Brilliant Ways to Invest in Yourself and Change Your Life

by vanessa | Sep 15, 2021 | Entrepreneurs, personal development

how to INVEST IN YOURSELF AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Listed below are a few ways you can invest in yourself and change your life.

We all dream of a better life. One that where we achieve all that we want. Our dreams are tied to this illusion of a better life. It feels so real we can touch it, but no matter how much we try to hold on to it the dream fades. Many of us don’t understand this is how you invest and change your life. People tell us to stop dreaming. That we have to be an adult. I have never understood why many people believe that by having dreams you aren’t mature enough. That you’re delusional for having a dream.

It’s as if by the time you reach a certain age they want you to settle. You must do A, B or C. If not you will never grow up. I mean common, dreams don’t take away from being an adult. Dreams don’t die just because you want that to happen. We all have dreams. Regret is a far worse thing to face. The reason why many people don’t achieve their dreams isn’t that they are incapable. If you were told that you aren’t good enough, it isn’t true.

Here’s the reason people don’t achieve their dreams. They don’t invest in themselves. Investing in yourself can mean a lot of things for a lot of people. When you invest in yourself you are buying into the future. When I was a kid, my father would say, “money doesn’t grow on trees.” That stuck. Nine-year-old me started becoming a debt collector of a kind. If money didn’t grow on trees I would save every penny and charge people a percentage. I had managed to save $2000 in 12 months. Because I charged $2 for every $1. Yes, I was rich for a nine-year-old, but something was missing. I hadn’t achieved anything. Let’s break down how to invest in yourself the right way.

Change how you see yourself

We all have a perception of who we are. More than the labels people give us. We all have this defined perception of who we are based on our experiences. If you want to invest in yourself and change your life you need to change your negative perception. Many of us have a negative perception of who we are. A few years ago, I believed my ADHD was a hindrance. Something to be ashamed of. It took me some time to see it as a blessing.

We all have things we struggle with. And when you change your perception you realize that who you are has shaped your beliefs. Negative or positive. What happens if you shift that and focus on the positive? What happens if you see your past mistakes as a blessing? Sure, it was hard. Sure, you encountered roadblocks. But what’s great is realizing that doesn’t determine your future. Only you can do that. Change how you see yourself. Shift your perception into something positive. This will change your life. Here’s an example, maybe in the past you dated the wrong person. Now, you know better. You can make better decisions based on your experience. Your experiences have shaped who you have become.

Do an online course

A lot of us hate spending money. We hate it with a passion. But here’s the thing, spending money on the right things will change your life. Buying a car isn’t an investment. Many view it as an expense. Unless you decide to hire it out so you can make money. However, unless you have a spare car or don’t mind using public transport this can be a little challenging. So, buying a car isn’t an investment. Not in the way you might see.

Online courses are. Why? Because they’ll teach you how to make money or become a better version of yourself. They’ll teach you skills that are necessary for your growth. This is how you invest in yourself and change your life. This is a faster way of getting to the top. Yes. Many online courses are expensive. But they are so worth it. You just have to choose the right course. Remember you got to buy into your future to invest in yourself and change your life. What do you want your future to look like? What do you imagine it will be like? Buy into future you. If you don’t do this you will never see this as a worthwhile investment. Why? Because you don’t believe it will change your life.

Journal about future you

Here’s something fun you can do. Journal about future you. This will help you invest in yourself and change your life. Why because every decision you make will be shaped by what future you do. Vanessa Lau once said, “if you want to be a six-figure earner think like a six-figure earner.” So, what is the future you doing right now? Maybe, you are spending more time with your family. What did future you do to get there?

What is the drink of choice for future you? What are some of the things future you believe in? Future you doesn’t have to be way off into the distant future. It can be you in six or 12 months, two or three years. What matters is that you shape your future by doing certain actions now. Spend less on expenses and more on investment. Watch less television and spend more time on your dreams. Move away from toxic relationships and cultivate nurturing ones. Your actions in the present determine what your future will look like. Many of us forget that. Every action you take has a consequence. Every decision either pushes you forward or pushes you back. Every discussion you have can give you peace or wreck it. Make choices that will build the future you want. If you think like this it will be easier for you to adapt.

Also Related: The Art of Journaling

Start a side hustle

I am a massive advocate of side-hustles. Why? Because they changed my life. Remember invest in yourself and change your life. This is what investment looks like. Working on building your life up and by doing that, you will shape your future. The great thing about side-hustles is you make money and you learn how to. You push yourself out of your comfort zone. This can help you become a better version of yourself.

I learned so much from starting a blog. I learned skills I never thought were necessary. It equipped me with the knowledge I never thought I needed. It made me braver, stronger, and wiser. When you shape the future you everything changes. You start thinking about how to generate money. Do you want to have more money? If that’s the case you need a side-hustle. Saving money won’t make you rich. Work on your dreams now and not later. There are numerous side-hustles you can start. You can start with a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel. It doesn’t matter what you start with. What matters is that you start. That’s all that matters. This is how you can invest in yourself and change your life by starting. Just start.

Love yourself

How is this an investment? Well, because if you don’t love yourself then you will be hard on yourself. If you don’t love yourself you will give up. If you don’t love yourself then you won’t build the future you. When I was younger, my sister once asked me if I loved myself. It sounded so weird. Then it hit me. Being a couch potato wasn’t loving myself.

Eating unhealthy wasn’t that either. Putting people’s needs above myself wasn’t loving myself. I believe immensely in love your neighbor as you love yourself. My actions focus on that. Every decision I make I have that in the back of my mind. When you love yourself you work on becoming a better version of yourself. Why because you deserve that. You deserve to have a future where you make an impact. You deserve a future you can be proud of. This is how you invest in yourself and change your life. It always starts simple. It always starts with yourself. You want to grow. Love yourself. This means to love your flaws, mistakes, and failures. Look past the obstacles you faced and appreciate them.

How will you invest in yourself and change your life? Comment below.

Keep Pushing

Vanessa

Formula for Success in Facing Female Entrepreneur Challenges

by vanessa | Sep 1, 2021 | Blog, Entrepreneurs, Success

FORMULA FOR SUCCESS IN FACING FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR CHALLENGES

Discover the simple formula for success when facing female entrepreneur challenges.

Entrepreneurship is saturated with men, but in the last twenty years, it has seen growth by 114%. As more women are becoming entrepreneurs. Women of color make 70% of that number. More and more women are deciding to start their own companies. Regardless of that, they are still major challenges that they face. These are female entrepreneur challenges that can be upsetting or difficult to swallow. There’s a simple for success that female entrepreneurs can use when facing challenges.

Often, women in history have been looked down on. If we were to pick up a history book we have seen this with female inventors, pilots, actresses, and musicians. Despite how far we have come as a society they are still challenges female entrepreneurs face. I was talking to a friend the other day and we joked about how many of our relatives see what we’re doing as mundane. She joked and said that it isn’t 1998. They are still societal norms that many female entrepreneurs challenge that many of us face. It can be taxing and overwhelming. Today we will talk about how female entrepreneurs can face these challenges. The formula to facing female entrepreneur challenges can be defied.

Defy societal norms

Let’s take the gloves off. When women reach a certain age many expect them to be married and have kids. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s what makes women special. Their ability to produce life. But even women with children seem to believe that they can’t have a family and build a business. They still live in a world where women must take care of the kids and the home. And that is. This is a female entrepreneur challenge. How do you defy societal norms in a world that still paints with white and black colors?

That’s why you have to defy societal norms. Amelia Earhart was told she couldn’t be an aviator because she was a woman. She laughed in their face. And proved them wrong. Marie Curie was told that she couldn’t be a physicist. Her male peers saw her as being ridiculous, how could she become a physicist, but she proved them wrong time and time again. Madam C.J Walker was the first female black entrepreneur in the U.S. She defied the societal norms. They will always be societal norms. People who believe you can’t do something because of A, B, or C. That’s the point. Restrictions are there to be broken. Every female entrepreneur challenge has to be broken to set a new precedent. That way you defy the odds and inspire the new generation.

Expect to change people’s view points

It has been drilled in our heads that women should be caretakers and that is it. But women are more than that. Society looks down on us. Female entrepreneurs are told that they should grow up because it’s ridiculous that they want to be entrepreneurs. Yet, there are more reasons to become an entrepreneur. Expect to wreck people’s expectations. Use that as an advantage. Use that as a point to push yourself further.

As a female entrepreneur, they are many challenges that I face. I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. My father was an entrepreneur then my mother worked with my father for a few years. I saw they work side by side. I thought this was normal until I was older and realized it wasn’t. When I got older many of my relatives were more concerned about when I would get married than starting a company. At first, this angered me. I wanted to change the world. Make a difference. I wanted to inspire young girls to pursue their passions, but this was seen as a ridiculous notion.

What I have come to understand is everyone has their expectations. Men are the ones who start companies. But many women are realizing they want to change the world. They want to help make the world a better place. So, expect to wreck people’s expectations. Accept that and realize that you will need to prove why your dream matters. Not to anyone, but yourself. Because there will be a time you’ll question yourself. That’s inevitable. The only person you need to prove is yourself.

Fight

Fight for your dream. Fight to be taken seriously. Keep fighting to be heard because many will see your dream as ridiculous. My father told me when he was younger he didn’t know what he wanted to be. When I was twenty-two I had no idea what I wanted. Working for someone made me ill. I couldn’t stand the thought. I couldn’t stand working in a cubicle day in and day out. Or rather sitting in a cubicle. This is what many female entrepreneurs face. Female challenges will determine whether thrive or you don’t

You got to keep fighting. To push yourself past the expectations that have been set. Only then can you make it. Only then can you thrive. The difference between male and female entrepreneurs is that male entrepreneur’s fight for their dreams. Maybe, female entrepreneurs believe that fighting for their dreams is aggressive. Whatever reasons are there it seems a male trait. But that isn’t true. You have been fighting to prove you are good enough. To prove that you can make it. Women fought for the right to vote. They fought for the right to go to university.

As much as we progress, societal norms will always be there. They will always be that aunt who thinks that you pursuing entrepreneurship is a joke. The first female to receive a medical degree in the U.S was British physician Elizabeth Blackwell in 1849. Before then they were no female doctors. Fight for your dream because you decide how far you go.

Also Related: 6 Ways to Start Fighting for Your Dreams

Yearn to make a difference

What motivates or inspires you? For me, it was to make a difference. At the end of the day, entrepreneurship is all about making a difference and changing lives. Yearn to make a difference. Will female entrepreneur challenges change? Maybe or maybe not. No one knows because everyone has their set of expectations. But that shouldn’t stop you from going after what you want.

It shouldn’t stop you from pushing yourself to be the best. Only you can follow your dreams. Only you can change what you believe in. It’s important to believe in something greater than yourself because only then can defy the odds. What motivates you will push you past the ridicule, the societal norms, the heartaches, and negative beliefs. Think of anyone who did something great, they all had to defy the odds. They all had to go through hiccups and bumps to get where they are now. One person can change the world. One person can cultivate and inspire someone to follow their dreams.

Often we are told that’s impossible. But when you see someone else’s success that inspires you. You want to achieve what they have. Even if it seems impossible or unlikely. We all have dreams. Many of us have been too terrified to go after them because of people’s opinions. Female entrepreneur challenges can be daunting, but this should inspire you to keep going for what you want.

What have you learned today and how will you face female entrepreneur challenges? Comment below

KEEP PUSHING

VANESSA

How to Overcome I’m Not Enough Mindset

by vanessa | Jul 7, 2021 | Entrepreneurs, motivation, personal development

how to overcome the i’m not enough mindset

They are five false beliefs many of us believe when we’re working on our dreams.

Okay, we all have been there. How do you move forward? How to you get over this obstacle that keeps getting in your way. There are ways to overcome the I’m not enough mindset. Studies show that over seventy percent of people suffer from imposter syndrome. Imposter Syndrome is often defined as doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud. High achieving people often feel this way and it’s difficult for them to accept their accomplishments.

High achievers set loftier goals than their peers and this is why many feel like frauds. Overcoming this mindset can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Many of us in some point wonder ask ourselves if I’m enough. Questions of whether we can pull this or if we can actually make head way tend to pull us in various directions. In today’s blog post, we look at five ways to overcome this mindset. Doubting yourself can have several implications. It can stop you from going after what you want. Fear can make you hesitant to take risks. It can stop you in your tracks. That’s why it’s beneficial to take it by the bull horns and stop it. One way you can do this overcome it. When you overcome it, you’ll be in a position of power over your life.

Reflect

Often, our doubts cloud our judgement. We think there’s no possible way that I can be good at what I’m doing. The Dunning Kruger Effect is a psychological bias that states that people who are limited in their capabilities often overestimate their abilities. People either overestimate or underestimate their capabilities. The Dunning Kruger effect is an example that demonstrates that we aren’t honest about our capabilities.

You need to reflect on your potential. If it makes you better, recall moments in your life when you won an award or even when were told you did a good job. By doing that you are reflecting on your past experiences and using that to give you a boost of confidence. One thing many of us struggle with is reflection. That’s why it’s important that you reflect on the decisions you make and on how far you have come. Reflection can give you perspective on your progress. This is one way you can overcome the I’m not enough mindset.

Also Related: Is a Success Mindset Key to Success?

Why do you feel that?

There’s a reason you feel this way. Ask yourself questions. Most people struggle with confidence. Very few struggle with imposter syndrome. A lack of confidence is temporary but the imposter syndrome can have more devastating effects. It can stop you in your tracks. You can quit your job if you feel like an imposter. Choose not to follow your dreams if you see yourself as a fake. The best way you overcome the I’m not enough mindset is to ask yourself a honest question.

Why do you feel that? What makes you think you are an imposter? When I was writing my first self-help book in 2017, I felt like an imposter. Who would dare listen to me? Who did I think I was? Why did I think I was special? The truth is that we need a boost of confidence and real-assurance. No one is perfect. No has everything together. But your life experiences make you who you are. What you have learned has brought you here. When you ask yourself these questions you get a clearer picture. That can help you move past your obstacles. This is one way to combat the I’m not enough mindset. This mindset can have negative effects going forward so you need to overcome it. If you don’t it will be difficult to move forward. Fear will drive you into the corner. Stop you from chasing after your dreams or stop you in your tracks.

Mute your personal critic

Our number one enemy is ourselves. Think about it. How many times have you done something and your critic has taken the megaphone. For whatever reason your critic enjoys being heard. Even if what they say is nonsense. Does it matter you failed that one time in grade school? How many years was that? And why do you have the need to speak about it.

Your personal critic is harsher than movie critics. Always pointing out your flaws. You need to mute it. Silence your critic. There’s a reason why your critic is harsh. The words we speak to ourselves are words that have been overplayed. They are words from our past. Names that we were called. Sentences people said to us when we were at our most vulnerable. For whatever reason your critic compiles a list and enjoys spouting it. A part you knows it’s not true. But there’s another part that believes it’s the truth. Even if it isn’t. We aren’t our past, mistakes or failings. You are more than the mistakes that happened.

Best way to mute your critic is to tell yourself that your mistakes don’t define you. What people say don’t define you. The best way to overcome the I’m not enough mindset is to stop listening to your personal critic.

Let go of your inner perfectionist

I can be a perfectionist nut. They are times when I’m working on something and I want it to be perfect. Often, I have to tell myself done is better than perfect. Many of us are in the same boat. We can be perfectionist. All striving for perfect work yet we live in an imperfect world. We live in an imperfect world. Everything man-made is flawed in someway or it is imperfect. Technology can crash or glitch. Cars can breakdown. Yet, despite all this we want our work to be perfect.

You need to figure out why you strive for perfection. When I was a little kid I struggled with school. I often had to repeat grades. I hate that feeling. Along the way I developed a bad habit of pushing myself to perfection. I never reached it. No one can. Have you ever picked up a good book? You loved almost everything about it. Then you noticed that the book has grammatical errors. Numerous editors went over that book. Yet, it has grammatical errors. We need to let go of our inner perfectionist.

Consider the impact

Every action leads to a consequence or a result. You decide not to wake up early in the morning, the result is rushing. You choose not eat healthy, your health is affected and that leads you to being sick often. We never consider the effect our thoughts have on our life. One way to shift the I’m not enough mindset is to think about the effects.

How has this mindset affected you? What did you have to stop because you believed this lie? Our thoughts affect our lives in more ways than we think. It can take the things we cherish and love and throw curveballs. It can also make you too afraid to go after what you want. When you consider the impact that this mindset has had on your life it pushes you to switch the narrative. Only you can do that. Only you can switch the narrative and create a new story. Face your fears. Doing this will change what happens next. Keep going forward.

What false beliefs do you believe that are stopping you from achieving your dreams? Comment below.

Keep Pushing

Vanessa

Hands-Down Best Advice About Improving Productivity

by vanessa | Jun 30, 2021 | Entrepreneurs, personal development, Success

THE HANDS-DOWN BEST ADVICE about IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY

Here is advice about improving productivity

Achieving your to-do list is euphoric. Knowing that you ticked it and finished strong for the day, week and month is sensational. This is all about advice about improving productivity. You feel as if you are on the top of the world, but when you don’t do this it is as if you hit a ton of bricks. Productivity is something we all want to achieve. We want it as bad as ice cream on a hot Summer day. Even though, we know that obsessing about it won’t help we still want to be know we achieved something.

Here’s the best hands-down advice on how to improve your productivity. As someone who struggled with productivity my advice will give you a peace of mind that will help you to understand how to improve. Often, when we are in the thick of a problem, it’s impossible for us to be subjective. That makes it harder to fix the problem and you will end up chasing your tail or rather going around in circles. In today’s blog post, let’s focus on eliminating that and finding solutions that work and prepare you. Most productivity advice doesn’t work because it doesn’t give you advice that you can use.

Let’s say you want to do mountain climbing. One of the first things you need to learn is how to do indoor climbing. Or let’s say you want to learn how to surf. The first thing you are taught is how to balance on your surf board. Not how to move it. No. How to balance. These simple techniques will help you navigate the complicated techniques later on. Foundation is so important when you are learning something. Keep reading. This is advice about improving productivity and will do that.

Slow your row

Do you remember the first time you learned how to swim? Do you remember how panicked you were? Did you sway your arms? Did you swallow water. When I first got into the water, I was given a floaty and given the best advice ever. When you panic, you sink. When you panic you will never learn how to swim. I am telling you the same thing. You want to improve your productivity then slow your row.

What this means is don’t stress. Overcomplicate the process. This is the best advice I can give you because we have a limited number of hours in a day. And when we stress we lose those important hours, minutes and seconds. Those minutes can be used to find solutions for your problems. Take a deep breath and step away from what you need to do for a few minutes. It doesn’t have to be long. Five minutes will suffice. Once, you do that. Take a few breaths. Calm your center. This will help you improve your productivity. Why because when you go back to the problem you will have a set of fresh eyes.

Fresh eyes give you a different perspective. Now, once you do this we can go to the meat of the solution. I promised you I would give you the hands-down best advice for productivity and I want to deliver on that. This advice is about improving your productivity and helping you not get overwhelmed.

Also Related: How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Eat the frog first

Most productivity gurus will tell you that you should eat the frog first and that’s true. This will improve your productivity. What this means is work on the most taxing and difficult task first. When you do this you put the taxing task up front and have more time to do other things. In the morning, this is when I plan out my day and I also write because I can focus better.

The king to productivity is focus. When are you the most alert and focused? Is it in the morning, afternoon or late evening? Whenever it is use this as your time to focus on the hard tasks or most taxing. It will be rewarding to do this because you eliminate the time you will spend time on one project. There’s a big difference between your most focused time and when were your brain is struggling to keep up. When you are in your zone it can take you less than an hour to complete something compared to it taking longer. So, eat the frog first. This should be a part of your morning routine and work through as well. This is one of the best advice I can give you about improving your productivity,

Morning routine is your go-to

You might not be a morning person. Very few people are. Want to know a secret I wasn’t a morning person, but what changed my life was improving my morning routine. It’s the simple things that can push you. It’s also the simple things that can help you improve your productivity. Fix your morning routine. This looks different for different people. For me, it was waking up earlier.

Something happened, I started becoming more productive. I achieved more things in my day. No longer did I get frustrated about not achieving X, Y or Z. Waking up earlier improved my habits as well. This simple tweak helped me in so many ways. This is simple advice about improving productivity and it starts with your morning routine. Here’s how you can work on your morning.

Write your to-do list for the next day
Set your timer to wake up thirty minutes earlier
Go to bed thirty minutes earlier
Get ready for the day
Eat the frog first
Take a break
Now go down your to-do list

This is what you should work on when you are starting out. Now, with time you can wake up earlier, but you need to help your body get used to waking up earlier. If you are used to waking up at 6 am, it will be challenging to set your alarm clock at 5 am.

Also Related: 7 Things Holding You Back in Life

Use timers

Timers can help you improve your productivity. The best timer out there are the pomodoro technique timers. The pomodoro technique is a theory that states you should bulk your tasks into increments of twenty-five minutes. Between each of these increments you have five minute breaks. What this does is help you focus for twenty five minutes on the task behind.

This technique works so well because it looks at human behavior. Do you remember sitting down for a test and the teacher was timing you? Our brains start working over time because we are competitive by nature. Listening to the ticking of the timer will motivate you to concentrate and focus on what you need to accomplish. This will of course take time to get used to. A lot of successful people use timers to push them and motivate them. If you want to improve your productivity then follow this advice. Don’t overcomplicate the process by pushing yourself too far. We can only go so far and if you want to achieve more you will need to learn how to pace yourself. You can use the five minutes as a mini-break and to also look at what you want to achieve.

Stop the perfection round about

I can be a perfectionist and because of that I tend not to do things. If it can’t be perfect, then the world can’t see it. That is my train of thought. I am learning that perfectionism kills dreams, ambition and productivity. No such thing as perfection. Look around you, the world isn’t perfect. Nature is by definition, but not human invention.

Overwork your laptop it crashes. Elevators can stop working. Public transport and cars can breakdown. We can get burnouts. So, why do we believe that we should be perfect. We aren’t. So, this advice will improve your productivity. Why because you will work on something getting down rather than it being perfect. And this here is the key to productivity. Instead of you spending a week to complete a task it will take you a day or two days.

Productivity is all about how much you can do in a certain time frame. The longer you spend on one task, the less productive you are. This advice will help you improve productivity as long as you are willing on pushing perfection to the curb.

Have a birds view of your tasks

This advice will help you improve your productivity. It will help you manage your time and give you a boost of motivation. You need a birds view of your tasks. What this means is you should use a planner or calendar app. This will help you track your tasks easier. This changed the way I work on my tasks. It also helped me with productivity. I know all the things I need to work on and I can then decide when I should work on them.

When you do this you can then batch your tasks. I have a list of blog posts I need to write so what I have started doing is writing a blog post every day. The blog posts will last for two months. This frees up my time for the two months so I can do other things. Many people batch their content. Choosing to focus on other things. When you have a birds view of your tasks you will be able to have a clear progress report. Your progress report will help you understand where you are going wrong and how to improve. This will of course save you time and help you improve your productivity.

There are a lot of free planning apps that you can use to help you with this. One thing to note is that separate your tasks into sections. This will help you figure out what you need to do and then you down the list. For me, I separate my blog posts, YouTube posts and social media ideas into different sections. This will help you not get overwhelmed.

Free Scheduling App

How do you think this advice will improve your productivity? Comment below

KEEP PUSHING

VANESSA

Shift Failure into Something Positive

by vanessa | Jun 30, 2021 | Entrepreneurs, motivation, personal development, Success

shift failure into something positive

This is how you shift failure into something positive

For failure there are two types of people. Those who handle it well and those who don’t. Many of us fall into the latter camp. Failure sucks. Working on something and it not working the way you want, stings. Pushing yourself and coming up with undesirable results can make you feel like a failure. It can push you into the corner and can cause everything to spiral out of control/

Very few people look at failure as a bridge to success. But it is. That’s why it’s important to shift failure into something positive. Why? Because if you don’t, that’s when fear settles in. Once that happens, it’s hard to push yourself back up. It’s difficult to face your fears because of the fear of failure or rejection. One thing I never thought would happen once I started my business was looking forward to failure. Who even does that? It’s crazy to imagine what life would be like. I’ve failed more times than I can count. I have had to work at something many times until I got it right. Learned new skills and sucked at those.

Something happened along the way. I sucked less. I improved. It pushed me and I became better. Therefore, this blog post will change your life. Well, because it will teach you to shift failure into something positive. That isn’t easy. But nothing is. One thing people will tell you is that you’ll never be successful if you don’t do A or B or C. You’ll never make it unless you do this. I’m here to tell you that shifting your perspective will change the way you look at life and the world.

Failure is the beginning and not the end

Stay with me. When you fail, it’s the beginning. It’s not the end. Remember, you got to shift failure into something positive. It starts with this. When you fail, pick yourself up. You tweak things up and move forward. Every successful person has failed in the beginning. The star tup companies that failed to garner traction. Blog posts or YouTube videos with no views. The marathon you lost. The promotion you didn’t get.

The mistakes you have made along the way. Many people give up when they don’t achieve what they want. They see it as the end of the road. X didn’t happen so I’m not good enough. They are seven billion people on the planet. More than half of that is on the internet. They are millions of blogs, YouTube channels and podcasts. Competition is stiff.

This isn’t to discourage you, but to encourage you. Did you know every day a blog, YouTube channel and podcast are launched? Yes. Every day. Did you know that most quit within three months? So. If you keep going, you’ll find the momentum and will make it. But if you can’t, you’ll give up.

Failure teaches you invaluable lessons

Every successful person has a story of triumph over their failures. That makes them human. It resonates with us. Our thoughts connect. “If they have failed, then I can do this,” that’s what we think. And many of them say I struggled so I know you can do this. We look up to them because of this. And we connect with them more.

Failure teaches you can get up. Once the storm has gone, then you can make it out of it. Shift failure into something positive. Name anyone you follow who has failed. Success isn’t defined by victory, but by failure turned into triumph. Once you overcome your failures, you can teach someone how to overcome it as well. Look at Amazon books, courses, blog posts and podcasts. Many of them describe how to overcome x or beat y. Yes, they talk about how to achieve Z. But many of them strive to make you overcome something in your life. Our failure teaches us invaluable lessons.

Give up control

Certain things are out of our control. The weather, for example. We accept that. We’re even prepared for it. What about the other stuff? You can’t control what people think about you. You can’t control failure or not making mistakes. None of us were born with a guidebook on how to beat the odds. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. And that’s true. A beginner piano player doesn’t become a virtuoso overnight. A new entrepreneur who launches his company doesn’t become a millionaire in a month.

You don’t have control when you make it. You don’t have control over what mistakes you make and when you make them. Give up the idea you have control. As hard as it is. That’s the blessing in the journey. You learn and grow. You develop. This will change the way you look at yourself and life. Keep shifting failure into something positive. In the beginning it will be hard, but it won’t always be that way. Everything changes. It doesn’t remain the same.

Look at what’s in your control. The dedication you have. How much time you spend building your skills. Your productivity. How much money you invest? Your mindset. When you focus on what you can control, it takes away the pressure.

Keep going

This is one way to shift failure into something positive. You learn how to never give up. When you fail and get over the heartbreak, it strengthens you. Successful people aren’t stronger than all of us. They become it. Failure teaches them how to do it. It isn’t easy. To fail and to keep failing. It hearts. But that’s the joy of failure. Knowing that regardless of how many times you fail, that you will be successful at it.

I wrote a book in 2017 and published it. I failed. It didn’t get any traction. My goal of becoming a New York Times Best-Selling author obliterated. But I survived. Was it hard? Sure. It hurt. Yes. But every day it hurt less and less until it became a blip on a radar. No more did it feel as if it was this big thing? And here’s the thing, I failed because I didn’t do the things I hoped to achieve. And that’s why I’m telling it’s okay. Keep going. Keep moving.

Look back. Not with regret, but with a smile on your face. Failure didn’t destroy you. It didn’t crush your soul. You survived. You didn’t curl into a ball like how movies depict. No. You are a survivor. So, if survived then it isn’t as bad as you thought it would. Putting yourself out there. Is hard. That’s true, but it doesn’t have to be. It doesn’t have to be brutal or scary. Remember that you can do this, you just have to remember that you got this. One thing failure taught me is that it doesn’t have a hold on you unless you allow it to. Don’t wallow in the mistakes you’ve made. Because even when you learn from them, you will make new mistakes. And you will keep on making mistakes. That doesn’t stop. Human error exists because we are flawed. Did you know even with the many edits’ books go through; many still will have errors? Most books have at least five editors, then they will have a proof-reader. Yet, they will still be mistakes. The same can be said with movies. There’s no such thing as a perfect film. Yes, they are movies that are great, almost perfect.

You aren’t alone. Shift failure into something positive. Don’t expect perfection. Go for excellence instead.

How will you shift failure into something positive. Let me known in the comments section.

KEEP P USHING

VANESSA

How to Stop Chasing the Fake Image of Success

by vanessa | Jun 23, 2021 | Entrepreneurs, motivation, Success

How to stop chasing the fake image of success

This is how you stop chasing the fake image of success

We all have chased the fake image of success at some point in time. Every one has a unique assessment of what success is. Many of us don’t realize that this is a fake image of success. Society has led us think we understand what success is. What it means to become successful? As a child, I thought success was this elusive or esoteric quality that only a few people possessed. I believed that you had to be gifted to become successful. Many of us see successful people in this light.

History shows us that we have always viewed the successful, rich or famous as better than us. Even though a lot has changed, our perception of wealth hasn’t. Those who don’t have it will always want it. Many of us view the world through a telescope. The world of the successful is too far out there for us to reach. That’s because we hold onto a fake image of success. My university professor once said that everyone has a perception of what success is. Maybe for you it’s being able to pay for mortgage, having thousands of followers, starting a business or getting awarded for an achievement.

These are big wins. Impressive even. We all crave that. Thinking that it is what it means to be successful. Here’s the unrelenting truth. As impressive as those wins are for some it isn’t enough. We watch successful people and see metrics they’ve achieved. A conclusion is drawn that this is what it means to be successful. We rely on the fake image of success. Choosing not to look too deep. Afraid that we might not like what we see.

Comparison trap

What does success look like to you? Is it financial freedom? Numerous opportunities. Social media followers. What is success look like to you? Many of us can’t answer that question. Because we rely on what society says it is. Films and tv shows portray success and we want to live like our characters. We hear success stories and we want that. Overnight success stories either inspire or demotivate us. We wonder if we will ever achieve that.

There has to be something special about that person. How did they make it with $0. Questions surround us. This is where the comparison starts. Social media is our Achilles heel. I used to compare myself to my friends on social media. They were living the life while I had no clue what the future held. I believed I would be happier if I was living the life they were. All lies. Until you start chasing your dreams you won’t realize what it takes to be successful. Then you realize everyone’s journey is different. The road is either curved or straight. Their circumstances are different.

Stop chasing the fake image of success. What you see often isn’t the reality. What people want you to see sometimes isn’t true. That’s hard to swallow. But it’s true. You have to figure out what success means to you. Research on it and figure out how you can achieve it.

Also Related: How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others?

Growth mindset

The fake image of success doesn’t last. True success is all about a growth mindset. Creating opportunity where there was none. They are a lot of ways to make money, but none of them are sustainable. Often, these money making methods can cause mayhem instead of success. You need to have a growth mindset to truly become successful.

What this means is you need to work on yourself. You build yourself up. People with growth mindset understand that success is a journey and not a destination. That is what many of us consider success. We see it as a destination. A end goal to achieve, but success is the result of actions we have taken. For example, starting a business is a action. Financial freedom is the end-result of the action you took. Many of us have to alter our perception of success and what it means to us. The journey to becoming successful is filled with road blocks. Finding ways to solving the problems you encounter is how you become successful.

There are a lot of people who have money, but have no idea how to solve their problems. This is a fake image of success. As I said this isn’t sustainable.

Set backs empower you

The fake image of success sets a narrative that there are no set backs. True success is painful. They are numerous set backs. You are pushed down time and time again. You lose sleep, time and money trying to follow success clues. Remember success leaves clues. And that is what you do. You pay thousands of dollars on courses, books and programs. All to become successful.

It’s hard. Stressful. Painful. But it’s worth it. You can’t become successful without going through set backs. These set backs will empower you. Make you see things differently and it will help you solve problems. Every set back can be used as a turning point. In 2016, I hired people to help me build a website. That website failed. Two years I taught myself how to do it myself. People started paying me to help them build their website. That was my first turning point. What do your set backs teach you? Use that to empower and push you forward. The fake image of success will tell you set backs will stop you from becoming successful. This isn’t true. Set backs actually help you to grow a lot faster.

Also Related: 13 Habits of Self-Made Millionaires

No get rich schemes

The fake image of success has held you back for far too long. There’s no substitute for work. Many of us are looking for ways to make money without the heartache or the pain of pushing yourself. True success builds you up. It changes the way you look at the world. Success has changed it’s approach. Now it is all about servitude. But you won’t know this if you don’t work on it.

Starting something new creates changes in you that you never considered. Your habits shift as you work on your dreams. You start to wake up early. Chase your dreams with more vigor. Become more confidant as you realize you want more. Though you wanting more is also about making a difference. You relish in that. Those interested in get rich schemes never become successful. They are people who make money from it, but that doesn’t last. There’s a right way to do things and a wrong way. How many blogs are they on how to make money from get rich schemes? Not everyone makes money from it. But they are people who do. But you won’t make any difference and you can’t replicate your results. That means you have to start from scratch.

When you try to become successful the wrong way it won’t change you. New habits won’t form. Your mindset won’t change. Therefore, it will be a struggle to build yourself back up. This the problem with the fake image of success.

How will you stop chasing the fake image of success? Let me known in the comments section.

KEEP P USHING

VANESSA

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