Shortly before the end of 2019, I was invited to talk at the NASFAT Annual Youth Camp in Erin Osun, Osun State. The topic of that engagement is the focus of this piece. I spoke extensively on how the over 400 young men and women delegate at the camp could lead an impactful personal life in 2020. This is imperative in a setting such as Africa where millions of people had trooped out to different religious settings on the eve of the new Gregorian year to pray for a better and more prosperous new year. The frenzy has gone down. The New Year is gradually counting its life span. Since hope is not a strategy, there is a need for all, especially, youths to understand what it takes to succeed – personal leadership. What does it take to lead an impactful personal life?
# Understand what personal leadership means. To live an impactful personal life in this year, it is important to understand the meaning of personal leadership. It has been said that personal leadership is the ability for one to develop and utilize positive leadership traits to guide the direction of one’s life instead of letting time and chance determine one’s course. This requires some level of deliberateness to have an impactful, more productive life. Beyond the frenzy to welcome another year, there is the need to be more deliberate about achieving goals and making progress. You take the opportunity to design, create, and achieve your ideal ways of living and leading.
#Mindset is important. For a successful life in 2020, a positive mindset is required. Your mindset is a collection of your thoughts and beliefs that shape your thought habits. This in turn affects how you think, what you feel and what you do. Your mindset reflects in your attitude. It dictates whether to keep on or back down. It influences you on whether to move ahead or turn back. It is one of the special tools you need as you drive ahead in this year.
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#Learn how to set your goals. This is another important tool to navigate an impactful 2020. Setting goals involves the development of an action plan designed to motivate and guide a person or group toward a goal. Goals set have to be SMART. Specific. Measurable Achievable. Relevant and Time bound. Your goal is specific when you are able to identify a particular goal. It is measurable when you attach number. It is achievable when it is something within your capacity to achieve. It is relevant when you it fills a need in your life. It is time-bound when you attach a definite time to its achievement.
#Have a personal development plan. This is a process that consists of defining what is important to you, what you want to achieve, what strengths you already have that help to achieve your goals, and what you need to improve and develop with time. In 2020, the PDP continues. For a more resourceful living, there is a need to have a personal development plan and to follow it religiously.
Today is the second day of the first month of the year. It simply means that it is also winding down. Personal leadership is the key to achieving as much as possible within the year.
