Why formal education does not guarantee success

Why formal education does not always guarantee success

            Have you ever wondered why there is a great deal of successful people who performed very poorly in their formal education? Why are there so many graduates who are failures in life? Why is it that you one has to meet graduates who are struggling to survive and living even below one dollar a day? Does it mean enrolling for formal education can be a waste of time and finances?  Well, it does not mean that education is not essential in success but it does not guarantee success.

1. Life skills are more important

            Success in life depends on the skills that one possesses in a particular field. Skills that are usually applied in various fields are not entirely acquired through formal education. For instance, focusing on a graduate with very pleasing academic papers in a Management course, for the graduate to be able to fit well in managerial positions, he/she must possess some skills.  When that graduate does not even know how to work as a team, usually gets angry at every small fault and a poor conflict handler, do you think that the papers can help the graduate succeed in managerial positions. Therefore, despite the papers being good, skills must accompany the papers.

2. Hard work can take you far.

            We have all in one time or another been told that “hard work pays”. For hard work to pay one’s efforts, education is not a determinant. Hard work is innate such that a person feels being compelled to work and work even harder from within. For instance, one might have a calling to entrepreneurship. The entrepreneur might be less educated and only conversant with the basic reading and writing. The entrepreneur becomes dedicated to his/her work to an extent that he employs the said well-educated graduates to work for him/her. This is evidence that the less educated entrepreneur is more successful that the well-educated graduate.

3. Passion is key

            There is that feeling that always intrigues someone and is responsible for motivating one towards working on it. This is usually the passion. It does not require formal education to realize one’s passion. Rather, it is the passion that one has that helps one in choosing the career path to follow in formal education. Realizing one’s passion, it just requires one to revisit what he/she loved to do when young. It may be thinks like sport or music that you find that they really don’t require formal education to succeed in such fields. Also, career paths taken through formal education, they should be guided by one’s passion. Such that, if one want’s to pursue teaching, teaching aspect should be coming from within the person and not just from acquired education. It is possible for a passionate teacher to succeed in teaching profession more than a teacher who is in the profession just because of the education.

5. Talent leads to success

                Talent is different from passion. Passion is an intriguing feeling towards doing something while talent is an ability that is naturally found in an individual. The natural ability enables someone to do something very well without being taught. These abilities can be realized as they show themselves very early as a child is growing. A child who is talented in athletics or in drawing, it is very possible to tell right from the child’s young age.  These talents found in children needs to be nurtured as the child develops so that they can succeed in them. Therefore, a talented person does not need formal education to succeed in his/her talent. For instance, a talented runner does not need formal education to excel in athletics but formal education would only be an advantage to the runner’s intellectual growth.

            Simply stating, as everybody is trying to climb up the education ladder, should be aware that education just complements success but does not guarantee success by itself. There are other things that can guarantee success and one can be successful without being well educated. So, if you are there crying that you are a failure just because you never acquired good education, wake up and look for your path to success.

Article By: 

Joyce Mwai

10 ways how a low income can create you wealth

 

10 ways how a low income can create you wealth

                Have you ever asked yourself how the wealthiest people you see around you acquired their wealth? I know you might think that they had well off backgrounds or may be some of them had high income at the beginning. This might therefore make you keep on condemning yourself just because you have a very low income and you believe you can only live from hand to mouth. Here are some of the tips that can make you build up wealth with your low income if well applied.  

1. Live within your means

            Living within your means entails understanding the life that you can afford with your low income. It also means that you understand your income is low and therefore each and every cent that you have counts. This means that you can only have or spend on what you can basically afford. If you cannot afford a mortgage, you can think on renting a less expensive house. If you cannot afford to buy a new car, do not think of buying it just because everyone around you is having one. This calls for understanding of self-such that you cannot be influenced to spend by others on things you cannot really afford.

2. Prioritize your needs

            Prioritizing your needs means that you analyze how you spend. You can even write down all your expenses that you have every month. After you have written down all your expenses, find out those that that must be met like food, housing, clothing and utility bills. Then you can find out where expenses can be cut and also find out the expenses that can be foregone since they are not that important at the time. When needs are arranged in their order of importance, unnecessary use of money is avoided hence you become a potential wealthy person in future.

3. Spend less, save more

            It is only a culture of saving that can make you rich one day. Reason being, the money that you save with your little income can accumulate and allow you invest in future and become wealthy. You can decide to take like 20% of your earning to your savings account which means that at the end of every pay period, your savings account is getting more money. Also, on your spending that is noted down in your budget, you can decide to reduce expenses like buying less expensive foods and anywhere else you realize you have assigned much money. All these cutting down of expenses, will add more savings to the 20% set aside before.      

4. Change your lifestyle

            If you are thinking of becoming wealthy in future, think about how you are living your life now. You can decide to live a low lifestyle today but be assured of living a better lifestyle in future. If you were used to having your lunch at an expensive restaurant, you can think of carrying your own homemade food at work. If you were using a taxi to work, you can think of cycling, public transport or even walking to work. This way, your hard earned income can have a meaning in your life.

5. Cut purchases on premade things

            When you make things for yourself, you can be assured that you will save a lot of money. There are a lot of things bought from shops but they can be made at home and save a lot of money. You can therefore consider making your own foods, detergents, cleaners and a lot more things that can be made at home.

6. Make snacks at home

            Snacks are other money consumers in every home. There are people who snack all day. Children also like carrying snacks to school to have all day. Pre-packaged snacks can really dig deep in your pocket since the sellers are selling the snack plus its packaging. It is therefore necessary to consider making the snacks at home since the packaging and profit cost are cut. A pizza made at home is far much cheaper that a pizza bought at a food store.   

7. Reduce use of the utility services

            Utility bills take a good amount of money from your monthly income. Since they are necessary, the only way to go is to reduce the use and save more. Take showers and make sure that all your taps are left closed to ensure to ensure you cut your water bills. Make sure all the lights of the rooms you are not using are always turned off. Think of getting rid of the cable if you can access internet in your phone or even go to public places like libraries for research where internet is free.

8. Change your leisure habits

            Leisure activities consume a lot of money. It does not mean that you are having a low income you cannot have your leisure time, but you can think of how to minimize spending in your leisure activities. If you were used to going to places that you had to pay to have fun, you can think of going to public parks where you do not have to pay. You can also decide to watch movies and concerts in public places other than going to paid movie places.

9. Keep off debts

            Everybody finds themselves with debts at some point in life. Therefore, if you have a debt that has an increasing interest, pay it off first to make sure that it does not continue digging deeper in your pockets. For expenses that you can pay in cash, you can avoid taking them on credit to avoid debts. You should also have an emergency account that will cater for emergencies hence you will not have to take debts.

10. Consider a side hustle

            One source of income can sometimes be so much pressed if there is no other means of getting income. Diversifying your income can really do you a great benefit. Diversifying is only possible by having a side business that can give you more income alongside your full time job. Side hustles can be done in the house during your free time.

            Acquiring wealth is a good thing but it does not come that easily. Therefore, your low income can lead you there if you apply the above tips and acquire it. One day you will look back and say “it was not an easy journey” Right?

Article by

Joyce Mwai