I have had the privilege of having some of the greatest friends, but there is one friend who, unknown to him, I have been understudying of late. I have always been intrigued by how one person can command so much respect because of their academic achievements and yet remain selfless, absolutely humble and an eager learner.
brand savvy with Stha Magida
The day this person made it to my friendship list is the day I realised that I have so much that I need to learn and so much that I do not know. As if to further intrigue me about this great personality, in my conversation with him this week he said something that shocked me. In a world where most workers are perennially discouraged for various reasons in the work environment, it is highly unlikely to find someone who has anything good to say about their employer and yet my friend gave the following answer after I asked him how he was doing after a hectic week of attending endless meetings. He said to me he was forever indebted to his employer for the opportunities that have been availed to him. He said to me that he was energised and that starting last Monday, he would be attending to his key performance areas with a brand new passion so as to pay back his employer.
I must say that jobs are difficult to find and there are many people out there who are highly qualified and are without jobs and would give anything to be in a job, yet those of us with jobs mumble and grumble at every opportunity. In Zimbabwe for example, it is not uncommon to find someone with a Masters degree selling airtime or doing some odd work here or there. If I did not know my friend better, I would think that he was being verbose or pompous, whichever description is more suitable, but he has repeatedly shown me over time that he is a man of his words. His work ethic has proven this to me in many ways. The privilege of being a writer is that one can go on and on about their friends freely keeping the reader wondering what the article is really about. Well, the article today is all about the method my friend uses to keep going, and that is self-motivation. Employers may not motivate us all the time or enough for most of us as workers to remember. Remuneration may motivate a worker but never long enough as the needs continue to spiral upwards, leading to a worker wishing that they earned a couple of thousands more, sometimes shortly after an increase in their salary or wage. What lasts longer and better is self-motivation. You see when one is self-motivated, nothing will bring him down. He is a perennial achiever of good results. How does one self-motivate themselves? It is by constantly reminding oneself that they are indeed best suited for the job and all they have to do is to perform just as concertedly as they did on the first day at work. It is about producing work that makes one proud of themselves. It is about choosing to be reliable and to be someone that can be counted on. It is about telling oneself to be faithful with the little so that he can be trusted with much. It is about having an attitude of gratitude always and having a teachable spirit. The more the people at your workplace think you are a great person, the more you are encouraged to wake up and go to work every morning. By so doing, you build a brand that is timeless and well-respected. Once people value your work ethic, you become even more motivated to always surpass the expectations and continuously do better. It is this kind of person that my friend is. I asked him how he manages to be continuously motivated. His answer was that he also has the sole responsibility of creating a legacy for his children, for his people and for his country. He says leaving a good name should be motivation enough to keep going and to never stop until that has been done. It is this kind of motivation that no one else will plant in our hearts and minds but us.
Maybe you are that kind of a worker that has been short-changing the employer by giving them less than they bargained for, the time to change is now. It is also easier to keep motivated when one is in a job than to be involuntarily out of a job. As a quote from Maria goes, “Reach as high as you can and then reach a little higher. There you will find magic and possibility and maybe even cookies.” Till next week, keep reading and remain brand savvy.
Stha Magida is a qualified marketer by profession with experience spanning over 15 years. She writes in her personal capacity and is contactable on [email protected]
