April 1st packed a big punch this year. It was the start of a new work week, the start of a new month, and the first day of a new quarter. It was also Easter Monday, the day after our Lord Jesus was resurrected, and yes, you guessed the last one, it was also a public holiday. That was a mouthful. I wish every Monday could be a holiday (well, technically, it is for me because I work remotely on Mondays, and my major meetings start at 8 am and end by 2 pm, so I kinda have the rest of the day off (but that’s not the point), I just like slow beginnings to some things.

Yes, I’ll admit, I’m a slow starter sometimes, but truthfully, aren’t we all?

According to the Google search I just did, the general meaning of a slow starter is:
a lack of success at first.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary further explains with an example that says:
Despite a slow start at the box office, the movie’s popularity has increased steadily. The team got off to a slow start this season but is playing well now.

I think we’re all slow starters, to be honest. Think about it. You crawl before you walk, you walk before you run. As a human being, you can’t fly but even an airplane does a taxi run before it takes flight so I think you get my point now.

Even the bible says in Zechariah 4:10 NLT
Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin…. To see the [work begin]. Imagine that. If God rejoices in our work, starting in our small beginnings, then who are we not to rejoice for ourselves with Him? Embracing a slow start sounds like obedience to me.

This year, more than ever (in my circle, at least), almost everyone took January and early parts of February as a test run for 2024. And I don’t blame us, really; we’ve been scarred from the years prior, especially after the lockdown year of 2020. Back to my point. A year is a much bigger time frame to measure a slow beginning because even mornings are slow for me! The point I’m trying to make is that there’s something to a slow start. It may not seem like much in the beginning, you might judge yourself in comparison to others when you see their results, but just because you didn’t see their slow start doesn’t mean it never existed. Trust me, even the ones that seem farther along have had their slow starts. So, embrace it, sweetie.

Another super important thing to take note of is the fact that you started. Starting requires vision and bravery, and there you are, with both. You also have the gift of life, to pursue your goals. I’m here wondering what’s stopping you.

Take Q2 as another chance to dust yourself off and try again.

Take your time. Yes, life is short, but it’s also for the living, and you can’t truly live if you’re always in a hurry to be somewhere, never slowing down and taking your time to appreciate where you are. Where you are now is just fine, so take your time and start slowly. Get a bottle of water, quiet your mind, and start. Start thinking, start visualising, start planning, and start seeing yourself as more than you think you are. Don’t forget to include rest days because productivity shows up in different ways, but we’ll get into that another day.

SGD Spotlight:
Zechariah 4:10 NLT

Ms. Eki Ogunbor has been appointed Lifestyle Editor at Large of THEWILL DOWNTOWN.
Eki Ogunbor
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Eki Ogunbor has a Vogue Fashion Certificate from Conde Nast College of Fashion & Design and also attended Central Saint Martins, London College of Fashion and the University of Kent. Eki headed the Design Operations at a top Nigerian womenswear fashion brand before developing her own brand, KISARA. She is the Editor-At-Large at THEWILL DOWNTOWN.