Do you understand your "now" game?

"Those shoes are certainly beautiful and match with the bag. But they must have cost a fortune." I say this kind of thing to myself probably every Sunday. By the way, I attend a very elite church, one that you'll have no need for a catalogue to get fashion ideas once you step into. That aside, back to my thought. Maybe because I envision a lot and I'm constantly always engaging my mind in several conversations, I have such thoughts about fashion and being girly, which I'm struggling to be so good at. But every time I look at the shoes and the bags and the jumpsuits and the human hair and the flawless makeup, I always ask myself again "Do you know the source?" "Can you afford it now?"       

Alright, let's get started with the essence of writing this blogpost that has been on my mind for weeks now. First, I am not lazy. Second, I am hardworking. I know they mean basically the same thing, but yea, let's pretend they are different. Third, I think I have an idea of where I'll be in the next 3 years and the kind of money I'll be earning/making. So, it's very safe to say this blogpost is not meant for lazy people. If you're a runs girl, please waka pass, because you won't see the value in the post. Every single time I look at those fancy things and mentally calculate the money in my bank account, I just turn my head to the front properly and listen to the Word. That's if the sermon isn't interrupted by the many "Oh yeah!" "C'mon now!" 🙄. By the time I'm done calculating what I have in my bank account and at times, I'm tempted to calculate the worth of my investments, I ask myself if looking all fleek and sassy now is priority.

You need to fully understand your now game! See, you need to understand the time and season and I mean your time and season. What's your occupation now? How much are you earning now? You need to understand that embracing the season and the process is paramount to your growth. Those girls in those fancy stuff, most of them are not having your status quo; they probably are working in good firms and stopped collecting allawee like 5 years ago. If you can do a mental calculation of what you'll be worth in 5 years, very good. Embrace the process! This is not to say that there are no people your age in possession of all the juice dripping from Deola Sagoe's or Gucci or D&G and all the fashion brands you know. Some of them may be legit. Some of them may not be. The question is "Can you afford all those things without breaking a bank?" If you're like me that would rather keep to the few I have for the fear of buying Chinese and Aba versions of shoes (Balenciagur instead of Balenciaga or Brackblack instead of Brandblack or footwear with inverted Nike logo) and will go about with my didi olowo for the fear of buying sponge bob human hair, I'll rather wait till I can afford quality. Don't get me wrong. I think I earn something decent monthly, and can afford all those fancy stuff if I wanted to, but goals are golden. Goals mehn, goals are goals! And I'm on top of my now game.

If you're confident in your hustle, you won't have to wait for long. Let me even talk about investments here. I'm an avid learner when it comes to investment banking. The way I invest ehn, you'll think I'm being pursued with a cane. Every single time I want to buy something that's not necessary, I see the face of my investment banker. Omoefe is a witch! (I love you Omo!) I can practically hear her voice screaming in my head "Are we making progress with our financial goals?" If not for anything, having to be accountable to her whenever she calls for a financial goal review makes me want to stick to the budget (which I'm still learning how to do, anyway). What's your idea of financial freedom? Being able to buy all those fancy things without batting an eyelid? Yea, that's part of it. Or being able to afford a Brabus Mercedes-Benz (if we no buy the Benz, wetin we gain?) Just as we have different strokes for different folks, no one can determine your idea of financial freedom but you.

Always remember that understanding where you are now is very crucial to your success. You should not envy people who were in your now some 3 years ago. They've obviously progressed. You should also yearn to progress. Growth is constant, but it's a process. You need to own your process. You need to own your time. You need to own your season. If you use someone else's clock to work (Yoruba proverb), you may be doing so at your own detriment. The Bible has even explained "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." 

Embrace your now so that in the future, you can confidently refer to it as a then, one that has fully paid off. Let your later be happy that you embraced your now.