Every skyscraper you want to climb begins with a single step, whether from a staircase or the ground floor of an elevator. If that analogy feels abstract, think of goal setting instead.
Every goal starts with the simplest part of it. You don’t just wake up and find yourself at the top without putting in the necessary work. It’s like trying to build a house without laying a proper foundation-it will eventually collapse.
No shortcut routes lead to great achievements. Every shortcut route leads one to quicksand, promising from the outset yet soon showing up the cracks. This is aptly put by the fact that the Latin dictum goes: Roma non uno die aedificata est -which means “Rome wasn’t built in one day”.
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs pyramid illustrates this principle well: each step in life must be taken in sequence. You can’t focus on self-actualisation when basic needs like food and shelter remain unmet.
Practical Steps for Laying a Strong Foundation
1. Read Autobiographies or Memoirs: Read about the lives of great people, particularly those who had similar objectives or passions in life. In their biographies lie some very valuable lessons, methodologies, and strategies. For example, Nelson Mandela’s persistence could stir obstinacy, while Elon Musk’s innovation may spark creativity.
2. Listen to Podcasts or TED Talks: Find content that inspires and educates. One idea of a TED Talk or podcast can help in changing your perspective to inspire you. For example, Simon Sinek’s Start With Why helps to align goals with a deeper purpose.
3. Surround Yourself with Visionary Individuals: Join or start a network of thinkers. What is now known as the Rotary International, an international organization, started in 1905 with attorney Paul P. Harris and three friends getting together for camaraderie and business development. Over time, their mission evolved to serve humanity, and they have been part of monumental achievements such as polio eradication efforts. Being part of such networks exposes you to shared knowledge and opportunities.
4. Create a Blueprint Analysis: Develop an action plan that tracks and monitors performance. I used this at Olumawu School, and it changed my whole thinking about setting goals. I gave myself a timeline for completing my M.Ed. within three years. I always ensured at any given time the process was staged in manageable phases and I was consistent despite the tedious nature of the program. This has helped me focus, though, through the blueprint, I had set certain things I wanted to achieve and time within which I should have achieved it. Well, I did, and now I am working on big deals.
5. Practise Delayed Gratification: Success often requires that one make sacrifices in the short term to get rewards in the long term. For instance, an entrepreneur has to plow back profits into the business instead of enjoying them as luxuries. Such discipline will ensure that the sacrifice today leads to meaningful achievement tomorrow. The Igbo people of Nigeria do this as an age-old ritual.
Conclusion
Great goals demand persistence, discipline, and intentionality. The time taken and the effort put into this will be well worth the result one gets, which is long-lasting and meaningful. Just like in climbing a skyscraper, every step counts and it’s worth the view from the top.
* Chinedu Vincent Okoro is a Rotarian, educator, poet, and advocate for social change and mental health. He lives in Abuja, Nigeria.
