I know the title says a day but this post actually discusses a series of days when I went out seeking a job.

When I wrote this post on whether to work 9-5 or 24 hours. My mind was divided between being an employee and just having my own business. An employee doesn't have to worry about the risk of setting up a business while an entrepreneur can be flexible with his work hours.

These facts have had me think and rethink about getting a job.

Things you must note here are:

- You may not make sales or profit at the start of your business,

- You need to 'survive' while building a business, and

- It takes time for a business to grow.

These factors made me consider being an employee for a while - that is until the business is doing very well. I also secretly desire to have a good NGO Job in Cameroon so it motivates me to take a step toward being an employee.

That's why from time to time I do some job hunting. I often use these sites I shared in this post (click here) to find a job. But the job I went for this time around was sent to me by a friend.

How it went down...

The requirements for the job were quite simple. There was only one document that needed to be certified. Honestly, I detest when the initial documents requested requires that you certify documents. It makes you spend money when you are not yet sure you will be called for an interview.


The certification had to be done at my university (it was a success attestation that's why) and it took me three days to do so. First, I had to deposit the documents then I only collected it on the second day after deposition. But I went there on all three days. Click here to find out how to certify your documents at the University of Yaoundé 1. It took me three days but I was glad I finally had it done.

Waiting for the certification office to open so that I collect my documents

Returning home tired & disappointed because I couldn't collect my certified documents that day

OOTD  -  Outfit of the day on day three. I finally took my documents and deposited that day

Stepping out

My file and baby essentials comfortably fit in my bag made by my brand @ngumabi

I finally deposited for the job after I collected the certified documents. I met others who came to deposit as well as those who came after me. Who knows how many more came after I did and the number that has been deposited before? That's when it occurred to me that I had to go back home and start to pray that I am chosen among the many candidates that are also soliciting this position. That's Cameroon for you. A job which requires ten people will end up receiving a thousand applications. I wonder how those who are part of the human resource department usually proceed in such cases.



Anyway, what's important is that I have done my part. It wasn't a difficult task but it was not easy for me because I was with my baby throughout the process. From writing the application at home, working on my CV, certifying my documents and depositing them. It was not easy carrying her around. I went to the certification office three times as I mentioned and each time I thought of going there I felt so tired before I would go. But I had to go there and I eventually succeeded in everything I planned to do for the day. The second day I went there, I was to collect my documents but the office was locked though it was the said time for people to collect their certified documents. I went back and it was only the next day that I could collect them. At that time it was left just two days to the deadline for the job offer.

Why I am writing this story...

The main reason I am sharing my experience is to encourage not only young mothers but also anyone who feels like they have something standing in the way of them pursuing something. If you really want it then do it. Push past the obstacle and show that you are ready to get what you want. I have let motherhood and even before motherhood, I let my timidity and fears bring me down. But now, I carry them along with me to pursue my dreams and get what I want from life.


When you do this, you will get used to not letting things get in your way and you will adapt. Soon the things standing in your way will no longer be a problem. If you are waiting for these things to make way before you start doing what you want to do then they may never give way. There will always be many reasons to not do something but choose to pursue your dreams for just one valid reason. One reason is all you need.

How it impacted me.

After this experience, I feel so gingered and motivated to do many things and this energy has spread even to my business and school project which I am planning to finish this month.


As I continue my job search I am working on my business. It has been a rough ride so far but the one thing I keep hearing from the voice in my head is to KEEP PUSHING. And that's exactly what I am doing.


Thanks for reading this post till the end. I hope you liked it and feel encouraged. Leave me a comment in the comment section below and just share with me what obstacles you are facing in life and let's have a chat about it.

Starting a business isn't easy. Trust me. 

There's a lot to think about at the same time that will overwork your brain. No matter how small the business. My journey of getting back to entrepreneurship has made me mad busy these past weeks. Ever since December last year, I have been putting together the things I need for my business. I am almost done with that now and it's more relaxing to think that I can start the real part of the business - which is making sales.

Before we get into the sales part, let's rewind a little to the stages that led us here. It's been an amazingly enriching journey so far as an entrepreneur so far. It has been a tedious one as well. A lot of decisions to make alone as I am a sole proprietor and apart from the decision to entrepreneur, the other decisions concerning the business have not been easy to make.

Lots of confusion, in the beginning, filled me with doubt on what to do. I asked myself which thing is right and what outcome I will have based on the decisions I make. This part of the business is nerve breaking. Seriously. I spent nights thinking for hours and researching just to make the right decision before I go to bed. And the next morning I was confused again. And the process started all over again. The one thing I learned here is that there is always a solution to every confusion or doubt. But each solution doesn't come at the same time or using the same means. You may have to do more research to find certain solutions or think a bit further and discover a whole new way of doing things which may surprise you.

Another thing I stayed true to was my instinct. I listened to it and tried to understand what it was telling me about my business. And sometimes when I was confused and couldn't really decide, I went with what my instinct was telling me.

Deciding to get back to entrepreneurship was more spontaneous than calculated. I have always loved to do business. I started but later stopped for a long while for some reason. When I started thinking of getting back to business I never thought of a specific time in the future that I should start. It always felt like I should be doing it now - at the moment I was thinking about it. I felt like I was already late and I was wasting time. While I was pregnant with Coucou and nursing her, the desire to revive my businesses grew stronger. When I had some money to invest, I started buying the things I needed. The money didn't come at once. I just kept investing the little I got from time to time. And here we are back in business.

I intend to start selling today and will share my journey with you guys and the lessons I learn while doing business in Cameroon. My products are sold online as I can't afford a store right now. My parlour has become a warehouse, lol, with huge bags of clothes for men women and children.

My current warehouse/parlour. There's still some unorganized stuff in there too.

For now, I have three businesses. One sells kids' wear between 0 - 15 years and the other is my brand which creates stylish and comfortable outfits and accessories with African fabric for men and women. 

Check out the websites by clicking the links below:

It's been two weeks since we returned to Yaounde and all I have been doing is cleaning, organizing and laundry. It has been quite exhausting. I never expected to take this long to tidy the house. The filter is still unwashed, there are still clothes and beddings to wash and the floor to clean.

Meanwhile, my personal development has been slow. I feel so because I haven't read that book I said I was going to read - FU Money by Dan Lok. I downloaded it for free from his website but I guess I never created time to read it. 

Anyway, let's talk about the year in general. I often find a theme for the year but this year, in particular, I was blank. I had no idea what to adopt as a theme for the year. On Christmas day, someone talked to me about coming out of my comfort zone and that inspired me to use the theme DISCOMFORT. 

Nobody wants to be uncomfortable right? 

True. But we need to go through some discomfort in order to be comfortable.

It's not comfortable working to achieve something. But when you achieve it, it feels good.

We all seek to be comfortable; which is good. But discomfort makes you grow. You will not be happy with most of the things you do or ought to do in life. But you need to do these things to prosper and grow.

So this year, I am facing my fears and going the extra mile. This will make me uncomfortable but it will take me to the next level.

January has been more of a month of reflection for me. I think my year actually began in February.

Thanks for reading this month's episode of my personal growth update.
Do check out the other episodes of the previous ones below.

EPISODE #1: PERSONAL GROWTH UPDATE NOVEMBER 2019

Today marks one week one day since I returned to Yaoundé. I've been gone for almost six months. It's amazing how things have changed during that time. People I haven't seen for a while now look older. It's like I haven't seen them in years. I wonder if I would have noticed the changes if I were around them all these six months.

I'm here to share this reflection especially as we just started the new year. 

Happy new year to you and I hope that the year is treating you well so far. Mine has been full of ups and downs already and honestly, I caught myself asking 'is this how my year is going to be?'. But then I remembered that only the numbers changed from one year to another. My life is pretty much the same. And if I want to make a change in my life then I need to change the way I do things and react to things.

Before the year started, I came up with a theme for the year. It's a little bit strange as a theme but I like it. I will discuss this theme with you guys in another post. It is meant to push me to use my full potential as a person so that I can see real changes in my life. It felt so easy to decide to reflect on a theme for the year. And I wonder why we often wait for a new year to make changes in our lives.

Like I said before, only the numbers change so why not decide to change your life any time of the year? The clock is always ticking and time is passing by whether it is a new year or not.

But when you look at it from another perspective, a new year gives us the desire and opportunity for a fresh start. It makes us ready to straighten and iron things out - to set things right. We are always waiting for a sign to start doing something and the arrival of a new year is that sign.

This year is the beginning of a new decade which is a big thing because long-term goals are often evaluated between 5 - 10 years. We just want to make it a good year and decade so it's normal that we put in place resolutions to help us achieve that.

The truth about this is that we can change our lives any time we want to but the arrival of a new year gives us a boost and motivation to take steps towards it.

Whatever thing you decide to pursue this new year is up to you to achieve. Make sure you keep maintaining the motivation you have now till the year runs out.

After I did the 'What My Six Month Old Eats In A Day Post' a few things have changed in her diet. As she grows, her nutrition needs are increasing and it is required that I make changes in her diet. I am yet to give you guys a complete update on what she eats in a day because we are still trying a lot of things to see what she likes eating and what foods among the ones that are available can be assembled the right way to give her all the nutrients that she needs.

One of the combinations she is currently enjoying is Sweet potatoes and Egusi soup. I must say this recipe is very convenient for me because it is super easy to cook and thus it saves me time. Everything can be cooked in one pot and I really love that. Let's get into the recipe.

How To Cook Mashed Sweet Potatoe With Melon Seeds (Egusi) For Your 9-Month-Old Baby

Ingredients

Preparation

Happy New year. Congratulations to you on seeing the new year. 

You made it to the new year and that's worth celebrating. How was your St Sylvester night? I spent mine on a bus to Tangui from Bamenda.

How We Celebrated New Year's Day 

We travelled back to Tangui on the 31st of December and arrived at 2am. It was a long journey but Thank God we got home safe. Upon arrival, we slept and started preparations to celebrate our entering the New Year.

On the menu, we had fried chicken, fried fish with stew accompanied by fried ripe plantain and 'boboloh'. 
After cooking we all ate and rested for the rest of the day. My daughter wore her cute new dress and shoes and we took some pictures.

It was a nice cool day. I made a video of how we cooked for the day. You can watch it below.

Christmas at my grandparents' was great and chilled as well. It's amazing how I enjoyed the chilled version of this festive season.

I hope you celebrated the birth of Christ and the New Year well.

My greatest wish for you is that you have the best year ever and may all that you lost last year come to you double this year. Have a fabulous and very prosperous new year.

Welcome to this episode of my personal development update for the month of December 2019. In my last update, I explained that I will be sharing with you guys the things I do for my personal development each month. Hope you follow up and share your own experiences with me in the comment section.

December was a month of growth to maturity for me. I had to face some of my fears and open up to things which I didn't want to deal with at the moment. But it felt so good afterwards. I had some family issues which have been affecting me intensively for the past four years. It was very hard to talk about them. I cried so deeply when I opened up about it every time. But it doesn't make me cry that much right now and I look forward to the day I will talk about it without any tears in my eyes. But I'm super proud of myself for finding the courage to open up.

I planned to read a book this month of December but I couldn't. I would say lack of time is the reason though I think I can find some time to read. Reading is such an important part of self-development and I really want to get back to reading more books. I read mostly self-development blogs and so I want to read more books that can also contribute to my growth. I wanted to read FU MONEY by Dan Lok. I hope to read that this month. I downloaded it for free on his website some time ago. That's one of my goals this month.

One major thing I worked on this December was to write down positive affirmations and mantras that I want to manifest in my life this new year. It was an interesting process and it helped me to really define certain aspects of my life. I had problems with remembering to recite my mantras. New habits take time to stick. My aim was to repeat them every morning and every evening before I go to bed. But some mornings I forgot and in the evenings I was too tired to remember to say them. I hope that this month I will do better.

As for new year's resolutions, I don't have any. I just want to keep being the best version of myself and the only new thing is that I really want to step out of my comfort zone - try new things even if it makes me very uncomfortable.

I'm looking forward to a better month this January. It's the first month of the year so I'm optimistic and want to set a good pace for the year.

Let's do this!

Hope you are sticking to your self-development plans and if you want to share with me how you are doing, please do so in the comment section.