From Employment to Empowerment

We experienced how the global financial crisis affected those around us; friends, colleagues, subordinates, neighbors, superiors and retirees. No industry was spared especially those that were able or unable to cope with sudden job losses. As a live participant in the banking industry in Nigeria and a world observer of the financial crisis, I can accurately tell you that it has been a bitter pill to swallow, especially when you are not ready for it. This book is a wake up call, a call to action, a call that there is another life beyond paid employment, a call that your life does not depend on that job, a call that you can do without your job, a call to a new life; a life of empowerment. Paid employment can be fun. It is an excellent training ground for the business world. It provides immediate funding for your daily and life expenses. It gives you financial hope, gives you respect in your home and community, encourages you to plan into the future to achieve your dreams. But will that job always be there? When do you plan on leaving that job? What do you plan to do when you leave? More often than not, a lot of workers will readily churn out loads of plans and ideas as responses to the questions above. But the issue is how many of us have actually written them down as real plans with timelines and milestones? The fact is that until you do this, you do not have a plan. So I ask again, what do you plan to do when you leave your job either voluntarily or otherwise? A critical step to success in life is planning. There is a popular saying that ‘he who plans to fail, fails to plan.’ Strategy is all about planning and no wars are won without a successful strategy. You should start planning and working towards your exit in any form it comes from your first day at work. When occupied, here’s what you think makes you happy or what makes you tick on that job; THE SALARY MIRAGE. For many employees, they feel that the solution to all their problems is either a fat salary or a fatter salary. The truth of the matter is that it is none of those, money is only a means to an end and not an end in itself, stop chasing joy and satisfaction in the wrong places, it’s time to realign your priorities and your values. For those of us looking for the highest paying jobs, stop it. Start looking for the most self fulfilling and satisfying job, the job that fits into your correct life definition, goals and value systems. I say this because in my country-Nigeria, a lot of people came into banking either out of definition of a fat salary will solve their problems or that it will solve all their money problems. Then they find out that the solution is not there and some now commit fraud or never reach optimal productivity on the job. No matter your salary, Parkinson’s Law which states that expenses will always grow to meet income, no matter the level of income, will always catch up with your salary. If you are already stuck on your job, redefine and realign your reasons for working for your organisation and remove money from the equation. This will help you live longer and achieve more on the job and in your life. Life has to be defined properly to get the right success perspective. If you can’t redefine your job then it’s time to get another one.