Stay in your lane

I am a firm believer in benchmarking. This is an important undertaking- it helps one glean from best practices and make necessary adjustments where needed. The past five years have mostly been about building- physical buildings and institutions. It has not been easy, though. There has always been that voice that challenges you and makes you have second thoughts if you are the right person for the task. My approach has always entailed continuous learning. I never position myself as an expert in anything but a student. That posture has helped me keep gleaning from what others are doing and learning from the best that there is.

But at the same time, I have also always wondered what others (my peers) are doing.  At times I feel like what I am building is so insignificant to the big picture. Others are scoring bigger deals, attracting bigger grants, and receiving invitations to platforms I can only dream of. It has created, at some point, an inferiority complex and even failing to value what I am building. Thinking to myself that maybe all this doesn't matter.

BUT (the caps are deliberate), I have learned lately to stay in my lane. The fear of missing out (FOMO) is a distraction or even a weapon to confuse my focus. I have to stay in my lane. Understanding that my lane is unique from everyone else. God never created us to be like others but to be unique. My journey will never be the same as yours, my dear Dali. My task is to make sure that you don't face constraints in pursuing your God-given purpose.

So, what does it mean to stay in your lane?

First, I have to sharpen the sword relevant to my profession.  Our hours of training may be similar, but our routines will have to be different based on the lanes in which we are running. My training has equipped me to be a better leader, a social entrepreneur, a great researcher, and a fundraiser. This is essentially my lane, and I have to be at the cutting edge. So, the books I will read and workshops that I have to attend will be different from the next person.

Second- hours and hours of solitude- In as much as I enjoy the company of friends, I also have realized that this is my personal journey. To be the best at what I do I may have to cut down on crowds. Nothing wrong with having friends as long as you understand that you each have different lanes to run on.

Third- grow the edges. Every field is like a narrow road. My approach is not necessarily to run faster than others but to grow at the edges and create connections with the other facets of my purpose. For instance, learning through reading helps me to write better. Writing better shortens the time it takes to produce an article. My articles (in whatever form) make room for me in places I cannot be physically.

Fourth- humility. The moment you realize the need to stay in your lane is empowering and also humbling. You cannot be all things. You can only be that one thing. For the rest you need others. I definitely need help in many areas of my life. Equally, some people need my help. If we all work from our strengths, we are bound to build truly empowering relationships based on drawing from each other's strengths.

Have a blessed 2025.