EVERYONE NEEDS A NUDGE

A nudge is a gentle push in the right direction. For some, it could be an advice from a close pal or a motivational incentive to do a particular thing. At times, it could even be something as minute as a sticky note detailing an activity you ought to perform or an objective you have set out to achieve per time. The crux of this article is that; Everyone needs a Nudge. Hopefully, this article will be the required nudge for someone to take that step they have been procrastinating to take, or complete the seemingly endless 8 weeks course they have registered for, lol (I know most of us don’t finish our online courses).

Human beings are wired to act on convenience rather than rationale. Hence, we do not make the most efficient choices. Succinctly put, we opt to do what’s easier than what’s wiser. We tend to be more attracted to those activities that do not stress or stretch us. Little wonder you find a young man in his 20s on the streets of twitter for hours, reading threads, dropping comments, basking in the euphoria of seeing memes and all. All these things aren’t bad in themselves, except that, most times we do these enjoyable things at the expense of our “seemingly inconvenient” long term goals. Some will say “if you are disciplined enough, you’d do the right thing at the right time” and they are not wrong, except for the fact that our frailty as human beings comes to fore momentarily and we sort of lack the capacity to keep keeping on with our goals. At such times, the irrationality that characterizes the momentary frailty derails us from our main focus whilst we get lost in the ecstasy of pleasurable activities. This is why we all need a nudge.

At every point in our lives, we must have certain people who can set our heads straight when we seem distracted or withdrawn from actively pursuing our set out goals. These people will give us the required nudge to keep going when our human frailty comes to fore. These people can be one’s own relatives, friends, mentors or anyone who shows ebullience in seeing us succeed. Conversely, it is always best such persons are easily accessible.

It goes without saying that you need to keep certain trusted persons in the loop with respect to your set out goals. Nobody is going to nudge you to achieve a specific result when they do not even know the result.

The concept of checks and balances is not merely a theory that exists in government, it is so important in the achievement of goals. The trusted persons you have kept in the loop are not just there to cheer you on; they are there to always help you stay in line until your goals are achieved.

On the flip side, a person does not just need a nudge to achieve a particular goal. They may need a nudge to develop and hone a latent skill they may not know they possessed, but is evident to others that they possess.

HOW I WAS NUDGED TO BECOME A WRITER

I always love to express my thoughts in writing. So I write quotes depicting my current situation or feelings most times. One day, a close friend who happens to be a writer called and asked me why I haven’t explored my writing skills. In her words, she believed I could do more than writing quotes. I wasn’t so sure I was good at writing, so I kind of ignored her words. Later on, she sent me a broadcast message containing a call for application to join a writing society, I reluctantly obliged and joined the society, still with no intention of exploring my writing skills. A fortnight later, an assignment was given to all members of the society by the executives. It was an article on the topic “Cybercrime”. I began to rue my decision to join the society in the first place, I have never done anything like this, I thought to myself. So I was caught in between quitting the society or writing the 1500 words article on a topic I had very little idea on. Quitting a society i joined few weeks ago wasn’t like me, and I certainly wasn’t going to shame my friend by giving up at that point. So, I wrote my first article, and the rest they say is history.

I may never have explored my writing skills further than I did if I didn’t receive a nudge. I may never have discovered my flare for writing if my friend hadn’t nudged me to join the society. Essentially, the society itself gave me the much needed nudge to try out something new.

You can also give yourself a nudge, albeit it may not be as effective as a human nudge would be. When you set an alarm clock as a reminder for an activity, you’re indirectly nudging yourself to do that activity. When you place a sticky note detailing a daily routine of exercises on your table, you are nudging yourself.

Conclusively, words are very sacred and powerful. Most people can do absolutely awe-inspiring things if the right words are said to them. Have people who know the right things to say

Shout out to everyone who has at one point or the other nudged me to become better. Cheers!