₦airaland Forum

bookface:
In the future, when we turn 50, we will each be given a ticket to a time machine and, just once, we will be able to go back in time and talk to our 25-year-old selves.

Even then, time travel will be expensive and wreak havoc with frequent flyer programs. So there will only be one trip. So what if we could? What would we say? What advice would we give?

I often wish I could do this. Just once. So, just in case the time machine ever comes along, this is the career advice I would give my 25-year-old self.

1. A career is a marathon, not a sprint

Chill. When we are younger we tend to be impatient. As you get older you realise there is no real rush. Life, and the careers we pursue to fill it and pay the bills, needs to be approached on a long-term basis. If you sprint you will wear out or start to resent work that you previously enjoyed. Allow yourself time to breath and grow. Things will come if you work hard and allow yourself time to get good at things. Always rushing only leaves you empty, and tired. It is fine to give yourself permission to take some time in the slow lane with the hat people. You will find yourself seeing things on the journey that you didn’t realise were there.

2. Most success comes from repetition, not new things

I remember hairdressing legend Stefan Ackerie telling me this in 2003. I had never really thought about it before. A few years later Malcolm Gladwell’s brilliant book Outliers was published, promoting the idea that you needed to spend 10,000 hours on something to become truly expert at it. This applied to the Beatles and their Hamburg gigs and Bill Gates who, through a series of fortuitous accidents, ended up spending more time than almost anyone else on a computer.

The lesson here is get good at things before you try to move to the next thing. Genuine expertise belongs to an elite few. They seldom have superpowers. They usually have endurance, patience and take a long-term view. They also love what they do. If your find that, don’t let it go.

3. If work was really so great all the rich people would have the jobs

It is well established that almost nobody laments on their death bed that they didn’t spend enough time at the office. This seems obvious. Yet still we let contrived circumstances and fairly trivial issues keep us from important events like school sport days and kids getting badges for picking up rubbish. I wish somebody had schooled me about these priorities at 25. I can remember every sport day and certificate presentation I missed. I can’t remember any of the reasons I missed them.

4. Deprioritise your career when your kids are young

If you have skills, commitment and passion, careers tend to take care of themselves. Over the long haul, it really doesn’t matter if you have a few years when your career is in canter mode while you prioritise young children. This should apply to men and women. I was watching some video of my kids when they were little last week and I realised, again, that the little people in that video don’t exist in that form anymore. They have grown into pride-worthy adults but the tiny people with wonder in their eyes were just passing through. If you miss that time meeting deadlines and finishing reports, you never get it back. Childhood is fleeting. When it is in its formative stages, you get one chance.

You can also miss the chance to learn. Children teach you a lot more than you teach them. They give you a second chance to see the world for the first time through their eyes. And you will be astounded what you miss in the clutter of life. Hold onto those times while you can. As the nun sang in The Sound of Music, you can’t keep a wave upon the sand. And you look kinda ridiculous trying.

5. In the workforce, always act like you are 35


A recruiter gave me this advice some years ago. It is quite inspired. What she meant was, when you are young in the workplace, don’t act as a novice. If you are smart and competent, step up and do whatever you are capable of doing in a mature way. Similarly, when you are an older worker, don’t act like it. Approach your day with youthful energy. To quote a famous Frank Sinatra song: “You’re 35 and it’s a very good year”.

6. Management is about people, not things

It is easy to fall into the trap of believing that all people are equal, behave the same every day and have a generic capacity to perform. Humans are simply not made like that. Business guru Jack Welch says the workforce consists of 20 per cent of people who are high performers, 10 per cent that you should get rid of and 70 per cent who do okay. The problem is the 70 per cent. Most managers want everyone in the 20 per cent. We need to be careful not to believe that the 70 per cent are underperformers. Sometimes we need to celebrate the competence of the masses not the superpowers of the elite. As managers, we are not managing things, we are empowering people and making the best use of whatever it is they bring to the table.

7. Genuinely listen to others

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking we have all the answers as individuals. We don’t. As a group we are far more powerful. We need to learn to genuinely collaborate and really listen to the opinions of others. And we need to ask our own people first. So many managers and firms fall into the trap of asking external consultants for answers and then trying to implement the recommendations over the top of tried-and-true employees. In almost every case, our own people already know the answers. We need to avoid letting familiarity blind us to the talent sitting around us.

8. Never work for horrible bastards

Life is way too short to tolerate really bad bosses. If you find yourself working for one, unless you are desperate or starving, start looking for a new job. Immediately. Then sack the bad boss. By leaving.


9. Recognise that staff are people with finite emotional capacity

This is one I really wish I had known earlier. It is clear to me now that humans have a finite emotional capacity. If there is something challenging happening in their personal lives, they have limited capacity left to deal with issues at work. In nearly 100 per cent of cases I have dealt with of people suddenly under-performing at work, it has nothing to do with work. When good people have problems, managers and companies need to carry them. This should be a personal mission. If we learn to carry people when they most need it, we become a stronger community and we empower people in ways that we probably can’t imagine when we are young. A re-invigorated broken employee is a corporation’s most powerful force. They become a slightly better version of themselves without the need for a V energy drink.

10. Don’t just network with people your own age

Beware the whiz kid syndrome. Smart, young people have a habit of forming communities of other smart young people and feeding off each other’s energy. In the older world they are seen as “bright young things” that give confidence that the future is in good hands. Argghhhh. How many times have you heard that? Youth enclaves can actually be restrictive. Smart 20-somethings should make sure they network with older people too. In fact their networking should be about meeting useful mentors and career champions who can open doors and fast track careers. Similarly, older, successful people shouldn’t just sit in musty clubs talking about the 1970s. They should be proactively seeking out smart, young people who can shake them out of their comfort zone and open their eyes to new ideas.

11. Celebrate cultural differences in the workplace

One of the big mistakes we make in Australia is failing to adequately recognise the value of overseas experience and people from a variety of cultures. Diversity brings a richness to our workplaces that benefits all of us. Overseas experience is real experience. We should take every opportunity to inject new thinking into our workplaces. It is where the magic begins.

12. Take the time to understand what your business does

I love the story of President J F Kennedy’s visit to NASA during which he asked a cleaner what his job was. The cleaner replied that he sent rockets to the moon. All of us should feel part of what our organisations actually do. We should take the time to be part of the big picture and always feel connected with the true objectives of our workplace. Don’t wait for someone to tell you or lament that internal communication is crap. Find out for yourself.

13. Don’t put off working overseas

Geography is becoming less relevant. We are all citizens of the world. President Obama made the point during his University of Queensland speech that the world was becoming smaller and even the Pacific Ocean was now just a lake. If you get the chance to work overseas, and you aspire to do that, take it. There is never a right time. And we always regret the things we don’t do far more than the things we do.

14. Work in an office where you have friends

You will spend a lot of time at work. You should work with people you like. I used to be a bit sceptical about a question in employment engagement surveys asking people if they had a “best friend” at work. I realise now that work is much better if you are among friends. The happiest people are those who do things they are passionate about with people they really like. Further to that, if you find you have taken on a job you hate, ditch it quickly. Your career can survive a few well-intentioned detours and mistaken pathways.

15. Never sacrifice personal ethics for a work reason

Crucial to workplace happiness is value alignment. If you work somewhere that compromises your personal ethics and values, get out of there as quickly as you can. Good people will be unnerved by things that don’t feel right. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Bad things only manifest when good people don’t take a stand.

16. Recognise that failure is learning

As bizarre as it might sound, failing is not failure. Researchers recognise that failure is just part of a process to eliminate unsuccessful options. To misquote Woody from Toy Story, when we make a few mistakes, we are not failing, just falling - with style. Even fairy-tale princesses recognise that you need to kiss a lot of toads before you find a handsome prince. Thomas Edison articulated this best: “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” If we fear failure we tend to take a minimalist approach to our jobs and the opportunities around us. Takes some risks. Sometimes failing spectacularly is the best evidence that we are alive, human and serious about aspiring to the extraordinary. There is no value in being ordinary when you have the capacity to be remarkable.


Culled from Linkedin

https://www./career-advice-i-wish-had-25-shane-rodgers?trk=v-feed&trk=hp-feed-article-title-share

ENIGMA24:

God which one is my own ??

TrapQueen77:
Sombori got these all without a doubt

Why oooh why some men are like this?

Omotayor123:
Human fit give Goat belle


Cc. Doctors in the house.

wristbangle:
This decision will definitely have merits and demerits.

To me, seems the demerits may be more: Their currency has crashed to all low in 31years and there is tendency it will depreciate more after this decision. Also it may discourage foreign investors frm investing in the country. Football arm will no doubt be affected.

wristbangle:
This decision will definitely have merits and demerits.

To me, seems the demerits may be more: Their currency has crashed to all low in 31years and there is tendency it will depreciate more after this decision. Also it may discourage foreign investors frm investing in the country. Football arm will no doubt be affected.

zhiiee:
Hi

Mikylopez:
jez i hate cockroaches donno y i freak out when i c erm

Kelklein:
That's weird of him tho!

---

[color=#CD1076]It will take just 60 seconds to read this and change your thinking..

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.
His bed was next to the room's only window.
The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end.
They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation..

Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by.
Although the other man could not hear the band -he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with
descriptive words.

Days, weeks and months passed.One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.
She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window.The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed.
It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this
window.
The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.
She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'

Epilogue:
There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.

'Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present .'

Must share this beautiful story with everyone.[/color]

RobinHez:
https://i1.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article6481701.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Aliens.jpg

Alien invasion

There is every chance that, somewhere in billions of galaxies, intelligent beings much more superior to ourselves do exist. So if aliens did finally arrive at planet Earth in large numbers, what can we most likely expect?

Stephen Hawking, who this year helped launch a major new effort to search for alien life in the cosmos, thinks it more likely that such creatures would come to Earth in search of resources and bent on our destruction. He said: “If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn’t turn out well for the Native Americans.”

Other cosmologists go further, supposing that extraterrestrial invaders might plunder a vital natural resource, such as the water from our oceans, bring with them pests with a taste for human flesh or upset our planet or solar system causing Earth’s destruction.

Amodsun:
Being a lawyer can be crazy and weird at times, but hey, there are still many things about being a lawyer that I love so much. For some of us, it may not be too much money or a luxurious life characterised by sleek cars and great mansions; but it just could be other little crumbs that falls off the table of the profession.

I know you all would be expecting me to go talking about how heroic our works can be; rescuing the oppressed, protecting the week, fighting for people’s right and all of that, but I won’t. Of course those are noble deeds we do as lawyers, of which we take pride in. But can we be a little selfish here? Already they call us liars, how about them calling us selfish too? Like we care! Here are my little selfish reasons why I love being a lawyer-

1. I Love The Attention It Attracts

Oh please, who doesn't love attention? We all do, though the degree at which we crave for it may differ; so don’t give me that look. I love the feeling I usually get when I walk into a bank and one of the staff calls out in greeting to the hearing of everybody thus- “you are welcome barrister”. You can imagine the stares that such greeting generates, and to think that I am the focus of such is so cool. By the way, this is not peculiar to banking halls, it just happens everywhere. You all know most folks don’t know us by our names, and even the few that do, would rather call you a barrister than your name. This plays out in so many ways and I enjoy every bit of it. You can call me a kid, it’s okay, am just being honest here.

2. I Love The Feeling Of Fear We Trigger

Are you in doubt of this? Ask some policemen. I laugh when some of my colleagues narrate their experiences with policemen, especially at the police station. A policeman on sighting a lawyer at the police station, probably on the invitation of a client, who is being detained, immediately turns into a tiger. It’s funny. Why would they turn into tigers all of a sudden? The guys are intimidated. Why are they intimidated? They are the bad guys, and here comes the good guys who won’t let them have their devilish ways. Naija police I hail o! You know what I do when I confront such scenarios? I pity them and try to assure them that I am their friend, while laughing in my mind because I know I am not their friend in anyway. They are bad. Yes I said it. Same goes for other folks who won’t just want to do the right thing. Talk of landlords who wouldn't want to follow due process in ejecting tenants out of their houses, creditors who also won’t follow the right means in recovering their debt, and many others. We are the good guys, and the bad guys hate us.

3. I Love The Controversial Aura

You will be shocked to hear all kinds of opinion people have about lawyers. Seriously, they don’t just think of us as liars; they think a whole lot of shit about us. I heard some even think we all are occult members; can you beat that? I intend to conduct a public opinion on this one of these days, and I can’t wait to really hear stuffs people think and say about us. But come to think of it, who even gives a heck about what they all say and think? I just love that controversial air. Don’t you?

4. I Love The Fact That We Can Be Trusted

It takes a lot of faith and trust for people to share intimate things with you. We are talking about secrets and confidential information here. People literally lay their lives bare before their lawyers. Folks trust us with their lives. It’s humbling. I know it also comes with a great responsibility of not betraying that trust.

I love being a lawyer, don’t you? Let’s hear your own reasons why you love being a lawyer. I actually mean your selfish, crazy reasons!
Legooooii

8kingz:
Why won't PDP win after they've nearly killed all the APC...that was there plan all along,create fear in the heart of the people so that they will not come out and vote then manufacture numbers,just when are we going to get it right if we are ever going to get it right

wristbangle:
Lol. Dear the highest power generation since independence is 5,075MW and it's under this administration some months ago.

Though I am not happy with the hike in electricity tariff and I cant imagine paying for something we don't have.

So let's give BRF time to figure out how things will turn up to be.

HungerBAD:
At last a worki[/s]ng mini[s]st[/s]er.[s]

Is this what the 16 Years of PDP left us?no wonder there is a problem of power supply.

Thank God this Government is working round the clock,to make sure there is a constant supply of power.
May d trailer of common sense collapse on u......

jmichlins:
the power behind that must really be strong. Imagine that small car drawing two tow vehicles in the river. Maybe they want use the two do escort vehicle

ILoveMakonen:
If someone is able to attain and substain all these attributes then you may see ur life on a new path. But how can one be able to attain all these attributes? Hmmm no be mouth ooo!

Maxity02:
op! money rules the world..


just kidding

Eaa247:
Wats ur GPA in d skul?

emeraldknytt:
...and by their monikers, we shall know them. Nuff said

Mimido2:
yes

missingrib:
if I hear..

Mimido2:
dey should barb skin..... its a very good hair cut

missingrib:
hmmm