The long break between two sessions, for student of higher institutions, is usually to refresh, reset and refuel (if not restock on clothes and other materials). But really, it is a great time to make great things happen in the student's life.
Changes for the better in many ramification; academic wise, social wise, professional wise and for the hustlers and business owners, economic wise. Some student take summer internships, trainings, boot camps, fellowships and even start or expand their businesses.
Here are 7 tips to make the best use of the long break.
1. Know what you want: What you want to do or achieve can only be accomplished when you know clearly what it is. Remember the first letter in SMART- Specific! Be specific about your goal. Do you want to improve your academic prowess or your industry knowledge? Do you want to start your business idea or expand your business? This holiday is the best time you have.
Even if it is to hustle for money like me, or you want to try new ideas like my sister, Salamat, who started rearing fish about three weeks ago. You need to know exactly what you want.
2. Learn the How: This involves you exploring the dynamics of what you have set forth to do. It might be a simple act of googling "How to make 1 million naira in one month" or asking some seniors how to learn that new skill or how to land that internship or mentorship connection. If it is for your business you can ask people who have done what you want to do before how they built a multi-million naira business with just "#50 Capital". Learn the how of what you want to do to eliminate a lot of unnecessary mistakes. There is a quote that says "if you are given an hour to cut a tree use 50 minutes to sharpen your axe" sharpening your axe involves learning the how-to.
3. Start Doing: Millions of beautiful ideas die in the heads of youths daily because of things like fear of failure, over analysing which cause analysis-paralysis, procrastination and self-denial. When you learn how to do what you want to do the next thing to do is..... Just to do! Yes, it is totally fine for your idea to make you scared, it is fine to think "Who am I to think that I can do this" it is fine for your mind to come up with 1000 reasons why you will fail, but you only need one reason to succeed and that is because you want to do it successfully and you definitely can do it successfully.
If procrastination is your problem or imposter syndrome all you need to do is to start doing and you will prove everything and everybody (including yourself) wrong.
4. Get it out there: When you eventually start doing, from the first one done, put it out there that you have done something, that you have started something. This is a personal trick for me and it has always proven to be beneficial. When you let people know that you have done something or started doing something, you get a few things.
- Boasting right
- Encouragement from fans
- Correction on how to be better
- Reason to continue doing.
When you put things out about what you do, people will start knowing you for what you do, and perhaps help you become better in what you do and lastly you don't want to disappoint your fans so you continue doing what you do and end up becoming an expert in what you do. ( don't mind me I like playing with words)
5. Use your lifelines: For those of us who knew WWTBAM (Who Want To Be A Millionaire) the importance of lifelines need not be explained to us. But lifelines are those important access keys you have to some people or privileges. Access to one uncle who is your role model and a potential mentor, that aunt that works in your dream workplace or industry, that your big daddy (you know in Nigeria any uncle who is older than your dad is big daddy 😉) who has a company you can intern with. Contact them now and tell them what you are doing and what you want from them. Don't wait till they come asking you (miraculously) what you want, that may never happen. Call and talk to them now.
6. Pump in the energy and iterate: Yes, pump in the energy, go the extra mile, stay up extra hours, use night plans for cheaper sub (there is kuku no school tomorrow) this is the only way to get things done in this UAR where everything is working against making things work. And when it seems you are not getting the desired result, iterate. Iterate means doing it again, but not necessarily the same way. Even when you are getting the desired result, what you need to do is still to iterate.
What is better than always getting it right? You just become Oga Na Master😀.
Lastly,
7. Check on your colleagues: Check on the progress of your mates and loved ones. It's a very good act for the two of you. You get to catch up on gists and plans and also exchange ideas. There is no better encourager and motivator than your buddy. ( If nothing at all, you will enjoy hearing them call you Boss!🙌).
Should you have any idea you are thinking of working on, this is the best time to start it.
Remember there is no better time to start than NOW!
