The first time I met Lanre Olusola a few years back – I must confess I didn’t know so much about him and that was a blessing in the sense that it offered me a first-hand, unbiased and unfiltered look into the man popularly known as The Catalyst – there was an aura of calmness, kindness and intelligence around him; you just want to listen to whatever this silver-bearded man, wearing one of the crispiest white shirts ever, had to say. Lanre Olusola has gone on to be more than the man wearing the white shirt to me but a Coach and friend; that voice of reason you go to when you need support and clarity.
Lanre is passionate about people and this is evident in his work with individuals and organizations through Coaching, Publishing, Keynote Speaking, TV, Radio, Social Media and more.
On the day of the interview and cover shoot, I got to the venue just in the nick of time, a few minutes before schedule, with my team running late. As expected, The Catalyst was already there in all his calmness. With a smile, he welcomed me and asked about my health. Unruffled, you see a man who embodies his career as a Life, Mind, Emotions and Behavioral Change Coach.
Omawumi Ogbe: How do you feel about this New Year?
Lanre Olusola: I am actually very expectant and excited about 2017. In 2017, your imaginative faith will be your only boundary and limitation. This simply means that anything is possible for anyone, at any time this year. It is to you the extent of what you can see and how far you can see; whatever you believe is possible for as long as you’re willing to take action.
O.O: What are your thoughts about this “New Year, New Me” slogan?
L.O: Well, I have always been an advocate for the concept of every morning being your new dawn and an opportunity to start all over again. After all, God’s mercy is new and fresh every morning. So, why wait for a new year to start before you decide to begin afresh? This means that many people subconsciously wait for between 1 day to 364 days putting themselves and their possibilities on hold.
O.O: Many of us are setting goals, writing down New Year Resolutions but according to you and the statistics out there, over 85% won’t achieve them, why is that? Could you give some reasons why people don’t achieve their New Year goals?
L.O: There are several reasons why many don’t achieve their goals
1) Many don’t know that there is a difference between a goal and a wish …Hence most of the people who think they’re setting goals are actually creating wishes
2) Many don’t understand that goal setting is multi-dimensional. It is both Art and Science and requires both psychological and physiological participation.
3) There are specific rules and principles to setting goals.
4) Many don’t set goals that align with their core values and beliefs hence they self-sabotage in the process of pursuing these goals.
5) Many people don’t achieve their goals because of procrastination; they’re running programs that are self-defeatist.
6) Many don’t set theme based holistic goals that create a harmonic life – for example there are 12 critical dimensions to every one’s life regardless of race, creed, color, gender or religion. If your goals are not in sync, you will unknowingly set goals that will create internal and external conflicts which will stop you from pushing, extending or going all the way to actualize your goals.
O.O: Could you throw more insight on the 12 critical dimensions?
L.O: The 12 areas being 1) Health and Wellbeing 2) Achievement and Success 3) Contentment, Happiness and Peace 4) Career, Work or Business 5) Spirituality and Security 6) Energy, Passion and Zeal 7) Self-worth (Esteem, Confidence & Belief) 8) Fun, Recreation and Rest 9) Home & Family 10) Your relationship with your spouse 11) Money and finances 12) Friendships and Networks.
This “holistic theme-based” goal setting process helps you tap into the essence of your subconscious to see your life’s inspired vision, which covers these 12 fundamental areas of your life. However, to consistently achieve your goals, you must take action.
Tea or Coffee, Mandela or Martin Luther King, Kim Kardashian or Beyonce? We play 12 Questions, This or That With The Catalyst – we get a glimpse into the life and likes of Lanre Olusola.
O.O: You and your coaching academy have worked with several people on setting and working through their goals. What are your success rate statistics?
L.O: 95% of our clients achieve a success rate ranging from between 75% to 95% and very few outliers surpass 100%.
O.O: Wow, why do you think you’ve gotten that many successes?
L.O: This is simply because we understand the Art, Science, Psychology and Physiology of setting and achieving goals. We have the tools and methodologies for rapid and consistent human performance. At the Olusola Lanre Coaching Academy, we have in-depth understanding and insight about the influence of the goal setter’s environment on their goal achievement and how to incorporate this context into the goal setting and pursuit process. We also have our background deeply rooted in coaching, psychodynamics and neuro science hence we know the inner workings of the man and how he/she can be fully optimized.
O.O: If you’ve got one major tip for someone reading this right now on following through with goals, what would it be?
Go here to download the Jan-Feb issue of the GLAZIA magazine for free and read Lanre Olusola’s complete interview