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The Power of Planning: Authentic Strategy for Delivery of Possibilities (Part 3)
By Tolulope A. Adegoke
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
– Mary Oliver
A goal without a plan is just a wish. Plan your works and work your plans. Overlooking the powerful effect of strategic planning is simply planning to fail. Good planning without good working is nothing but a wild joke! Plan out your life strategically on paper, and decide today to start living intentionally by your heart (true conscience). Spencer W. Kimball reveals that: “To be sure your life will be full and abundant; you must plan your life.”
Dear friends, hear what Jim Rohn wrote: “if you do not design your own life plan, chances are that you will fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Nothing much.” This simply means that, you must start living intentionally, by subjecting your ego, pleasures and weaknesses under the principles of strategic or effective planning toward actualizing purposes and fulfilling your great destiny.
So, what and how do you engage the principles of Effective Planning?
Set a Definite Goals (SDGs)- your goals must be specific.
Decide on deadlines for your goal(s)
Write down your goals- make it plain on paper. Habakkuk 2:2(KJV) reveals that: “And the Lord answered me and said, write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” Also remember that ‘the faintest ink is better that the sharpest memory.’
Develop steps or strategies towards achieving the goals that you have written.
Determine ‘what’ (the costs or sacrifice) you would give in exchange for your plans to come into reality. We all must remember that sowing comes before reaping, therefore, you must enter into the labour room and process on investments and work out your goals into reality. Pay the prices needed to get the prizes that comes with it. This is simply the law of give and take.
Set career/Mental goals: Refine your talents into skills and business (expertise). Be loaded enough with relevant skills for effective production and great value. Create value on daily basis. Read relevant books, articles and journals to brush up your mental capacity. By so doing, you can identify more of your talents and develop those talents into what is called skills. A skill is a polished, processed or refined endowments (potentials).
Talents has capability to be available. In fact, it makes one available, but skill(s) makes you desirable. The ability to earn from your skill is called expertise-the art of business. It is business that makes you profitable. It is profit that you need! Business is therefore the availability to make profits from your skills.
Set health goals for yourself: your health is the security wall of your skills, do not joke with it! Prevention is better than cure, and obedience is the best form of sacrifice. Suffice to say, follow medical prescriptions, stop self-medication to avoid complications. You must maintain fitness (Mental or psychological and physical fitness).
Build Relationship with God: don’t dare joke with your relationship with God. Do not take it with levity. Daily meditation should be unquestionable. Make your body the temple of the Lord (do not abuse it). Have a secret place of personal communion with God, read more of His Word-the Holy Bible is a high opener of mysteries. Be a kingdom builder, contribute to the growth of the House of God (The Church) through the following means: Evangelism, Sacrificial giving, Tithing among others.
Have Welfare Package(s) for your family: give your family a treat, take them out on vacation, make them smile, laugh and happy. Sweeten the heart of your spouse, stop being too critical, forget her past failures and move on by focusing on her strengths. There are levels of blessings, favour attached to your wife and children; they are created to enjoy the money you make, while you were created to make the money.
Set your Financial Budgets: This has to do with income first. How much comes in and what are the monthly inflow of money into your treasury? How much is your expenditure? You just need to be seriously detailed and strict with your finances. Endeavour to save more. Savings is paramount!
What is a Plan that matters?
A plan is simply a method that is detailed for achieving an end, it the customary method of doing something. Another word for it is procedure.
A plan is also a detailed formulation of a program of action. It is effective plans that separates achievers from ordinary dreamers. It is not what you hear that counts, it is what you do with it what you hear or have heard or read that counts! There are so many people that are carrying exactly what they are crying for! You were born loaded with enviable and unique gifts. You were born with virtually everything you will ever need so that God’s glory would be proclaimed by your evident (empirical) successes or results.
The major assignment man has is simply to make God to be better known to the world through your works, results, greatness or outputs. According to Fela Durotoye, “you are the exact example of the intentions of God! The purpose of creation by God is for Him to reign on Earth through us. We were formed in our mother’s womb because of the assignments we were sent to do (actualize or fulfil), because we all are on mission, here on earth! And if you fail, that means God’s brand has perished, God forbid! Your results have more than your name at stake”.
Promotion does not come by fasting and prayer alone, but by planning and hard work. Your results are tied to the brand of God, because when you were arriving this world (earth), you were given virtually everything you will ever need. So all you need to achieve your purpose, that greatness or successes is by engaging on EFFECTIVE PLANNING. However, if you crave not just to merely exist, but live well and effectively you must always practice and engage the principles of Effective Planning.
In conclusion, I charge you not to pity yourself, stop the blame games! Get to work by stretching the limit of your commitment- embrace excellence in place of mediocrity. It is my sincere desire that young people and adults will heed to the call of excellence, in spite of the prevailing mediocrity around them today, regardless of the culture of underperformance and frivolities that are being celebrated today. We all must work out ourselves for a successful end! Show me a man with good and effective plans, and I will show you a brilliant mind; show me a brilliant mind who is committed effective planning principles and I will show you a limitless man. It is an archaic saying that the sky is the limit. I will gladly tell you this: “there are footprints in the sky, the sky is the starting point; don’t be limited, don’t be intimidated, don’t be lazy, you need to tear up the ceilings of the sky in order to breakthrough into the world beyond it. Guess what, you don’t do that wishing or by guessing. You start by imagination, believing and putting them into writing and running after the vision by hard works and smart moves!”
(The end…)
Thank you all for reading.
Tolulope A. Adegoke is an acclaimed “globalpreneur”, with the mandate to enrich lives and provide the professional, spiritual, academic and leadership empowerment needed to birth, maximize and sustain possibilities in peoples, corporates and nations. He is a prolific writer, frequent keynote speaker and spoken word poet, among others, having written countless articles in diverse reputable fields and honoured many public invitations.
E-mail: adegoketolulope1022@gmail.com
globalstageimpacts@gmail.com
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Experience, by every standard, is a prerequisite for any human to move to the next stage of growth and existence. Experience comes in different forms as one journeys through life, covering health, finance, relationship, marriage, family, personal development or spirituality. We gain valuable experiences that help us see life or understand it in more ways than one.
It is right to say, we are shaped by the experiences life gives to us. It is always advisable to look at life more wholistically as opposed to concentrating on its negative aspects. Sometimes, our experience can serve as the game-changer we need to move to the next phase of our life, but before that can be done, we have to appreciate the experience.
For instance, when we go through turmoil, we experience discomfort, no doubt, but the inherent lessons lie in humility, prudence, patience, and even leadership. In some cases, the experience might be for someone else whom the universe might bring our way for us to teach them how to navigate the problem.
It is generally said that a smart man learns from his mistakes, but a smarter man learns from another person’s mistakes, and this is where the experience of life comes in. As progressive minds, we need the experience of mentors and those who have gone before us to teach us what we don’t know.
In business, an apprentice needs the tutelage of their boss to understand how to succeed in a particular industry or business. A mentee needs the experience of their mentors to succeed. A newly married couple needs the experience of seasoned couples to navigate the challenges of marriage. Even adults need the experience of their parents to know how to raise their children. The list is endless.
To understand how experience works, consider the story of a young man whose car broke down along the road. All efforts to fix the car proved abortive. While he was wondering what to do, an elderly man who was driving by stopped beside him, and inquired if there was a challenge. He stated that his car broke down and he’s having a hard time trying to fix it.
The old man offered to help. Though the young man hesitated, wondering what an old man could do, he yielded on second thought, and gave the old man a chance. After all, he had done all in his capacity, and yet, no solution. The old man opened the bonnet, hit a knob, and told the young man to restart the car. To his amazement, the car buzzed into life. In excitement, he asked the old man, ‘who are you?’, and he replied, ‘I’m Mr. Ford, the owner of Ford Motors’. The young man was humbled.
Now this is what I call experience. You can’t beat a man with experience. If Henry Ford didn’t have experience with his products, he wouldn’t have been able to fix the car.
There’s another story where a mentor was teaching a mentee about the importance of experience. According to the mentor, when the man with experience meets the man with money, the man with money will have to lose his money to gain experience, and the man with experience will have to use his experience to gain money.
According to Abraham Lincoln, “If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first four of them sharpening my axe”. A man without experience might spend the entire six hours cutting down the tree, and that alone can be exhausting and draining. This goes to tell you the importance of mentors. Without the experience of mentors, one may work harder, but with the influence of mentors, one will work smarter.
In the course of life, many people think they can navigate life hurdles on their own. This set of people gets burned out; they fail to understand that mentors are lifesavers.
According to an African proverb, ‘if one wants to go fast, he will go alone, but if he wants to go far, he must go with a team’. Another African proverb states that “What an old man sees while sitting down on a tree, no matter how tall a child grows, he won’t see it”. These two quotes emphasize the importance of mentors in the life of a progressive mind.
One of the most uncharitable disservices I can do in life is to attribute my success to myself as a result of my hard work. My life has literally been shaped by the role of mentors and elders whom I hold in high esteem. In some cases, I seek the counsel of younger people who are knowledgeable than me in a particular area, and their suggestions have worked like magic.
Sometimes, I laugh at people who attribute their success to their personal development. In some cases, they say they are self-made. Don’t get me wrong, personal development and hard work contribute to the success of human beings because even if you have mentors and elders, who guide and support you, if you are not determined to succeed, success will definitely elude you.
Let me share a practical experience with you. I was given an opportunity to publish my weekly articles on a notable platform by one of my mentors. This mentor of mine is not responsible for writing the articles; he just gave me a platform, and each time I write, I have an editor who reviews my work before it gets published. Now, somebody reading my work will think I’m a smart man, but the truth is that I’m not just smart; rather, I am smart by association because I have a team that assists in shaping my work. Do you see that nobody is self-made?
Furthermore, there are opportunities and doors I know for a fact I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to penetrate if not for the role of mentors and elders in my life, whom I occasionally seek their advice. They serve as a strong support system to me both in my personal and professional development.
As you journey through life and experience, please don’t take it personal. Sometimes, the trials, setbacks, and challenges we go through are targeted and structured in such a way that God is positioning you to use them to counsel or assist someone in the near future. In some cases, it might be to strengthen or benefit you.
In summary, we all need the experience of life and mentors to navigate through life.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The Nigeria Police Force has suspended the nationwide enforcement of its tinted glass permit policy following an interim court order that restrained the move.
The Force announced on December 15, 2025, that it would begin enforcing the policy starting January 2, 2026, citing its responsibility to ensure public safety and internal security.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by Force Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin, the police revealed that they were served with an interim order on December 17, 2025.
The enforcement will remain suspended pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit or the vacation of the interim order.
“The Nigeria Police Force was served with an interim order of court in Suit No. HOR/FHR/M/31/2025, issued on 17th December 2025, restraining the Force from proceeding with the enforcement of the Tinted Glass Permit policy pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit or the vacation of the order,” the statement said.
The police also confirmed that they had entered an appearance in the case, raised preliminary objections, and formally requested the vacation of the interim order.
The case has been adjourned to January 20, 2026, for further hearing.
“In line with constitutional obligations and respect for judicial authority, the Nigeria Police Force has entered appearance in the matter, raised preliminary objections, and formally applied for the vacation of the interim order. The court has adjourned the case to 20th January 2026 for further proceedings,” the statement added.
The statement noted that the suspension of enforcement is being carried out in strict adherence to the ongoing court order.
“Accordingly, and strictly in compliance with the subsisting court order, the Nigeria Police Force has placed the enforcement of the Tinted Glass Permit policy on hold nationwide, pending the decision of the court.”
Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to upholding the rule of law while fulfilling its duty to protect lives and property.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, affirms that the Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in upholding the rule of law while discharging its primary mandate of protecting lives and property. The Force will continue to deploy lawful, intelligence-driven strategies to address security challenges and safeguard public safety across the country,” the statement added.
The Force also assured members of the public that it would communicate further developments and issue clear guidance as appropriate, following the court’s determination of the matter, in the overriding interest of public order and national security.
The Federal High Court In Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of the Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of their bail application.
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, also ordered the remand of his co-dedendants, his son, Abubakar Malami, and one of his wives Bashir Asabe.
Justice Nwite made the order after taking arguments from the defence team led by Joseph Daudu (SAN) and the prosecution counsel Ekele Iheneacho (SAN).
Malami and his co-defendants are facing a 16-count money laundering charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC alleges that the defendants conspired at various times to conceal, retain and disguise the proceeds of unlawful activities running into several billions of naira.
According to the charge, the alleged offences span several years and include the use of companies and bank accounts to launder funds, the retention of cash as collateral for loans, and the acquisition of high-value properties in Abuja, Kano and other locations.
The commission further alleges that some of the offences were committed while Malami was serving as Attorney-General of the Federation, in breach of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
