It is normal for everyone to make mistakes but some mistakes are so unacceptable.
Below are some seven big mistakes Ghanaian youths make.
1) Marrying when one is just getting started; especially with a new job even if it pays very well.
The Youth must themselves to grow, and not just in a romantic relationship, but by giving themselves time to achieve certain things which they may not have time to do anymore; especially when they start having children.
Your personal ambitions are important as your social responsibilities, because each time you achieve them, you develop more energy to withstand challenges that may come you way.
You also become more self actualized and self motivated.
Life is and will be full of uncertainties, and this is one factor you need to get you through life.
You will be a less bitter person, you will be willing to allow others a chance to try, you will be more accommodating to different personalities, you will have higher tolerance for people, and definitely, you will be a much happier person.
2) Renting a room immediately when a new job is acquired.
The desire to be independent should be nutured properly in order not to turn into a selfish and regrettable decision.
The first question to ask yourself is why do you NEED to rent a room?
Are you being chased out of your current place?
Are you unhappy in your current place?
Do you need time alone or more privacy?
Then, juxtapose those questions by this set of questions: Are you ready to take on the never returning journey (meaning you cannot come back to your old place once you leave; even if it is a family house)?
Are you ready to enter the world of paying for everything? Are you ready to joggle your personal goals with having to cater for yourself? Have you saved enough capital to ensure your security for the future or funding for personal initiatives?
If you intend starting a new independent life without any backup, such as an amount of money you may have saved from your new job etc. then, you might be throwing yourself to the wolves!
Because, if you get fired or by some unfortunate incident loose your job, you will be stuck with ‘your independence’, a tonne of bills and frustration. Best bet, be patient.
Save enough from that new job, and when you have some capital for investment that you don’t need to touch for at least five years, then you can make a move.
3) Refusing to obey ‘National Service’ original posting.
Sometimes, we delay our own God – given destiny by following what we see with our physical eyes.
Sometimes, we allow the ambition or the desire of others to be our inspiration.
The youth these days try so hard to manipulate their national service postings for places they deem to be lucrative in terms of prospective salaries ( should they be retained as permanent staff) and even National Service allowances.
But, things sometimes turn out mysteriously and they best way we try to understand them is by labelling them as ‘coincidence’.
There are many stories of people who went to places where they never expected to become successful but in the end, it was these place that brought them to the lime light.
For all you know, the current place or the place of your choice is rather a place filled with people who will kill your potential or may not give you the needed room to make mistakes, and thereby grow your skill or talent.
You must always have in mind that your God – given destiny has been already designed and that everyone was born great. But, the reason not everyone becomes great, is because of the decision we make.
Each time you lie, you take a turn off your laid down path of fulfilling your destiny, so be very careful of any choice you make from now on for every single one of them is either bringing you closer to your destiny or pushing you away from it.
4) Buying a car without saving for a house
Why would you want to spend money on a liability rather than an asset?
Unless the liability is helping you acquire an asset in the long run. For example, a young man who just made some good money and decides to buy a small car and use it for UBA services.
He is making money everyday to soon buy more cars and eventually buy a house and this is good. But, buying a car because you can afford it and not having injected that cash into a plan for a house or an asset (when the car is mainly for your comfort), that’s putting the cart before the horse.
In order words, would you rather be uncomfortable and laughed at at 35 and comfortable and respected at 50, or vice versa?
The fact is when you cross the age of 50 years, you can easily become a burden and a problem for people and even your family if you don’t have a good financial support.
But, if you have invested while you were young, you would be on a never ending vacation with smiles from everyone.
People will use you as an icon of success and you will become a role model to younger people. Your advice would be cherished as gold and you will hold prominence in your immediate society.
5) Sex before marriage
The biggest lie ever is the illusion of sex. The effects are severe if you fall into this lie.
Early sex, especially during the first time, will make you think you are in love with the person.
But, when you grow older, you will see that it was just an intense moment of emotions. And that’s the danger.
Emotions are like wild fires. If not controlled, can cause great destruction. At that age and stage, you are emotionally vulnerable and are not ready to handle such intense emotions. You disagree?
Haven’t you ever been in a romantic relationship where you are ready to abandon any ambition of yours or opportunity such as traveling abroad just because you think it may push you away from your partner, or your partner wouldn’t approve of it? That’s what I am talking about.
You may miss your moment of glory simply because you thought you were in love.
According to Malsow’s theory, socialization is the last thing on the needs list so, place Love where it belongs… at the end of the hardwork and not before. Achieve first and love will find you.
Don’t end up regretting sacrificing your future for a few intense temporary moments of pleasure because, that’s stupid and society will mock you for it and you will never forgive yourself for allowing yourself to be used.
6) Not starting entrepreneurship ideas while in school
You will always be excused for making mistakes once you are in school, but not when you have finished.
Another forgettable truth most students are blind too is the fact that your are surrounded by resources for your business ideas in school.
Both human and financial resources are available to you in school, but you have to tap into them. You have lecturers who will definitely offer your advice on such initiatives, you have class mates who are likely to form a skilled work force or human capital as the engine for that business idea, and the schools population is your first market to help generate that income.
Plus, some of your friends or even by using concepts such as donations or even crowd funding, might help raise the needed capital to finance your business idea.
So, why not start when you are in school?
7) Trying to compete with colleagues for success
The last thing that you should ever do is getting into an unnecessary never ending battle because it will drain you, throw you of the course of your plan, and may make your bitter in the end.
One of the therapeutic ways of learning how not to see your colleagues as ‘competition’, is to learn to celebrate them in public.
Start by making praiseworthy comments about them when they achieve excellence. Congratulate them and attend their celebrations. Make noise about them and they will reciprocate.
Eventually, this will become the norm and you will have unconsciously conditioned your mind into accepting this habit.
Credit: Jerry Wonder