AdeTola's List
Taking the life she let go of.....
Lately, I’ve been stuck for the longest time, from what has been my foundation - Writing.
So we’re going back to the basics, writing prompts, of course.
Today’s Prompt - Top 10 List. Write a top 10 list in the voice of a character. Is your character a tween writing in their diary? A person making a bucket list? How about someone listing their greatest fears? What does the list they make say about the character?
Our Character’s name is AdeTola (just for context)
Ok, Tola, we’re curating ‘The Top 10 List’ of becoming an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA). Remember, the dream has always been to be a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA), and becoming an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) is a step to it.
It’s March, and I promised myself that the 2-bedroom at Ikoyi is gonna be mine in 2026, so strategies must be in place. AdeTola Ronke, you can’t slip into mindless glaze like 2025. It’s you vs the numbers, and you must come out on top. So our Top 10 Begins.
Take the ACA (Associate Chartered Accountant): Yes, Tola, you’ve been running from it for 6 months now.
Mr. Thomas proclaimed that you had the potential, and I don’t care how unprepared you must feel; we’re running with that praise. Besides, what’s the worst that would happen? You lose to Sade. (Ehh, God Forbid). Exactly, that’s what I thought, so register.
Attend Mrs. Tanaye’s upgrading class: Yessss, it’s boring, I know, she’s a JW (Jehovah's Witness). But Guess who’s no 8 on the board of executives? (Exactly, that’s what I thought).
So just take the fucking brochure, skip the earrings, and add that extra 2 inches she likes so much to the length of the clothing. Besides, it’s once a week, and it’s not like you have your sights set on anyone in the office.
Tell Bode Off: Yes, you must. Keeping quiet won’t derail him at all. Also, do you know why you must?
Because your snappy HR doesn’t condone office relationships and loud-mouth Bode can’t keep quiet about the quick peck in the car, now can he?
Yes, I agree it’s a hassle, but HR recommendation rememberrrr!!
No stone unturned, Strategy In, Bode Out.
Follow Patricia for the Simulation class: Whattt, it’s only 50k. Hit pause on the new shoes for now, darling, you would live. Step 1 needs preparation, and the class would be motivational. It’s not like your brain would miraculously resurrect.
Start calling Home more: This is mostly for your mindful conscience. It’s one less brain tab, I promise. Calls on Thursday by 8:00 pm. So, SET! THE!! REMINDER!!!
Less Eating Out: Face it, you can cook. Enough with the ‘I don’t cook rebellion BS’. You’ve left your father’s house, and it’s no longer expected of you like clockwork. But the House funds are not gonna drop because of your promotion (yessss, positivity only, speak it into existence). Besides, exam prep isn’t gonna require you to outsource other things as well, and house hunting takes time.
Travel: Oh, please, coach potato, don’t even get me started. The saying goes that you haven’t lived if you haven’t travelled or been loved, right? (doesn’t matter).
Besides, babes, aren’t you tired of the Lagos smell?
Barb, your hair: Not One WORD! Face it, Adetola Ronke, you were collecting extra melanin while your mates were collecting hair growth essentials in their genes.
I’m sorry, but Aunty Bebe’s miracle hair kit isn’t gonna do shit. Her grandma is Mexican, so her hair is already set. That before photo was just a bad case of hair relaxer.
Engage in a form of exercise: Madam soft body, using your muscles isn’t gonna make them hard. Enough with that silly excuse, you lazy ass Queen (Sorry, but I can’t insult myself in the name of roast, abeg).
Danre runs right? Ask him to link you up to the run club. No one is sending you to join the athletes & fanatics; you would find your peers, and there would definitely be a lazy group waiting for you. They’d find you like a magnet.
Active Body, Active Mind, Ace the exams!!
Carry God Love: It’s gonna get heady & stressful cuz honestly life is going to do what it does, but He cares, so tell Him, Cry to Him (Strip naked by 12 am with your arms raised if you must, Yessssss!! enjoy ROI of your hard-earned rent).
Call Him, Tell Him, Nag to Him, Sigh to Him, Complain to Him. You’ll get lost, but He won’t.
Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash
Adetola took a back a backseat on her dreams and slipped into a moot life of melancholy, but last year a screw finally slipped back in place. The drill could be a lot of things.
The endless promotion bypass, she pretended not to see.
The mindless errands they tried to reduce her role to, or was it the ambitious male young Intern who tried to use her as a ladder (ugghhh), the absolute audacity must be part because there were a lot of past interns.
Anyway, she decided to stop being the wallpaper and become the mosaic painting. The doer and not the watcher, right?
Hmmm. First time seeing this form of writing. Love it. I will try it out.
I could relate to Adetola on so many levels 🥱