The successful people you see today, didn’t attain success by mere wishes. They were intentional about even the little things. Hence, a Scottish proverb first recorded in 1628 says: “ if wishes were horses , beggars would ride.”
This message is for you who wants to gain and sustain relevance . In nine quick steps , I will show you how you can gain and sustain relevance.
Envisage the Big Picture: The big picture thinking has to do with your goal, vision and future. This helps you strategize, save time and plan accordingly. A person without a vision is headed for catastrophe. In gaining and sustaining relevance, you need to first know who you want to be , what values do you want to be known for? What impact do you want to make? What’s your purpose? What dream should you pursue passionately? How do you intend to achieve these? Sometimes, you don’t need to have the puzzle solved all at once . However, with a big picture, it helps you make little steps in the right direction.
Research: Having identified what you want to be associated with; you’ve got a goal, this is where you follow the trail. My Grandmother used to tell me a story of how a girl named Adaugo whose stepmother wanted to abandon in the forest, returned home by virtue of wisdom. While her stepmother kept taking her farther into the forest, she kept throwing white stones as they went, unknowing to her stepmother. When she was left alone, the trail of white stones brought her home again.
Success has trails . Some have been documented , and others have been told as stories. Discover your goal, research,
and follow this trail. This makes navigating your goal easy. It gives you an idea of what you are up against.
Arm Yourself: What is a Soldier without arms? Now you have done your research, this is the point you arm yourself with the necessary skill and knowledge. If your goal requires certifications, go for it. If it requires certain specified skills , go for it. I once had an opportunity to talk to young minds on skill acquisition and I can recall telling them how titles may sound pleasant but mastery is important. It’s okay to bear the title of a Writer. However, when opportunity presents itself, how skilled are you? Have you taken time to gain mastery? Can you boldly say you have attained relevance as a Writer?
Sacrifice: During my service year, a Coach I have been following online for years; who has gained a track record of results sent out an advertisement regarding a physical training she was hosting for Writers. At that point of my journey, I knew that training would aid the big break I was yearning for. I had insufficient funds and the venue was over twelve hours from my place of primary assignment. The cost of attending the training was twice my pay but I knew for sure that the result I would gain from making that sacrifice would be long term. So , I wore my big girl pants and got on the bus. The quest for relevance requires sacrifice. It would keep you up at night, require your funds, deny you pleasure, burn your energy and even time. Freebies are amazing but if you cannot sacrifice to gain relevance, then you have not truly started.
Consistency: Overtime, I have heard a lot of people talk about the importance of consistency in gaining and sustaining relevance. The Cambridge dictionary defines consistency as a state or condition of always happening or behaving in the same way. Now for better understanding of the point being discussed , consistency isn’t just about showing up everyday. It’s about showing up in the right direction with the aim of achieving results. Let me paint a vivid picture for the purpose of clarity using what I know how to do best : content writing. I could make a post everyday yet I won’t gain results. I could also make a post twice weekly, taking into consideration what I’m doing right or wrong and making necessary adjustments and still get massive results.
It isn’t just about the number of times but the number of times done rightly.
Discipline: with relevance comes discipline.
It can be likened to someone on a weight loss journey. You can’t be desiring a particular body type and still eat wrongly. If you are on a journey to relevance, some level of discipline should be applied; some boundaries should be set; some values should be hallowed. Horn your own identity through discipline.
Mentorship: Mentorship is another sure way of gaining and sustaining relevance. To teach others, to present yourself as relevant, you must be taught. Mentorship could be done in ways I love to classify as directly or indirectly. If one gains mentorship via books or documented materials that is indirect mentorship; while if it’s done via close observation then it’s direct mentorship. As you volunteer , you are building relevance. As you observe and apply observations you are building relevance and building your own community. In mentorship, you learn not to repeat someone’s mistake. There is the platform to see what works and what doesn’t. There is the opportunity to see what didn’t work and make modifications to make it work. Mentorship gives you wings.
Positioning: One who wants to gain and sustain relevance is always prepared, waiting for the moment opportunity comes knocking. There is intentionality in actions and words. You’ve seen the big picture , what you’ve seen should keep you on your toes. Try as much as possible to get the necessary exposure you need no matter how small. The universe should feel your yearnings.
Keep the candle aflame: A good friend of mine once said to me; “ the day you stop yearning to know more; the day you stop learning that is the day you stop growing.” The only person you are allowed to be in competition with is yourself. See every win, every knowledge , every exposure as a stepping stone to another one. Never be comfortable with what you already know. The day you stop learning, that is the day you lose your right to relevance. That is the day you lose the right to teach others. Not upscaling your knowledge makes you lose relevance . There isn’t any fresh oil to share with the rest of the world. No new experience to learn from. Just the old.
On this journey of gaining and sustaining relevance, the steps are inexhaustible. However, the steps considered above are enough to get you started on the right track. Get off the band of admirers and wishful thinkers and get to work. You too can do it . Just do it.
