Yes, I said it.

And no, it is not cho-cho-cho.

Continue reading to find out why.

About six weeks ago, on December 14th, I decided to host a six-week accountability program with ten people.

FOR FREE.

Below are the announcement posts and disclaimers I made on my Whatsapp status because I only wanted serious-minded people. I picked ten because I’m busy, it was free, and I wanted the sessions to be targeted and personal.

Before I get into the ugly stuff, let me start with the good. Because we actually recorded some incredible wins.

The Wins

• One participant got an offer letter and was onboarded after several interviews.
• A participant who had given up on remote jobs because she had never received feedback in the past 2 years suddenly bagged about eight interviews and received multiple pieces of feedback during the program.
• Another landed two interviews, got solid feedback, and became a strong candidate for an internship.
• Two people achieved 100% clarity about their career paths. They came in confused and left focused.
• One participant finally started her career pivot after months of stalling and procrastinating.
• Three participants began learning new skills consistently (3–7 hours weekly), practicing, getting scored, and adding those skills to their resumes.
• Almost everyone had 10x better resumes by the end or left (for those who didn’t stay till the end).
• And the ones who stayed till the end? They built character by showing up. They did 90% of the things they’d been avoiding for months.

This is proof that accountability, momentum, and consistency work abi?

So clearly, the system wasn’t exactly the problem.

Now, let me tell you why many people still won’t achieve their goals this year.

Actually… hold on. 

Why Did I Even Do This? (for free)

The whole thing wasn’t pre-planned.

I was sharing value-packed career advice on my WhatsApp status and got tired, haha. But I still wanted to help. Especially young people like me, trying to find their feet.

Just like me, I genuinely believe some people only need a fair start, structure, and someone to hold them accountable, to succeed.

I also have a lot of resources that people usually don’t have access to. Remote job links, strategies, and insider tips that people gate-keep, and I decided to make an exception for ten people. Even with the risk of them sharing my sweat with their friends. Okay o.

I can always find new ways. No big deal, right?

Right.

The Structure

To begin, each person completed an assessment form to help me create personalized tasks tailored to their goals.

Every week:

• I created personalized tasks
  
• They had 5 days to complete them
  
• All assignments were to be submitted on Fridays
  
• Sundays, we met on Google Meet for a weekly check-in

Simple and straightforward system, right? YES.  But time-intensive for me. To ensure the best experience for all involved (because once my mind is locked in, I like to go all in),

I:

• bought Google Premium for longer meetings
  
• created forms and categories
  
• deeply researched weekly tasks
  
• shared 50% of my “secret” resources
  
• paused some personal projects
  
• prepared questions, feedback, and coaching
  

And I didn’t mind. I strongly believed that if they did their part, it would work. I really enjoy helping people, and it gives me immense joy when I know my little help is helping someone thrive.

I set strict rules because… well, what is accountability without consequences? Accountability without consequences is vibes and Inshallah. And vibes don’t change lives.

Miss tasks? You’re out.
Miss meetings? You’re out.
Not serious? You’re out.

Later, I softened it to one free chance because LIFE.

How it started

Week 1? Hot-hot! 9/10 showed up live. The energy was high, and everyone was motivated.

You already know where this is going.

The Reality

One participant did not do shit, and I removed them very early. They did not attend one meeting and did not do even one task.

It hurt because we were acquaintances. But familiarity is not an excuse to not respect my time.

Some started strong… then fell off. Some said it got too hard. Some had misplanned their schedules. Some were “too busy.”

Valid reasons, sure.

But did they not read the disclaimers before joining?

By the end of six weeks, only FOUR out of TEN remained.

For something that was free and life-changing.

I removed six people from the program; some early, some later on.

The Ones Who Stayed Till The End

Two were absolute machines. I am not kidding. They inspired even me, who organized the program. They did 90% of all tasks. I was impressed. They complained that it was hard, but still did it. They have earned my lifelong respect. Free access to me anytime for any career-related stuff.

If they keep this pace, there’s no way they won’t be successful. May village people never find them.

The other two struggled emotionally. One with imposter syndrome, and the other with discouragement.

But they still showed up.

Even when assignments weren’t perfect, they took accountability, adjusted, and tried again.

And honestly? That grit impresses me more than perfection.

By Week Five, I was livid. I even regretted starting the program.

But I couldn’t punish the minority for the majority. I was also holding myself accountable to the process, and I was determined to see it through.

Accountability goes both ways, na.

So finally, here’s the truth

These are the reasons why some people will not achieve their goals this year:

Let’s not sugarcoat it.

1. You’re not serious.

Yes. You want the good life without putting in the work. I have been unserious in my life before, and I know what that looks like.

2. You’re addicted to starting.

And I say this as someone who has given up on stuff several times. Many people are hyped about the idea of starting something new because of what it promises. But once the excitement wears off and it’s time to do the dirty work, they suddenly have a thousand excuses for why they can’t move forward.

3. You lack resilience.

And I’m not speaking from a high horse. I have struggled with this too. When things get hard, not cute-hard, not “I’m tired” hard, but the kind that stretches you and demands more than you think you have… most people fold.

4. You lack audacity.

You self-sabotage before life even has the chance to reject you. It is safer for you to shrink yourself in a competitive environment than shine, abi? I’ve been there too. That “who do you think you are?” voice can be loud. Me, I’m all that o. What about you?

If this is you, go listen to Episode 8 of Heart to Heart Podcast by Jewel Chima and talk to @thesophiabajue on Instagram. Get help. Stop suffering stylishly.

5. You are bitter and wallow in self-pity and victim mentality

Some of you are mentally fighting people all day. Replaying old grudges and planning revenge in your head. You are always obsessing over who wronged you. Meanwhile, your own life is parked o. You’re sending people ahead to go and win while you’re busy nursing anger. Anger can actually be fuel if you channel it properly. But most of you are just marinating in it.

6. You don’t value free things.

You can argue with your keyboard. Yes, you don’t. Things that are free, like my free accountability program, come with few consequences. What do you have to lose anyway? After all, you didn’t pay a dime. People use a lack of money and resources as an excuse. But when those opportunities are presented for free, they don’t value them.

7. You lack direction.

You hop from one category to another because you aren’t sure where you fit in, even though the very first category in my program addressed that concern; some people still couldn’t figure it out. If this is your problem, we can still work together, but it won’t be free.

8. Your WHY is weak.

This is one of the most common ones, and honestly, the one I can trace back to the most for things I gave up on. You need the type of WHY that keeps you working when you’re tired, annoyed, and doubting yourself.

Dig deeper. Why do you really want it? What changes if you don’t get it?

Sometimes, the whys are not just strong enough for one thing, and you have to pivot to something else.

9. You’re lazy.

Stray bullet don catch some people. Someone had to say it, and I chose to be the truth-sayer. You are not only lazy, but you are also too lazy to think up alternative ways to attain success, even while being lazy. Lazy successful people don’t work hard. They work smart and maximize opportunities. Which you don’t do.

10. You hate accountability.

Feedback feels like disrespect to you. Oshey king of kings, and the woman who must not be offended! You have enough pride to choke a giraffe. I have pride too, so I understand, sha. But! I have learned that if you want to move forward in life, you must swallow your pride! You must!

11.   You get bored easily.

The moment the excitement dies, you die with it. After the initial thrill, you become so bored that you want to move on to the next big thing. If this is you, we can work together. You can actually use your boredom to your own advantage.

12. You lack consistency.

You cannot imagine doing one thing over and over without immediate results. So you stop right before the compounding starts working. Even as I type this, I am struggling small. Consistency is hard, but it is the real cheat code.

13. You’re overambitious.

I don’t mean this in a negative way, but in a matter-of-fact way. You get overly ambitious about certain things, trying to do everything at once while aiming for the same results. If this is you, this can be counterproductive. You need help letting go and creating structure. We can work together, as I have successfully overcome this.

14. You feel entitled.

You think life owes you something, and you believe small effort should produce big results. You want premium outcomes with small work. Okay o.

15. Your environment doesn’t match your dreams.

You’re dreaming big in a space that keeps shrinking you. Sometimes you don’t need motivation, just a change of environment and circle.

16. You refuse to do anything differently.

You are unwilling to do something different. It is safe to follow the crowd and do what everyone else does. In my experience, doing a tiny little extra can get you the job. It has worked for me repeatedly. I am someone who always goes left-left anyway.

Trust me, I understand luck, time, place, chance, and grace play a role in some people’s success tories. That is not the point here. The point here is: are you doing your part so that when time, luck, opportunity, and chance comes, you won’t miss it?

What I learned

This program sharpened me, too. It forced me to be firm without being harsh, to empathize without being walked over, and to stretch my patience and leadership skills. I also learned a lot from the feedback that the participants gave me and I know where to do better for the next cohort.

And it confirmed one thing:

Most people don’t need motivation. They need accountability.

Sometimes that’s the only difference between where you are and where you want to be.

The next cohort

I will be running another six-week accountability session next month.

This time it won’t be free.

If you pay, you show up. If you don’t show up, you lose your money. So no, it will not be free.

Here’s what you actually get:

1. 100% targeted tasks.
   Not generic advice. No “go and try your best.” Every single week, I will build your tasks specifically around your goals. I do the heavy lifting for you. I research, filter, gather resources, and hand you only what actually matters so you’re not wasting time figuring things out alone.
2. Real, measurable progress.
   Each week gets slightly harder. Slight stretch. Healthy pressure. By the end of six weeks, you won’t just feel motivated, you’ll have proof that you moved forward and a solid system you can continue with.
3. Access to my private resource bank.
   Links, opportunities, insider tips, hacks, job boards, tools most people don’t know exist.  I shared only 50% with the free cohort, and it helped some lives. Paid members get the full vault.
4. I treat your goals like mine.
   I don’t “coach and disappear.” If you’re serious, I’m invested. Your wins become my wins. Your blocks become my problem to solve.
5. Weekly Sunday check-ins.
   We will review the previous week together. What worked? What flopped? Where did you struggle? Then I adjust your next set of tasks accordingly. I also review and rate your submissions so you don’t have to guess how you’re doing.
6. Choose your structure.
   Group sessions (max 10 people) or one-on-one. If you want more personal attention, one-on-one is available. It just costs more.
7. Flexible intensity.
   Too easy? I can turn it up. Too familiar? I switch it up. You can request harder, newer, or more aggressive tasks at any time. I will match your pace.
8. Community and collaboration.
   You’re surrounded by other serious people working hard, too. People people pushing each other forward.
9. Your wins get celebrated.
   You show up and do the work, you get a shout-out during the weekly check-in. If not, you get a call-out.
10. Healthy competition.
    You’ll naturally want to level up because everyone around you is leveling up, too. Iron sharpens iron.
11. Finish strong, and you’re rewarded.
    Complete all six weeks, attend your check-ins, and submit quality work? You get free access to me for one full year for advice, guidance, and resources. Plus 30% off your next session.
    

The same rules apply o. If you miss tasks or meetings without a proper excuse or prior notice, you will be removed. No refunds. Because the goal is consistency.

I’m not over-promising anything. You’ll get everything listed above and more. If someone offers something similar for a ridiculously low price, go for it. But what I bring to the table is different. My resource bank alone took time to build. Links, strategies, opportunities you won’t just find everywhere.

It will never be the same.

This isn’t even a business for me. I do it because I genuinely like helping people win. If the free version had not been abused, I’d keep doing it for free. But it was. The time, research, subscriptions, and energy this takes are real.

Prices will range from ₦30,000 to ₦50,000, depending on your goals. This tells me you mean business.

If you’re serious, send me an email at fa.yuletidewritingprize@gmail.com. I will send you the assessment form to determine if we can work together.

If you want lighter options like no accountability session, but want access to the previous cohort materials, you can message me too. There are self-paced versions too.

But please only join if you’re ready to actually work. I am begging you.

Anyway.

This was a long half-rant, half-love letter.

But if something in here pinched you a little, good.

Sometimes truth is uncomfortable. And I say the uncomfortable truths.

Bye for now.

I love you!

Seriously, I do. I know after reading this, you might not feel like it 😂, but I do.