Mentor: Rich Dad

First, let’s understand what I mean by U-TURN. U-turn, is one of the road signs designed to ensure safe motoring on the highway. Wherever the sign is found on a road, it tells the motorist that he can change course and head back in the direction he is coming from.

To make a U-turn where there is no such sign is to commit a traffic offence. Only a careless driver, who doesn’t care for the safety of other road users, will attempt to make a U-turn just anywhere on the road.

For a driver, the need for making a U-turn arises when he suddenly discovers he’s taking the wrong road and he wants to connect with the right one or when he has to return to his take-off point for one reason or the other.

Without such turning points on the road, especially on an expressway, a driver who misses his way may never be able to correct his mistake until he gets to the end of that road, which may prove costly in terms of time, money and effort.

How does this affect anyone in pursuit of success?

Several ways. Success-bound people are told NEVER to quit; that they have to focus on their goal and develop a never-say-die spirit that does not give in to discouragement or despair.

To tell the truth, without applying these principles, those in search of success may NEVER find it. However, the stubborn goat mentality, as I call it, can become a drawback in one’s desire to become successful if one becomes blindly obstinate in one’s pursuit. Now listen to me carefully. You can easily get lost around here and say to yourself that I’m contradicting myself.

But I’m not. So, let’s spend some time on this matter and make sure that you and I understand the point that I’m trying to make. Let’s clarify the point with an example. One of the principles that is prescribed for those searching for success is that no matter how tough the going gets, they must never quit. In practice what does this mean?

It simply means that whatever maybe the case, our main goal, which is to become successful in life, must never be abandoned for something less. It also means that while our destination is success, it doesn’t translate to getting there through only one road.

For example, there was this business owner who set a goal to be the largest supplier of a certain product in the country. For some time, his dream was coming true as his product/marketing mix was excellent. His product was number one in the minds of those using it. He was on a roll.

Then all of a sudden, competitors sprang up from nowhere and flooded the market with the same product only he was selling a few months before. Initially, he thought he could beat the invaders into his market hands down. He decided to engage them in a price war, cutting his selling price to keep his customers.

But the new entrants into the market were prepared for such move. As he slashed his price, they too cut theirs even lower than his own. Price wars have no winners. And so, in a few months, all the cash reserves he had had evaporated and he found himself trading on thin margin.

Competition got worse, as those buying the stuff realised what was going on and started moving from one supplier to another, comparing prices before making their purchase. In the end, this business owner had to quit the market.

Looking back years later, this entrepreneur recalled several opportunities he had to change course which he ignored. He made two big mistakes. He fell head over heels in love with his product so much that he didn’t want to abandon it. And second, he just couldn’t see himself reaching his original goal of being the largest supplier of any other product but the one he entered the market with.

Had this business owner taken time to reassess his position; had he taken the opportunity that came his way to sell other products rather than stick rigidly to the one which other competitors had made unprofitable; had he realized that he could still be the largest supplier in the country with other products, he would not have lost all as he did.

There is a lesson in this for you. As at this period in time, you can still make a U-turn. You can reassess your goal and change whatever is not working. Remember, there there are many ways for skinning a cat, as they say. Find other ways of reaching your goal.

Truly, you shouldn’t allow your dream to die. But let that dream be your major goal, which is to become successful in life, and not the means for accomplishing the goal. Do that and I will see you at the top this year and forever.

This is wishing you a success-filled year.

Dr. Sunny Obazu-Ojeagbase