In Nigeria, where double-digit inflation, single-digit interest rates, and various negative macroeconomic trends prevail, it is crucial to reflect upon one’s progress in comparison to the poverty-inducing conditions. You must commit to growth and increase your capacity over time. As an indigenous proverb states, “Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or gazelle. When the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”
Staying stagnant in today’s fast-paced world is not an option. You must grow in order to protect what you have gathered. It makes no difference how big your ambition is. If you do not increase your productivity and economic might over time, poverty will find you. The biblical passage from Proverbs 24:33-34 warns about the consequences of laziness and complacency. It emphasizes that if you do not do enough, poverty will creep in like a thief and scarcity will overwhelm you like an armed assailant. You may not have much control over your country’s economic winds, but you can take some responsibility for yourself.
Certain top investment managers and hedge funds adopt ambitious targets, striving for substantial portfolio growth with a minimum annual increase of 20%. This objective showcases their proactive mindset, aiming to maximize returns and generate substantial profits for their clients. Additionally, pursuing double-digit growth helps counter the impact of inflation, safeguarding one’s wealth from diminishing over time. To illustrate, if you consistently settle for 10,000 measures year after year, by the fifth year, the value of that 10,000 measure would depreciate to around 9,000 measures. Therefore, take inspiration from this concept and commit to achieving double-digit growth in your personal productivity, financial endeavors, and economic influence.
