09/06/2026
Six months ago, I met two young men.
One of them had been following me on Facebook for a while.
The other came through him.
They both told me the same thing:
"Boss, I want you to mentor me."
Whenever people say that, I usually laugh.
Not because I don't like helping people.
But because most people don't really understand what they are asking for.
Because....
Mentorship sounds exciting until discipline enters the conversation.
Everybody wants a mentor.
But....Very few people want accountability.
Everybody wants success.
Very few people want structure.
Everybody wants results.
Very few people want routines.
So I told them something I always tell people:
"I don't think I'm the kind of person you would enjoy having as a mentor."
They asked why.
I said:
"Because my lifestyle is boring."
And I meant it.
The life that changes people is usually boring.
The habits that create success are usually boring.
The routines that build wealth are usually boring.
The things that transform lives rarely go viral on TikTok.
They are usually quiet.
Repetitive.
Uncomfortable.
And most people don't have the patience for them.
One of the young men worked as a security guard.
The other was a graphic designer who had recently lost his job last year.
The company he worked for decided to reduce costs and use AI tools for most of the design work.
So both of them were looking for direction.
Looking for a breakthrough.
Looking for a mentor.
And then I gave them their first assignment.
A very simple assignment.
Wake up every day at 4:00 AM.
Not to pray for money.
Not to scroll Facebook.
Not to watch motivational videos.
Not to complain about Nigeria.
Wake up at 4:00 AM and learn a skill in YouTube.
From 4:00 AM to 6:00 AM.
Every single day.
For three months.
That was the assignment.
Simple.
No money required.
No special connection required.
No miracle required.
Just discipline.
And honestly?
That assignment alone disqualifies most people.
Because most people don't have a money problem.
They have a consistency problem.
Three months later...
The security guard messaged me.
And I was shocked.
He said:
"Boss, I followed your advice."
He started learning financial modelling, data analysis and AI tools.
Then one day, he noticed something at the estate where he worked.
The estate management was recording everything manually.
Payments.
Records.
Accounts.
Everything.
So he built a simple solution.
A tool that automated part of their process.
When management saw what he created, they were impressed.
The same security guard.
The same man earning ₦60,000.
The same man people probably ignored every day.
Suddenly became useful.
Valuable.
Relevant.
And shortly after 3 weeks...
He called me with so much excitement all ove his voice...
"Boss.... I have been Employed as the Estate Secretary and internal Auditor"
And his salary moved from ₦60,000 to ₦150,000.
Not because somebody helped him.
Not because of luck.
Not because of politics.
Not because of prayer alone.
Because he became more valuable.
Now let me tell you the part that touched me.
The second young man never came back.
Months passed.
Nothing.
So....
Two weeks ago, I reached out to him myself.
I asked:
"How far?"
His answer was honest.
Painfully honest.
He said:
"Boss Iking, I tried."
"The alarm would ring."
"I would switch it off and continue sleeping."
"Sometimes I would wake up."
"But end up scrolling from one Tiktok video to another."
"Then Instagram."
"And before I knew it, the two hours were gone."
And immediately I understood something.
The difference between the two men was never intelligence.
It was never talent.
It was never opportunity.
It was never background.
It was never education.
It was discipline.
Because....
One delayed gratification.
The other chose immediate gratification.
One invested in his future.
The other consumed his future.
And that is the story of many people's lives.
Most people think success is about making one big decision.
It is not.
Success is usually the result of hundreds of boring decisions nobody sees.
Waking up when you don't feel like it.
Learning when nobody is forcing you.
Reading when others are scrolling.
Practicing when others are sleeping.
Improving when others are complaining.
That is how lives change.
You see, one of the biggest lies social media has sold to young people is that success is dramatic.
It is not.
Success is boring.
Wealth is boring.
Discipline is boring.
Consistency is boring.
The people winning in life are often doing simple things repeatedly while everyone else is looking for shortcuts.
And that is why many people remain stuck.
Not because opportunities don't exist.
But because discipline is expensive.
It costs comfort.
It costs sleep.
It costs excuses.
It costs distractions.
And most people are unwilling to pay that price.
That is why whenever somebody tells me:
"Iking, mentor me."
I smile.
Because mentorship is not about listening to advice.
It is about acting on advice.
The first young man changed his income in three months.
The second young man collected the same advice.
The same opportunity.
The same timeline.
The same mentor.
But got a different result.
Why?
Because information does not change lives.
Implementation does.
And perhaps that is the lesson many people need to hear today.
The future you want is usually hiding behind the discipline you keep avoiding.
The life you admire is usually built on habits you keep postponing.
And the opportunity you are praying for may already be waiting on the other side of consistency.
My question is:
When your alarm rings tomorrow morning...
Which of the two young men will you become?
My name is Iking Ferry,
A Financial Literacy Advocate and Investment Strategist on a Mission to Build 10 million Financially Free Nigerians and Africans through Fokona with the right Knowledge.
