Most companies think motivation comes from hope. From giving speeches. From painting big dreams. From saying “we’ll get there together.” It doesn’t. Hope is cheap. Clarity is expensive. I learned this the hard way. Back in 2020, our revenue had dropped to $11M from $44M. Morale was shaky. People were nervous. And I remember walking into a Zoom call with my team… One of them asked, “So… what’s the plan for bonuses this year?” I gave a safe answer. “We’ll see how Q4 goes.” It wasn’t a lie but it wasn’t leadership either. I thought I was buying time. But what I really bought was doubt. Because that answer didn’t motivate. It confused. I’ve seen this play out again and again. Talented people running hard… Taking on more… Overdelivering quietly… Only to be told, “Let’s review this again next quarter.” Or worse...to be told nothing at all. Not because they’re lazy. But because the goalposts kept moving. That’s not motivation. That’s quiet exhaustion. Unclear rewards don’t create loyalty. They create anxiety. People start guessing what matters. They start “performing” instead of building. Optimising for praise instead of impact. And eventually, they stop trusting the game entirely. They check out. Or they leave. That’s on us. Strong leaders don’t dangle carrots. They draw maps. They say: ✅ Here’s what good looks like ✅ Here’s how we measure it ✅ Here’s when we review it ✅ Here’s what growth leads to No politics. No fuzzy KPIs. Just a clear path with real steps. Not promises. Processes. Because clarity doesn’t just motivate. It respects. And I’ll be honest: the year we rebuilt Truegenics back to profitability, the biggest shift wasn’t in our marketing. It was in our expectations. We were clear on our expectations. We made rewards visible. We showed the ladder and let people climb it. And the team? They didn’t need pep talks. They needed direction. Here's the big question...Are your people running because they’re truly motivated…or because they’re chasing a carrot that never stops moving?

Stop being the hero. You might think, "it'll be faster if I just do it myself." And it is faster. In the short term. But…. Every time you do something your team can do, you're stealing two things: → Their chance to grow → Your chance to focus on what actually matters Protect the work only you can do. Source: FB

What if the only thing keeping you trapped… was a belief you never questioned? 💭 A traveler walked past an elephant training camp and was shocked to see these massive animals held in place by nothing more than a small rope tied to one front leg. No iron chains. No cages. No heavy restraints. With their strength, they could easily snap the rope and walk away at any moment… But they didn’t. Curious, he asked the trainer why. The trainer replied: “When they were baby elephants, a rope this size was enough to keep them from escaping. Back then, they tried to break free—but couldn’t. Over time, they grew up believing the rope was unbreakable and that they couldn’t get away. So even now, as giants, they still think they’re trapped— and they never try again.” 💡 Lesson: The real limit isn’t your ability. It’s the belief that you *can’t*. Don’t let your past define your future. What once held you back may no longer be strong enough to stop you. You’re far stronger than you think. #selfgrowth #wisdom #successmindset

Goal = Where you’re going Strategy = The route you choose Plan = The map you follow Tactic = Each step you take And Purpose is the reason for your goal to succeed in order to resource your dreams, visions and callings in life….

Most people think that being economically independent and financially responsible is about earning more money. Actually it’s about freeing up your time and prioritising your purpose and destiny call above money and ambition. It’s the most exhilarating thing to live from. Living unbound to the pressures of the rat race of a job, career, credit card and property debts, living beyond your means and having anxiety attacks every time you try to find peace. It’s transcending all the daily grind during the week just to find a breathing spot on the weekend and start all over again. That is not a picture of living and yet it’s somehow become the expected norm. Time to make a serious intentional change. Economic independence is the ability to transcend all that without letting go of the responsibility of it. But it takes sacrifice to get there. Not sacrifice of blood, sweat and tears but of a mind shift and change. Let this year be that shift. Start with a dream for life without the pressures associated to it but instead the pleasures that come from fulfilling your purpose and destiny call. Next, create a vision road map for how you can shift your thoughts to “how can I achieve this”, rather than “I cannot make this happen - it’s too hard”. Finally, surround yourself with a tribe and get a mentor for accountability, create an action plan and put it into gear. Course correct regularly by checking in with your tribe, accountability partners and mentor. Give yourself some time to shift into a new lifestyle of living from purpose rather than from goal setting. Live from your destiny call. Enjoy the moments each step of the way. See it as a journey of peace, joy and contentment rather than a race to the end of some gold pot in the sky. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead. - Rueben S January 2026