Dreams unaided don’t birth success

I do make an apology for beginning the issue of setting realistic and pragmatic goals and well structured plans a little late as said by my teeming fans. I am so sorry! I got countless messages from those—who ceaselessly read through this column. They all agreed that the best time to plan for the New Year is when the existing one is about three months to touch the finish-line, and they all admitted too that waiting till the 31st of December of each year before writing “New Year Resolutions” is unproductive and a complete waste of time.

For the umpteenth time, the crucial issue “2017 STARTED THREE MONTHS AGO” raised penultimate week actually went viral on social media! It has opened the eyes of understanding of a lot of Nigerians. For decades, scores of our people have been writing varied “New Year Resolutions”—year in and year out, but over the years, their standard of living hasn’t improved one bit. Sweetheart, starting 2017 on the 1st of January makes you about four months late! The smart ones already do have an idea of what 2017 is going to look like in their varied fields of business. Let’s move to the issue before you and I for today.

Dreams unaided don’t birth success! About 25 years ago, I began to hear varied homilies on the value of dreams, but over the years, I have come to take it that dreams alone do not lead to success. It is very tragic and heartrending to see dreamers—who move around in indescribable poverty. If you sit them down to describe their dreams to you, they’d do a great job! They can see a great future ahead of them, but over the years, they are yet to overtake the mentioned great future.

Dreams without the appropriate tools to bring them to pass cannot see the light of day. Dreams alone are not enough. And dreams alone do not come to pass on their own.  In my above two decades of human capital, national and organizational development business, I have met with many dreamers—who are ignorant of the tools to aid their dreams to come to pass. This has led to the undoing of many dreamers on this continent today. For the umpteenth time, dreams are not enough to birth success!

Take for instance, it is not enough to dream to become great and successful in 2017, you will need to add determination to it. This reminds me of the story of one of the great African leaders. I am talking about Julius Nyerere. When he heard about the quality of education that was available in the Western world, he made up his mind to travel abroad on foot across countries. Because of his determination, he began to trek from his country home in a bid to secure university education.

At a point on his way, he became stranded in a particular desert nation with no food and with no cash on him for the continuation of his journey. At this juncture in his journey, he took up the job of a library attendant in that nation in order to feed himself and survive. After a while, he sat and wrote a letter to the university community he was heading to. He told them about how he walked thousands of kilometers away from his country home and how he had now been stuck mid-way on his way to their nation. The university administration received his letter with amazement after hearing the testimony of his tenacity, resilience and determination. The university community was not only excited; they called for the entire university community including the students and read Julius Nyerere’s letter to them all.

They ended up gathering enough funds with some of their representatives, to pick him up where he was stuck. The rest they say is history. Nyerere became a graduate of that university and came back home with his western education to spearhead the liberation and independence of his nation (Tanzania) from colonial rule. Thereafter, he became the president of his nation. Today, renowned universities, international airports and other reputable institutions are named after him in his nation. Nyerere was a unique dreamer who had a blazing and fiery determination to realize his dreams!

Two years ago, I met with a fantastic dreamer who did not like to live an inch outside of his comfort zone. When he told me how much he valued comfort, I laughed. I ended up telling him this: “You will die a dreamer, but the truth is, the world does not remember mere dreamers. The world only remembers those who live their dreams…” Before he left my house on that day, I pushed him out of his comfort zone and he is doing a little better today. Why did I say all this? It is because I want to push you too out of your comfort zone. True dreamers do not stay in their comfort zone. Sometimes, you may need to do what Julius Nyerere did before you can realize your tall dreams.

As I begin to coast home today, I want to tell you that behind every dream that will see the light of day is a tool. What tool have you been given to unlock your dreams? You’d need to find it out. The tool that was given to the Biblical Joseph to unlock his dream was the capacity to decode coded information! I recently met with a young man, who is doing extremely well in this nation. Some years ago, he needed to move from Lagos State to Kogi State. He left Lagos State for Kogi State with huge dreams in his heart, but for years, he romanced an uncommon lack in the midst of plenty. One day, his eyes were opened to the tool that he has to realize his dreams. And almost all of a sudden, his financial life began to change. What tool does he have that am I talking about? He can write!

Lastly, you too do have at least a tool that is relevant to your dreams. Buddy, discover it, consistently develop it and skillfully deploy it. Remember, dreams unaided don’t birth success.

See you where great people are found!