New Month, New Quarter of the Year – It is Time to Take Stock

It was just like yesterday that we said happy new year and now, we are in the 2nd quarter of the year. Let me break it down:

January to March = Ist quarter of the year.

April to June is = 2nd quarter of the year.

July – September = 3rd quarter of the year.

October – December = 4th quarter of the year.

So, today, the first of April is the first day of the 2nd quarter of the year. As the year is going, our lives is going or moving forward – we are growing in age and possibly for some, in resources, wealth, knowledge and for some in the spirit. No matter where our lives is headed right now, life is moving or going on. I would say this, it is okay to be moving but in what direction is your life moving? – Where you want it to be? Confused? Unfulfilled? Or killing it (achieving those goals)?

One of the things I do to help me check myself so I can be better is to “take stock”. If you have ever been to a grocery store, let’s take Tesco or Shoprite (if you are in Lagos) for example, you see some sales person (store attendants or sales associate) walking around the store with a paper and pen, for more advanced stores, a little machine (stock reader) in their hands browsing the shelves to take their stocks. They do this because:

They want to know the amount of stock on the shelf – low or high – if low, they order more stock immediately so they can meet customers needs and make more sale and profit. If high, they are sure they are able to meet the demands of the customer and if expired or dated, they remove those products from the shelf…..

Low, High or Expired

Right now in your life, are the things you are doing enough to help you get to where you want to be at the end of this year? Are you doing too much and are getting worked up or stressed……the ideal is not for you to work so hard till you  burn out, it is to be productive. No tired person can be productive. No way!

So, if you are not doing enough, what can you do to do more? – for example, take 20 minutes out of your launch time to go for a walk or respond to emails or wake up 1 hour before your normal waking up time to write a portion of your book and on and on…..as it applies to you, depending on your goal, dreams or ambition. 

If you are doing too much, what can you do to find a balance – sleep 5 hours instead of 3 or be mindful to finish early instead of late or make time to cook launch so you can eat healthy instead of taking another project for launch time and on and on….as it applies to you. 

Discontinuation of Products

As a Buyer by training, I understand demand and supply of merchandise. When a store sees that a product is not selling or doing well, they try to figure out why it isn’t selling or why consumers are not buying those products. Although all Buyers, alongside the Demand Planner use something called “trend forecasting” to buy their merchandise, however, it is possible that sometimes, those forecast can fail.

So, if a business stock up on a product (merchandise) and those products don’t do well, they try to figure out why and come up with new ways to improve on the sale of that product, either by putting the product on sale (reduce the price) or get rid of the product all together by discontinuing that line of products.

In your life currently, what do you need to reduce or get rid of? These things may just be something you are holding on to because of fear of letting go, it could also just be as simple as reducing the amount of time you spend on social media or watching telly to get some important work done that will propel your life forward. So, I ask:

1. What is working for you right now and what is not?

2. Can you get rid of those things so you can focus on what is important to you or ones that would move your life towards the direction you want to go?

3. What can you do to achieve that goal?

It is all on you. Write your action points down now with deadline and follow through. It may be hard to do BUT you can do this by grace. Ask for grace to do these things. 

Gratitude

Everyone, including myself want more out of life. We want to attain the next level of success – make more money, get promoted, travel, buy a home and on and on. In our quest to be more, many of us forget to be grateful for where we are and what we have. In our ignorance, we focus on the things we do not have and this can sometimes make us whine, complain or even become really ungrateful. For us to be more, it is good to take stock so we can be more but more importantly, it is BEST to be grateful for what we have now and live in the moment. Being grateful or practicing the act of gratitude brings satisfaction and or fulfilment.

You may be reading this today and wondering why should I be thankful when I do not have this, this and that……But I tell you, nothing compares to being grateful for who you are, where you are and what you have. Research has shown time and time again that the most successful people in life practice gratitude – been grateful.

So, I understand where you are now is not where you want to be or where you think you should be but if you can truly think deep or look around you, you would find something(s) to be grateful for or thankful for. I challenge you now to be thankful for 5 things. Let me start, here goes my five….out of many…..

1. I am thankful for the gift of life. I am well, sane and doing the things I love.

2. I am thankful for been a woman, mum and wife. I am thankful for my family and friends.

3. I am thankful that I have a place to live.

4. I am thankful for food to eat, clean water to drink and been able to digest and process all those consumables till they become waste.

5. I am thankful that I am writing to encourage someone today. I am thankful that this post may just give someone hope.

See, it is not just enough to take stock to move to the next level, it is also important to be grateful for where we are now, live in the moment, so, we can feel fulfilled and satisfied for now, so we can positively focus on where we want to get to. My prayer for you as you read this is that God will give you the strength and grace to be who he has called you to be. IJMN.

Finally, never be weary in doing good, in due season, your reward will come. Don’t give up!

Thank you for reading. Have an awesome month of May.

Lots of Love, Mojisola

Read: The Things I Have Now

Yesterday, the 31st of March was the one year anniversary of my book, Create the Life You Want. Yay! To celebrate that, for 48hours only, I want you to have the book for just $0.99 cents.

If you are struggling with setting and achieving goals, confused about how to start and get things done, have negative mindset or can’t just find your way, my book, Create the Life You Want – 7 Principles to Make it Happen For You will help you set realistic goals and achieve them. It is when we set goals, follow through on those goals and achieve them that we can create the life we want. Now, go for it……..

Download Create the Life You Want HERE