Start Early
From the last post, it’s been made known to you that one can’t start climbing a tree from the top but one has to begin the climbing from the bottom. There is no trace of doubt in me that the last post left you thinking about many issues- like how you can start taking responsibility, how you can be best at that little you do, to mention a few. Wonderful! Yet there are still some people who wish they were at a higher level but never considered it wise to start with an immediate and quick step. You see, the realm of greatness is neither for wishers nor dreamers who have refused to take immediate and necessary actions. The earlier you begin your journey the earlier you reach your destination. My writing today will border on this line.
Early Beginning: Setting out early on your journey matters a lot. It determines when you will get to your destination. Can you compare someone who set out early in the morning on a journey to Lagos with another who set out at noon? Of course not, the former would get to the destination before the latter, assuming they are going to the same destination. So in like manner is the case of A & B who are in the same line of business. ‘A’ started the business in his teens and ‘B’ in his thirties. All things being equal, who between the two would be better in terms of experience, knowledge, customers and so on? Starting something early (an idea, a concept, product line, etc.) gives you an edge over those who did not.
Larry McMurtry said, ‘if you wait, all that happens is you get older’. Getting older without having achieved things that should have achieved? No! That unique business idea you have, start it now. Don’t wait until you increase in age or stature. Now is the time, don’t procrastinate.
You might not know the value of starting early until you miss the opportunity. Don’t lose any minute of your life. Someone once wrote about the value of time and it goes thus:
To realize the value of one year: – Ask a student who has failed a final exam.
To realize the value of one month: – Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of one week: – Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper
To realize the value of one hour: – Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of one minute: – Ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane.
To realize the value of one second: – Ask a person who has survived an accident.
To realize the value of one millisecond: – Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.
Since you know your destination, start something (if it’s drawing a plan, getting knowledge or whatever that will help) along that line- not tomorrow but today (now). The time is now. You can decide to use it or lose it. Like it’s usually said, time waits for no man; it’s like a snowflake, which disappears while we’re trying to decide what to do with it. Save yourself the cry of tomorrow by taking the pain today. It is not the thing you do; it is the thing you leave undone that later gives you a cause for alarm.
Don’t forget that the earlier you begin to take conscious steps to attain greatness the earlier you reach your great destination. Thank you for your time. I want to believe you’ll take the right step today. You are on your way to the top.
