Things That Hinder your Progress

~The Guardian, Nigeria

YOU cannot go back and start a new beginning. But anyone can start today and make a new ending. However, it is October now, before you can make a great transformation by December, you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back. Such bad habits include one: holding grudges. So, don't live your life with hate in your heart. You end up hurting yourself holding grudges more than the people you hate.

Forgiveness isn't saying: What you did to me is good. Forgiveness says: I am not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever. Forgiveness lightens the burden of disappointment. By letting go you find peace. Also, remember, forgiveness isn't just for others, it is for yourself too. If you want progress, you must forgive yourself and move on.

Two: stop blaming yourself for old mistakes. You may love the wrong person, cry about wrong things, but whatever went wrong, certainly mistakes help you find the person and things that are right for you. We all make mistakes and regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles. You are here and now with the power to shape your day and future.

Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come. Three: stop spending time with wrong people. Life is too short to spend time with people who suck happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they will make room for you. You don't have to fight for a spot. Never ever throw yourself upon someone who continually overlooks your worth. But remember, it is not the people that stand by your side when you are at your best but the ones who stand beside you when you are at your worst that are your friends.

Four, stop trying to be someone you are not. The greatest challenge in life is being yourself in a world that is seeking to mold you like everyone else. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter but they will never be you. Do not change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.

Five: stop being ungrateful. No matter how good or b ad you have it, wake up daily to be thankful for your life. Someone somewhere is fighting for theirs. Instead of thinking of what you are missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing. All this while, we have addressed the don'ts of career success. Now let us delve into a particular instrument of building a great life.

That instrument of human greatness is the mastermind group. This is a team of people not more than seven but not less than three. A team is essential to building a successful career or business. You need people to make your dream a reality. Your team must be all knowing in the sense that they must be experts in their fields.

A good team must comprise people with expertise in these four domains of competence. Firstly, strategic thinking. All effective champions must keep everyone focused on a long term future. Secondly, the prospective icon must have people versed in influence peddling. This enables him to sell ideas, develop political support and the polity or rally behind his project or ambition.

Thirdly, a team must contain relationship builders who are able to unite a disparate populace into a team that builds a common goal. Finally, a team must be able to muster organizers who know their terrain and how to get things done by translating plans into action and reality. Which is why champions surround themselves with team members whose strengths compensate for their weaknesses.