How being intentional catapulted my writing success.

I don’t remember a time I haven’t loved reading or writing. You couldn’t find me on top of the chain when it came to sciences. That was not exactly my forte. But boy! Did I ace my humanities and languages like a pro. I did not have to try that hard. I once recall my class teacher, Mr. Samuel calling me to his office and giving me one of those pep talks, ‘Joyce, it is okay to not be good at some things if you know you given it your best shot. But you are very good in languages and humanities, so focus on being the very best in them’ and I took his word for it.

By the time I decided to pursue my degree in Mass Communication, it is because I had convinced myself that nothing could possibly go wrong, because after all, there is no mathematics. Funny enough, few semesters in and along the way, I did Maths for social science and Economics. It wasn’t bad, it was a good run, and I managed to pass. This field helped nurture my writing and communication skills. I did have a blog that enabled me to do my research and write myself away in it. Starting small is what I called it because after all, one has to start somewhere. I had everything planned out on what I wanted to do, plans on what to write about as I waited to make my way to the bigger picture, that I am currently framed in.

I had always wanted to see my written articles on the newspaper, I just did not know how to go about it, because I had not yet made the strategic connections and networks to land me there yet. All I can tell you is fast forward to my internship phase, I got a window of advancement and I grabbed the opportunity like my life depended on it. This was finally a chance of actualizing a dream and purpose that I had been waiting for and I didn’t hesitate on grabbing it. Mr. Okidi, my then editor, will clearly tell you of my persistent and consistent nagging when I had managed to go out in the field by myself and do my first story. I needed him to push for my story to be published and all the texts and emails can confirm all these.

My first story to be published on MyGov had me going out of my comfort zone, finding outrageous courage to be able to handle, what I was out for. Nothing gets handed to you on a silver platter, you have to work for it. You have to make noise to be noticed, otherwise, you will forever be in the shadows. This was the bigger picture for me, the light at the end of the tunnel, when I realized that I am making the right steps into the direction of doing something that sparks my inner core, on a large scale. Writing is something I enjoy doing and I still spend a lot of time trying to improve my skills.

Thing is, when I became aware that improvement is a continuous learning process, one that involves making meaningful connections with other people, this has probably been my greatest tool in my arsenal. It is never a one man show. Getting to where I am in my writing career, I can proudly say that my resilience and immense hunger for bettering myself and wanting to learn more, putting myself out there and seeing what others are doing, has landed me opportunities that I am really grateful for.

Always be ready so that you don’t have to be ready once the opportunities knock on your door. We are constantly undergoing paradigm shifts, meaning that the need to improve ourselves in all spheres of life is imperative and an intentional process. Otherwise, if you are not willing to learn from others and embrace the changes, how will you ever advance? This equips you with skills that teach you how to grab opportunities, act and believe that you are worthy of good things happening to you. That your presence in any room is well earned and deserved. That, Is how you get others to believe and invest in you.

I consider myself a work in progress. A redefined work that is methodically tenacious to with stand and weather changes that we cannot escape or run away from. Breaking the glass ceiling while achieving milestones is a piece of the puzzle that has me acknowledging where I have come from and appreciate where I am headed to. I have learnt to be less susceptible to negative criticism, which is part and parcel of many constructs. Challenges are always there, that is undeniable. But choosing to face them head on and as well as ask for help where I need it, has taught me the act of being humble while at it. The self-awareness that comes with admitting that which I do not know, how something should be written, or the meaning of a certain word, or how to go about certain stuff, is quite fulfilling. You have to be dexterous in competing with yourself and challenging yourself too, in order to get to the next phase of where you need to be. Ignorance, is just but a great harbinger of failure.

In the very words of Maya Angelou, ‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.’ We do not need to have everything figured out. Not everything comes with a manual of how you are supposed to wing it and automatically be good at it. Invest your time and energy into learning more, if you really want to be good at something.

When all is said and done, something I highly encourage people on, and I live by, is relish in the glory of your achievements. No matter how small the achievement is, make sure you celebrate it! You deserve that for the baby steps you make and celebrating them is a way of showing yourself gratitude that yes! I actually got this! We grow every day, through the smallest of acts that we decide to take on. And with that same spirit, learn to appreciate others and applaud them too.