Author: Akinlolu Olasupo
Publisher: Bottom Line Com. And Marketing Co. Ltd
Reviewer: Goke Ilesanmi
One of the things people do at the beginning of every year is to make resolutions. However, having resolutions without being committed to them or knowing how to set them in motion does not guarantee results. That is why we are reviewing this book entitled “Personal Annual Resolutions”, written by Akinlolu Olasupo, a Nigerian.
Olasupo is an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria as well as the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria. He is a versatile finance practitioner with more than twenty years of experience. Olasupo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting with a First Class grade from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria.
In this book, he educates on how to get the best out of every passing year and offers guide on the missing link in annual resolutions and plans. According to the author, you may have made New Year’s resolutions on several occasions, but it is not only at the end of the year that you can resolve to turn around and join the success train. He stresses the need for you to start your resolutions now.
Olasupo says many people approach personal annual resolutions in a wrong way, while others do not even bother themselves about them at all. He stresses that approaching personal annual resolutions in the right way is a gateway to living the life of abundance and satisfaction.
This book has seven chapters. In chapter one that constitutes the introduction, Olasupo says six components make up effective personal annual resolutions. He discloses that these six components making up personal annual resolutions are: what you want to achieve in the next 12 months; prayer points; spiritual exercises; attitudinal changes; habits to cultivate; and personal commitments.
In Olasupo’s words, “Settling on new year resolutions has probably been an annual exercise from time immemorial. Mankind should indeed be grateful to those who the Almighty gave the wisdom to institutionalise the calendar months.” He adds that in the simplest term, the end of the year is a period for stock-taking. According to Olasupo, the reality is that a period of 12 months is indeed a time long enough to assess the efficacy of your personal strategies.
One can look back and count areas of success and failure with a view to advancing on the former while the latter is avoided in the following year, submits the author, adding that your year of success or turning point can begin on any day in any month. He educates that 12 months after any day you decide to start will automatically mark the anniversary of your resolutions with the opportunity for stock-taking.
Olasupo advises that it is not good to trivialise the resolutions you make at the end of the year or the one you will make now after reading this book as an ordinary ritual. He adds that your resolutions are meant for bringing a time of good change into your life.
Chapter two is based on the first of the six components of personal annual resolutions, that is, what you want to achieve in the next 12 months. Here, Olasupo observes that an ambitious attitude to life and belief will deliver the best results. The author also lists some wealth-creation objectives and provides prototype objectives for some general categories. As regards wealth-creation objectives, Olasupo discusses how to generate additional streams of income from the development of talents and skills; achieve growth in your investment; and strengthen your network of contacts and influences.
According to him, you need to look for ways of creating additional flow of income by simply utilising your God-given talents. Olasupo says your talent may be comedy, singing, counselling, speaking, etc. The author stresses the need for strong determination to be able to achieve something meaningful in life.
Olasupo also looks at the things that are specific to different groups of people, e.g. employees, students, self-employed/entrepreneurs, etc., and examines the physical, biological, social and political dimensions in planning.
In chapter three entitled “Prayer points”, he stresses the importance of perfect health, journey mercies, wisdom, divine protection, power (spiritual), favour and grace, and life (breath). According to him, the truth is that setting, pursuing and achieving meaningful goals in life are products of the more fundamental requirements listed as prayer points.
In chapter four, Olasupo X-rays the spiritual exercises and educates that the elements grouped as spiritual exercises are fasting, Holy Communion, anointing service, giving and evangelism. “Each of the elements serve (sic) important purposes. There are powerful; spiritual scriptures that recommend them individually as forms of spiritual ‘assurance’ or ‘insurance’,” he submits.
Olasupo adds that if you are able to observe any of these exercises well, then your success is inevitably guaranteed. According to him, a serious child of God needs to know that being more than ordinary requires some self-denial.
Chapter five focuses on attitudinal change. Here, Olasupo submits that it has been observed that a man’s attitude determines his altitude. He adds that one sure way of getting to the top is to discard negative attitudes. The author says typical New Year’s resolutions are usually about change of attitudes.
Experience has shown that these resolutions are not observed for a long time in the New Year before they are discarded, educates Olasupo. He stresses that there should be important aspirations that must keep us busy during the year. The author says one fundamental reason for the implementation failure is that the process that people follow lacks depth most of the time.
According to Olasupo, you need to be determined to be able to achieve whatever you have planned. “The determination really is about resolving not to suffer the same pains or losses as was the case in the out-going year. If life is continued to be lived the same way then be assured that the results will not change,” he asserts. The author adds that the fundamental attitudinal problems to avoid are worry, anger and impatience.
In chapter six, Olasupo discusses the habits worthy of cultivation. These are hygiene and grooming; physical exercise; reading; and information technology savvy. According to him, reading is universal in application and even authors must be versatile in available materials. He expatiates that the internet is very rich in educational materials, stressing that one can find out about the latest discovery and the current state of knowledge on virtually any topic from the internet.
Chapter seven, the last chapter, is based on personal commitments. Here, the author offers practical guide on how you can be committed to the cause of achieving your goals or resolutions.
One of the stylistic strengths of this book lies in the clarity of presentation. There is also a perfect blend of ecclesiastical approach and best practices in personal effectiveness. The author employs biblical allusions to achieve conceptual reinforcement and conviction. The language of the book is simple. Also the layout of the book is good.
However, some of errors are noticed. One of these is, “Each of the elements serve important purposes” (chapter four) instead of “Each of the elements serves important purposes”. Another error is, “Settling on new year resolutions has probably been an annual exercise from time immemorial” (chapter one) instead of “Settling on New Year’s resolutions has probably been an annual exercise from time immemorial”.
On a note of analytical finality, this book is a brilliant effort. If you are prepared to transfer your personal annual resolutions from the podium of inactivity and impossibility to that of activity and possibility in the New Year, then you need to read this book.
GOKE ILESANMI, Editor-in-Chief/CEO of https://www.gokeilesanmi.com.ng and Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is a Certified Public Speaker/Emcee, (Business) Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker, Career Management Coach, Renowned Book Reviewer, Corporate Leadership Expert and Editorial Consultant.
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