Monthly Archives: February 2021

Mediocrity is the quality of being average or not very good, while barriers prevent people from moving forward. Our actions and thoughts may hinder us from being extraordinary. Everyone on earth is liable to barriers, irrespective of the task ahead. It all depends on our attitude towards it. Below are some ways we can fight mediocrity.

The first thing is to have a goal. Most people do not have a specific purpose. They do something either because other people are doing it or feel it’s just a way of life. I was shocked when I once overheard a university student say to his friend that he did not care about his grades. All he wanted was to go to school, collect his certificate and move on with his life. His friend was trying to caution him, but he didn’t even mind a Third Class. The student had no goal and cannot be extraordinary.  Thomas Edison had a dream to create the electric bulb, and he did it years ago.  Today, his name is lingering on. Ben Carson had a goal of being a neurosurgeon. he is today one of the pioneers in his field.

The second thing to note is determination and dedication. You might have a goal, but are you determined and dedicated to accomplishing it? Thomas Edison had a dream, but he was also determined and dedicated to it even after failing a hundred times. If you read about Ben Carson, you would know that his journey was not comfortable, but his determination and dedication paved the way for him despite the barriers.

The last thing to note is never to give up. No matter the barriers, keep pressing forward. Thomas Edison said, “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.” The surest way to succeed is always to try just one more time. You never can tell when you will excel.

In conclusion, Michael Bassey Johnson said, “There’s no greater secret on how to attain a greater height, just keep climbing the ladder; don’t look at the dreadful distance, lockup that negative thought today, and fulfill your dreams.” Don’t be satisfied with being mediocre!

“Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.” – Pat Riley.

Excellence is usually not an impossible thing to achieve. It comes by uncommonly doing ordinary things. For example, your teacher may give the whole of your class an assignment, but you want to put in extra effort by reading up more than is prescribed to get an excellent understanding. You can imbibe this culture into everything you do by following the steps below. 

Set Goals

Goals help keep you going because they provide direction and increase your attention and focus. Can you imagine a football match without a goal post? It sure would not be exciting. Don’t just say I will read books. Be specific. What kind of books are you going to read, and how many pages do you intend to read this week? You will be surprised at how easy it becomes to succeed when you set goals.

Have a Positive Attitude

Be optimistic about your ability to succeed. Many people continue to wallow in mediocrity because of a negative attitude. You may develop a negative attitude because of past failures. If you have failed at something in the past, you can still succeed in the future. You have more chances of succeeding at something you have been unable at before because of the experience you have gained.

Manage Your Time 

The issue of time management is one that confronts many people. There are just twenty-four hours in a day, and you can achieve just so much within that time. Within those hours, you have to go to school, complete assignments, do house chores, and rest and sleep. For you to attain excellence in these daily tasks, you must set a realistic schedule for yourself.  Knowing where you spend your time is the key to greatness. Allocate your time and be more productive.

Do Your Best 

If you want to become an excellent person in life, you must put in your best in everything at all times. You do not have to be the best student or leader of your class to be excellent. All you need is to keep working on improving yourself to overcome what you don’t know. Next time you face a problem, try your best and leave the rest rather than running away from the situation. That is the attitude of excellence. 

Finally, remember what Abdul Kalam said, ‘Excellence is a continuous process and not an accident.’

I want to hear how you are going on your journey to excellence in the comments section below.

I wish you all the best!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Henry Ibrahim is the Content Creator at B2SL. He loves working with young people to help them discover their purpose in life. You can contact him at ibrahim@b2sl.org.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” – Vince Lombardi.

Excellence determines if you will move from the bottom to the top in whatever you do. Everyone will always admire being at the top, but it’s only doing what you do excellently well over and over again that gets and keeps you there. An unwavering attitude of excellence will surely make you a success irrespective of your class, age, gender, or career choice.

The journey to the top with the attitude of excellence will always be different for everyone. For example, every student will always be at a different level because of different backgrounds and environments. But when students value the attitude of excellence, they will meet themselves at the top because the top is never too crowded. As a student, you can always count yourself in to attain the same top position in any subject or exam as you focus on being excellent all the way.

System Specs, a Nigerian IT company founded by John Obaro in 1991, is a real-life story of moving from the bottom to the top on the wings of excellence. The company started out selling SunSystems software application, an accounting package developed by Systems Union, a UK company. They moved up by unwavering excellence from the bottom position of selling other company’s software to create a home-grown software solution called HumanManager for managing payroll and human resources for companies. They demonstrated their excellent attitude by developing a globally competitive electronic payment platform called Remita, which big businesses and governments across Africa use. At the very top with Remita, John Obaro and his Nigerian team helped Nigeria save billions of Naira while setting their eyes on the global stage.

From the days of selling other company’s software to developing their software used across different African countries, they indeed have moved from the bottom to the top of software companies globally. Whether you are in Nigeria, America, Europe, or Asia, excellence is important because it can take anyone from the bottom to the very top.

The quality of your life will be proportionate to your commitment to excellence irrespective of your class, present position, career choice, etc. The option is yours to make, but I encourage you to choose the path of excellence to be a world changer.

I love to hear from you to see what you’ve learned via the comment section. I will also be looking forward to your questions on the topic discussed and any other related problems.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charles Adimah is an entrepreneur and the Project Manager of B2SL INITIATIVE, where he manages the vision. He is a great believer that a prosperous Nigeria is a product of successful Nigerians. You can reach him via email at charles@b2sl.org.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

“Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way.” – Booker. T. Washington.

The Oxford English dictionary defines excellence as the quality of being outstanding or extremely good. Exceptional people are easily noticeable. The man or woman who is president or Prime Minister, the top sports players, the person who gets the highest marks in class, etc. We all respect and admire people who have done exceptionally well in their field and in some way think very highly of them, sometimes getting intimidated by their achievements and wondering what day we would be like them.

There are many reasons why we respect people who are exceptional in their fields. They get high salaries and standing ovations. They accumulate international awards and know influential people worldwide. They appear on the cover pages of magazines, make news headlines, and belong to a network of people who are also outstanding in their fields, making them look more admirable and influential. The hype around extraordinary people makes most people see excellence as an exclusive preserve of only a few people.

But excellence is not a destination; it is a direction. Sounds strange? Think of it this way. You are not an excellent person because you got the highest marks in the last test or examination, won a competition, or did things better than anyone else. You become an excellent person the day you start making an effort to improve yourself. It could be setting a simple goal and ensuring you meet it daily, weekly, or monthly.

Novak Djokovic is currently world number 1 in men’s tennis with 17 grand slams. I watched his interview after he won the Australian Open in 2020 for the record eight-time. Novak recounted how early on in his career, two other great tennis players – Roger Federer (20 Grand Slams) and Rafael Nadal (20 Grand Slams) were his albatross. Novak said every time he played up to the quarter or semi-finals in any significant competition, either Nadal or Federer would defeat him. He then decided to up his game with more practice and dedication. Today, Novak is the number one male tennis player globally and is edging closer to surpassing Federer and Nadal’s record.

The lesson is simple if you are doing well already, maybe in a school subject, or as a vocation, do not rest on your oars. If you are lagging in anything, do not despair, get to work, and be determined to be better than yourself every day. You can be excellent, and we at B2SL are here to help you with that. Do not think that you cannot understand that subject, play that instrument, or achieve your goals. Take a little step every day and see how far you will go in no time.

If you have any issues, do not hesitate to reach out to us at B2SL, and we’ll be happy to be a part of your journey. I like to hear your questions or comments on how you are going in your journey to excellence.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Besidone Ebule is the Project Director at B2SL, where he works to encourage personal development and build success networks. You can contact him at bessy.ebule@b2sl.org.