economies of most countries are struggling . Geo-politics and wars are affecting the global supply chain and consequently contributing to high inflation . There are few jobs if any , particularly in Africa with its bulging youth population .
How do you keep going , even in a space of many difficulties ? We turn to the words of Martin Luther at such times , “ If you can ' t fly then run , if you can ' t run then walk , if you can ' t walk then crawl , but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward .”
If you need help to keep moving forward , by all means , enlist it . Get a coach , a therapist , a mentor , whatever you need to keep going . But keep going !
It is Time to Slow Down
Amber is the trickiest traffic light colour for me . When the lights turn amber , the battle in my mind is whether I should step on the gas to make it to the other side before the light turns red . Sometimes that stepping on the gas works for me and I make it safely to the other side . Other times it does not - I find myself having not gotten to the other side while the cars for which the light has since turned green are coming directly at me . At that point , I tell myself , I should have just waited .
How often do we find ourselves in situations in our lives , where we recognise that we should have been more patient ? Sometimes we are so quick to get into deals without doing the necessary due diligence . Then we end up in regret after burning our fingers .
In Kenya , very many people fall for get quick rich schemes because they have no patience in taking the time to learn about how to properly build wealth .
Gambling is now one of the biggest vices in this country because we want to get rich instantly - even our mothers in the villages when we send them cash , they end up spending a considerable amount of it to try their luck in “ Shinda Milioni Leo ”. We all know how this ends - they lose and the company wins . Yet , if they had just saved that Kes 200 that they use daily in sending texts to radio stations , they would have been in a far better place financially .
The amber light denotes the need for pause moments in our lives . Even for projects , you have to take moments to stop and evaluate whether you are on the right track . Otherwise , you may keep going and realise at the end of the project that you worked very hard to provide internet to a school which is located in an area where electricity is not reliable .
Pause calls for reflection . Schedule moments for reflection for your own life . We do this so well at work with quarterly , bi-annual and annual reviews . How much more is such a review required in your own life ? Remember you are the CEO of Me . Incorporated . Don ’ t just keep going , pause to evaluate what is working in your life , what is not working in your life and what needs to be amended .
“ We do not learn from experience … we learn from reflecting on experience .” - John Dewey .
It is Time to Stop
Red is a sign of danger . It is utter foolishness to keep going when the lights are red . Yet , if you think about it in our personal lives , our internal lights could be blinking red , yet we keep on going . Any workaholics up in here ? Will it take you to be admitted in a hospital for burnout for you to stop ? Will it take the loss of your marriage and healthy relationships with your children for you to stop ?
Any of us in unhealthy relationships in here ? Yes , marriage is a good thing but you are going through emotional and even physical abuse on a daily basis . What will it take to know that you deserve better ? That your children deserve to be brought up in a better environment ?
This is one of the hardest places to be - to accept that something is not working , despite having tried , and that it now needs to come to an end . There are endings that are necessary . Cut whatever you need to cut in your life before it is too late .
" There ' s a trick to the ' graceful exit .' It begins with the vision to recognize when a job , a life stage , or a relationship is over ... and let it go . It means leaving what ' s over without denying its validity or its past importance to our lives . It involves a sense of future , a belief that every exit line is an entry , that we are moving up , rather than out ." - Ellen Goodman .
A Time and Season for Everything
When all is said and done , it all comes to recognising the times and seasons of our lives .
Priscah Motogwa is a Human Resource Practitioner and currently works as an Advisor to the Secretary to Cabinet . You can commune with her via mail at : Priscahmotogwa @ gmail . com