Building Differently: Finding Purpose Beyond the Hustle
Yesterday, a dear sister-friend and I were catching up on life, business, family, and even indulging in some light-hearted gossip.
At one point, she said something that made me laugh out loud: “You don’t seem to have been doing much this year; I haven’t seen your business side as much.” I had to admit she was somewhat right. I haven’t been sharing as much about my business this year. But here’s the thing—I’m in a different season. I call it building differently.
Visibility, for me, looks very different now. What I share is driven by what makes my heart sing. It’s not that I’m not working—far from it. My schedule has indeed adjusted, but I simply haven’t felt the need to showcase my work as much as I used to. Instead, I’ve chosen to focus on the aspects of life that bring me joy and fulfillment.
2024 has been my best year yet. It’s been a season of profound personal growth and intentionality. I became a grandparent for the first time—Prince Ezra arrived, and that alone has shifted my entire outlook. I chose to be fully present for my family during this precious time. My other kids have been transitioning—new jobs, new schools, relocations—and I’ve traveled extensively this year, balancing light business with leisure.
A Journey to Fulfilment, Joy, and Purpose
At my primary business, Fine and Country West Africa, we’ve welcomed a new MD and team, freeing me to focus on my board directorship journey, which has been another key priority.
I joined an additional board and embarked on the path to becoming a chartered director. I also attended the Impact Investing in Africa Programme in Cape Town—an enlightening journey that expanded my vision of transformative leadership.
Through it all, I’ve hosted my mastermind sessions every third Friday of the month this year, with our 10th edition tonight. My 1:1 executive coaching with high-impact leaders on my Life Board 2024 has been deeply rewarding. I take on only 12 Founders and C-Suite leaders a year at this level, holding them accountable for their most significant leadership goals. These sessions, often held from wherever I find myself—whether it’s the Maldives, Crete, Dubai, or Munich—are filled with depth and meaning.
Working with these trailblazers from Angola, South Korea, Nigeria, South Carolina, and beyond, it’s been a fulfilling journey!
I’ve been busy, yes. But I’ve chosen a different type of busy.
During one of my 1:1 Life Board sessions with a high-impact leader, she shared a similar story. Someone had remarked,
“You seem to have a lot of time on your hands—what does a typical day look like for you?”
At first, she felt a moment of panic, thinking she wasn’t “busy enough.” But when she paused to reflect and outline her activities, she realized how much meaningful work she was doing—without the need to appear frenzied or overwhelmed.
I reminded her of something I’ve come to embrace myself:
‘different seasons require different types of busy’.
What matters is whether you are optimizing your season—focusing on high-impact, high-value work and cutting out the noise. It’s not about being busy for the sake of appearing important or sharing your work simply to keep up appearances. LinkedIn, Instagram, or any other platform doesn’t dictate what you should share—your current season’s mission does.
So, the next time you feel like you’re not doing enough or aren’t as “productive” as others seem to be—pause. Take stock of what truly matters. You might just find that you’re doing exactly what you need to be doing, and that is enough.
Today, as I reflect on this past year, I feel fulfilled. I feel joyful. I feel purposeful and powerful. This has been my best year yet on all counts—and it’s not even over.
Remember this: Your Life Worth is not your Net-worth. Focus on what truly matters—aligning with your purpose, embracing the season you’re in, and finding fulfillment in meaningful work. This was the central message of my recent TEDxMaitama talk, which I’m excited to share with you when it’s officially released in the coming weeks.
Stay tuned, and keep this thought at the forefront: Your Life Worth is not your Networth—no need to fake busyness!
With Joy and Purpose
Your Chief Igniter
Udo Okonjo
Consultant | Project Manager | Leader | Management Trainer | Entrepreneur
2moThank you so much for sharing. Truly inspired. Indeed there are different types of busyness for different seasons.
HR Executive | People & Culture Manager
2moThank you so much for sharing. I am so glad I attended TEDxMaitama this year because your talk on "Your Life Worth is not your Net-worth", was super enlightening and soul-lifting, I must say. I decided to follow your posts and articles since then and it's been a lot of unlearning, learning, and relearning my perspective on LIFE. P.S.: I'm so glad I was able to get a picture with you at the pre-event dinner even before hearing you speak. Thank you for 'access' and for all you share and do. I'm a big fan.
CEO at Waveline Growth Partners
2moAbsolutely spot on, Udo, and reflects my current musings. I'm reminded of the popular Nigerian saying "when you wake up is your morning". But we aren't to wake up to join a general rat race; we are all on our own journey, and a large part of personal contentment is coming to that realisation. The key,as you've said, is to live abundantly in each season.
"UNLEASHED! From Unstuck to Unstoppable"🚀 The UNSTUCK Strategist® | Physician Assistant | Global Success Coach | Global Speaker 🎤 | CEO 🩺|
2moPowerful! It's so assuring to be reminded that's it ok (actually, NECESSARY) to redefine what our "busy" looks like.
CEO at Bimsintimates
2moWaooo thanks for sharing 👏👏 no need to fake busyness 😁😃😀👍 that got me rolling 🤣 sooo true bless you mama 🥰