Are you searching for that long-term breakthrough? Here are five mindsets you need.

I want to be successful.

I tend to think I am not alone in this desire. Am I wrong? You can as well stop reading further if we are not in the same boat. If you desire success just too, then you would benefit immensely from what you are about to read. It doesn't matter if you are a freelancer, business owner, employee, or just starting life without a clear path. These mindsets could be the difference between your dream life or the not-so-desirable life you see all around you.

I could go on and on on how these mindsets could upgrade every area of your life, but I'll let you decide this yourself.

Five mindsets that would automatically change your lot in life.

Ditch a fixed mindset and adopt a growth mindset. 

A fixed mindset is a mindset that presumes things are the way they are without the ability to change. Simply put fixed mindset does not give room for growth. On the other hand growth mindset refers to the ability of a person to adapt and grow. Carol Dweck, an American psychologist, talks about these two types of mindsets and how a growth mindset is the best for developing a more successful and fulfilling life. The knowledge that you can always learn is second to none in life's journey.

Replace short-term thinking with long-term planning. 

Often, most people think in a matter of moments, making short-term decisions without considering the effect in the long run. While being spontaneous might be an endearing quality, it is not the best option when making decisions in the long term. Sitting to plan for the long term creates a structure for your life and gives you a level of foresight in your decision-making process.

Maintain a mentality of abundance. 

Have you ever looked around and considered everyone a competition? Well, sometimes you might be right, but competing with a scarcity mindset would limit your success. An abundance mindset allows you to understand that there is enough room in the sky for everyone. Many businesses sell the same product and still make profits. Switching to a mindset that allows you to see the potential to succeed without shutting down competition would immensely create an attitude that is open to collaborations. 

Be ready to fail.

Ever heard this quote? 

"Fail, but fail forwards."

This is especially true for those with ideas. Many times the fear of failure hampers your ability to make decisions at all. Failure is an inevitable fact of life, and if you have met someone who has never failed, then you have met someone who has never attempted anything great. The most successful business have all gone through periods of failure. What you need to do with failure is to learn from it rather than get beat down by it. Use your mistakes and failures as a means to restart better. The more you fail, the higher your chances of success.

Keep a positive attitude.

Last but not least, keep a positive mindset towards your circumstances. No one is born successful, even if you were born with a silver spoon. There is always room to work and grow, and there is also the unavoidable circumstance of setbacks. They will come, but how you deal with them will determine how far you will go. Moving into life with a positive mindset will ensure that you have a more fulfilling life and a higher chance of success than if you journeyed into life with complaints as your companion.

Conclusion.

It is quite possible to achieve success in this life, and with these mindset, you can do this while enjoying the journey towards success. Training your mind to think right is the first step towards achieving physical results. 

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Once you become a graduate, what next?

 

Are you anxious?

The moment you graduate from a tertiary institution, everything changes. For some, life comes at them so fast, the flash would seem like an old woman on three legs; for others, it would go so slowly, the realization would not really sink in until they convoke, or a few months after they have gotten a certificate. And if you are like me, you probably started thinking about life after school long before graduation. 

If you want to be truthful to yourself, you are at your most vulnerable at this point. Every scheme becomes appealing. Bring the 5 people scheme to the 10k to 100k in 2 days. Every "opportunity" is a thread of hope. And for those who believe absolutely in their degrees, the job hunt begins, submitting CVs upon Resumes, looking for a job, sometimes any job. Many will get themselves into formal employment either with the government or in the private sector. Jobs are plenty, but job seekers are "plentier." What you will find out with ease is the level of uncertainty that comes with exiting the four walls of a university. Ooh, except you are from a wealthy family where your future is already planned out, or if you got a job before you left school.

Are you anxious?

I know I have outlined a problem that assails many school leavers. You probably can relate to the above problem. Are you anxious? While I cannot offer you a goose that lays golden eggs, I can at least try to provide you with the next best thing.

By now, you might be wondering, "what magical solution do I want to present before you? What mixture of sugar, spice, and everything nice would reduce your level of anxiety? And is there a chemical X that will change your fortune?" Well! Yes and No. 

What do I mean? I intend to offer you the next best thing. There are ingredients, of course, maybe ingredients aren't the best word, but you'll find that there is a process, and No, it isn't magical. And yes, there is a chemical X, and I doubt you know  it is.

The primary cause for anxiety amongst most fresh graduates is the search for sustainability and relevance, in essence, money and a feeling of responsibility.

To solve the money problem, you need a legal, sustainable means of income, and what we have seen many Nigerian youths gravitate to are the freelance space and remote work. This provides a certain level of flexibility and purchasing power. For those who have hacked this new goldmine, Twitter is a flex spot. Earning in dollars and spending in Naira, is there really a better deal in this country? 

This new source of income also fills in the gap for the second issue. Freelance work is legal work; it often entails providing valuable services to clients willing to pay for them. 

But the problem of money doesn't just end with a big fat check contrary to popular opinions. Those with well-paying gigs often end up having expenses hunt their paycheck down. There is usually a step further that needs to be taken in this road to staving anxiety. Financial intelligence! Yes, there needs to be a level of money management knowledge for you to breathe easy after you start earning. In subsequent posts, I'll be sharing knowledge regarding freelancing and money management as a budding working-class citizen of the grown-up world.

Ooh yes, before I forget. Chemical X is a thing, and it refers to "relationships;" there is only so much your skills and knowledge can take you. In truth, building relationships is an essential part of financial intelligence, but I believe it deserves a mention of its own. As much as possible, I'll also talk about various types of relationships, what you need to make them work, and how they invariably affect your finances in the long run. 

I expect by now you are clicking on a button to take you to the next post if there is one; patience, my friend, while time is of the essence, haste only wastes. Anticipate my upcoming posts as I take you on a journey to being better as a freelancer, in your finances, and in your relationships too.

In the meantime, there are a few things you can do. Share this with your friends, leave a comment below telling me what you initially thought chemical X would be too. You can also share what one it two things you think would help me tell this story better in the comment section. 

In the meantime, bye for now.

 

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Telling stories of beginnings.

I am tired

When you are asked to introduce yourself after a long day, you could swear that your speech is going to be blurred with signs of weary abandon, and you'll first blurt out your name, unsure of whether that is enough to cover as an introduction. 

Hi, I am Akintade Jesupelumi Victor, my parents were joyous to have me open up my mum's womb, and they allowed other respectable members of my family to grace my birth with their own versions of what they wanted to call me. Sadly I can only remember a few of these. Nice to meet you, what's your name?

Then it occurs to me, an introduction should go beyond giving a stranger my name, but what else should I say. I bloody well cannot begin to tell stories of how I got a permanent scar on my forehead when I was little, or how I literally have six fingers (makes me wonder if I was born in a womb or beamed down from a flying saucer.) Although I know I am not one of a kind, but I bet you can count the number of people you know with six fingers on one hand.

Let's skip my physical features, they really do not make much of a difference asides the fact that I am aiming to go back into the beard gang. 

I am a mix sarcasm, with a sprinkle of dark humour, a lot of kindness and loyalty, a good measure of intelligence, a bone of smartness, a dose of knowledge and 22 years worth of life experiences. I can be a bit of an overthinker, a breath of positive vibes and fresh air. 

I love abstract concepts of religion, space, and intellectual discussions. I think listening is the best way to learn. I love gaming, watching anime, reading a good book, fiction or otherwise, rap music as always been boo, but I have a weird musical taste. I tend to often rely on external motivation and I have learned to adjust to  various situations. Apparently on my side of life it isn't all rosy.

Skill wise, I write quite well, and this has led me to take up a side hustle in freelance writing. I write to sell, to help your content rank on Google and other search engines, to keep your audience glued to what they are reading, and so much more. I also do YouTube scripts. I actually do have a portfolio you can scan through. I also have a story on how I got into the freelance Arena, and how wild my journey has been so far. I have people skills and I know that for a fact. I am that guy that would work around campus and stop to greet about 20 people before getting to my destination, it could be a pain for my friends sometimes. I have a level of proficiency with power point presentation and I have dabbled and will still go back to trading the Forex market with time.

I have gone on and on about myself because I am a bit tired and I felt I should come out clean before I go on this journey. Obviously this isn't all there is to know about me, subsequently, one or two things would be revealed to the patient. 

At this point you might want to ask what is in it for me? Knowledge, a unique point of view and a level of insight into life that you surely will not get elsewhere. Like I said, a breath of fresh air. 

In the coming days, I'll be salting my blog and spicing my medium account with content that should either entertain you or open your eyes up to a whole new experience. 

I am sure you would want to know what in truth this young man wants to say, wait and find out. In the meantime, my Twitter page has a lot about me already, and you can walk through a certain part of my life in IG too, Facebook is where it all started and you can visit there too, and LinkedIn is where you will see some of my accolades (grin) nothing too serious though.

You can visit them and let me know what you think about my chattiness in the comments section, bye for now.

(Phew, I actually do like writing without restrictions) 

P.s

I have a dear editor, and she'll probably be pissed I didn't run this through her, she'll get her hands in this later though, so forgive any errors you might find here. 

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