WHAT IS THE IMPLICATION OF THE BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND ON UGANDA'S YOUTHS?

 In his great book called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People ,Steven Covey identifies a powerful principle of Beginning with the End in Mind. He noted that every thing is created first .The first creation is in the mind and the second is in the physical. This principle when analyzed at length has a lot of implication in changing the trajectory of Uganda's youths.

It should be noted that over 70% of Uganda's youths are below the age of 30 years. This big number of youths can be a blessing to Uganda if well nurtured into agents of positive change in the community. On the contrary the big population of the youths can become a burden if not well mentored. What is evident in society is that a number of youths are very enterprising. They wake up every day dreaming of a better future amidst challenging economic times. It should be noted that youths face the challenge of access to dignified employment opportunities and as such various players from academic institutions, development partners such as Master Card, commercial banks such as Equity and government institutions such as National Social Security Fund are doing their best to address the youth unemployment challenge.

Abstract issues seem less appealing to a big number of youths .Many prefer already made opportunities which are "rare" these days. This may explain why there is an increase in sports betting activities. This is because the youths are hard wired to get instant returns no matter the kind of business. It seems long term principles of success are losing appeal among the youths. It is not surprising that once I heard a group of youths who noted that they do not believe in leaders who advise them that they could  start a business with little capital and grow big. It is not bad for a youth to dream big but it is vital for them to know that the most ideal way to start a business is to start small as one tests the market and grows their knowledge base on how to sustain a business.The other day I saw a group of youths who wnated to beat up employees of a sports betting company in Busia District simply because they had not been paid their "Return on Investment". I have had a chance to read about case studies of businesses that started small and today they are conglomerates. These include Equity Bank which started as a small building society in Kenya and today it is a leading financial services conglomerate in Africa. The founder of Fusion Capital, Mr. Luke M. Kinoti which is a financial and real estate conglomerate  notes in his book, The Merchants Pearl how he started the company as an idea. This is the same thing with Friends Consult which started as a small consultancy and today it is a prominent business consultancy in the country. 

The above case studies should inspire a youth that even without a formal job they can make it if they are focused on adding value to humanity.


IMPLICATIONS OF THE END IN MIND TO A YOUTH

1. Have a clear vision for your life. It seems that nothing is clear cut in the game of life. In his book, Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice, Dr. Dennis Kimbro noted that Oprah Winfrey had a tough childhood but that did not stop her from dreaming big. Today she is one of the wealthiest Black women in the world. This is the same thing with Dr. Ben Carson. He endured being the last in class during his formative years and today he is a respected neurosurgeon. He has inspired so many people around the world. He is remembered for having separated the Siamese twins. From being the last in class to becoming a neurosurgeon is not a small feat.

2. The power of long term thinking. A number of youths have cut short their dreams because of focusing on the immediate. There is a young man who was killed by a mob for having shot a prominent businessman in town. Another lady was arrested for dumping her child in a pit latrine in Kayunga District. All these are examples of people who abused their God given potential.

Therefore beginning the end in mind is a principle that was advocated for by Steven Covey in his great book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective people .Once reflected and acted upon by a number of youths it has the potential of transforming their lives

Phillip Kiryowa

Finance and Leadership Coach 

+256752615916

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