How to combine two time-consuming skills

Have you ever had a passion for two time-consuming skills and find it difficult to do the two?

If yes, then we are friends and I am about to tell you ‘My new friend’ how I solved this. It should help you too. Just give yourself a gift of reading this to the end.

My name is Ojedokun Oluwagbemisola. I am a nurse, graphic designer, and web designer.

Before I resume Nursing school, I’ve always loved graphic designing and the Tech field from a distance. I loved them as a hobby, but there’s no way I could tell my parent I’m leaving my number one passion for nursing to pursue a hobby.

But wait a minute. Do I need to leave one to pursue the other?

I just kept fantasizing until Covid came.

How Covid-19 break helped me

During the Covid 19 lockdown, I was so happy I can explore my hobby. Unfortunately, my dad advises that I use the opportunity to gain experience at a nearby hospital. Since i know it’s good advice, I took it without regret.

But is it still possible for me to learn my passion this time?

I was so choked and wondered if there will be time for me to learn any skills. This is because I wasn’t just learning at the hospital, I was also attending online classes organized by my nursing school at the same time.

A lot of free online training was going on relating to my design hobby. I made sure I joined as many as possible despite my tight schedule.

One day, a friend of mine posted a free animation class on his WhatsApp status. I joined and followed the class.

After the class, I created an animated video with an app and posted it on my status. People loved it to the extent that brands started asking me to create one for them. I charged them for it and that’s how I started making my cool money online.

I started seeing the importance of grabbing little opportunities. So, I begin to pay for online classes to upgrade myself, and sometimes when a client asks me for something extra, I make research (on YouTube, or buy an online course) on how it’s done. That way, I was able to upgrade myself very fast even without a laptop.

Yes, I wasn’t doing the videos with a laptop. I didn’t have a laptop but I didn’t allow that to be my excuse.

I kept paying for classes and I kept joining free classes. It doesn’t matter if I already know what will be taught. I just want to be there to see if there will be something new and of course, there always will.

I came across a web design class along the way. At first, I was skeptical about it because I don’t have a laptop and the fee was also on the high side.

But to my surprise, the tutor said we didn’t need a laptop for the class. I was so happy. God knows this is what I’ve been looking for!

I paid for the class and to be honest I really didn’t get the concept well. The tutor didn’t give full explanations

Still, I practice the little I was able to get and paid for another class. I even attend physical coding classes.

I never stop attending classes.

Now, I realize that one class is not enough for you to be good sometimes.

I know you are wondering how I was able to do all that with my nursing career. Right?

If you truly have passion for something, you will do all you can to make it work and God will see your effort and help you

Strategies you can use to Effectively manage your time and attract opportunities

My parents never paid for any of my skills and training. They weren’t even aware I was doing all this stuff until my siblings started calling me with my brand name ‘3dgbemmy’ in their presence.

So, you have no excuse.

If you don’t have money, start from somewhere.

No motivation? Aunty motivate yourself,

No support? God is more than enough,

All you have to do is to be focused and set your priority. Get career clarity too.

What is the key difference between successful people and unsuccessful people?

Think about it

We all have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

It’s an equal playing field!

Recommended

1. What should you do if you hate your job?
2. 3 areas of your life that need personal-development

At the end of the day, what determines how successful we become is how we use our time.

Here are 3 strategies that I’ve used and I believe will help you manage your time better

• Make good use of the early hours of your day

Your first few hours per day should be very precious to you. If you are the type that wastes your first hour on social media without having your daily schedule written out, it might ruin the rest of your day

Make sure to have everything you want to do for the day written out a night before or very early in the morning.

Don’t do things that distract you except it is part of your schedule. Discipline yourself.

Yes, it’s not easy letting go of your phone but you don’t want to check Instagram 10 times a day and expect to get the same result as someone who has been making research on skills.

How to reduce distractions

What I do is to time myself. Also, don’t be a workaholic; schedule break time where you can operate your phone and clear your head so you won’t get depressed. At the same time, make sure you achieve productivity. It all depends on how well you understand yourself.

You can’t make time go faster or slower. What you can do is manage your priority.

So, when you tell me ‘I don’t have time’ you are simply telling me that it’s not your priority for now.

Time management

Priority management

Self-management

What do you invest your energy on?

•  The 80/20 rule

 This is very important in planning your day-to-day goals. It is a way of prioritizing the most important and most tasking goals.

A lot of people set unrealistic goals and at the end of the day, we end up achieving nothing.

How can we utilize this 80/20 rule?

For example, if you write out 10 things you want to achieve in a day, select the ones you consider most important. Then tackle that first.

I know oftentimes we might be tempted to sort the easy once first but the truth is, while paying attention to the less important ones, we have no time for the rest and we feel less fulfilled as the day runs out.

Focus on what’s important and at the end of the day, you will feel better knowing you’ve dealt with what matters the most.

• Discipline

 I know that to most of us, discipline seems like punishment.

Each time you discipline yourselves to do something, do not consider the process. Instead, consider the results at the end.

Doing nothing will keep you where you are until you’re ready to sacrifice your comfort. That’s when you can move.

Discipline requires interest!

Whatever business idea you choose to run with, make sure you carry out your proper research.

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone and many fail because they didn’t make research.

Get the people needed, do your homework, survey the previous brands, and top of all, read Books and pray

If you pay for classes and fail to read business books, marketing books, and other knowledgeable books, you may not get the concept well. When you read books, you don’t just read for reading’s sake, you read to implement.

When I read books, I don’t move to the next chapter until I’ve implemented the one I’m reading and see the result. If I don’t see the result, I read again and check if there’s something I’m missing out

Opportunities are everywhere!!

Get skills. Invest in yourself.

If you don’t have money to pay for classes, go on YouTube.

God has made this generation so easy for us but sadly most people don’t take advantage of it.

Opportunities you shouldn’t joke with

Less I forget, if you are not active on LinkedIn, you are sleeping!

LinkedIn helps you connect and get motivated. You even see jobs and also read how people were able to get opportunities. LinkedIn is just like every other social media platform; the only difference is it has more opportunities.

I get most of my highest-paying clients on LinkedIn.

Stop sleeping!! Wake up!!

Here are some Top tech skills you can start to learn  

There are digital skills that will make you a lot of money.

1. Graphic Design
2. Mobile Apps and Websites
3. Ui/Ux design
4. Digital Marketing
5. Content writing
6. Search Engine Optimization
7. Marketing

And if your interest is not in tech, you can as well learn other online skills or get vocational training and make money from it.

Other skills you can learn

1. Catering
2. Craftworks
3. Real estate marketing
4. Forex
5. Dropshipping
6. Affiliate Marketing

Just make sure you learn very well, brand yourself well, and keep improving.

Recommended resources

1. How to create one 1year plan
2. Start your Self-development journey with this

Websites you can learn from

Below are five (5) Free websites you can learn any tech skills and earn money working as a remote employee.

1. Free Code Camp

2. Digital garage

3. Code Academy

4. Edx website

5. Udemy

But I will strongly Advise you get a mentor to learn from too.

See you at the top distinct.

Writer: Ojedokun Oluwagbemisola