In the next few days, we shall be saying our goodbyes to 2019 and welcoming the year 2020, with its new challenges and definitely massive opportunities.

You may not have made a lot in 2019 or achieved your goals or plans and, therefore, may be deflated or even depressed as the old year is rounding a corner. Most people, I tell you the truth, will feel the same way too, in varying degrees, albeit.

But as the New Year rolls in, in a matter of days. You’ve got to get yourself ready. Some days back, I was reading a book by one of my mentors, and he spoke glowingly about how some people have changed their stories in the world. One of them is Michael Phelps, American former competitive swimmer and the most successful and decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 28 medals. He holds an all-time records of 23 Olympic gold medals. He won eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games alone in which he surpassed the 7 gold medals won in a single Olympic Games by Mark Spitz, a fellow American.

But his secret was this: he lived a tripartite life for the years before he became a champion. He only ATE, SLEPT and SWAM. Put another way, Phelps was just eating, sleeping and swimming. No hanging out. No unnecessary waste of time and all that. Like someone brightly put it: it’s either you pay now and play later or you play now and pay later.

Same for one beautiful musician on The Voice USA: Alexandro. After a scintillating audition in which he wowed the music star judges, he was complimented that he was a genius and that he would win the competition. They asked him, “Do you think that you are going to be the next American idol”, to which he replied “I don’t know. There are going to be so many amazing singers and talents on the show.” They asked him again, “Do you think that you are special?” He replied, “I don’t think that I am special. I only try to work harder than others.”

As we move into 2020, you cannot expect to be doing the same things and expecting different results.

You have to break away from tradition and go after your dreams the way you have never done in all your past years.

Rather than “Oluwa, please pick my call”, go out there and make your dream happen.

Start with financial education, add skills acquisition to it and go for your dreams. Then Oluwa can pick your calls and make it happen because any faith that makes God totally responsible for the outcomes of your life is an irresponsible faith.

Don’t wait to be discovered; push yourself into the limelight and increases your chances of being discovered!

Moses Urim is CEO/Lead Consultant, McUrim Company Limited, a management and business consulting firm based in Lagos, Nigeria.