What am I made of? by Romana Ibrahim
Balance is key, but how challenging is it to achieve and take the most of what we are? Some tell us we need time, others that we need more experience, while a part proclaim we need to repeat mistakes over and over again.
I believe it’s a combination of all:
We need to learn from the mistakes we do, as fast as we can,
Put our ego behind our back and understand that everyday we might face a new situation,
Have an open mind that will help us realise that we can learn new things,
But above all, that we need to know what we want for ourselves, what gives us comfort, confidence, what type of people we want to be surrounded by, and not to be afraid of being who we are.
Almost 3 years ago, I restarted my professional life. From day one I started working in 2 different areas: technology and real estate, and after almost 900 days of hard work, some alone, some with my partner, and some with a great team. An outsider’s perception is that a lot is being achieved in minimal time. I can share with you, It wasn’t all done from one day to the other. It took time, hard work, strategy, focus, and in my perspective, we are just starting. I’m confident to say we are on the right path, however there is still a long way to go.
Most of the time people ask me 2 questions:
How can you manage it? When life is kind enough to teach you hard lessons, you learn fast. You’ll know exactly what to do to get where you want. Motivation is key.
Can you keep your focus when working in different angles? Well, I’m not working in markets that are unknown to me. I was born in Portugal, where I lived almost my whole life and from 2003–2016 I lived in Angola. In all my previous businesses, my focus was always the customer: knowing him, their needs and expectations. And that can be applicable to various areas from finance to insurance, real estate or technology.
Now, let me leave you with some food for thought: there are periods in life where we are focused in knowing the world, studying, or even understanding ourselves. I’m in a period of life where my priorities are achieving professional goals, also known as “make it happen”. Additionally, I don’t get anywhere alone. I have a team with me.
If we, as individuals, are able to improve, why wouldn’t our professional challenges change and adapt every now and then?
Trust me that it wouldn’t be a good sign if things wouldn’t grow, if our network wouldn’t be bigger everyday, or if we would not show signs of achieving more. What we are made off: good and evil, that co-exists in us, will make us applaud ou criticise each other’s work and achievements.
If we, as individuals, are able to improve, why wouldn’t our professional challenges change and adapt every now and then?