Tips to help you dominate this year

It’s a blessing to be on this side of 2019. The beauty of January is that it comes with that ‘new’ feeling, that starting-over feeling.

Most people have talked about how they’re now in a new space and feeling motivated. January creates a new playing field in our personal and business lives. It’s like moving from one class level to the next; remember that feeling?

Anyway, social media is buzzing with memes on New Year’s resolutions, from packed gyms to ambitious financial plans. I was asked what my resolutions are this year, and my answer was the same as it’s always been: growth and new challenges.

One of my friends challenged me on this, though, asking me to break it down. I said competition is healthy, but when you compete against yourself, it’s healthier. What does that mean?

We rarely keep tabs on our achievements, no matter how small they are. We need to learn the art of appreciation.

I have a small book where I write achievements, and another where I write my financials and deals. Why is that important? It helps me start the following year differently. I compete with myself and these records.

When a year starts, I look back at the achievements of the past 12 months and then ask myself how I can beat that record. It means I’m working within a realistic playing field. I have a separate list that covers the new challenges I’m after.

The art of growth

We often listen to stories from the famous people behind famous businesses and get inspired. And then we suddenly want to compete with these brands, and get frustrated when we’re nowhere near where they are. We forget these brands took years to build.

For instance, I’ve been in the music industry for just over 10 years now; I released my first album in August 2008.

The music knowledge that I’ve gathered in this time is deep, but it’s hard to transfer the experiences I’ve had. However, I can mentor.

The struggles I’ve gone through can’t be taught in a classroom, for stories don’t fully convey the depth of emotion or get all the details right.

That’s why when there’s been an accident, three eye witnesses will give three different accounts of what they saw. To date, nothing beats experience; it’s still the best teacher. Have you ever asked yourself why companies ask for a minimum level of experience?

Your rules

Play by your rules, but be aware of the environment. What that means is if we’re both in the juice-making industry, no matter how cocooned I am, when mango prices go up, it’ll affect both me and the big juice companies.

So be aware of the issues that affect the same industry players, but create your own working lane. What most people are afraid of is failure. And that’s why people tend to copy patterns. No one’s willing to take risks.

The syndrome is getting out of hand; it’s everywhere. You see your neighbour doing well in business and you want to copy him or her. What you don’t know is the time it’s taken them to get to where they are, and then years down the line you’re asking yourself where you went wrong.

Take up the challenge

Self-challenges will get you to new ground, and by the time you adjust, you’ll be handling your business differently. Let me share a few habits that’ll help you take over 2019.

1. Overdeliver: I’m in a WhatsApp group where people keep complaining about a certain business they’re doing. But I noticed that I’m not facing the same problems they are. And the reason for this is simple. Just overdeliver. Give your customers 200 per cent and the results will shock you. Most workers or start-up founders tend to work because they’re ‘supposed’ to.

2. Self-evaluate: This is something most people don’t focus on. I’ll soon do an entire article on ‘self’ and how powerful you really are.

3. Let success speak: Most artistes I meet keep telling me they’re really good, it’s just that they don’t have studio money. Entrepreneurs will say they don’t have the capital for their start-ups. I’ve learnt that it’s safer to work in silence and let your success speak for you. Performance speaks louder than words, and you’ll definitely cut costs through organic verbal marketing.

4. Don’t change your mind: When things are getting out of hand around something you’re passionate about, ask yourself what it will take to get back on track. I’ve pointed out before that I’ve failed so many times, but that’s been my bounce-back foundation. Find the lesson and charge forward. If you keep giving up, you’ll find that you’ve spit out capital four different times for four different businesses, and none of them is working.

Happy 2019, and all the best.

The writer is an award-winning artiste and entrepreneur.