SALT OR PEPPER

 

"Life is not a collection of unrelated events." Jay Shetty

How big are your personal dreams? Come on, you know the ones you never disclose. The unrelenting dream you daydream about often. It can be one, it can be many, there is no limit. The ones that are so immense you doubt your personal capability to achieving them. Well,  don't be scared as Nelson Mandela said, "It always seems impossible until it is done."  For anyone who has read a few of my blogs, you may realize that am a firm believer in evolving and developing into our best version. This can take many forms, it can be going to the highest level within the nursing profession, re-routing to other nursing related fields or it can be a total shift from nursing and pursuing your other interests. This article is directed to the nurse who feels their calling or their desire is present elsewhere but is afraid to let go. I hope by reading this post you will become comfortable with your hidden dream and begin pursuing it. Do not be afraid, it is a good move.

The nursing profession has come a long way and we can see its ever-changing face in our daily life. Last year was the year of the nurse and well our voices were heard, probably not as we would have wanted but more people came to appreciate our role. This pandemic season prompted many of us to ask ourselves, "Is this really what I want with my life? "Once this season is over, is there more that I can do? These are very sobering questions and for most people, it was long overdue. It is unnerving but  necessary  Louis E Bonne once said "The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have." 

It is scary but it is worth a try

There is comfort in acceptance. There is unexpected growth of seedlings of life if we take the risk of opening ourselves up. Jan Warner

Develop mantras that act as your positive affirmation. Search for a few quotes that reinforce your beliefs. For instance:

• “There are no wrong turnings. Only paths we had not known we were meant to walk.”Guy Gavriel Kay

Sticking to the tried and tested route doesn't guarantee you a great result. It just gives us reassurance that at least I know it may work out. It means we are using someone's life as a reference yet, no two peoples journey is similar. Changing from one profession to another does not mean that you hate your current one. It may be an opportunity to discover hidden talents. You may discover your purpose. Be excellent at the place you are now then grow toward being excellent in your next path.

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Aristotle

If you always listen to the negative your achievements are limited. Often people are ready to project their fears on your path. Be very discerning of this stay away from anyone quick to create doubt without understanding why. Limited mindsets reveal ignorance or arrogance. Ignorance in that we have no intellectual capacity to understand the dreams of others or arrogance in that we secretly don't wish for our colleagues to evolve as they risk achieving more than us.

Maintain objectivity

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Get your dream out of your mind and onto paper. How do you plan on attaining it? Create SMART goals, do your research on the desired area and put down all you gather and organise this information. If you can not do it on your own, research how best to do this. Break down all information into daily achievable targets and start working. Slowly you will see it come to pass. Stop expecting things to be handed to you or to be done for you. You are more than capable.

As I conclude, may we all continue creating our  unique paths remember,

All of us need to grow continuously in our lives. If you are the same person now that you were a year ago or even a day ago, then you are not growing. Les Brown

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A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

 “Financial freedom can only be achieved by a conscious choice. It's not an accident. It's not just merely by thinking, it's through grinding and doing what is necessary to get to that goal.” David Angway“

It is officially 2021. How do you feel about it? Are you excited? I am having mixed emotions. Last year was quite an emotional rollercoaster so this year I am choosing to be optimistically cautious. During the initial lockdown mid last year I found myself thinking of my retirement. The thought caught me by surprise for often this is a conversation reserved for when one is more advanced in the profession. Nonetheless, it got ingrained. I started having so many thoughts around it. How well am I preparing myself for it? What will I have to show for the long hours? During this time I finally came to the realization that for every day worked I get closer to my retirement. I, therefore, pose the questions. How is your financial situation? Have you been quite keen on it? In nursing, we explore many things but unfortunately, retirement planning is something that we do not discuss enough.

Currently, some of our colleagues are on strike and one of the main reasons is due to lack of remuneration. We have been hearing horrifying accounts of people being uncompensated for several months. This has resulted in them lacking access to health services when they fall ill. It is sad, but out of pocket, we cannot afford the same services we provide. It is not sustainable. This then builds a great foundation as to why we need to be smarter with our life choices. I am speaking to you young nurse. You who is assuming thirty years or more is such a long time. Do not wait till it is too late. Start now and thank me later.

Due to the changing dynamics of our career, we now have more opportunities for transitioning to non-hospital settings. These particular setups call for nurses with vast experience as often the roles are of a senior cadre. These opportunities then look to increase the longevity of one's career but if one is ill-prepared even this will be of no use. By having this in mind we then need to be financially awakened and one simple way is adopting a proper retirement savings plan. In my quest, I have discovered a few things that I wish to share. I hope that it ignites a desire to generate these conversations in our circles.

Get a good pension plan

Pension refers to a retirement plan that is paid by the employer, employee or both. In Kenya we currently have the government-affiliated plan; NSSF and private company owned schemes. The advantage of monthly NSSF deductions ensures that they are consistent and the limit has been set low enough for the majority of Kenyans to afford. However, will that be enough to meet your future needs? Calculate what you will have accrued then conduct a simplified projection of the probable future inflation rates. Ask yourself. Will it be enough? Secondly, is it reliable? Once you retire how soon will you access your finances? With such questions in mind, it brings up the question. What is a good pension plan? I have highlighted below information obtained in an article attached along with a few pieces of sage counsel from financial experts. Find more information here A guide to a personal pension and here Kenya new laws on retirement.

A good plan should be;

1. Personalized- The amount you contribute should be sustainable to ensure consistency. 

2. Flexible-  It should ease the process of funds transfer. For instance, due to switching to a new plan when changing employers or adopting a new pension plan. Percentage of money contributed should be revised when remuneration increases. This translates to greater savings.

3. Ensure maximum returns-  Among the available options within the plan. A good plan ensures that one achieves the best option among the list. 

4. Transparent- The plan adopted should be concise and not have any hidden costs.

5. Bonus benefits- Due to life's eventualities the plan should allow for the nomination of a new beneficiary.

In a nutshell, as we continue with our personal journey of self-improvement let us remember that all aspects of our lives are important and none should be dismissed. "Your economic security does not lie in your job; it lies in your own power to produce, to think, to learn, to create, to adapt. That’s true financial independence. It’s not having wealth; it’s having the power to produce wealth.” Stephen Covey