Quite a number of times I have caught myself second-guessing my abilities and potential, all in the name of fear. It creeps in gradually, and I start thinking of all the "what ifs". What if I don't do it well? What if it never sells? What if nobody likes it? What if I fail? The list is endless.

Secondly, I speak to myself and keep reaffirming that I can do the particular task ahead of me and do it well. I go ahead and imagine the end even before I start.

Thirdly, I tell myself that whatever fear is saying is a lie and it only becomes my reality when I accept it.

Fourthly, I share how I feel with a close friend. They also reaffirm my abilities and who I am in Christ.

How do you tackle fear when it starts creeping in gradually?

I changed my phone's security password yesterday. I have used the same password for four years. I Used it on the previous phones I have used and also on the new phone I got in 2022. When I decided to change it, I didn’t realize what I was getting into. It’s been a battle between my conscious and subconscious minds. I have found myself in the last 24 hours inputting my old password unconsciously several times. I only get conscious when I realize that it was the wrong password.

This made me remember a conversation I had with a friend some weeks ago about how 90% of our lives are controlled by our subconscious mind. As Brain Tracy said, "the unconscious data in your head influences 90 to 95% of your behavior". I was tempted to change my password to what it was before because I didn’t like the inconvenience.

I had to reprogram my subconscious mind consciously. I told myself that if I entered the wrong password three consecutive times, my phone would lock permanently. This thought has made me more conscious when I pick up my phone; even though I entered two wrong digits on the third, I had to correct myself.

This reminds me of how powerful our subconscious mind is and how much it fights change initially. For us to experience change, we must intentionally reprogram our subconscious mind through the conscious mind. This would entail telling yourself why the change you are about to embark on is important and what you have to lose if the change does not happen. Over time, the subconscious mind would follow suit.

Have you experienced anything like this? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for reading and have a great week ahead.

It's been a week of reflection for me. I realized how I have had a lot of wishful thinking lately. Wishful thinking is not bad in itself, but it becomes bad when you don't do all that is required to make those wishful thoughts a reality. It is one thing to have desires; it is another thing to map out the strategies that will help bring those desires to reality and ultimately follow through with those strategies diligently.

While having my Bible study this week, two scriptures stood out to me differently. Firstly, it was Proverbs 19:2 NIV, says "Desire without knowledge is not good— how much more will hasty feet miss the way". Secondly, Proverbs 10:4 says, "He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand; but the hand of the diligent maketh rich". Also, Leslei Holares says "Stop your wishful thinking; go and make it happen".

In conclusion, desires are good, but to see them materialize, three things must be in place. Firstly, clarity on the desire. Secondly, mapping out strategies or plans to help achieve these desires. Lastly, being disciplined enough to follow through. This might require setting up an accountability system that puts you in check.

I hope you found this piece helpful, and thanks for reading.

Cheers to a great week ahead!

There is really no reason why you shouldn't start now. Every book you have once read began with a letter, and every beautiful painting you have once admired started with a brush stroke.

Sometimes this week, I was randomly scrolling through my blog. I recalled how I started this blog in 2018. I just wanted to document my process and have people learn through my journey. Reading some of my old blog posts brought back old memories. I realized how much I have evolved through the years and how much my writing has improved and still does. I recall the opportunities this blog has opened for me: getting contracted by a guest house to write for them, getting contacted by an AdTech company to write for them, landing my very first job because of this blog, and many more. I thought to myself, "What if I never started?". 

Often, we have very great ideas and a compelling passion to start something, but it never sees the light of day because of the "what-ifs" and the numerable reasons we give ourselves for not being able to start. I don’t know what that thing is that you've always wanted to do, but one thing I can assure you of is that you can start today. Only by doing, you learn what works and what doesn’t. It doesn't have to be a perfect start.

One very big realization that hit me this week from a conversation with a friend is that for every reason you give yourself for not attaining a certain goal, there is someone in the world who was once faced with a similar challenge and still succeeded at the same goal. According to the book titled, Think and Grow Rich, "it is better to spend time analyzing your weaknesses than building up excuses to cover them". 

I will love to read your thoughts in the comment.

Do have a great weekend 💌

She said, "Someone told me she wanted to start an MBA, but she thinks she is too old to start." My friend told her "You have a choice to make; you would be a year or two older from today with an MBA or you would be a year or two older from today without an MBA, but all the same, the time keeps ticking and you should never give up on yourself".

It was a timely reminder to start whatever we always wanted to and to put in all the effort required. The guest speaker, Betty Montgomery, who happened to be an alumna from the 70s, said "Even if the world tries to define you, put you in a box, and give up on you, you must never give up on yourself". The best thing you can ever do for yourself is never give up on yourself. Keep thriving and keep putting in the efforts required; it will surely pay off.

Cheers to a great weekend!

I was recently feeling overwhelmed by the things I had lined up for the next couple of weeks. If you don't already know, I am a master’s degree student here in the United States, and the spring semester is gradually rolling out. There are a lot of projects to be completed, assignments to be done, preparation for final exams and more. Looking at all of these, I started to feel really overwhelmed.

I recalled a technique I had learned a while ago: "approaching things in bits" rather than holistically. So here is what I mean: imagine you want to start a course, but the course requires you to complete an 8-hour-long video. Rather than thinking of the whole 8-hour video, how about thinking about it as spending 30 minutes every day for 4 days in a week? This will mean that in a week you spend 2 hours, and in a month the course is completed. This approach helps you take away anxiety and makes you feel less overwhelmed.

Laurell K. Hamilton said, "It all adds up; never discount your efforts, because small efforts build big things. One word doesn't make a novel, but one word does begin a novel, and from that small beginning, everything else follows. Even if it's just writing something on that blank page".

As a person who approaches things holistically, it's sometimes a bit daunting and discouraging. Taking things in bits is something I am consciously imbibing into my daily life. I am reminded that success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.

Do you already practice the bit perspective, or are you team-holistic like me? Also, what are your thoughts? I would love to read about them in the comments.

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend.

A long overdue post!

I almost didn’t want to write this review because I felt I didn’t do so much in 2021, even though it was a very busy year, but I am reminded that it’s not about perfection but progression. 2021 was an eventful year. It may seem as though I went off social media for a while, but that is what actually happened. I got so consumed with my 9 – 5 job and some personal things I was working on. I could not manage all my activities at once because it became so draining. Enough of the generalizations; let’s get right into the details.

E-books Published

In 2021, I published 2 e-books. One is a self-help ebook, while the other is a planner for 2022. You can download the Sanity ebook here and Cathy’s Productivity Planner (2022) here. Sanity ebooks talk about maintaining your sanity in the digital age we are in and dealing with comparison. It’s a 7-minute read. I recommend you try it. It still feels weird calling myself an author, don't ask why LOL.

Books

I read only one book from start to finish in 2021, and it was life-changing. Who Moved My Cheese is a book everyone should read as we move into the New Year. The book talks about embracing changes and not just being okay with the normal. It talks about not getting too comfortable in your comfort zone, and to add to that, it’s a fun book to read. I will share a review of the book, and you can download a copy here.

Designing

I do a bit of graphic designing for those who don't know this part of me. In 2021, I was able to make some cool cash off this skill. I worked with 3 brands. I created a tutorial video for an Adtech company based in Nigeria and Ghana, designed advert flyers for a fast-food company and also designed the complimentary card, logo and packet of a perfume brand. I also delved a bit into social media management. Brawn Shop which is my T-shirt brand was not left out as we got quite a number of amazing designs and landed our first cooperate client who made T-shirts in bulk. Click here to view our catalogue. Also, follow the Instagram page here. I am open to working with more brands in 2022.

Body Shaming

In 2020, I gained obvious weight, lost some, and added again toward the middle of 2021. I would not attribute this completely to what I ate, but also that my physical activities were drastically reduced. I got comments like; "You are now fat, your cheeks look so big, e.t. c. Sincerely, these comments made me feel bad, but I'm glad they didn't make me feel less of myself. Anytime I posted a picture on my social media status, I kept getting these comments. So I stopped posting!

I used to think body-shaming was overrated, but I had a fair share of it. I have learned to be more constructive with my comments about how people look because people are going through different things that can impact their physical appearance. I am taking my weight more seriously this year.

Movies

I saw quite a number of movies this year compared to the previous years. I noticed it was a way for me to unwind from the stress of work. I saw the following movies;

1. King of Boys

2. Castle and Castle

3. Two weeks in Lagos

4. Kambili; the whole 30 yards.

5. A Naija Christmas

6. This Lady Called life

7. Your Excellency

8. During Ever After by Laju Iren

9. Legion a Mount Zion movie

10. And many more which I can’t even recall.

Walk with God.

My walk with God had its high and low moments. I have learnt to continually treasure my walk with God because it’s the centre of everything. Life will always keep getting busy, and if not careful, one will be swept away from having a personal fellowship with God. In 2021, the YouVersion app came in handy for me. The app is available for download from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

A Glimpse of 2022

On the eve of 2022, I felt so confused. I felt like I had not done much in 2021, and it was making me feel a bit out of place. Social media didn’t help either; it felt like everyone had smashed their 2021 goals and already had 2022 figured out. I had to remind myself that I am not in a competition with anyone and that staying true to myself is everything.

In 2022, I am going to trust God for what he has in store for me. I am going to publish more write-ups here no more writing and storing on my phone notepads alone. 

Cheers to an amazing 2022 🍾🍾🥂🥂

PS: You can read 2020 and 2019 review 

What was 2021 like for you in a sentence?

Hello, Lovelies,

It’s been a while here. Life got really busy but I still haven’t forgotten my first love (Blogging). It’s the 6th day of the new year and I guess it is not too late to wish you a Happy New Year.

The most anticipated year.

2020 was a year I looked forward to. It was a much anticipated year. I remember having a conversation with some group of friends in 2016 in the season of graduation from the University that 2020 we would be married and have a lot of our ambition already in place (smiles). Looking back right now, all I can do is smile, though everything didn't go how I wanted it, I am super grateful for the accomplishments thus far. I judge God faithful and 2020 was also the best year for me (2021 will be greater).

Growth

There was so much self-development and personal growth, though I didn’t do so much as I wanted to I am glad I did a little. I was able to put out more content on my Instagram page @prisci_catheyo. I rebranded Afro Wearz now Brawn Shop, which officially kicked off on the 22nd of August 2020. Later in the year, I hope to share lessons learned from our first 6 months in business after rebranding.

Sometime in April, I shared 15 lessons COVID-19 taught me. You can check it out here. Also in November, I and a friend started a fitness accountability group to help young ladies look and stay fit and it has been an amazing journey. I also started a prayer platform "Praying With Prisci" which God laid in my heart. This platform allows you to share your burden in form of prayer points and keeps you anonymous. Click here to drop your request. 

What I am saying to myself in 2021

Going throw my review of 2019 here, I talked so much about being consistent in 2020 but life happened again. I was not consistent as I wanted to be but I was glad, I focused more on self-development and personal growth. In 2021, I am not promising to be super consistent but I am promising to be better, stay true to myself, and keep showing up.

NGO

Catheyo Initiative couldn't organize any programs and I would not blame COVID-19. The truth is that there was no serious plan and life got so busy. I am glad I was able to volunteer with HUG Foundation for community outreach. In 2021, we would be collaborating with other NGOs and have more people involved in our activities.

Books

I read more articles in 2020. I also read Crushing it by Gary Vaynerchuk. it's a must-read for everyone. I am currently reading The Millionaire Fastlane by J. DeMarco. It talks about creating sustainable wealth and the goal is to be wealthy and not to look wealthy. When I am done reading I will put up a review here. I also intend to read the Atomic Habit by James clear. 

Movies

The only movie I can remember I saw in 2020 was Citation. I love how relatable the story was "Sex for Grade". This is what has become the norm in our society. I hope that movie will inspire a lot of ladies to speak up against sex for jobs, sex for investment, sex for promotion, sex for grade, and sex for anything.

Adventure

I didn't explore so much in 2020. I visited Osogbo which I didn't find so interesting maybe because I didn't know the right places to visit. I visited Ilaji Resort in Ibadan and Trans-Amusement Park too. I had fun visiting both places in Ibadan. In 2021 I look forward to visiting Agodi Garden, Mapo Hall, and IITA in Ibadan by God's grace. If you have useful tips for me kindly drop them in the comment section.

In summary 2020 wasn't really a backlash, though COVID-19 happened, I am still grateful to God because the year ended in praise. I would love to also hear from you. What stood out for you in 2020 and what are you choosing to do differently in 2021?

For a while, I struggled with reading a book from start to finish.

That was because I didn’t realize life was getting busy and time was becoming never enough. Responsibility keeps adding up as we keep growing and time keeps shrinking. 

I used to be a good reader while I was much younger but now I can't even boast of reading a book from start to finish in a while.

Do you ever feel this way too?

Yeah, I see you nodding lol.

But I realized I was just making excuses and wasting time. I had to re-strategize.

I discovered reading an Audiobook alongside the eBook or the hard copy worked for me. In less than three weeks I finished the book "Crushing It" by Gary Vee.

I read 90% of this book on my way to work and back from work. This made me realize how much time is being wasted unconsciously.

This method was so beneficial. It helped me stay focused. I felt more connected with the book. Everything was just so real.

If you are currently having difficulty with reading especially stay through from start to finish, you might want to try this.

I also made a very insightful post sometimes in 2019 about developing a reading culture  here .

What are your thoughts on my new found method? have you tried it before? will you try it? what other method works for you? 

kindly comment.

Thank you.