As we progress through this year, I felt I needed to share this with you. It is very pertinent that you become strategic in propelling yourself into Personal Productivity and Nation Building. This won’t be possible unless you embrace the right strategy going forward. On this, I recommend the BAKUTANA Model of Productivity. This is a sum total of habits that you need to develop so as to live a productive life. These are the things done by people who leave a legacy in life. They add value to you and make you valuable in the Marketplace and in everything you do. Remember that the goal of Personal Development is to be productive at an individual level, thus causing society to bear fruit too through your own productivity. Do this using the BAKUTANA Model of Productivity:
B = Believe in yourself:
Mary Kay Ash said, “If you think you can, you can; if you think you can’t, you are right.” It is all about what you think especially about yourself and your ability to be highly productive. Belief in self is the starting point for confident action and strategic advancement in life. In which areas of your life do you need to be more confident of your ability to progress? Is it going to a certain office? Approaching a certain important partner? Embarking on a certain vital habit? Starting on a vital project? Taking care of a group of people? Building a certain infrastructural set-up? Tabling a private member’s bill? Believe in yourself. You can.
A = Aim at Excellence:
Good has never been good enough! We often talk about doing things professionally. But as I write in my book “Christian Professionalism: The Key to Society Transformation,” excellence is the hallmark of any professional. “Excellence is not an accident but a choice. It’s not an event but a habit… a habitual decision to always be above average. We are not created for mediocrity and average performance. We have a seed of excellence inside us… You’re the head, not the tail (Deut.28:13). That means you should explore the heights of performance and produce great results in your professional practice. You should be known for accomplishments, not mere activity… Go for the best because good is not good enough.”
K = Keep on keeping on:
It’s been said that winners never quit and quitters never win. How true! If you give up your pursuit, you give up many opportunities and blessings. No productivity can be evident in the absence of persistence and continuous pursuit of your dreams. There are many things to discourage your movement and disappoint your efforts. Nevertheless, giving up should not be among your options. Refuse to be discouraged. Have a stubborn insistence amidst evidence to the contrary of your belief. Make that one more step. Challenges in life are an opportunity for self re-invention. In crisis, there are many opportunities. Please, keep on keeping on.
U = Unleash your Potential:
You have concealed potential beyond comprehension. The quicker you believe this, the better you shall be. Your biggest problem is not that you are too weak to do great things. The biggest challenge is that you are very superior in potential beyond understanding. Your main job is to tap into your abilities and produce results. What can you do well? What are your gifts and talents? Use all those to be productive as an individual, to impact the community and to glorify God. Make a directory, like I did, of all your resources: talents, gifts, physical skills, academic abilities, and social competencies, spiritual resources, finances, landed property, etc… and ask yourself what you can do with each one of them. You will amaze yourself how greatly endowed you are. Shine on!
T = Tame your Time:
Life is time; and time is the passing of life. Once you waste time, you’ve actually wasted life. Redeem the time you have because these are evil days. In my book “Enjoy a Balanced Life,” I caution us to avoid the time wasters – many they are. I also advise us to learn how to plan our time each day. The things to do today list is the most popular, simplest yet most effective way to tame your time. Remember, though, to also have the things-not-to-do-today lists because those are the things that stop you from doing what you plan to do. Indecision is one enemy of good time usage. Avoid the habit of late coming at functions and for your appointments. In my book “Leadership worth the Name,” I strongly argue, “By the way, why would a leader be known for always coming late? It is the same as loudly saying. ‘The important man needs to find the less important ones seated so that they can give him a standing ovation when he arrives.’ This is Pharisaic leadership.”
A = Arrange your priorities:
Many people fail to be productive in life because they major in minor things and minor in major things. Their priorities are upside-down. You can’t be influential and impactful unless you learn to always do the right things at the right time with the right people for the right reasons or with the right intentions. In “Enjoy a Balanced Life,” I share about the 4 categories of tasks we encounter everyday: 1-Urgent and Important, 2 – Urgent but not Important, 3 – Not Urgent but Important, 4 – Not Urgent and Not Important. You should swiftly categorize your tasks as such, and be wise in your approach to them. Remember to prioritize the higher calling of godly living and having the eternal in view as you decide what is and what is not important.
N = Nourish your spirit:
Proverbs 1:7 is one of the most famous bible quotes, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” And as you know, wisdom is the principal thing. It is very important that you feed your spirit well. You’re not a physical being having a spiritual experience. Actually, you are a spiritual reality enjoying a physical experience/existence! Nurture your relationship with God because without Him, you can do nothing phenomenally far-reaching in significance. Be in fellowship and be part of a credible faith community. Have a prayerful life and be fed in the Word of God.
A = Accumulate many relevant friends:
You may be aware that where there’s no vision, people perish. But I also say that where there are no people, visions perish. We need people to impact people. We need relationships to touch lives. We need partners to reach out to greater horizons. Be very mindful, therefore, of your company. In my book “Fresh Apples for Single People,” I say, “If you walk with nine fools, you will become the tenth!” why? Because, the people you share life with affect your mindsets, speech, decisions, actions and character… and ultimately, your destiny. Productivity is highly tagged onto the nature of one’s friends. In addition, do a lot of networking with relevant people according to your dreams and aspirations. I thus emphasize that you accumulate many RELEVANT friends.
In conclusion, therefore, the strategy for personal productivity is this:
1) Believe in yourself:
2) Aim at Excellence:
3) Keep on keeping on:
4) Unleash your Potential:
5) Tame your Time:
6) Arrange your priorities:
7) Nourish your spirit:
8) Accumulate many relevant friends:
If you follow this BAKUTANA Model of Productivity, you will add value to yourself and be the leader worth the name as you become what you were created to be. Stand out as a leader everywhere you go. Leadership is about influence but Leadership worth the name is about positive influence, and this achieved through deliberate strategy.
Remember to secure yourself and your teams and organizations and partners copies of my books which are affordable, portable and highly empowering.
I hope to hear from you soon!
