My 2016 in Retrospect

Retrospective

I need to make a very big sigh first of all because my 2016, is one of my best years despite all the setbacks i encountered. Where do i start from?

January 2016 – I was through with my Masters coursework, just my thesis left, i made the decision to move back to Lagos again so i could get one of those broadband modems with 50gb monthly allocation at a lower rate compared to the major players. Too much data you think? Trust me not enough, and i never download movies, #Fact. I love going to the cinema to watch them, mostly alone. Haha.

Picture of me taken in February

February 2016 – I found myself working (got the job around Jan 10th), additional good pay i thought, of course i was excited, commuting 2 hours to and fro because i was yet to get an apartment. Towards the end, i got an apartment, real cosy, a bedroom, sitting room, toilet and bathroom, big long kitchen, small corridor inside and a balcony. A burglar got into my apartment while i was at work, this was less than a week of my stay, i panicked, i ran.

March 2016 – I was still working, i got another apartment, a bigger one, with a guest room, so cool i thought. i had a flatmate, we shared the sitting room, laundry room and the super big kitchen. The most unexpected event i had never witnessed occurred, it was less than a week of my stay again, we got robbed at 4:30am in the morning, they even asked me for my jewelry box, after rummaging through it, they asked for gold jewelry, i told them i don’t have which is true, but i lost my PC, my smartphones and my first salary from the job (You have to wonder why i had my salary in cash? That’s because my new boss paid us all in cash, a crazy thing to do in a cashless society, especially when the salary isn’t a token. Sighs.

 

April 2016 – Not even the devil could stop me from resigning at that job, i found myself sent back to the stone age, things were so bad i couldn’t afford to recharge my phone with a 100 naira airtime. I lost my virtual clients because i was too busy and stressed to attend to their needs for the past 3 months. I like to follow my instincts a lot and i always give myself a target, when i don’t meet up, i shake myself and re-focus. On the 15th, we got paid March salary, i resigned the next day (You are probably asking me why i didn’t give a notice? Up till that moment, i wasn’t given a letter of employment, i asked a number of times, but got no positive feedback).

At my project pre-field defense in August.

May 2016 – Did i mention after being robbed, i couldn’t run again, where to? What if it happens at the next place i run to. Nevertheless, one thing that was constant was the fact that i never closed my eyes from 12 midnight till 6am every morning. I kept asking myself what next? how do i get back what was lost? I got a client who wanted a website, but guess what? i had no PC. I sold my haier thermocool fridge on OLX and bought a notebook only good for browsing.

June 2016 – A friend asked about my job and said he needed to sell off his vehicle, I sold that also on OLX and was able to get another smartphone. Then i thought to myself, why on earth did i take that job? I had a registered business name since 2012 i never made use of, my plan in January was to build my brand. Thank goodness i opened a bank account for my business name in February. I decided to work for myself henceforth, all this while, my wonderful parents, my siblings, my princess, my favourite cousin(he knows himself), my bff, my grand-uncle (grandpa i call him), my phenomenal project supervisor at my school, my phenomenal mentor and my wonderful HOD were very supportive and encouraging with their calls and advice, urging me to not give up on myself.

July 2016 – So how do i start with running my business, i was always online but i never really treated my brand online like a business. Do you know i even had bought domain names for my business for over 3 years but did nothing with it. My journey started, i had a lot to learn, i made plenty mistakes, but it was all worth it.

My fourth beautiful BFF’s wedding middle of last year.

August 2016 – Still on discovering the business identity part of me, i was able to do one out of the 3 presentations on my Masters project defense at school. I didn’t know discovering that part of me would be so difficult, i was never one to worry because worry solves nothing, but i was worried.

September 2016 – I reached out to my mentor about getting a new PC, building a business online does require serious gadgets, to my amazement, he had just bought one and asked i come pick it up. Need i tell you how excited i was? I sold the old one, got a printer, paid my princess school fees, being a single parent isn’t easy, thanks to my parents and siblings, she does not lack attention and care.

At shop sheshe in Kano State, Nigeria.

October 2016 – I asked myself, why on earth have i been worried? God has been so good to me, why have i been stressing myself when my Creator is in control of my life. I decided to quit worrying, i had never been to Northern Nigeria before, except for Abuja, which is the state capital of Nigeria. I took off, destination – Kano State, final destination – Jigawa State, to locate my paternal grandma’s village. she had died in the 1950s when my dad was about 3 years old. I happen to be the only one who looks exactly like my grandmother as testified by my dad’s older siblings who knew her. I did discover her village and her people, so cool. You can watch the journey video on my travel vlog here.

with my Grand-Uncle ArchBishop Emeritus Felix Alaba Job at his 50th Priestly ordination Family thanksgiving ceremony in Esure, Ijebu-Imusin, Ogun State, Nigeria.

November 2016 – I made another life changing decision, no more late-nights, prior to being robbed which gave me nightmares afterwards, i have had insomnia for over 20 years of my life. However i had enough, i was tired, i wanted to spend more time with my princess and i wanted to live healthily. The insomnia had given me a reason to justify working all night because there was nothing to do, i had convinced myself it was the best time to work because of the quietness. Those that know me personally know that i never turn off my data, i never turn off my phones, i could troubleshoot a tech issue for 72hours with no sleep until i got a solution, which quite frankly, i never did.

At the Salesian Youth Movement 2016 Forum in December

 

December 2016 – I was free. When you leave all your worries and issues to your Creator (Whoever that is to you), Eleda Mi, as it is called in Yoruba language, you are liberating and opening yourself to unlimited happiness, regardless of any setback you may encounter. Do you know since i made that decision to stop working at night, stop worrying, let God lead my life, i found that i was more productive and i achieved a whole lot even quicker.

January 2017 – i woke up grumpy, day 2 – i was heartbroken but i decided to be silent on the issue, i had questions but felt there was no need to ask, it does take two to tango, isn’t it? Besides, if there is anything i never want to be guilty of, it is ‘holding someone back’. Day 3 – i thought this can’t continue, i snapped myself out of my disorientation and reminded myself to FOCUS.

With my one and only princess, hiding her missing tooth, Picture taken this week.

Day 4 2017 – i started this post. Day 7 – i am looking for photos for this post, editing, Day 9 – i hit publish…..giggling and excited, and grateful. Do you know why? borrowing some questions from Art’s 2016 Review Blogpost, i will answer you WHY! You should ask yourself these questions too and share with us your answers.

1. What I learned? To let God lead. To never stop seeing the good always in things and people. Handling business as business. I learnt a lot about automobiles. And most importantly, never to ignore legal aspects and or written documentation of agreements in business.

2. What I had achieved? My business has taken off from the ground, i have discovered my direction, i have learnt consistency. I have been able to impact on lives, and i actually spoke on a stage like 3 times, my stage fright has reduced drastically. i run my ICT Facebook page here, i have a Facebook Group on Tech Insights here too, My Instagram handle here, my twitter account here and here. My websites here and here.

3. What are my failures? one time my topic was changed and i couldn’t adapt, i was afraid of myself, i thought i couldn’t do what i set my mind to do, i was slow to action most times, i doubted myself a lot but wasn’t ready to give up. i learnt late on the need to separate business from friendships, i pitied clients and took from my purse to satisfy clients.

4. What had changed in me? I have learnt Focusing the hard way. I can now smile again regardless of any hurt within, i learnt to love fully without judging, i learnt to listen more and analyse before speaking, i also learnt to go to bed early. Haha.

5. What are my realizations? I know better now what i want. I also realized i don’t need sleepless nights to get on Forbes list, i have had enough of that. Hahahaha.

6. Am I happy as this past year is ended? Absolutely ecstatic and looking forward to enjoying 2017. I made great friends from my colleagues, in and out at that place of work early in the year, wonderful people all i came in contact with during seminars and outings.

7. Am I satisfied with my experience of last year? Absolutely, if i had to list all i learned, achieved and realized, you will get bored, i hope you are not bored already? Happy 2017 to my WordPress Family in and out.

This is me saying thumbs up to a great 2017, I love you all.