A Letter to TEENAGERS

A NEW DECADE: THE TEN YEARS PLAN

Dear Teenagers,

I welcome you all to a new year, most especially the start of a new decade. We survived the last year which came with unprecedented challenges and situations, we kept hope alive. I want to say a big thank you to everyone for taking the time to read my letters, you all give me the strength to do it every week. I love you guys so much and I look forward to a beautiful year with you all.

This year my goal ia to help everyone reading to take intentional steps that would bring them closer to the life they desire. In all my letters last year I stressed the reason why the teenage phase is important, most especially the fact that it prepares and most times determine what your adult phase would look like. I want every teenager out there to make good use of this new decade by prepping themselves for the adult phase because the world out there is waiting for your manifestation.

A new decade is the start of a new era and the last year of the last decade sincerely caught us unaware and so many people had it rough and tough. The year exposed the reality of so many things to us from Health, Politics, Religion, Education, Finances and so on. A lot of young people got caught in the heat of things and we saw a rise in Suicide, depression, Rape and crime. The next decade if I may say would see all teenagers now bloom and become young adults while we would probably be struggling with the ripple effects and blow over of the COVID-19 which is likely to bring a change to so many things around us. The question is what do you have planned for this decade?

In the next ten years, we would see a new set of teenagers joining the existing one and the common reality for all of them would be that by the end of this decade they all would have become young adults. This means that if you are 13 years at the beginning of this decade you would be 23, if you were 15, 17 and 19, you would be 25, 27 and 29 respectively at the end of the decade. My question to you is, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO HAVE DONE WITH YOURSELF? I personally believe in setting goals, either its a short term or long term and I ensure I put in the work while I commit the goals in God’s hand. I had my ten years plan at 13 although it never worked the way I expected it was easier to restrategize and work around it because I originally had a plan. Your plans are not meant to be perfect and 100 per cent but it would give you direction and purpose.

I was very clear and expressive to everyone around me that I was going to Study Law particularly at the University of Ilorin at 13 years, I would gain the admission at 17, graduate at 22 and Law School at 23. Now, this was how it went, got into Univerity of Ilorin, to study History and International Studies at 17, graduated at 21, NYSC at 22, by 23 I was working on getting a direct Entry admission to study Law which did not work out, Lol. The truth for me was that despite the change in the plan I still achieved many things in the space of that ten years and everything I learnt during this phase as Prepared me to be the best version of myself as a young adult.

As teenagers, there are so many distractions, wrong ideas and mindset around us particularly in this time where so many people just want Vibes and not reality. Your job as a teenager is to be able to plan, decide and account for every step and decision you make in every sphere of your life. You need to sit back and draw up a plan of things you want to do with yourself and set a target to each thing on your list. You cannot gamble through life and particularly this phase, this phase is meant to lay a strong and solid foundation of who you want to become.

You are never too young to have a goal and vision board up in your room or on your phones, it would guide you and most importantly give you purpose. You would win some and lose some but you would always have the lessons which would in turn guide you as you move on. Let me assure you, it would get boring, stressful and sometimes pointless but the end game is your target. The world is looking for game changers, leaders, innovators and most importantly these coming decades are for you and I to do great things but we must be ready to learn and put in the work.

I would encourage everyone reading to have a reality check on their lives, who they want to be and how they would love to live their life. One of the most Strategic phase of human existence is the young and agile phase which starts from the teenager phase and therefore everyone must ensure they get their acts together and prepare for the life they want to live.

This year, I would encourage you all to be intentional at doing things are good for your growth, read that book, watch that movie, play that sport, start that business, learn that skill, hit the gym, take time to prepare and study the holy books, learn that language, write that song or book, apply for that internship or scholarship and lastly ask that person out,Lol.

This decade has so much to give us all as young people we all need to key into the opportunities by becoming aware of who we are, what we want and how to do it. We are going to have beautiful and exciting moments this year together, get yourself ready to have an amazing year of learning and relearning. Remember draw that plan today and start to put in the work with no pressure and see how much of good you have in you.

Until then thank you so much for taking time to read and I look forward to you writing to me on WhatsApp: (+234)816223594,Twitter@ayodeleiyanuolu,emaildearteenager1@gmail.com.
Until my next letter, Learn, Live and Love.

Mask Up, Wash Your Hands and Keep Social Distance always, let protect ourselves and others.