4 Reasons To Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

by vanessa | Jun 1, 2022 | Blog, motivation, personal development

4 REASONS TO STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

Here are four reasons why you need to step out of your comfort zone

We all have a comfort zone. Most of us don’t even know what it is or that we even do that. Comfort zones are protective, and we enjoy that. They are many reasons you should step out of your comfort zone. Here’s the thing you tell yourself lies so that you don’t step out of your comfort zone. Those lies prevent you from discovering who you can become and what you can do. They also stop you from trying out new things.

Fear is the number one driving force stopping us from stepping out of our comfort zone. When you get used to stepping out of your comfort zone. There’s very little that you won’t be able to do. Not because you’re this insanely talented person. No, that isn’t the reason. It’s because you have chosen each time to step out of your comfort zone.

That there is how you grow. It’s how you step and go after what you want. That is why I wrote this blog post to inspire you and help you out. Below are a few reasons you should step out of your comfort zone.

It will hone your skills

The best way to improve your skills is to keep showing up. A photographer doesn’t improve if no one ever sees their photos. An artist never grows without feedback. Going out there is how you will become better. Is it terrifying? Sure. Though the most successful people have gone through this. You can’t go where you haven’t been. You can’t become who you want to be without stepping out of your comfort zone.

Therefore, show up. Even when there’s no one watching. Show up. Even when you believe no one is looking at you. As hard as it is, showing up will help you improve your skills. When you do this, you will improve at a much faster rate. The often you do this, the easier it gets. It all starts with step one, though. You can’t go down the ladder without trying the other things. You can’t reach the pinnacle of success if you are too afraid to even open the door.

If every one reason doesn’t excite you, then focus on this one. We all want to improve our skills so that we can not only grow but have a career trajectory. So, now that one is done off to the second reason.

It helps you to step up to the plate

I had a teacher who used to say, “cannot prepare, then prepare to fail.” She had a point. Though, what happens when no amount of preparation will make you ready? If you are getting ready for a big examination, it makes sense. Then there are other things that are less routine. Yes, you can prepare, but sometimes over preparation can make it harder to even start.

For example, starting a blog or a business. You can prepare until you are blue in the face. Right. However, if you take no action, then you will never start. If you never do that, then you will go nowhere. That’s the thing. It isn’t easy stepping up to the plate. There are so many obstacles that you will have to do. So many things that you need to do. This is how you get of your comfort zone. It will help you step up to the plate.

Stepping up to the plate depends on the person. For some, it is quitting a job that has no growth and you are too comfortable in it. For others, it is starting something new. What is important to realize is that stepping up to the plate will help you grow at a faster speed than anything else. You will learn so much about yourself that you won’t believe it.

It reduces negative self talk

Many of us are guilty of this. By stepping out of your comfort zone, you reduce the negative self-talk. The negative self-talk is stopping you from going after what you want. So when you step out of your comfort zone, you are choosing to ignore it. That is a good thing and the more you do it, the less vocal that voice is.

Negative self-talk will tell you aren’t good enough. That it is impossible for you to achieve success, but the way you prove it wrong is by doing it, anyway. You prove to yourself that you have what it takes by constantly putting yourself out there. Success is built with dozens of tiny actions, not huge actions. Often, that is all it takes. Small milestones you take daily so that you can achieve what you want in life.

As hard as that may seem, it really isn’t. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. Therefore, step out of your comfort. Maybe you have dozens of dreams and fear is holding you back. Your negative self-talk is holding you back. By going after what you want, then that voice is minimalized. It becomes nothing but noise. Noise that you choose not to pay attention to because you aren’t focusing on that anymore.

You let go expectations

We all have expectations. When you step into your comfort zone, it helps you let go of expectations. What I mean by this is that you stop allowing that harsh critical voice to tell you down because you are doing something few people ever do. This is not only freeing, but it also helps you in other ways. You grow faster and learn more. You also find more opportunities faster.

The I’m not good enough and I can’t do this voice won’t affect you as much as in the past. You’re pushing past barriers and obstacles. When you step out of your comfort zone, it emboldens you because you focus on the journey and not the destination. Not saying it will happen overnight. There’s no such thing as an overnight success despite what people and the media want you to believe. It takes time and the more you do something, the more opportunities come your way.

Stepping out of your comfort zone will never be easy. That’s the point. If it were, then everyone would do it. That’s why you need to focus on the journey and not the destination. Don’t overcompensate but take your time to ease into it. Eventually it will get easier.

KEEP PUSHING

VANESSA

What is your takeaway from the blog and how will you step out of your comfort zone. Comment below

Why Your Belief System Is A Success Factor?

by vanessa | May 25, 2022 | Entrepreneurs, personal development, Success

Why your belief system is a success factor

Find out why your belief system is a success factor.

We all have heard that saying, “you are what you think you are.” Most of us wonder if this is even true. Are we truly what we think we are? It’s been said that the most powerful computer actually isn’t a computer you’ll find at NSA or the pentagon. No. Our brains are the most powerful computer. Whatever we think of can compute in mere seconds. That’s powerful. Your belief system is a success factor. Why? How? Think of it this way. Have negative thoughts ever consumed you? Was your life better because of it or worse off?

Your belief system is a powerful motivational booster, but it can also destroy you. Whether we want to accept it or not, we are a product of our thoughts. I have been there, and I know how powerful our belief system can be. I’ve seen it firsthand how one thought can change someone’s life. Here’s an interesting fact. Did you know we need three to five positive thoughts to combat one negative one? Think about that. Negative thoughts have far more weight than positive ones. Not because it’s true, but because as human beings we are wired to take negativity more seriously. That’s our survival mode. It’s why we pay attention to what’s negative or bad news compared to the positive. Below is why your belief system is a success factor.

Power of thought

My brother gave me this is plaque when I was a little kid. It’s called the “Winners Creed.” Basically, it states that the person who wins the race isn’t necessarily the best runner or the best at what he does. No, the person who wins often is the one who believes that they can. That’s the thing with life. You are what you think you are. When I was younger, I thought I was a talentless hack, and you know what I was right. Because that was my belief system. I held onto it as if it was true and it ultimately became.

Our brains are extremely powerful. Incapable of so much. We can achieve so much. And that is, you need to steer your belief system in the right direction. If you don’t, you will believe in things that won’t help you to become successful. Success is determined by a lot of things. It’s determined by your ability to motivate yourself. It reflects your belief system. Why are successful people confidant? It’s because they believe they can find a solution to their problems. They believe they have what it takes to become successful. Yes, it’s that simple.

Your thoughts have more weight than you think they do. It all comes to what your belief system is and how it will determine your success.

Failure is just a word

Failure is just a word. Yet, we put so much weight on it. As if it is everything. But it really isn’t. Your belief system determines what happens. If you take failure to heart, it will mess you up. You will start thinking that you aren’t equipped to do anything. As someone who struggled with ADHD when I failed, it was like the end of the world. When I made a mess of things, I’d curl into a ball because it always seemed way more important than it was.

It took me time and reflection to realize failure doesn’t determine where I go from here. I do. If I take it with a pinch of salt, then I’ll be fine. If I see it as a motivational booster, I’ll grow from it. Your system of belief will determine how you see failure. Do you see it as a roadblock or something that is holding you back? Everyone successful has failed at something. If they hadn’t, then they wouldn’t be successful. They wouldn’t be who they are today. Here’s an example. When I was younger, a Tom Cruise movie came on. It was one of his first movies and I remember how awful that movie was. I remember little except how I hated it. Afterwards I was like, “Tom Cruise couldn’t act.”

It was a revelation. That one of the best actors couldn’t act when he started. But he never gave up. He kept pushing himself, and now here he was. I’m not a Tom Cruise fan, never been. But I admired Tom’s resilience. Whatever you start, chances are you will suck at it. But that doesn’t mean you will continue to suck at it. See, our belief systems have more power than we think they do.

Reprogram how you see failure

How you see failure will determine so many things, including your belief system. It isn’t as hard as it seems. You just need to stop seeing it as something that is holding you back. See it as an opportunity to grow. The most successful people have all failed time and time again. No one is born knowing how to do something. Wow! Mind blown. That’s what I realized. We are so hard on ourselves for failing at something, yet no one is born knowing how to do something.

Before a baby can walk, it has to roll, then crawl, and finally it stumbles until they can walk and finally run. It’s a slow process. When a baby falls. They cry. But after they have calmed down, they get up and keep going. Imagine if a baby chose not to do this, then they’ll never walk. Remember when you learned how to write or ride a bike? Wasn’t it hard? What about when you learned how to use a pen?

Kids embrace failure because they know that this is just the start of their life. Their belief system is far more powerful than an adult because they see their potential. Start seeing your potential. Where you want to go? Who you want to become? See all that you can achieve if you don’t give. That’s how powerful your belief system is. Lean into that and you will be shocked at where you find yourself.

Embrace change

When you embrace change, it will open doors to places you never imagined. When I was twenty-one, I hated change. Thought it was the end of the world. When I accepted it and embrace it. Things changed. I travelled. I lived in Switzerland and South Africa. It was as if my blinders were finally off and I realized that change is beautiful.

Change opens doors and eyes. It creates opportunity. I’m better because I embrace change. Your belief system helps determine how you see change. If you don’t embrace change, then whenever it happens, it will wreck you. Life is like a river. It flows in one direction. Outside forces can change the course or even can alter the force of the river. Things happen we can’t do anything about. Sure, you have accepted the weather. What about the bigger obstacles like losing your job, a health scare or even death?

What about a change, of course? Or something bigger. Then what? Learn to embrace change because once you do, you’ll be ready. Not saying it will be easy when you come across obstacles. No. Still. You will be prepared. Remember, your belief system determines how you see change. So start seeing it in a positive light.

Never give up

Your belief system will determine whether you give up or you don’t. It’s important to never give up. Sure, they are things that aren’t worth it. Like no point in holding onto a toxic friendship or abusive relationship. Throwing in the towel is a good idea. What about projects you are working on? Or the dreams you envision? What about them? Most of us give in. Not because we are incapable of doing it.

It’s bigger than that. Most of us aren’t sure if it’s worth it or rather we aren’t sure if the hardship will reap huge rewards. So, we give up. Throw in the towel. Choose to move on. When people ask us what happened? We tell them we weren’t successful. No wants to feel like a failure. No one wants to feel as if they haven’t achieved their dreams. Guess what? Giving up won’t comfort you. You will always wonder what if. We’re consumed by the opinions of others over what we want to do with our lives?

People will always have opinions. Whether you choose to do something or don’t. It doesn’t matter. After I published a book, my friend asked me who I thought I was. I wasn’t Danielle Steel. We are no longer friends. I appreciate she said it to me rather than behind my back. I digress. I realize now that when you do something, people don’t understand, they’ll have negative opinions. Not everyone. Make shifts and changes. Never give up. You deserve to go after your dreams. Your belief system will help you understand so much about yourself. It will also determine whether you will be successful.

Also Related: 4 Things to Remember When Giving Up

KEEP PUSHING

VANESSA

What is your key takeaway and how will you start working on your belief system? Comment below

Cultivate Resilience So You Can Defy The Odds

by vanessa | May 11, 2022 | motivation, personal development

CULTIVATE RESILIENCE SO YOU CAN DEFY THE ODDS

Cultivate resilience so that you can defy the odds and achieve your dreams.

What is resilience exactly? We hear it often. It’s cheered on when someone is battling a difficulty or when someone wins at life. Our peers and the people around tell us to be more resilient. It isn’t an unfamiliar word that the dictionary came up with recently. No. Though that doesn’t take away its relevance. In fact, the more problems get thrown at us, the more important this word is.

Simply put, resilience is having the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. In this life, we will all go through difficulties. That is life. Often, our difficulties might mean that getting up isn’t as easy as we wished it would be. Going after your dreams isn’t easy. Not settling isn’t easy because often the easiest route seems the most satisfying. That, though, is temporary. Cultivating resilience is how you defy the odds and achieve your dreams.

They are people who get knocked down and are up before you can count to three. Okay, you probably will count to three before they get up. I’m sure you get the point. These people seem to never let failure pull them down. Maybe you have admired that and even wondered how to do it as well. In this blog post, I will talk all about how you can cultivate resilience.

A strong why

One of the easiest ways to cultivate resilience so you can defy the odds is having a strong why. This here is the key to many things. Think about. Think of anyone who you admire. What has kept them going even when they get knocked down? We all have struggles. Struggles isn’t something that only the unsuccessful go through. Every successful person has gone through struggles.

What separates them from you isn’t a magic word or an unexplained tour de force. Nope. It isn’t something that we can’t understand. Yes, some people have had help to get to where they are. Looking at you, Kylie Jenner. Still, starting and running a business isn’t easy. Got to give credit where it is due. You need a strong why. A reason to get out of the bed.

Most people don’t have a strong why. Many people come up with a flimsy reason. Making lots of money. That lasts as long as you’re willing to keep grinding in the early morning. Then it’s gone. Faster than you can count. So, making money isn’t a powerful reason. It’s a reason everyone uses, but it rarely works well. And you will become aimless. Point is cultivating resilience is about getting up and when you have a potent reason, it’s easier.

Also Related: Why Should Find Your Purpose

Your defining moment

We all need a defining moment. Something that changes course and helps us to keep going. This is how you defy the odds and cultivate resilience. I remember the moment well. I was in grade school hoping to be something more than what I was. It was career day. Until that point, I did not know what I wanted to do with my life. Sure, I was ten. I was still very young, but I had no clue. Not a smidge. I changed dreams according to what was trending. Yeah, I was that kid.

There was nothing I could hold on to. I wasn’t gifted or sporty. It was as if I was just there. Now I know that was the pressure society pushed on young children. When it was my time, I did not know. What I knew, I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to live an extraordinary life. Something worthy beyond measure. Ordinary actions don’t equate to an extraordinary life.

Thing is we have several defining moments in life. That was maybe my second. My first was when I was eight. I digress. These defining moments set you up for life. They change your course. It helps you cultivate resilience. So, at ten, I had my second defining moment. I went onto have different ones at different points in time. Though, whenever life beats me down, I remember the ten-year-old me. The one who didn’t believe in giving in, despite the frantic sprays of the children in the sandbox. I kept going and you should as well.

Remember your defining moment as the time when things shifted for you. This will help you cultivate the resilience you need.

Your inner voice

We all have two inner voices. The critic and the cheerleader. The critic admonishes you for mere mistakes. Whereas the cheerleader tells you to keep going. Many of us listen to the critic’s voice more. That is why it’s always the loudest. “You aren’t good enough.” It tells you. “What makes you think you are anything or worth anything?” Yeah, the critic’s voice sucks and often you wish you could mute it.

Well, you can. It requires training. Not hectic. Sweat on your brows and panting loudly type of training. You just have to train your voice. The voice that tells you can, but is so low you have to increase the volume. We all have the potential for greatness. I know how cliché that sounds. How many gurus tell you that? How many say that you can achieve X, Y and Z. Yet, they don’t give you the tools?

I was highly critical of myself. I used to be a negative person. The one you want to avoid. Sure, I had my moments, though that didn’t take away my critical inner voice. So, when I’m telling you can change, you can. This is how to change the tone of your voice. Keep telling yourself you can do it. When your critic tells you otherwise, remind it of your successes. It can be small. It doesn’t matter. What matters is to stop giving your inner critic relevance. That is how you defy the odds and achieve your dreams.

Also Related: How to Silence Your Inner Critic

Baby steps

Ancient Rome grew from a small town on Italy’s Tiber River into an empire. That took years. Hundreds of years. It didn’t happen overnight. So, you got to be easy on yourself. Cultivating resilience isn’t going to happen overnight. It takes months or even years for you to achieve this. The key here is to keep building on it. To keep focusing on what you can achieve and go after it. You got this.

For me, it took constantly having to reinforce it. Sure, that was annoying, but now it’s worth it. There are a lot of reasons for cultivating resilience. One of the most vital ones is you don’t give up as easily. You keep going after your dreams. That is so important. Because when you don’t give up, there’s a reward at the end of the rainbow. Something you always envisioned, but never believed it was possible to achieve. There’s so much worth and joy in going after your dreams. You can also inspire so many people with your story.

How will you cultivate resilience so you can defy the odds. Comment below and I will reply as soon as possible

KEEP PUSHING

VANESSA

Busting Making Money Online Myths

by vanessa | May 4, 2022 | creativity, Entrepreneurs, motivation, personal development, Side-Hustles

Busting Making Money Online Myths

They are numerous making money online myths, the four below are the most common and popular.

Here I am again. Your personal myth buster. Haven’t done a segment like this in a while. So, I thought I would dust my favorite yellow myth busting jacket. Take it out of the closet and tantalize your interest. So this year I wanted to bust making money online myths. Here’s the thing about making money. It isn’t easy and there is so much noise out there. No white noise. No, this is the kind of noise that gives you a migraine because of misinformation or just too much information.

The internet has been around since the 90’s. That’s a long time. Making money online started as early as the late 90’s. Strange right, but if you were old enough back, then you must remember subscriptions and even paying for email newsletters. Back then, though, it was in its infancy. Too young to make a dent or splash in the papers. Not enough people were interested.

Making money online became popular after 2008. When the world was hit with a tsunami of bad news. You remember the year? People lost their jobs. Inflation was at an all-time high. Well before the pandemic. College grads were now wondering what they’d do with their life. High school seniors weren’t optimistic about their future. It just wasn’t the best year. But that is when entrepreneurship became popular and more people were trying to find out how to make money online. So, this isn’t a new wave. Every year, this industry grows. And because of that, so do the tails start wagging even more. They are a lot of myths out there. So, I thought I would take the time to bust making money online myths.

Myth 1# People don’t make money online

I have an aunt who I love dearly. When she visited my family seven years ago before, I really made headway in making money online. She told me a story about how a friend of hers’ lost money online. She then told me, ” people don’t make money online.” Now, I had done my research and knew that they are dozens of ways to make money online. I couldn’t blame her. They are many people who think that.

So here’s the first making money online myth that I want to bust. People make money online. You know that adage; they are many ways to skin a cat. What they don’t tell you is that they are right and wrong ways to do it. They are people who never make money online. That’s because they aren’t doing it the right way. Be smart when you want to make money online. That requires foresight and something many of us are terrible at. You got it. Patience. Be patient. You know squirrels spend a lot of their time finding the right nuts to bury. They will forage until they find the right nuts. Many of us aren’t patient. We give up way too early and because of that, we cannot achieve what we want.

If you want to make money, then you need to practice patience. Not the easiest thing to do, but it is the most rewarding thing you can do. Think of what you want to achieve and then focus on that. Let that be the reason behind your purpose.

Myth 2# You need lots of money to make money online

They are dozens of ways to make money online. Some require more money than others. Others you don’t need as much. There’s a twofold way to bust making money online myth two. The first fold is that you can start simple and progress from there. What skills do you have? Maybe you are great at writing or even good at being on camera.

Starting a blog or YouTube channel requires the least amount of money. In 2018, when I started my blog. I didn’t have any money. There was zero dollars in my bank account. My big brother sent me some money. I put it in a bank account. It was only one hundred dollars, and I started my blog with that. I paid for a month using Hostgator and I went from there. Sometimes you don’t need the full picture. Often you just need a smaller one. Use what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t. Even if you have no money, you can borrow or you can make money. I will share that with you later.

You can even start with a YouTube channel. Just use your phone and a lavalier mic that you can get for $20. That’s all you need. So myth two has been busted. If you still have doubts, think about how massive the internet is. It is literally it’s own country. A global opportunity that awaits you to take a chance and decide that you can do it.

Myth 3# You need to be a genius

Maybe you aren’t an intellectual. Few people are. You might not create the next big thing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make money online. I was once told to find what people want and give them that. That is the secret to making money online. So, it isn’t novel. So what? Give people what they want. That’s how people make money. Follow the trends and figure out what is missing. See what people are doing and do that. You don’t need to be brainy to make money online.

That is one of the biggest making money online myths out there. Change your perspective. Realize that you can be an average Jane or Joe and still make money. In fact, the more relatable you are, the better. Those are the people we connect with. Not the top gurus. Sure they make money. Being famous has its advantages. Those of us who were slow to jump on the ride need relatability to connect with people. They are people who once were relatable who no longer are because they forgot what made people connect with them.

The best way to make money is by looking at your skill set. We all have skills. No single person on the planet doesn’t have that one thing they excel at. And I’m sure they are people who would pay good money to learn that. Unless your skill is so niche and out there that people wouldn’t be interested in. That’s rare though. People these days can make money from literally anything. So, you are in good company. Myth three has been busted. Now onto the last one.

Also Related: Why Entrepreneurship is The New Normal?

Myth 4# Making money online is a scam

For every con artist, there is a legit salesperson. Did you ever read Confessions of a Door to Door sales agent? It was a brilliant read. It tells the story of a struggling salesperson. He struggled to sell his products for several reasons. Many thought he was a scammer. The second reason is he was selling things no one wanted. Perhaps he was selling to the wrong demographic. And he didn’t know how to market his products.

There will always be people who question everything online. “Did so and so really make money from doing that?” I remember reading how webnovel platforms were scammers because of how they’d approach authors instead of the other way around. Now, self-publishing is still better because you make more money but webnovelists do make money.

A webnovel is simply when an author serializes his content or novel and publishes it on a platform. Think Charles Dickens. Now, don’t get me wrong, they are online scams. You just have to be picky with what you spend your time on. The way I look at is like this. The marketplace was niche. So con artists back in the day would con those that were in a particular city or district. Now, the marketplace is global. They are more options out there to scam people. But not everything is a scam. Therefore, you need to take your time understanding how to make money online.

The number one reason people get scammed is that they aren’t knowledgeable. That’s why I created this blog post series. By the end you will know how to bust making money online myths. You will also know how to make money online without losing sleep and losing hair.

What is your one takeaway from this post? What making money online myths did you think were true? Comment below.

KEEP PUSHING

VANESSA

Passive Income Vs Active Income (Ultimate Beginner’s Guide)

by vanessa | Mar 23, 2022 | Blog, Entrepreneurs, Side-Hustles, Success

6 BRILLIANT wayS TO MASTER SELF-SABOTAGE

Here is a break down about passive income and active income

No matter how you make money, it falls into two categories. Passive income and active income. Thing is most people can’t tell the difference between the two and often they can easily mistake these two types of incomes. Passive income is investment that is achieved through past work that was done. This can be the course you paid for, the ebook you read, the affiliate link you clicked on. Often the work is done once and as a result the person earns income for work on a daily or monthly basis.

It depends on how much time they spent creating the product. Passive income is usually a result of digital products, but it can be earned in other ways as well, but that is the most common way to earn passive income. Active income is different though. Your job is a active income. You earn based on a salary. The harder you work, the more you make. That’s the big difference.

Why is it important to understand these two terms? Because they are so many ways to make money online. But most people have no idea because they don’t understand how passive or active income works. That’s why I created this blog post because before we get into the nitty gritty we need to understand the two categories of income. Once, you have an idea you will understand ways you can make money online. Let’s start.

Passive income (Explained)

When it comes to the top dogs of income it’s passive income. Why? We have limited time on our hands. If you ever wanted to know how people become wealthy it’s passive income. Unfortunately because many people don’t understand passive income they think it’s the illusive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Often they assume people exaggerate so they don’t bother.

Passive income has so many advantages. The advantages outweigh all the disadvantages. Yes, passive income seems like a dream come true, but I would be misleading you if I didn’t tell you the uphill battle you will face. Everyone wants to make passive income. Unfortunately that makes it harder to make it. Competition is stiff. Not saying it’s like Hunger Games. But you will need to understand marketing and be well versed in self-discipline. Because it takes a lot to make this kind of income.

It’s worth it when you figure it out though, but it does require time. Unfortunately not everything is a given. If you also don’t know what you are doing you can get overwhelmed because of how many options they are when it comes to making passive income.

Also Related: How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Why is passive income important

In this blog post, I list down all the passive income opportunities because they are so many. I will reserve that for another blog. But I do want you to know why passive income is more important than active income. They are limited number of hours in a day. We all know that. But more importantly you can’t duplicate yourself. So, time will always restrict you in terms of making money.

This is where passive income comes in. However, you need to understand that it takes time to build it. I learned an important fact from my father. Everything worthwhile takes time. So, the same applies here. It takes time to build passive income streams which ever you choose to do. But in the long term it is worth. You can be lying on a beach and earn money. But it won’t roll in if you don’t build something and work on selling it. The first $50 I earned online was through affiliate marketing. One of the most popular passive income streams. It was then that I saw the value passive income has.

Active Income (Explained)

Many of us are used to active income. Sometimes it is called residual income or earned income. This is income you earn from a salary, hourly wage or commission. You work for every dime. Now you can’t get rich with this kind of income, but that doesn’t take away it’s importance. Passive income takes time and often you need money in order for you to do passive income.

This is where active income comes in. It will help you to raise enough money for you to start building your passive income streams. They are reasons why people don’t start a business. Besides it taking time, they also don’t have enough money. This is where active income becomes advantageous. You can work so that you raise enough money to build your business.

Active income requires a lot of work as well because you are paying based on the hours you are working. So if you are working 10 hours per day, you calculate that. It depends on what you are doing. Though, if you don’t get a task for the month you don’t make money. If you don’t have a shift then you don’t get paid. You work and then get paid. Not once, but repeatedly.

Below are the main types of active income

Also Related: 7 Things Holding You Back in Life

1. Salary

Most people earn this kind of income. You are trading your year for an income. You go to work at 8am and come back at 5pm. It’s a consistent revenue stream because you know you can depend on money coming into your bank account at a certain time or month. You often go to college or university to earn this kind of income. Though, they are times when you can simply have just a qualification. That’s all you need to be eligible to earn a salary.

2. Hourly wage

Those who don’t have qualifications or are still in school can earn this kind of active income. You get paid by the hour. So if you work for five hours per day and make $15 per hour then that is how much you make per day. It is easier to get this kind of active income than a salary. You can work at a fast food restaurant, deliver food, work for a company like Uber and the list goes on to make this kind of money.

3. Commissions

This type of active income stream helps you to make more money. It’s more profitable than the other two because it comes to the sales you make. They are some jobs where you can make commissions on top of your salary. You get this if you are in sales, events and even real estate. You make a percentage of the initial sale. So, it all comes to how much you sold a property or how much a client paid the company for a service.

4. Tips

If you are in the hospitality industry this is the active income you will earn. Tips are based on how much people want to give you. There’s no exact figure though it depends on where you work. For example, you are likely to make more money in tips if you work at a country club compared to a fast food restaurant. It all comes down to where you work.

5. Freelancing and consulting

If none of the above tickles your fancy and you want to be your own boss. You can do this one. Just like passive income streams this active income isn’t as easy as the others listed above. You need to market yourself well, but you can also start on freelancing sites like Fiverr or Guru or even 99Designs. It depends on what you want to do. You calculate your worth. You can earn anything from 6 to 7 figures doing this. They are people who became millionaires on Fiverr. So, the options are there, but it depends on how good you are.

When I was starting I did this and earned quite a bit of money from it as a result.

Which is better passive income or active income?

This depends on where you are in life. If you want to start a business, but are unsure how to do so you can start with freelancing or even the other active income opportunities. If you have time on your hand and even have more money, you can do try your hand at passive income. Each of these income types is worth it. It is worthy, but it all comes to you and your experience level.

I will say this though passive income is better than active income. For a lot of reasons. You make more money in the long run. You can also free up your time when you build the right systems. Even though it does take time it is worth it. So, even though it depends on where you are, you should be focusing on getting yourself ready to build passive income streams.

The great thing about passive income is that you can have numerous streams of income. With active income you have to pick one of two jobs depending on which active income stream you picked. If you have a salary than that will be challenging. The amount of money you make is limited by your hours. Passive income doesn’t have that. You can have seven to twenty-one different ways to make money.

Free Scheduling App

What is your major takeaway from this blog post? Comment below

KEEP PUSHING

VANESSA

How You Define Success Can Make or Break You

by vanessa | Mar 1, 2022 | Blog, Entrepreneurs, personal development, Success

HOW YOU DEFINE SUCCESS CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOU

How do you define success? It can make or break you the way you define it.

When I was younger, the way I would define success wasn’t positive. It didn’t help me to grow or evolve. It took me a while to understand that the reason why I wasn’t growing, all came down to the way I would define success. Most of us define success as this linear line. There’s point D and we want to move to point A. A lot of us don’t realize that success isn’t linear. There isn’t a point system we need to tick to climb the success ladder. If that was the case than we all would be successful.

It is true that we need to follower those who are successful. They are also strategies that can help us become successful, but it isn’t that simple. Often, success takes different forms. They are people who become successful as a teenager or in their twenties or thirties. Then they are people who become successful at a much older age. Success isn’t about the destination, but the journey. How you define success can make or break you. It can build you up or push you down. Often, our mental gymnastics determine what happens next or what chess pieces move. That is why going into the new year you need to change how you define success.

Take it from me this is important. What I have learned is that when you change how you define success it changes your worldview and you grow much faster than if you keep to a rigid description of success.

The story you tell yourself

When I was in my early twenties, I saw success as a ladder that I needed to climb. This is how I would define success. I needed to tick boxes, here was the thing I didn’t understand what success was. I would watch MTV cribs and wish that one day that would be me. I wanted to be famous. I wanted my face to be plastered on magazine covers and to be interviewed. That is how I defined success. To me if people didn’t really know you then you weren’t successful. If you weren’t an A lister than no one really knew.

It was a rigid way of looking at success. I was interested in the glamor and that was what mattered. The more people knew me then I’d have made it. Here’s the thing this isn’t the right way to define success. This is way of defining success can break you because it pushes the notion that you need to be famous to be successful. That’s not true. They are a lot of famous people who don’t have money. Then they are successful people who aren’t as well-known as A lister but have a lot of money.

What story are you telling yourself? Why are you telling yourself this story? Yes, it’s important to understand the root of the story. Here’s mine. I was a late boomer. Always behind everyone else and I wanted to prove people wrong. I believed to do this I needed to be famous. That wasn’t the truth, I had nothing to prove, but I needed to discover that for myself first.

Your why

Successful people have a strong why. A reason why they want to do something. Being successful is just the reward. If you want to just be successful then you will never reach your goal. Even if you do it won’t feel rewarding. This is the wrong way to define success. It is the reason why so many influencers look unhappy or are depressed. They described success the wrong way. Have you ever watched celebrity interviews, I used to. I watched a lot of them. My favorite was the E True Hollywood Story. Every one of those that were interviewed would say they wanted to entertain people, make them laugh or cry.

They didn’t start of just wanting to be successful. At least not the greats. It was about making people happy or giving them something to root for. Successful entrepreneurs all started with wanting to make the world better. I’m talking about those that make a difference. The ones who have given the world a solution or provided opportunities. They will last for a lifetime because their reason wasn’t monetary. We get the definition of success so wrong.

It isn’t about how much money you have in your bank account. That is a reward. It is about the solution or what you have given the world. How you define success can push you forward or back. It can build you up and change your worldview. So define success the right way. Your why is the link to how you define success. If your why is strong than you are bound to become successful because you are thinking about the bigger picture.

Bigger picture

When your why is strong than you can lean on a bigger picture. When I was younger, I had no idea what I wanted to be known for. I loved writing and I wasn’t too bad at it. But I also loved acting. Writing to me didn’t seem profitable, but I had no idea how to get into acting. I jumped from one thing to the next without any clear idea of how to get to where I wanted. Remember how you define success can also give you a plan. It can give you a bigger picture and the clearer your vision is the easier it is to plan your life.

My vision was blurry so many years I wandered trying to figure it out. That wasn’t easy. I followed every guru under the sun. Okay, maybe that is an exaggeration, but it felt like that was what happened. I tried a lot of things, but never came to fruition. I tried freelancing then ecommerce and I settled on blogging. It gave me a clear picture. I started seeing the bigger picture. How I could turn my blog into a machine. When you settle on one thing it is easier to understand where next you need to go. Most of us follow what every guru says. There is so much information out there that it is easy to get information overload. Here’s the thing, you got to focus on a few gurus because the more gurus you follow it won’t be easy to understand what route you should take.

That’s why it’s important that the way you define success takes in the bigger picture. This will motivate you and encourage you to keep going regardless of the obstacles in your way.

Also Related: 13 Habits of Self-Made Millionaires

Ups and downs

They are two roads in life. The busy highway that everyone takes. On this road you will see lots of sights and cars. It’s crowded so it often takes forever to get to your destination, but it does look like you will enjoy the journey. Then there’s the other road. This one people don’t travel on it a lot. It seems as if there’s no much to see. The road isn’t in good condition, they are a lot of pot holes and the grass isn’t luscious. But if you keep down on this road, you will see so much more. Sights and buildings that you won’t see on the other road.

This road is filled with more adventure. I’m guessing you see where I’m going. How you define success will also give you room to make mistakes? Because that is success. There’s no exact map. No exact route you should take. They are so many obstacles and road blocks. Success isn’t easy. Heck, it is one of the hardest things you will ever do. Starting your own business or doing something most people won’t isn’t easy. If it was then what would be the point? It would be as joyful as interesting or exciting. Success is all about the journey. The experiences you will go through just to get to the end of the rainbow. It’s never ending. There’s so much you will learn about yourself and life.

However you have to accept it has ups and downs. Even when you become successful, you will always have to tweak things. Most of us think it ends right there once you become successful. No. It isn’t that simple. You will be met with so many road blocks. But that is why it’s so worthwhile. How you define success matters?

How do you define success? Has the definition helped you or do you need to work on it. Let me known in the comments section.

KEEP P USHING

VANESSA