USE WHAT YOU HAVE

Economics has always told us that human wants are unlimited and the resources with which to satisfy them are limited. Life experiences have equally thought us that we will have to work to meet  expectation.  In majority of  instances, in  vast market and opportunities, needed quality  resources are always insufficient but what do we do in the face of these challenges when we  encounter them. This article was born out of the insufficiency of obviously needed resources in my branch some time and I had to teach it to create a new paradigm and move forward else we remain ineffective. ALL GREAT THINGS STARTED small. Majority of the success stories use what they had, only an infinitesimal quantity borrowed. All  successes use what they have and observation shows that it was in the process of using what they had that the additions and support came along. Michael Jordan had a challenge with his height, he couldn’t sleep on a normal bed size neither could he get his shoe size which introduced him to Nike. One  good morning he thought to himself in front of a mirror,  “you height, are you meant to be a disadvantage to me? What can I use you for and then basket ball came to mind” today he is an emblem in basketball and has a statute of him in Chicago which not even the governor has. What do I infer  “he looked inwards and did a good analysis of himself and what he had? Used it maximally and today rides on what he wanted! This means to effectively use what you have you must do some analysis. The following questions can help us with a clue. I have learnt that if your resources increase and you do not have corresponding resource utilization literacy, your status will not change. Let’s relates this to money, if your income increase and your financial intelligence/literacy does not improved to meet your increase you will see no change but a waste.

What do I have?

What do I want?

What must I do?

WHAT DO I HAVE?

The analysis of this question initiates our effective use of your limited resources. This is actually the identification of the resources present and available for use. It is possible to have some resources that are not available for your immediate use to achieve your aim or meet your goal. It is best you delete them from the pack for use  until available for  use; this is what I call prudential stock taking. It is also important to check elasticity of resources or potency of resources before use. If you never value what you have you will never get what you want.

WHAT DO I WANT?

This is the goal you intend to achieve; this is the deadline, the Task, the business you need to start, the exams you to take, you house you need to build etc. This is a total analysis of expectation and demand of those you serve or the potentials in you and the vision that you see. If you do not know what you want or your assignment, what the business demands, the preparation requires, the capital required, the time needed obviously waste is the only result because you will take whatever comes which maybe far below your desire or far above what you can take. Once you don’t know what you want everything is attractive and you get nothing.

WHAT MUST I DO?

This involves the reconciliation of the potency of the resources available and the expectation or target task or goal. This is the active part of the analysis; it is the bridge between what I have and what I want. Try not to impress anyone but focus on your goal. What must I do has to with the use of your innate resource to make, explore, expand and improve the utility of available resources to meet your desired objective. If you do nothing you get nothing!

HOW TO DO IT?

- Determination: self motivation is determination without which you can’t start. You need a mindset shift that this is what I have to start with and work toward what I want.

- Maximize resources to full capacity: Only knowledge helps you avoid waste. If you don’t how much you can get and you will get only what you know.

- Education & Training: Education brings out what you already have; it will guide proper use of the available resources and control waste. Training saves invisible cost.

- Eliminate limitations and weaknesses more rapidly: weaknesses are highway to losing available resources quickly. Limitations are unwanted brake  pad that stiffens productivity.

- Increase speed with accuracy: imagine a vehicle at 180km/hr without the use of the steering wheel. Speed is a waste without accuracy. Accuracy confirms speed.

- Manage time: Time can increase the value of available resources. Check the effect of turnover on sale & profit. Time is the only opportunity to make a difference. The use of what I have over time will result in what I want. Everything expires with time even life!

- Emotional Control & professional Approach: Emotions affect active life of resources and approach can make resources useless. Prov. 12:14-16

- Appreciate and Accept Responsibility:  Being grateful  is shown in effective use of available resources and accepting responsibility is ensuring resources produce toward set objective.

- Restructure & Re-strategize:  this is simply planning the usefulness of available resources to meet goal. Assessing what the available can produce in specified time. Check the map, find your location and plot your destination. A plan maybe useless but planning is inevitable.

- Work for the intangibles: when available resources are used to secure the intangible, it produces the tangible you desire. Work for excellence then imagine what happens to sales and profit. Of course the intangibles control the tangible. John 6:27

I wrap it up with the story in the book of Luke 6:1-14. The story shows how they identified the potentials or opportunities, did what they had to do with their available resources  with gratitude to reach where they wanted to be.We are here not to impress anybody but be at peace with ourselves and GOD!

Afolabi Julius Olatunde

Ex- Banker/Author/Speaker/Consultant