A NEW YEAR IS JUST A CHANGE IN CALENDAR DAYS

 There is a lot of excitement about the new year. Indeed it is a great achievement to head into a new year. Many things happen in a year. There is a reason to celebrate our lives. People perish in accidents and so many other things happen. So we thank God for the gift of your life. In this article I want to place my attention on what it takes to succeed in a new year. 

A number of personal development books place their attention on the change of mindset. Countless books are sold and they all place their attention to thoughts. Even the Bible which is the word of God emphasizes the power of thoughts. Harv Eker in his book Secrets of A Millionaire Mind noted that rich and successful people think long-term. So the powerful question that Iam posing is , as we head into 2025 are we focused on thinking long term?  True we are heading into 2025 but without a deliberate change in mindset , we are likely to do the same things and get the same results. The biggest blunder we can ever make is to leave our future to fate. I have seen a number of people who have given up on improving their lives yet the are still alive.

Some youths because of lack of hope resort to drugs and gambling as a way of escaping life's harsh realities. The question is that the best way of preparing for a new year? A number of people take personal development for granted. There is power in personal development. In fact John Maxwell has a book called the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth. One of the outstanding statements that he makes is growth is by choice. As we enter the new year personal growth is intentional. We can not leave it to fate. Most of the people who have changed their lives have been committed to the process. We live in a generation where many people prefer to invest in external ventures than building their inner fortitude. Remember the biggest part of a person is the spiritual side. So when we neglect building our spiritual sides we are likely to be crushed when we face obstacles. Harv Eker noted that rich and successful people are bigger than their problems. As we enter the new year we should not allow the problems that we face to define us. Rather we should build ourselves up so as to solve the problems that we face. In any case the more problems we face the more money and influence we attain.

As we enter 2025 we should mind our associations. So many youths have been destroyed by the friends they relate with. Most of the successful people that I have met always relate their success to the mentorship that they received. Today we are at crossroads. You will find a youth who never has a role model that they look up to. Let us ask ourselves , how come the presidents of nations across the world have advisors? It means that no one can grow in isolation. When do we get time to sit with a mentor to speak into our lives? We all have flaws and we are blind to them. That is why we need accountability partners who can keep us in check. Accountability partners help us even when the going gets tough. Associating with like minded people is a great gift that will help us become better people in 2025.

What books are we planning to read in 2025? True we can enter the new year but if our thoughts are still stuck in the past then we shall not make a lot of progress. Many books have shown that we are what we think about most of the time. So it is important to spare time to attend personal development seminars and listen to free development information on the internet. It is a sorry state to find a youth to who is an expert in the English premier league but can not find time to buy a personal development book.

Time management will be very critical in 2025.We are living in a very fast paced world where time is money. The issue of "African time" needs to be addressed because it keeps us backward. It seems some Africans are comfortable with certain labels that keep us underdeveloped. I have gone to conduct some financial literacy trainings the trainees note that Iam different because I keep time. Why should some one who keeps time in Africa be "odd". Could our underdevelopment be related to poor time management?

As we enter into 2025 we should be intentional in financial management. Money is a very important resource in our lives and it is becoming more scarce every day. We need to be intentional about learning about money. It is never too late to unlearn our financial mistakes. We need to build healthy financial habits that can help us build better financial reserves in a volatile world. Did we know that Oprah Winfrey who is one of the wealthiest women in the world was born in a poor family. However since she was a young girl she had a dream of becoming wealthy. Her dream became true and she is making a positive impact in the world. It is true we can not all become the scale of Oprah Winfrey. But with hard work and faith we can make a mark in the world.

HOW TO MAKE MEANING OUT OF 2025

1.It starts with God

2.Develop a clear purpose

3.Seek mentorship 

4.Attend financial literacy trainings

5.Be a continuous learner

6.Be humble 

7.Save as you earn

8.Associate with successful people

9.Use time wisely

10.Learn from mistakes

Anew year is a gift from God. Unfortunately to benefit from it we must be intentional in building successful habits as discussed above.

Phillip Kiryowa

Personal Finance Coach

Advanced Empowerment Link

+256752615916( For consultations)

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