I volunteered on November 25, 2017, to mentor young people desirous of shaping themselves to leading the change they want to see in their communities at BarCamp Sunyani, hashtagged #bcsyi.

The program was organized by Ghana Think Foundation, under the able leadership of the pragmatic Ato Ulzen-Appiah and his competent team. Ato is a pacesetter when it comes to the organization of youth programs in this country. He is either behind the scenes coordinating the program or moderating it.

In 2015 during ‘’ dum-sor dumsor ‘’ (shedding/rationing of electricity due to inadequate availability of generation capacity), I was invited by Global Shapers, Accra Hub to discuss “Ghana’s Energy Crisis: Is there Light at the End of the Tunnel?”  My good friend John Armah (CE0 Orios Group), another gem, successfully convinced me to confirm participation. Unknown to me, I was going to be surrounded by the likes of Franklin Cudjoe, President of the policy think tank Imani Ghana. Franklin at that forum minced no words at all, at the least given opportunity when he needed a reference point, to bash the Energy Sector’s woes/ challenges, knowing I work in the sector. Ato Ulzen, as usual, was there as a Global Shaper and as one of the coordinators.

For the benefit of those who do not know what BarCamp is all about, it's neither a chop bar nor a Bar conference for lawyers as Ato explained at the program. It is a platform created to mentor and share ideas on issues bothering on personal and national development, learn new skills and above all build new networks of friends that one can fall/rely on from time to time for advice.

Now to the crux of my article, the Speed Mentoring session where resource personnel drawn from academia, the media, extractive industry, energy sector, agriculture, telecommunications and communication are paired with participants to be mentored for 10 minutes.

During the Speed Mentoring session, I mentored about ten participants who came to me and I must say I was not really impressed with some of the questions that some mentees asked. It is for this reason that I decided, after one clear month, to pen my thoughts to encourage and motivate someone out there.

Here are Five Ways to Making it to the Top.

1. No one becomes successful without real hard work. Whatever you conceive yourself of becoming now or in the near future you must start working hard at it TODAY. As my alma mater Keta Secondary School motto confirms, ‘’fly now or never’’.
2. No one is born to fail but failure comes to those who fail to plan. You must be certain about your goals, aims, objectives and vision for life. And plan your time diligently to achieve your aims and aspirations by setting targets for your personal development and growth.                           
3. Feel free to mingle and network with new people always. For there is nothing more fulfilling than having a rich network of people that you can turn to for advice and help from time to time. As Robert Kiyosaki once said ‘’ the richest people in the world look for and build networks, everyone else looks for work ‘’.
4. Spend more time reading, searching and researching rather than being on social media posting pictures with hashtags, liking and sharing posts. Reading they say ‘’ maketh a man full ‘’. Even if you love social media that much and cannot resist its constant temptation(s), then make sure you look for relevant content and read. Be cautious also of the things you post or share on your timeline. These days employers conduct job interviews by first and foremost going through social media handles of job applicants. And if for some reason you do not have a LinkedIn account yet, then you need to get one day.
5.  Finally, believe in God or whatever you perceive HIM to be. Spare some time daily to commit your dreams and heart desires to HIM.  And remember always you are a child of the universe and God sent you here for a purpose.

Wishing you all the best of the season and remember the essence of Christmas is giving and forgiving.

Mawuli Fui Kwadzovia is a passionate Communications Specialist and has been practising for the past seven years. He volunteers as a Speaker at Global Shapers Accra Hub and GhanaThink Foundation as a Mentor. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Ghana and an Associate Member, Institute of Public Relations.