This takes time: the long way is the way

You’ve likely heard this many times:

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.

There are countless sayings that emphasise the value of starting small and consistently taking steps toward a bigger goal. And yet, most of us still want instant results. Minimum effort, maximum reward. Especially in an era built on speed and instant gratification.

If there is one mindset that will help you this year, it is this:

nothing worthwhile is achieved immediately or without significant effort.

One of my favourite things to say is that applying for a scholarship is a full-time job. Saying this helped me put things in perspective, and I hope it does the same for you. Finding opportunities, shortlisting those you are eligible for, gathering documents and references, writing essays, and completing forms all take time. If you’ve done all this in one sitting or one day, chances are you’ve done it poorly.

I remember applying for scholarships. I didn't get any the first year around. However with a couple of tweaks and this mindset change, I was able to hang in there and do the work required to achieve my goals.

I encourage you to reflect on your expectations and challenge yourself to think differently. This is a subtle change that can make a big difference as it means you won't be setting yourself up for disappointment. In the coming issues this year, i’ll be sharing more on the lessons learnt and tweaks made on my journey.

I hope you note this as the first of those lessons and anticipate the many more to come.

From Ojonugwa for Scholar ChitChat