The Sunday Mail
Changing Perspectives
Rutendo Gwatidzo
Do not wait for fate to direct your life, but be intentional about who you want to become.
Success is not supposed to be an event; it has to be a habit because we are what we repeatedly do.
If you achieve one goal, do not stop there — keep moving to achieve more goals.
After achieving one goal, you will have many other goals to achieve.
However, as you pursue your goals, avoid competing to do better than others, but always challenge yourself to do better than you did before.
One limitation to success is fear of tackling challenges.
Many of us fail to realise we have been dealing successfully with challenges since we were born. You already did what seemed impossible and succeeded very well.
For instance, you learnt to walk, talk, run and completed studies to the present level.
At some point, it seemed impossible, but somehow you managed.
Strength is not a result of winning; in most cases, struggles help to develop strength, hence do not take hardships negatively all the time.
One author once said the mind is like a muscle: The more you exercise it is the more it gets stronger. Just because you are not yet there doesn’t mean you cannot do it.
Have you ever failed at something at some point in life and it hit you so hard you felt like giving up?
If you have found yourself in that situation, then you have what it takes to excel because it is out of failing that we acquire winning strategies and long-term lessons for life. I always get inspired by KFC founder Colonel Sanders’ story.
He faced many struggles, challenges and failures. After retirement, at 65 years old, he started his fast-food business and today KFC is a global conglomerate.
Organisational status
I believe every organisation aims to succeed.
What determines this success is calibre of people who run the organisation. If everyone within the company gives their best, understanding they are different parts of one body, it will become easy to achieve set goals. In most cases, the challenge comes when other parts of the body begin to feel more important than others.
Come to think of it, if we take the physical human body and analyse its body parts, which one can we say is not important?
If your smallest toe is hurt, the whole body can be feel it. This is the importance of every body part. You are in that position because it is important, otherwise the position would not have been created.
As such, do your best.
In my HR (human resources) industry, I have come across many issues of stereotypes within organisations.
If you are part of an organisation, you need to understand that ultimate victory is the sum of efforts from different departments. The smallest department can affect effectiveness of the highest office if not managed well. Imagine this, the CEO might rely on the driver to go to a very important meeting. If the driver comes late, the whole deal might be jeopardised.
In other words, the driver has what it takes to make or break a good deal, as much as the CEO.
Aim high
Do not apologise for having or wanting high standards in life. It is that hunger and desire that will push you to do the seemingly impossible.
If you find yourself as a big fish in a small fish pond, then it is time to move to the sea.
In the sea, you will realise you are just, but a small fish and you have so much space to spread your wings and reach your full potential. Growth comes when you learn to admit your weaknesses and allow those doing better to mould you into something greater.
Move with people who give you positive energy; do not expect everyone to like you.
Do not give up. Colonel Sanders (KFC founder) says he found his breakthrough after failing 1 009 times. Once again, I repeat, do not give up on your dream. Pursuing a goal requires you to turn a deaf ear to negative surroundings. You already have the resilience within you. If you look at your life, you certainly have survived many hardships.
Some survived droughts, sickness, near-death experiences and economic hardships.
Sometimes when you look back at your life, there are instances where you cannot possibly explain how you made it.
That is exactly what shows you have what it takes. It doesn’t matter the position you hold right now; you are part of something greater. Give your best and allow time to do the rest.
Be challenged, encouraged and inspired to give the best version of yourself in what you do and enjoy benefits and successes that come with it.
Rutendo Gwatidzo is a culture and change management strategist. She is as an HR consultant, speaker, mentor and author of the book “Born to Fight.” Contact detail: 0714575805/ [email protected] / Rutendo Gwatidzo official FB public page.
