A conversation with the High Commissioner of the British Commission pointed to the fact that I adamantly write on the strength found in self-evaluation. This was coupled with a sincere need to have the entrepreneur and aspiring entrepreneur to self-reflect. Many times we spend a lot of time reading self-help books on how to acquire wealth.
Although this is a fundamental part of growing your business mind and polishing your business skills, we spend little time actually introspecting and looking within to ensure the character traits we possess that make up self, have the ability to drive us forward.
We spend more time reading books written by Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Warren Buffet, and we have never heard of Huang Wenji, Alberto Vilar and Vijay Mallya. This is because everyone is more interested in the success stories of those that made it to become billionaires and not many of us take time out to read the stories of those that lost the said billions.
Rarely do we want to hear of the character traits and business dealings that can corrupt an empire. This is because the stories that motivate us aren’t those of who failed, but rather those of who succeeded. Although I am aware that reading up on success stories allows you to formulate a plan towards your aspirations, there has to be a healthy mix, in order to ensure you groom yourself to become all you envision.
Doing an introspection of who you are allows you to account for everything you are and are not. In essence, it is about taking account of everything that makes you who you are, the strengths and weaknesses. Capitalising on your strengths is where the money is made, however working on your weaknesses is how the money is kept. In the event that you do not account for the character traits that take from your ability to sustain a healthy work environment, sustain business relationships or work on your foul manners, you could inevitably break down everything you have built simply because you will not take the time out to work on the areas of your life that hinder you from progression.
Here are some key processes to get you started on self-reflection:
Who am I and what character traits do I possess that hinder me from moving forward? Do I procrastinate? Am I inpatient? Do I spend more time dreaming than actually doing?
Do I have a character that can sustain wealth? Do I tend to spend more than I make? Do I lose business relationships as easily as I make them? Can I drive a team?
What toxic habits do I possess that can lead me to losing everything I built? Do I tend to engage in corrupt activities? Am I associated with people who corrupt good character?
There are various routes one can take to ensure that you reinforce everything you are building, one of which is ensuring that you build yourself and who you are to be able to sustain what you are currently building. It stretches across everything in your life and it is not exclusive to entrepreneurship. It is essential to take time out to build yourself in the same manner you build the life around you.
Mavis Elias, is a young female black Civil Engineering graduate with two years of experience. She is a dynamic young leader in her community, having founded the EM Love Foundation and serves as a director for the One Economy Foundation. Elias won the Queens Young Leader Award in 2018.
For more information email – eliasmavis@gmail.com