11 steps and demonstrating picture on How to Plan For a Successful Future

1. Find a place where you can think without being disturbed.    

At the end of it all, you are planning for a successful future for yourself, which means you need to first get into the mindset of thinking about and for yourself. Thinking about a successful future is a necessity that should be done without any distractions or interruptions. Being in a quiet place will also help you think on your own as no other people will have little to zero influence on decisions you feel comfortable with.   It is your life that you’re thinking about, so staying focused in this moment of thinking, will be of benefit later when you need to stay focused on the actual acts to be successful.    

To spend time on your own shouldn’t be discouraged. Before taking action for a better future for yourself, you need some clarity on what it is you exactly want. Ask yourself questions pertaining to what it is that you want, and not what others want for you.

2. Explore key questions about the future you want.    
Is the life you see for yourself one where you aren’t living for others? Why do you want a change? What could be a manageable change that can be made pretty much immediately?  

 Asking questions like these can help you get to know yourself better and they also get you to rationalize your thoughts, instead of blindly dreaming. The more difficult the questions are to answer, the more likely they are to be most important ones.

3. Stop thinking of the past and focus on the present and future.     
This will assimilate into your mind and help you to persevere towards your dream. Dwelling on things past is a hindrance when you attempt to move forward. Being successful is all about going forward, developing, and letting things go to make it all possible.
Letting go of the past will make you more present with yourself. You may feel like you’re moving forward, but if you’re mentally stuck elsewhere, then your mind is unable to sort out what is currently happening and what needs to happen. What happened has happened, and what needs to happen should be thought about now.
Thinking about what you did can lead you to think about failures. This can discourage you, and can make you start thinking about your self-worth in a bad light. Instead, take failures as lessons on what not to do so you don’t repeat mistakes.    
Moving on will help you live with what you’ve done (good or bad). There’s no way to succeed in the future if you don’t accomplish putting mistakes and other failures behind you. Doing this can make you put all of your energy towards reaching your dream, so that nothing is wasted in things that can no longer be dealt with.

4. Review your life up until now, and look for a passion – something that comes naturally to you.     
A passion will fuel confidence and create excitement on your path to succeed.    
Think about what you can turn into work that doesn’t necessarily feel like work. Passion and success are highly intertwined. It is the one thing that can give you that natural enthusiasm and set you on a trajectory to happiness and success. 
Don’t be shy to go all the way with what excites you. If something does this for you, then it is a sure sign that it is your passion. It’s something that you are comfortable doing because it simply makes you feel good about yourself, and what you’re capable of.  
If you’re having troubles finding out what your passion is, look for patterns in what you’ve done. Perhaps a hobby you’ve been doing can be made into a career? Or maybe past work experiences emanate something about you as a person. For example, volunteer experience usually speaks to what a person cares about and is willing to go the extra mile for it.

5. Start feeling proud of what you’re good at.    
 This will allow you to continuously work to get what you want in life. Confidence and passion work in tandem to better your chances of succeeding through the thing you love to do most.  
When you’re enthusiastic and proud of what you can do or create, you are better equipped to counter any impending obstacles. Because there was an initial excitement felt, you’ll be more inclined to do the things necessary to keep the feeling there. 

 Others will notice your confidence. It's one thing to turn a passion into work, but when you emanate a pride that is unique to you and your work, others might see this and offer you great opportunities.   It will make you feel that you are worth it. You may have failed at some things in your past, but once you find that one thing to start feeling proud of, then you’ll in turn have a better sense of whom you are and the direction you want your life to go in.

6. Trust your instincts
When you’ve found your passion it should heavily make gut feelings clearer to act upon. You’ll have a
natural instinct to work with your passion, and not against it. After all, a passion makes you feel good and confident about yourself and anything that can diminish these needs to be avoided effects. 
It’s one of our primal instincts to trust out guts. It’s the purest and most individual thing we have that is hard to sway by what others have to say. Think of it seriously, and how it can benefit you to be successful.

7.Write in a journal to keep track of your progress.     
This can also help you see how much you are diverting away from your original plan (as you will most likely do), but don’t be afraid if you are. Most of the people who have achieved their dreams took the first steps by writing in a journal.    
Having things laid out before your eyes on paper can put things into perspective. If this is in a list format, then you can see whether or not you are taking on too much that can tire you out before you even reach your goals. Sometimes we dream bigger than reality.  
This isn’t a bad thing, but it is important to keep in mind what you are mentally capable of handling realistically.   Set benchmarks. When you’ve seen that you’ve done a lot of what is in your journal (or wherever you’re writing), then group it as a small success. This is also a great way of keeping track of how long it takes you to complete things. Don’t shy away from adjusting the goals as it may help you succeed in what you want to do in a more manageable time line.    

It’s a way to celebrate! Checking things off lists are sure signs that you are on the right track to what you want. Take these small wins, and make time to celebrate how far you’ve in making that small dream you had reality.

8. Rip it off to your journal and keep it somewhere that you can see it every time you leave your place or after you go to bed, so every time you want to look at it, it will remind yourself of your goals.    

 By having a visual, tangible reminder will help you remember that what you are doing is important enough to be constantly referring back to.    
Seeing this journal everyday will also keep you on the right track. It will help you steer away from distractions that can prevent you from reaching benchmarks, and other small successes.    
It doesn’t hurt to be reminded of promises you’ve made to yourself. Writing things down and seeing them on a daily basis, will make them hard to forget. Since you wrote them down, it’s hard to ignore the fact that these were steps you set for yourself to succeed.

9. Start a savings account and deposit 25% of your monthly income
 By saving this you’ll also have the funds to dip in to for the little things that will help you in the grander schemes of things. For example: a car, new places to live are purchases that all count towards you being successful. Whether it be buying necessary supplies or taking small classes for career preparation, every little step counts towards the bigger ones to success.

10. Look at what needs to be changed in your lifestyle.   
Your habits and current way of living and other minute details should be scrutinized to see if they are of any real benefit to you.   Cut out any unnecessary spending can make a huge difference. By having that extra cash on hand because you choose not to buy materialistic things, will help you in the long run.   It all boils down to you learning how to spend wiser!. It may mean adjusting a lot of things in your life, but it will be worth it one day.    
Research where you are going. If what you want to succeed in requires an education, then you should consider taking some classes so you are prepared (saved money can really help with this, as an education can be very expensive).     Look at the people you surround yourself with. Who you are around can either distract you from what you need to do for yourself, or they can be a great support system. This doesn’t mean you have to necessarily cut out people who are holding you back, but just keep in mind how much time you are spending with who.

11. Work your plan.    

 Put it into action by following your pre-determined plan when you wrote in your journal. Try to stick as closely to it as possible, yet leave room for change.   

 Don’t wait too long to start putting your plan in to action! Whether it be starting school, or going out looking for experience, you should be on top of opportunities and put yourself out there. The longer you wait, the more difficult it may be to start.    

Be flexible. Remember that the plan you make isn’t a concrete one. Life isn’t like what it is you write on paper when it comes to planning your future. Think of your plan as a skeleton, and you need to work with what you are given to build upon it, rather than trying to do everything your way, how you want it.     Keep dreaming. As hard as you work to get where you want, it doesn’t hurt to keep dreaming of more things to do and achieve. Keep your plan ever-growing (but flexible), have fun finding your way to success.

10 ways to unlock your dream

Here are ten things you can do to rekindle your ability to dream big. Try them out, especially the ones that seem challenging to you.

1. Perfect Day.
Write down what your perfect day would look like. Where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing? How do you feel? Now take a minute and ask yourself to believe that you will have that perfect day. In other words, imagine what your perfect day will look like. Do you believe it? What is one thing you can do today to get closer to that perfect day?

2. Count to a billion.
 Well, not exactly. Actually, simply do the exercise that I outlined above. Think of an idea that could be worth $100. What could you do or make that is worth $100? What business could you create that could make you $ 100. It doesn’t matter what it is. For example, you could sell something on Craigslist. Now expand it to $1000. Then try $100,000. Now push yourself to $ 1,000,000 with a new idea. Can you think of business, product, and/or service that could be worth $1,000,000,000? If you really want to push yourself, come up with 10 ideas at each level. If money makes you feel uncomfortable, let me offer you this alternative. Substitute money for number of people helped. What could you imagine doing that could help 1,000,000,000 people?

3. Connect with your inner 8 year old.
I am borrowing this idea from another friend of mine, Rich Sheridan, also of Menlo Innovations. He suggests remembering your “inner 8 year old.” What did you dream about when you were 8? What did you want to be when you grew up? What did you think was possible? Rich regularly shares this message when he speaks and he talks about it in his great book Joy, Inc. When I was 8, I wanted to be an astronaut. When I recall that dream, it immediately puts me in the mindset of possibility, even though I don’t want to be an astronaut any more (but I do want to go to space). 

4. Talk to a child.
Take a few minutes to have a conversation with a child. Ask them what they want to be. Ask them what the coolest invention ever would be. Ask them what is something they would like to see. I did this with my 3 year old. His answer? Someday he’s going to get a flying monster truck, a flying motorcycle, and a blue Transformer suit that…you guessed it–can fly. He even offered to get me one of these flying trucks, motorcycles, and Transformer suits, except that mine has to be red. Of course, I took him up on the offer and started imagining what else we could make fly. Do you still dream about flying?

5. Have lunch with a hero. 
Find someone you admire. This could be anyone–a friend, someone you saw speak, a person you read about, a famous person. Have lunch with them. If you absolutely can’t have lunch (which you probably can), then talk to them. If you can’t talk to them, read about them (but try to have lunch and talk with them first). Spending time with them can help inspire you. Ask them about their journey and their dreams.

6. Overcome obstacles with your mind’s eye.
What is an obstacle that you face? What is a fear that you have? I have a family, so sometimes I get scared of not being able to provide a good life for them. Now, imagine that obstacle–in my case, fear–going away. Use whatever imagery you want. Watch it explode in your mind’s eye. Imagine placing it in a box and locking it up. Pick up the obstacle and throw it over a mountain. Or perhaps visualize yourself overcoming it step-by-step. Stay in that mindset and reflect for a minute. How does it feel with that obstacle gone? What can you do now?

7. Do something ridiculously hard.
Think of something really hard for you to do. For example, it may be hard to run a mile or do 100 pushups or give up television for a day. Now, multiply it by 10 and actually do it. In other words, run 10 miles, do 1000 pushups, or give up television for 10 days. (Disclaimer: check with your healthcare professional). Sound crazy? You can do it. Ask yourself how. You may not think you can do those things. Set aside that disbelief and believe that you can. Then do it little by little. Could you run for a minute then walk for a minute until you got to 10 miles? Could you do 3 pushups, take a few breaths, and do 3 more until you got to 1000? Ramit Sethi recently challenged people to do 1000 pushups and people all over the world were able to do it once they committed. I was one of them. The sense of exhilaration and accomplishment afterwards is amazing. After accomplishing something 10 times harder than you thought you could do, your mind will start to question all the other boundaries you have set. That is powerful.

8. Visualize being someone else.
I suggest doing this at least three times with three types of people. First, imagine yourself as someone who is in a hard situation. Maybe they don’t have money or a home. What do they see, think, feel, and hear? What do they dream of? What would you do if you were them? Next, imagine you are one of your peers–someone a lot like you, but not actually you. What do they see, think, feel, and hear? What do they dream of? What would you do if you were them? Imagine you are a powerful or exceptionally wealthy and successful person, like Bill Gates or Jacqueline Novogratz or Richard Branson. What do they see, think, feel, and hear? What do they dream of? What would you do if you were them?

9. The world without its biggest problem.
What is the biggest problem in the world that you see? Poverty? War? Disease? What would the world look like without that problem? What is one thing you could do today to make the world more like that for at least one person?

10. Future journal.
Write down a journal entry dated 10 years in the future. What does your world look like? What have you accomplished? What will you do that day? Who will you be with? What will you see, think, feel, and hear? I love dreaming big. It’s not easy. Lately, I’ve been pushing myself to do it more, and the influence that practice has had on my life is immense. Give it a try.

DJ Khaled Net Worth: How Much Does the Celebrated Record Producer Earn Annually?

 DJ Khaled is a happy man indeed. The new father could barely contain his excitement on Sunday, October 23, as his fiancee Nicole Tuck went into labor. The well-known rapper documented the birth of his son on Snapchat and Instagram. Considering his meteoric rise to success, DJ Khaled’s roughly six million followers frequently wonder about because we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the record producer’s annual salary, earnings, and endorsements. DJ Khaled’s Net Worth Is $18.0 Million    

Since DJ Khaled arrived on the music scene a decade ago, he has amassed a vast fortune estimated to be roughly $18.0 million. Besides his successful stint as a record producer and radio personality, DJ Khaled adds to his net worth by sponsorship, ads, endorsement deals, as well as featuring in musical collaborations with other artists. As of 2009, he is the president of the record label Def Jam South as well as the CEO and founder of We the Best Music Group. DJ Khaled’s annual income averages around $2.0 million, and he rakes in more than $450,000 thanks to numerous endorsement deals. In October 2016, it was announced that DJ Khaled would become the new face of vodka brand Ciroc Mango. DJ Khaled’s Net Worth in the Last Four  Years Year Net Worth 2015 $18.0 Million 2014 $15.7 Million 2013 $14.4 Million 2012 $10.0 Million He Began His Career as a DJ with Radio Gigs      

Before he became the household name that he is today, DJ Khaled came from humble beginnings. Early on in his career, he collaborated with young upcoming artists and built strong ties that have helped him become the record label executive he is today. DJ Khaled kicked off his career as a radio host, and a DJ for hip-hop group, Terror Squad. Subsequently, he worked as an assistant record producer for several hip-hop albums like Real Talk by Fabolous, and True Story by Terror Squad, before launching his debut album.

 He Recently Released His Ninth Album, Major Key To date, DJ Khaled has recorded and released nine studio albums over the course of his decade-long career. Since his debut album Listennn…

The Album came out in 2006, he has collaborated with some of the most-recognizable faces in the music industry today including Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, Chris Minaj, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, and Meghan Trainor. DJ Khaled’s discography includes albums like We the Best Forever (2011), Kiss the Ring (2012), Suffering from Success (2013), and I Changed a Lot (2015) among his recent works. He latest album, Major Key, was released in July 2016 by Epic Records and has received positive reviews.

His Fiancée Recently Gave Birth to Their First Child  DJ Khaled is presently engaged to Nicole Tuck, and the adorable couple welcomed their first child on Sunday, October 23. He documented the birth of his son on Snapchat while playing his song “I Got The Keys.” The new father is also the author of a book titled The Keys, which includes real-life anecdotes, business advice, and his thoughts about success.

Nigerian Youth and Crime: The Effects and Solutions

It is unfortunate that from research, we observed that there are roughly 200 million youths in Nigeria between 15 and 4 years of age. This represents about 20% of the population. According to the Population Research Bureau, Africa has the fastest growing and most youthful population in the world. Over 40 percent of its population is under 15. Africa’s high fertility rate is responsible for this. This demographic finding portends effects, challenges, opportunities and solutions the high rate of illegal commitment of Nigerian youths especially in the areas of crime. The effects and challenges are economic, lack of employment, illiteracy, poverty, lack of orientations, lack of youth participation in decision making, and other social constraints; both are highly connected.


 This is because as the population of the country expands so also jobs must be created. And Above all, the implication is that if these jobs are not enough, there will be many young people who are unemployed in our society which leads to crime and community violence.


The World Bank 2008 Report titled ‘Youth Employment in Africa: the potential, the problem and the promise’ notes that youth employment is more prevalent in urban areas. Worsening conditions in the rural areas lead to rural-urban migration. This compounds the unemployment challenge in the urban centres. This is clearly evident in many big cities in Africa including Lagos, Ibadan, Aba, Zaria, Accra, Darkar, and Johannesburg, just to mention a few.


Effects of Youth and Crime in Nigeria
  
Unemployed youth are therefore readily available for anti-social criminal activities that undermine the stability of society especially in the area of Internet Usage, manipulations and hacking with illicit passwords. An unstable society increases the risk of the market. This scares investors.

 Jorge Saba Arbache of the Africa Region of the World Bank says; ‘unemployed and underemployed youth are more exposed to conflicts and illegal activities-many of them fall prey to armed and rebel conflicts’. In Nigeria, there is no doubt to say that the rate of crime in Nigeria has consistently increased. Former presidential aspirant and business mogul Prof Pat Utomi wonders why Nigeria experiences rising rate of unemployment despite its rating as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The situation is no different in the other 6 countries listed in Africa listed as one of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world.

Solutions to Nigerian Youth and Crime

However, addressing the youth and crime in Nigeria requires an integrated holistic approach. Truly, Shortcuts will not work. The World Bank 2008 report advocates for a comprehensive model that caters for rural development, rural-urban migration, preparation of young people for the labor market and investments in agriculture. The aim of Nigerian government politics and process should be to create enabling environment to promote investments and job opportunities for the youths. This includes provision of power, maintaining law and order, and adequate security. The justice system must also be strong to facilitate strong contracts and protect mutual trust. On the other hand, the minimum standards should be set for products that will cross borders. Free movement of people and goods should be allowed, within the limits of regional and international trade treaties. Education curriculum must be immediately revised to incorporate skills acquisitions exercise, Entrepreneurship Development, and enterprise to limit the rat of paper works.

 A special program should be designed for low-skilled youth in vocational centres. Incentives should be
provided to SMEs that promote student internships. The current state of youth unemployment in Nigeria and the rest of Africa require shared responsibilities to tackle it. It will take the ‘Power of We’ to solve it. Businesses will thrive in a safe and secure society. Government can implement developmental programs only in an atmosphere of peace of security. It is therefore incumbent on government to work closely with the private sector to promote internships, graduate trainee programmes, and community-based projects that create jobs for young people. Agriculture is a viable source of investments for young people if it is made attractive. There should be a swift transition from subsistence to commercialized farming. Farm and non- farm activities should be better packaged to make them really attractive. There should also be adequate investment in rural education. This will boost rural opportunities and reduce rural-urban migration and its concomitant challenges.