up in the opportunity. You must be able to look at the trunk and branches of your Effort tree and realize were you will fall short, where you have to extend a branch and where you will to drop a fruit – perhaps for the next generation to pick up and sew!

 Effort comprises buckets of tears and liters of sweat and the combination makes that seed you’re growing bear the sweetest fruit! That fruit is what we call your eventual sweet Reality! Efforts will never let you down….take it from me!