How to make your plans succeed in 2017 and beyond

One of the counsels I hold exceptionally and superbly dear in life, business and leadership is this: “plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, plans succeed.” Over the years, this counsel has worked for me. And I am sure that it is going to work for you too on the condition that you can work it out in shoe-leather. Here we go!

Many people are ominous and festering in 2016, because all their plans have failed and nothing seems to be working for them. And they are envious of others whose plans have been successful. When people see those whose plans are succeeding, the first thing that comes to their mind is that they are more intelligent, hard at work and connected than they are. But the truth is—most of those who are more successful than you are probably not as intelligent, hard at work and connected as you are. The difference between you and them is—they know what you do not know. And that has made a huge success out of them!

When plans fail in Nigeria, the first thing that comes to people’s mind is the devil, but the truth is, when your plans fail, the devil may not even be in Nigeria at the time. Do you want to succeed in life, business and leadership? Then you’d need to change your frame of mind. When your plans fail, ask yourself whether those plans lack good counsel or not. The major reason many people are failing in virtually every sphere of life today is because they lack advice, guidance and direction.

Buddy, your 2017 will end up being the same as 2016 on the condition that you will not change the way you are living now. You cannot keep leading your life the same way and you are expecting to harvest a different result in 2017. For you to have a better 2017, you will need to take the issue I am raising today very seriously. You want your plans to happen as expected in the days to come? Then you’d need some men and women—who have done what you are planning to do, as advisers.

Successful presidents of nations and CEOs of giant organizations do have advisers, but you want to become successful without anyone advising you. How is that going to be possible? Many years ago, I came up with a well structured plan on how to get a project done. As far as I was concerned, it was a perfect plan and the only thing I was thinking about was success. But when I took the plan I am talking about to an adviser of mine—who is wiser, he was able to open my eyes to about four holes in it that I couldn’t see on my own. If I had gone ahead with the plan without consulting with my mentor, it would not have seen the light of day. You want your plans to be successful in 2017, then stop running alone.

There are many intelligent people today who are big-time failures. Why? It is because they are running alone. They are violating one of the most profound success principles. Successful people do not run alone, but failures do either run alone or with irrelevant folks. Show me one successful man or woman, who is a lone ranger? One person is too small to become successful. You want to become successful? If yes, you will need to keep looking for people you can succeed with.

For the umpteenth time, why do intelligent folks fail sometimes? This is one of the major reasons: they do not surround themselves with sound advisers, who have done what they are trying to do. It is impossible for your plans to fail on the condition that you always surround yourself with advisers, who know what you do not know and can see what you cannot see, and have done what you are planning to do.

A few years ago, one of my mentees met with me and shared with me one of his plans. While he was sharing it with me, his face was glowing as lilies of the field. He was very optimistic that his plan would work. After listening to him for about fifteen minutes, I said to him to see me on the plan in my office. Ehen we met, I asked about how his plan was doing. To which he responded: “it shall soon take off…” We sat together for the next thirty minutes and his eyes became wide opened to some holes (that he could not see on his own) in his pretty looking plan. If he had moved ahead with the plan, it would have failed.

It is possible to avoid failure on the condition that you will surround yourself with relevant advisers. Over the years, when I see anyone who is successful, what I want to find out is the kind of company he or she keeps. The man or woman who is successful is not the gist. The substance is the kind of people he or she surrounds himself or herself with—who advise him or her. The question is: what kind of people are you keeping company with? Are they relevant or irrelevant people? If you can correctly answer this question, your 2017 is definitely going to be better than 2016.

Also, a king is rated based on the quality of his troop. And no one places an appropriate value on a king who walks alone. Buddy, you cannot be more successful than the corporate quality of those who you surround yourself with. There is no wisdom in living your life alone. Remember, those who live alone always do not amount to much in life.

Lastly, as this year is running to an end, get out of your shell. Start relating to relevant people. Your plans will fail if you are not going to surround yourself with relevant advisers. And you will be far from safety on the condition that you do not surround yourself with appropriate counselors. Your 2017 will be better than your 2016, if you are going to work out in shoe-leather—the principle I have synoptically shared with you today. See you where great people are found!