 The start of the new year often symbolizes a clean slate, an opportunity to leave behind the challenges and setbacks of the past. It's a time when individuals set intentions for personal growth, adopting resolutions that reflect their aspirations for the coming months, for some, new year new me may involve physical transformations, others focus on mental and emotional well-being, while some focus on career aspirations, however, amidst the enthusiasm for change, it is essential to approach the year with a balanced perspective. So tonight we're asking, how do you adequately plan for success in 2024? Please let's hear what you have to say. Remember, you can join the conversation, send us an SMS or WhatsApp message two zero eight one eight zero three eight four six six three. So new year, new me. I quite like this hashtag. I mean, I know I've already said. Um, but who just doesn't love the opportunity for us to start afresh, right? If you are going to, I mean, I was listening to Mary and I think that everybody should please get out pen and paper today, because you have to take at least one thing away from this show that's going to help you. Most people sometimes, and I love when you were speaking to you about reflection, right? You first of all even need to know how it went. Um, and I think part of what for me, I think I already shared one of the other days, um, one of the things that actually transformed the end of 2023 for me. It wasn't anything momentous. It was just a day where I sat and I was sort of reflecting. And it occurred to me that when I looked back on 2023, it was, it was following the conversation actually. And I realized that even though 2023 was tough, right? I couldn't think of anything that I wanted to do that I didn't do, right? So at that point, that simple thought created a shift where I went from a place of accepting the narrative that 2023 was a tough year to being incredibly thankful and grateful, right? That I was where I was at that particular moment in time. So it's not about big things. It's little shifts, little things that create big shifts that actually help you to reframe your perspective, to view yourself in a different light or your circumstances in a different light, because we all have good days. We all have bad days. In the middle of all that, that in December, I went through a stretch where I was feeling completely and totally flat. You know, sometimes you're just getting overwhelmed from all the going out, like you're just like, I just need a few days to recharge and to replug, like to plug back in. So the reality of it is, think about it. What did you reflect on? Or if you reflected in 2023, what were the things that stood out to you about your year? What were you thankful for? What were you not so happy about? Or what would you have loved to have changed or done differently? I don't want to say regrets. But things that when you look in hindsight, you're thinking, perhaps I could have done differently. I think reflection is really, really important. And you also you had mentioned it already, Jeala. So maybe I'll come back to you just to talk about a bit more about your experience with reflecting over the year. OK, so the most important thing for me was. OK, so let me start with saying that one of the things that I do is I curate content around intentional living. So I believe in that a lot. And I believe that nothing really just happens just like that. And you shouldn't be in a place or you shouldn't just accept the fact that, well, whatever happens happens, you always have a say. It's either you've been proactive or you've been reactionary. That's always been my span. So at the end of 2023, I mean, like you rightly said, you know, there was a whole lot of that narrative. Oh, 2023 was a shitty year, crazy year, these stats and all that. And in reflecting and I keep a gratitude journal and I realized that it wasn't as bad as I thought. And that for me, again, was very profound because, I mean, I saw that some of the things that I had written like I needed to do this, I realized I did it. Someone came through. Someone called me on this particular day that I was feeling. Someone just said, oh, I've been thinking about you. I need to speak to you. Oh, you know, at every point in time. And I think for me, I got carried away with all the white noise at a point in time, I lost faith in my own vision because it wasn't happening the way I wanted it to happen. You know, and he brought me back to the fact that my visions has not changed because they are premised. They're steeped in my own core values. You know, so it's not like, yes, it can get bigger because I evolve one or two weeks, but the core of it is still very much in tandem with who I am at my core. You know, and I brought me to that point where I am like, OK, you know what? You need to understand that there is process. And in moving, in going on this journey, there will be details. You can't afford to see yourself as having lost the dream or haven't failed or haven't lost hope or like, oh, OK, now that this boss has taken me to OSHOD instead of this thing, that means I will not get my destination. Calibrate, yes. Exactly. So that's informed how I planned or how I set my plan for 2024. And I think that's a good, good place to sort of jump into, yes, we've reflected. And then now you've taken the learnings of the year and now you're moving to 2024. I can't say it again. We're 16 days in, but it's not too late. The reason why we're having this conversation today is there is still time. If you feel like you haven't planned, if you feel like you haven't thought about it, it doesn't have to be a December conversation. It doesn't have to be a January conversation. This is one of those times where they literally say the day when you wake up is your morning. So let today be your morning, let tomorrow be your morning. But the most important thing is the taking action. So one of the things that I did when it came to goal setting after reflecting was and this would be our first tip for today. What areas of your life are you planning to plan about? Let me put it that way, right? What areas are you looking at? What areas are you focusing at? And I had a list of things that I wanted to focus on. First and foremost for me in this year, based on my reflection from last year, was my health, was focusing on being a healthier version of myself in 2024. And understanding what metrics I wanted to tweak. So like for me, blood pressure is a huge thing. I'm really wanting to get to a good place. So health was one. Secondly, well, I've talked economy, economy, money, money, money. Finalities. That's true. Yeah. Family, for me, having children, I think it's important for every parent to also plan around how you're going to parent, how you're going to help your family be better. And it's not about money, particularly when you have younger children, right? How are you going to instill in them the right values, depending on what age they are and all of that. So there's some deliberateness to it. Even to how you pray over your children for me was key. After family, I think spiritual was another one, having spiritual goals. And it's not about religion, it's about you and your faith and whatever you connect with, higher being or the likes. But how are you developing yourself and your soul better? Then there was career, whether it's business, whether it's career. That part of it as well was for me, a lot of people in this country, career happens to them. Let me say job, they have job, they don't quite get to career because there's not enough planning around how I'm charting my career. If your job today tells you, you're a doctor, it's OK. If you're a doctor and tomorrow they tell you, you are 90% a doctor becomes a 90% as long as like you said, we're paying the bills. So that was for me, the next one. And then the final one, which sort of ties into career, is the area of self-development or whether it be professional courses, academic, that kind of thing. So for me, those were like the six high level places that I sort of placed areas that I focused on. Was there anything else that I could have missed out that you looked at that maybe doesn't fall under the six? I think it's very broad. Finances was everybody was like, I'm planning for money. We're hustling this year. But yeah, no, how did you approach it? So in terms of these sorts of different areas, you know, what was your focus? I know for me, vision board is a huge part of my my own sort of approach to it. You already talked about having a vision. But how did you then go about planning for this year? OK, so I have a vision board. I'm a very big vision board. What I see, you might read my actual magazines and stuff. Oh, sometimes your magazine is from a book. You build it, you print it as long as you put it together. You know, I have this very big journal, you know, that I use. And I put everything there. I'm very big on it because, I mean, I like graphical things. And so I have for health, I have family, I have self. I have finances. I mean, finances, of course, I work in that sector. So that one is even a given from my boss. You have to, you know, do your financial plan and all that. Then I have health. So here is the interesting thing. I have all these goals for these things. I tell myself I want to be able to achieve this. But one thing I have also realized over the years is I get stuck. Sometimes maybe because the vision or the goal is too big. And like I said, you know, you have details. So I have told myself, OK, you know what? I don't want to get stuck in the middle of the year. I don't want to mount so much pressure because there's also that's a that's idea, you know, where you put is as if you're racing against time by yourself. So I broke them down into assets to myself. I divide by twenty, twenty four ending. I want to be so fit such that I know for a fact that I am very fit. And so I broke it down. I said, OK, so being fit is before I put pressure and kill myself is doing it the right way. You know, I must do it the right way. So I'm looking at nutrition. I'm looking at self like, you know, self care, you know, I'm looking at OK, how many bottles of water will I drink? OK, my exercise routine. OK, you know, I just broke it down into small, small, small habits. Exactly. And that's the same thing I did for all the facets of my life to say, OK, you know, we family, I want to bond more with my family this year. OK, what do I want to do? I can't promise every day because Lagos can be funny. You know, so I said to myself, OK, my Sundays are, you know, I will make sure that every Sunday I touch base with my family. I put everybody on the call, you know, laugh, shout, do whatever. At least I have done that for the week, you know. So again, putting actions that I know that will not put me under pressure, but something that I can do, I'll ever need to, but consistently, you know, so that's what I have, you know, put in place. So one was reflection. The second thing that I have done was, you know, go back to my goals, my vision. And then the third thing was to break down those goals into small, actionable actions. Yeah, awesome. I love it. I think this would be a great place for us to take a break. And when we come back, we'll open the phone lines. If you just tuned in, it's our Ladies Night Out, and we're discussing the topic planning for success in 2024. Hashtag New Year, New Me. Please let's hear what you have to say. Remember, you can join the conversation. Send us an SMS or WhatsApp to 0818 0384663. Our phone line is also now open and you can call us on 0702 5007749. Please remember to turn on the volume of your TV set when you call in so that we can hear you and have a great conversation. So I like where you stop to do that. And I think that vision boards are so powerful because what we see, you know, it's almost like oscillating on the frequency. It's like the day you tell yourself you want to buy a particular car. You start to see that car everywhere around you, you know. So the idea that we can put visuals, you know, at a place where you can see it. I mean, you can have a physical vision board. You can have a digital vision board. But the most important thing is that it's a series of images that you're focusing on. And I think that for me, there are four key questions that you have to ask yourself when you're creating a vision board. I think at the center of the vision board needs to focus on who you want to be. So personally, for yourself, who do you want to be? And then you have things around it, around things you want to do, things you want to have, what your desires are. And, you know, there are little tips and tricks around it. I mean, if you Google it, if you go on social media, there are tons of influencers and teachers teaching you how to build vision boards. But I think the main thing is keeping that mental image, that image. And, you know, if you put your vision board in your room, for example, it's like making sure that it's at your eye line. So wherever your eye is focused on the most, when you are in your room, for example, that's where you need to have it. If it's an eversion, then maybe have it as your wallpaper on your phone or, you know, on your device so that you're looking at it and seeing it. But you in putting all of these things together, I think that for me, it was also important to address some of the things that could also hinder you. So, I mean, when Mary was talking about now looking for clarity, being drained, I think that for me, identifying some of my triggers as well, one of those things that made me could potentially hinder my ability to achieve these goals that I've set for myself. And there are a couple of things for me. So fear being one, I've talked many times on how fear has was a huge problem in my life for a long time, particularly if you're a failure and then you have this sort of epiphany and you say, but if you don't feel you're never going to learn from it, you're never going to rise from it, right? So fear for me was one. I think in today's world, we are all anxious. If you're not anxious, you are doing great. Anxiety is another thing. I think even since Covid, with anxiety has become, you know, a norm and part of the day. So being able to also address that, how you deal with it. Doubt, while women, imposter syndrome, self-doubt is another big one that you need to address. And I think the last one for me, which is the one that leads to procrastination and leads to a lot of not actually taking action is boredom. Sometimes I find myself in a state of inertia, like I have so much to do. I don't know where to start. And then I stay still for long enough and boredom sets in. So I think it's important that when you set goals to... It's like doing a sort of analysis. You know what your threats are, what your weaknesses are and how you want to address it. Because the whole idea of planning is planning for success, right? It's not just about saying I will do. It's part of what you take away from the reflections is what didn't I do so well or what were my hindrances? And then planning, coming back to that, taking action, whether the little things there was a few years ago where my mantra was D.O.T. Do one thing, do one thing every day that gets you closer to your goal. But in this sense, you have to plan, you have to think about how am I going to deal with whatever my barriers could be? I mean, somebody once talked to me about the concept of self-limiting beliefs, how she herself was the barrier, was the roadblock, you know? And the minute she was kinder to herself, you know, and addressed these things, it also had an impact. But planning is one thing, right? Taking action is hard, right? I feel like even before taking action, I don't know, for me, belief is such a I think I'm struggling so hard right now to change my belief systems because I understand that it's a huge hindrance, you know? So this morning, or I think it's yesterday or so and I asked myself, I said, OK, are you going to the gym every day? Because has it now become a habit or, you know, because you're after the whole flat tummy? You need to understand that it's really not going to come in one day and you need to be able to love yourself through each phase. You can't keep going to gym thinking, oh, shit, I'm going to put in so much work so that it will go in now. You cannot get there with that. So I started thinking, if you don't have the right thinking, even towards the goals that you have, you're not going to reach there. So it's like everything is just taking me step back, step back, step back. Like you need to reroute everything entirely. Like it's you just cannot want to be there and you need to accept, understand where you are. And you also need to realize that there's actually nothing wrong with where you are. Like there's actually nothing wrong with YouTube because you're so eager to get somewhere else. You just think that, oh, this is so bad. I mean, I'm company or last year, last year was a lot. But then I did three trips that I didn't even. I didn't plan at the beginning of the year that I was going to travel anyway, literally. So what are you talking about? You just fell on your lap. So that means how about if you're a bit intentional about to have the right belief system, you know, today, one minute you believe, oh, you know what, I can do it. And the next thing you're feeling so lethargic. You're feeling so, you know, so it's we had a retreat at work. And, you know, there was a motivational speaker and everything in my spirits was just fighting and just fighting. And I'm just like, am I just being a Gen Z that's just rebelling against things or is something here is not working for me? And the earlier you're able to, you know, accept that. Yeah, you know what, I'm different. This thing you're saying is not about coming and saying you can do it. You can do them. There's there's there's something that if you hit it from the base, if you're able to solve it from your belief system, it would it would flow. It was so. So what is your why? Why are you doing the thing? I mean, so you do that kind of questions. I'm asking myself, do you understand? I like I keep using the gym as one thing. I I'm very open, but I really want to flatter me, figure it. And I keep thinking, have you been made? Yeah, conditioned to believe that definition. Yes, yes, that's definition of beauty. So if you don't have that shape or if you don't have that figure, something is wrong with you. So I think that this is why it's important to ask yourself. You know, reflect what's your why? And there's nothing. I mean, that's a goal. I mean, that could be a goal. But it has to be a goal for the right reasons. It has to be a goal for your reasons, not perhaps what culture imposes on you. Absolutely. What is the condition to believe? As long as and I think that once you get to that point where you realize that this is my why, it actually makes it easier for you to get. Yes, absolutely. Because your motivations are now in the in the right place. But when you talked about belief, there was something that I really wanted to mention. A lot of the time we are our own worst critics, right? Between things like self-limiting beliefs, things like self-doubt. We don't quite see ourselves the way the world sees us. And sometimes a lot of the time, the solution to that is leave how you see yourself, focus on how people see you, what people tell you about yourself, the people that constantly tell you positive things about yourself. You don't think you're good at anything, but somebody tells me if I could just do hair like you, if I could just do my makeup like you, if I could, you know, hold on to that thing. If you can't even in yourself process anything good about yourself. Just hold on to what people say. I'm a huge proponent of fake it till you make it. You have to condition your mind, right, to believe these things. And like you said, it takes time, but you have to continuously reinforce the message. You have to continuously listen to that person that says, you're good at this thing until you, you know, you believe it. You keep repeating. It's like affirmation, affirmation. You have to keep repeating. It's a repeat, it's a repeat in it. And one of the things I think that is key in habit forming is that repetition and also in having routines. So I remember if it was probably, I don't think it was last year, maybe it was in twenty twenty two when the actor Mark Wahlberg, his routine came out like for the whole day and people like social media was going on and on about how he wakes up at four a.m. He prays he works out like every minute of the day seems to be scripted. But then there's something to be said for the level of success that he has achieved, right? So there could you could argue that there's some value to it. It doesn't have to be scripted to that level of detail, but have routines. What's your morning routine? What's your evening routine? What's your mindset is an important thing? How do you condition your mind? Right? How do you condition your body? Because sometimes you won't always follow the routine. Some days you will fall off. But if you keep understanding that you have it, then it helps you to form the habit. Yes, but you know, because there are times when if you how you treat yourself when you fall is very very important. Like sometimes I'm like, there's really nobody to kill you now. Can you can you just be? And if I do it today, I can pick it up again tomorrow. So there's a wish just that I didn't do I didn't do I didn't. I missed it. I missed it. And I'm just like, OK, so in that situation tomorrow really is an accident. OK, so I want to say that I mean this belief system is so key that a lot of people don't even know why they do the things they do sometimes. Again, sometimes our product of our environment is the influences, the people around us, parents, siblings and all that. And we have taken on behaviors that we don't even know that we have. So sometimes those voices are so loud in our heads that even when we want to hold on to the very few that are saying the positives, those those other negative loud voices, you know, but I would just want to say this to all of us, that it is important to understand that you you have the ability and the capacity to all learn and we learn. It's never too late because for some adults to say, please, your people say, I'm too old, I can't change. It's a lie. Yeah, you can't change the choice. It's a choice. Exactly. You can't change and you should always, always, always look forward to being better. Absolutely. Never accept this. And I think that's a great thing. So when I was talking about the routines, I think I'll come back to what Mary said. Yes, it's important to know that it's not cast in stone. But if you want to build a habit, there is repetition. There is a continuum. But it's sort of how you frame it. Like if you're building a routine, don't start off building 20 things. Just pick one, two, three things. If I say my morning routine is that I wake up at this time, I make my bed, I brush my teeth. That's enough to start forming a habit. My evening routine, I'm going to if I have a woman, you wear makeup, I'm going to make sure I take off my makeup. I'm going to make sure I wash my face. I'm going to pray. That's a easy enough evening routine to start to form a habit and build on it. Tiny little drops, right? How do you change your mindset? Am I going to read something? Am I going to, like you said, you have a gratitude journal. Am I going to write down something about my day that helps me to reflect better? If it's movement, nobody is saying jump into the gym today and go and do 200 squats or 200 push-ups. Just walk. Try walking a thousand steps today and I'm building to it. So I think those sort of little steps really, really help. Do you get into the habit of planning your day, the next day? I mean, I've made a decision this year that that matters I go through every morning of what am I going to wear. I'm going to make sure that every evening, if I'm going out the next day, I'm going to pick out everything. So that it helps me start my morning in a better way. So it's little things. Really little things. Little little things that you just realize how quickly things are changing. I think for me, the last thing that I really wanted to mention in terms of tips for our viewers, there's a, I don't know if I should call it a thing or a system that is 10, 10, 10. And really when you said you were looking for clarity, some people are looking for some, why am I here? What's my purpose? Some people are just trying to get through the day with nothing that actually drives them. And 10, 10, 10 is something that has helped me, right? And it's simply, first of all, making lists. I know we didn't talk about it, but please write it down. If you're a Christian, maybe the Bible tells you to write it down, right? Write the visual and make it right, right? But for me, writing lists has helped. And this 10, 10, 10 is actually a series of lists. So 10 different things under three different headings. Things that you enjoyed doing as a child, right? Write 10 things. I'm going somewhere with this. 10 things that you like doing now as an adult today. 10 things that you enjoy. And then 10 things that you are curious about. Now, when you've taken the time to sit and write those 10 things, here's what it helps you to do. One, when you're writing the 10 things that you loved as a child, helps you to reconnect with positive memories and things that you enjoyed, right? When you've written the 10 and you've gone through all the memories, pick one, go and be silly, do something. Even if it's running around in the ring and getting wet, something that just helps you to find some little joy in your life. And remember times in your life when things were a lot easier. Things you like to do now. Again, not everything is about tons of money because I know people say, I know it's toughest time. Whether it is finding something nice that you like to eat or going for a walk or talking to your best friend. Again, something that brings you into a happier place. But it's something that you enjoy doing now. Do you want to go and do your nails? Do you want to go and do your hair? Do you want to go to the gym? Something that just helps you again connect with your happy place. And because we always want to get better. When you're curious about something, please pick one and learn about it. The internet today is, knowledge has never been easier to acquire. I have, you know, it's so accessible. Like literally now you don't even need to read it. If you Google it, you'll find a video where somebody is talking about it. But that curiosity just helps you to develop yourself. Like for me, I've avoided the world of crypto and all of that. And my industry has now finally given me permission to connect with it. So now I'm trying to learn blockchain. I'm trying to learn crypto. So what do those three things just help you do? It just gives you a bit of joy. It gives you a bit of focus. It helps you to learn, to develop. And I think for me, that would be my final comment for the show today is just, these things when it comes to planning and ensuring success, they're not about big things. They're little changes. We just keep shifting one degree at a time until we've done a full 180. It's about finding systems and tools that help you. Once you know what your problem is, there's an app for everything to do. From tracking your sleep, to waking up, to eating. There's nothing in life today that you cannot find on a play store or an app store somewhere that just gives you the tools for success. So goal-wise, reflect, know your goals, know who you are, your values, what is your vision. And then make plans. Break it down into little actionable steps, form habits, build routines, and find some joy. 10, 10, 10. Try it. I mean, I like that. I'm going to practice it, you know, and I will give you a feedback on it. And then I also want to add something to what you said. All of the things that we have said, rather, and that is to be very practical about goal-setting. In the finance world, sometimes when we take people on personal finance journey, we always tell people, I mean, you can be earning 5,000 now and then say that you want to, you have a goal within a year to move to Banana Island, you know, without putting in... Without putting in... Understanding the why, the goal, setting yourself up for failure. Exactly, and that's going to take you down some drain you don't want. So make it realistic. There's always the opportunity to be better, to make it bigger and all that. Just be practical and, you know. Mira, I think I have a comment. Yeah, we have a comment. Good evening, my dear, beautiful sisters, what are you saying? Hashtag ways, planning for success in 2024. Hashtag new year, new me. Before we start to plan, we need to know what we are really doing and up to. Like the saying goes, if we fail to plan, we plan to fail. 2024 is here already. We really need to take action after planning. Like my dear, beautiful sister Dee said, for example, we may need to step up our bonding with our family members and relatives. Also, we need to stop some bad habits that we were involved in last year and turn a new leaf this year. To have a new you, you need to improve your mindset and drop some bad habits and decide never to go back to them, just like having a new year resolution. Through all these, we will surely succeed in 2024. My dear, beautiful sister, who teammate mention of condition in our mind and body, which are a great whole hearted thing. My name is Daniel Ailow-Wave, right now. Thank you, Daniel. Daniel has formed the habit of watching the show and commenting. I know. In fact, that's a great habit to have. So we have this comment for me. It's not, the comment itself is short, but it's where the comments came from. It says, I like your program so much, right away from South Sudan. Whoa! This is Christopher Ochaia. So thank you, Christopher, very so good that you enjoyed the show. I mean, we've run out of time, but it's been great. Thank you, ladies. Before we go, do ensure you follow us on Instagram at Wayshoe Africa. You can interact with us further. Drop a comment. Most importantly, follow all our social media engagements. And remember to like, share, and comment. Invite your friends and family to watch us. If you missed today's quote, here it is again. New year, new fails, new chances, same dreams, and fresh starts. We hope that you take opportunity to plan. So we'll see you tomorrow at 8 p.m. as we bring another great conversation to your screen. Bye-bye.