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

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

Are You Feeling Left Behind? Forge Your Own Path

by vanessa | Feb 23, 2022 | Entrepreneurs, motivation, personal development

Are you feeling left behind. forge your own path.

Most people feel left behind. Here’s a simple solution how to deal with it.

No one knew social media would be seen as a vehicle to compare ourselves with other people. That has happened. Many of us feel left behind. We feel as though we aren’t achieving the success we always dreamed about. Social media often shows the best the world offers. Children and teenagers excelling at a rapid rate that many of us can’t dream of.

This is a problem for our self-esteem and general sense of worth. How can we compete with teenagers making their first million? Yet we’re struggling to even figure life out. We beat ourselves for not getting it sooner. Studies show that many people feel left behind in life. Most people want to achieve something grand, but don’t know how to do that. They see themselves as falling behind in life. Here is something staggering. In 2011, it was stated that 200 million Americans wanted to publish books. Yet, in 2022, only 0,03% of the population is a writer.

Here is another interesting fact. In 2018, it was stated that three out of five people want to start their own business. To be exact, 62% dreams of starting their own business. That is a staggering number. They are many people who feel left behind in life. More than you know. They are a lot of reasons people don’t go after their dreams. A lot of reasons they give up the goose. These facts show they are so many people with lofty dreams. Very few achieve them. That is why they call it the 1%. Most people give up way too easily.

Below I will point out how you can start going after your dreams even if you feel left behind in life. Before I go on. I need you to know something. We all have a choice. Either we let fear in or we face it. We can’t do both.

Comparison getting you down

Most people compare themselves to the next person. So and so is doing this. Why can’t I? So and so bought a new car. Moved into a new apartment, building complex, city or country. “Did you see what this person is doing on social media?” Social media has become a viewing room. Something to entertain us and distract us from going after our dreams. It makes us insecure. As we look at well-crafted social media feeds or even glance at people’s profile.

Here’s the thing: comparing yourself will make you feel left behind. It will make you question your decisions. Consider them and wonder why you aren’t doing X and X. Yet, you’re still alive who says you can’t. It’s almost as if we think we need to achieve our dreams at a certain age or timeline. If I don’t achieve this at this age, I’m a failure. Here’s the thing: the people who achieved those things earlier had a different childhood from you.

Their experiences made them who they are. Just like your experiences made you who you are. Why do senior citizens choose to learn an instrument? Many of them wake up with regret and wonder where the time went. I admire senior citizens who do that. Because it isn’t easy to learn anything new. Even when you’re young. Yet. Few people do. Few people choose to learn something that will build them up. That’s the thing. You decide who you want to be.

You decide where you want to go. The choice is yours. Don’t let comparison put you in a box. Don’t allow it to trap you and stop you from going after what you want.

You give too much power to fear

Many of us give fear way too much power. We see it as this force that can cause us to stop in our tracks. That is why many people feel left behind in life. They give fear too much power. When was the last time you did something you were terrified about? I’m terrified of heights, but I have done lots of things that make people wonder if I actually am.

Why do I do that? Simple. Because I don’t want to give fear too much power. If I do that, then fear will control my life and decisions. I don’t want to ever be in a position where I feel as if fear has too much power over me. I can’t let that happen. You shouldn’t as well. I once heard someone say fear are fake events appearing real. And that is true. When you’re afraid of something, often we exaggerate. Here’s an example. I was in an elevator once. The ones that have windows. I imagined it crashing to the ground. Will that ever happen? Unlikely. Unless I’m in a movie. Movies aren’t real. What happens in movies won’t happen in real life? Certain instances they happen. Like getting eaten by a shark. But you’ll only encounter this if you swim where sharks are.

Most of these things are situational. Many people allow fear to sink in. That is why they feel left behind. The best way to avoid this is to not give too much power to fear.

Social expectations

Society loves to give expectations. As if that is a parameter of success. Society will say you need to have done this at this age or achieved this in this time frame. Rules should be broken. The reason you’re feeling left behind is that you’re using society to determine what your life should be like. When I was in my early twenties, I felt like this a lot. I wanted to achieve so many things. Get my life going. But the thing is, I did not know how to do it. I was concerned with how people saw me. I didn’t work on how I saw myself.

That is the problem. We spend too much time wondering how people see us. Thinking that if I do X, then they’ll see me in a better light. Who cares what a stranger across the world thinks of you? Who cares what your aunt Mildred thinks about your singleness? The reason I say this is that there has to be a point where you care and defining yourself based world says about you. You can’t control what people think. That is just a fact. What you can do is think about who you want to be and where you want to go.

That should matter more than people’s opinions. People will always have opinions. Whether or not it’s true. You can’t let people’s opinions make you feel left behind in life. Not everyone is the same. Therefore, your journey won’t be the same.

Success isn’t linear

Success isn’t linear. It’s not a step-by-step system. Even if you think it’s a staircase. That’s often not the case. This is the number one reason you feel left behind. You see success in a straight line. It isn’t. They are ups and downs in life. You will achieve something great than the next thing you know is you hit a slump or a land mill. Why? Because that is how life is like. If life was linear, it would be boring. You wouldn’t enjoy it as much as you enjoy it now.

You wouldn’t experience the fullness that life offers. We need to understand life isn’t meant to be easy. It isn’t meant to be simple. As hard as that is, this is how we can achieve great things in life. We need to realize feeling left behind is normal, but it doesn’t determine where we go next. Whatever milestone you make, that is a step in the right direction. If you come across obstacles, that’s alright. That strengthens you. It builds you up. Pushes you out of your comfort zone. Creates opportunities that you never knew were even there.

Forge your own path

I used to think success was linear, so I’d follow the gurus’ advice. I’d think that this is how I’ll be successful. Few of us can follow someone successfully. Some of us don’t have that opportunity. We just don’t. We feel left behind because we believe we should follow someone’s path to become successful. That isn’t true. There has to be a point where we forge our own path.

This can look different depending on who you are. For example, who says you need to go back to university? Many people want to make more money. Several articles suggest going back to university to achieve this. This is just the opinion of a few people. That doesn’t mean if you choose to go down a different path, you won’t achieve anything. No. You can start a business. Create several income streams. Sell your mother’s cookies to your next-door neighbors. Home sit pets. The list goes on. They are so many things you can do.

We remain in a box when we don’t see the opportunities waiting for us. There’s so much you can do. You just have to go outside and see what you can achieve. Forge your own path. This is how you won’t feel left behind. Don’t look at other peoples’ success as the only way you can become successful. You just need to push yourself and you will find so many opportunities. Unbelievable opportunities you never thought you would ever achieve. It will takes time. But if you don’t give up. You would be shocked at all things you can achieve.

Why do you feel left behind in life? Loved to know. Comment below.

Keep Pushing

Vanessa

How To Stop Glorifying Busy and Sabotaging Your Goals

by vanessa | Feb 16, 2022 | Entrepreneurs, motivation, personal development

how to stop glorifying busy and sabotaging your goals

Here’s how you can stop glorifying busy and sabotaging your goals

Many of us don’t understand the difference between being busy and productive. Because of that, we glorify busy and, in the end, that sabotages our goals. It sounds weird, but it happens to many people. Going into the new year, you need to understand the difference and how you can achieve your goals. You might have a lengthy bucket list of things you want to do in the new year. That’s great, but you also need to realize that your time is precious. If you want this year to be better than the previous year, then your habits need to change.

I struggled for the longest time with my goals. I did not know the difference between being busy and productive. What I soon realized is as a society we glorify busy. This doesn’t help us with our goals. Why? Because often we are doing everything else than what we are required to do. We focus on acting as if we are achieving something, but we aren’t. This is because we spend our time on time wasters and not on things that will push the needle forward. They are a few ways you can stop glorifying busy and sabotaging your goals. I will go through the list so that you understand if you stop this, then you are on your way to being more productive.

One thing you need to realize is it will take time to get to where you want to go. That’s alright. You don’t need to rush. Sometimes it’s alright to slow things down. Figure out what you want from life and go from there. You just need to keep that in mind. If you do, it will be easier on you and you won’t get crushed if things aren’t going as fast as you wish they would.

Reduce time-wasters

What are time wasters? This is one way you are glorifying busy and sabotaging your goals. Time wasters are basically activities that don’t help you with your goals. Let’s look at an example: if you are starting a business and then you focus on making money from bitcoin. That, in fact, is a time waster. I know what the internet is saying. Bitcoins and NFTS are the new way to make money. It’s all hype and no substance. Let’s say you have little money. How much time will you dedicate to learning about bitcoin.

Let’s say you dedicate four hours per day. Now, this has nothing to do with the business you want to start. Yet, you are focusing on bitcoins. I get it. We all want to be in the in-crowd. The problem with this is that it isn’t easy. No one will tell you that making money from bitcoin and NFTS is difficult. You will need lots of money to make money from this. You will also need to hire a coach because it isn’t as easy to make money from it. And it’s saturated. Everyone and their grandmother want to make money from crypto currency.

Chances that you will make money from it are slim, so you need to keep your options open. That means you must figure out what you should do next. Another thing that can be a time waster is spending way too much time on one activity that doesn’t count or add value. You shouldn’t spend two hours writing an email to your subscribers. If you are creating a site, then don’t think too much about it. The longer you take, the longer it will take you to accomplish your goals.

The above are examples of glorifying busy and this will sabotage your goals.

Increase income generating activities

Do you want to make more money than you should focus on increasing your income-generating activities? I learned about this phrase a few years ago. Many of us don’t focus enough on income-generating activities. We spend too much of our time glorifying busy and that sabotages our goals. Now, here’s the exact opposite of it. Focus on making money. Now, if you are just starting, that doesn’t mean you can’t make money.

Take advantage of the global market. It comes with its own problems. Sure, but it has benefits. Because of the global market, they are many opportunities out there that you might not have realized. These opportunities can open so many doors for you. So, what are income-generating activities? Okay. It has to be an activity that will produce income. Even if it isn’t today. It can be soon. Posting videos that will help your business grow or that are beneficial will help you generate income. Watching cat videos won’t. Writing emails to your subscribers weekly will help you produce income sharing Facebook videos won’t.

In the beginning, it will take time for you to figure out what an income generating activity is and what it isn’t. So it’s important that once you figure this out, you spend more of your time doing that. This will help you achieve your goals so much faster.

Have a detailed goal list

The reason it’s so easy to glorify busy and sabotage our goals is because we don’t have a detailed goal list. For the new year, you need to understand what goals you want to achieve and which ones you don’t. Often you can break it down by quarter. Have different set goals for the first quarter than the second and it goes on. This will help you avoid burnout. Glorifying busy is easy, and it is easier to sabotage our goals by doing this. Therefore, it’s important to have a detailed goal list.

For example, what are your top three goals? What also helps is to have three goals for your personal, spiritual, and business. Why? Because if you aren’t growing you are dying. We focus way too much on our business goals that we forget we need to grow in other areas. If you grow in other areas, everything will link. You would be shocked to discover you’re progressing faster than you imagine because you aren’t focused primarily on one category.

This is how you stop glorifying busy and sabotaging your goals. By having a detailed goal list for your three categories. Here’s an example of your personal category learn a new language or travel more. Then, for your business goals, it can be to have 1000 followers and the list goes on from there. Whatever it is, you need to write it down or keep it in perspective. Why? Because you then realize why you are doing what you’re doing. This is an easy way to stop glorifying being busy so that you don’t sabotage your goals.

Passive income is the way to go

Here is another way you can stop glorifying being busy so you don’t sabotage your goals. One way to accomplish your goals at a faster rate is to make passive income. Why? Because you won’t have to worry about capital coming in to help grow your business. It will also help you achieve your goals much faster. Since they are limited hours in a day, you need to make money.

They are dozens of ways to make passive income. Some vary from beginner friendly to complicated. It’s best to start with the easy ways to make money and move from there. It all depends on what you will do and how you will achieve it. Passive income is one of the best ways to make money because you aren’t working for the money. You can do something and you will still make money. Few people can say they have achieved that. This will also make your time well spent. When you are making money, your perspective shifts and you calculate your time better.

The above are a few examples of how you can stop glorifying busy and sabotaging your goals.

How will you stop glorifying busy and sabotaging your goals. Comment below.

KEEP PUSHING

VANESSA

How to Tap Into Your Motivation Sources?

by vanessa | Feb 9, 2022 | motivation, personal development

How to tap into your motivation sources

This is why you should ditch your perfect vision to find your calling

Many of us wish our lives were movies or at least an episode of a TV show. Unfortunately this isn’t a Hallmark movie. Things happen and often we have no control of them. They will things that you had planned that didn’t pan out. 2021 was that year for me. I had a litany of things I wanted to achieve. Out of my top ten list, I only achieved one thing. Did it suck? Yes it did especially considering I had built up this excitement and then everything bombed. For many of us when that happened, it crushes us and our motivation well dries up. You might be wondering how to tap into your motivation sources.

We all have motivation sources. A well that we can use when we need a boost. Though, sometimes it inconveniently dries up and leaves you suck with the bill and no way to pay. In this blog post, I will list three sources of motivation. Before I go on here’s something you should know. Life happens. As much as that saying is annoying. It’s true. Most things are out of our control. Just like a weather forecaster can only predict the weather and not control it the same is for you. Most of us have this in build sensor that knows when danger or problems are around the corner. You know when things aren’t working out. At times you can stop things from escalating, Though, most times you can’t. That doesn’t mean you should give up. Nor does it mean that things won’t work out in the end. No. That’s not it at all. If you want to be successful, you need to learn how to tap into your motivation sources.

What does success mean to you?

We all have different definitions of success. When I was a kid success meant lots of money. The definition though has changed because of my English lecturer. He often said success depends on what you want for your life. This is one of the easiest ways to tap into your motivation source. Understanding what success means to you can motivate you. It can up fill your well. Answering this question will become your motivation source. You see our definition of success can inspire us.

Having lots of money isn’t a bad thing, but it’s a loose definition of success. Success can mean just going for your dreams. It can mean saying no to what people want you do. Success can represent where you want to go or live. As a young kid I wanted to travel the world and I still do. I wanted to live in those countries. The thing is I achieved that even before I started my business. I achieved that because I believed I could. Now, most would say that I wasn’t successful because I didn’t have money in my bank account. That’s the problem. We have this lofty descriptor associated to success.

Being hard on yourself won’t help you tap into your motivation sources. As I said life happens. They are things we can’t control so if that’s the case then you need to celebrate what you achieved when no one was watching. You need celebrate yourself because that will help you understand what success means to you. It will also guide you to tap into motivation sources so you can achieve more.

Appreciate the invaluable lessons

Some things can’t be bought. Your health and genuine relationships can’t be bought. Another thing that can’t be bought are invaluable lessons. This is another way to tap into your motivation sources. What lessons have you learned and what has it taught you about life and yourself. Invaluable lessons are like a goldmine because it teaches you so much about yourself and what you are made of. Are you made of bronze or silver? Now, you will know once you reflect on the lessons you have learned.

This motivation source can push you outside of your comfort zone. When I was in my early twenties, I went through a lot of obstacles, but you know what that gave me guts to do things I never imagined. I did public speaking, debate and even joined a talent competition. The lessons I learned pushed me out of my comfort zone. Many of us don’t tap into this motivation source. Even though, it’s one of the best. Why? Think of it like this what have you been through? What did it teach you about yourself? How did you react to it? Life is hard. Most of us have to pick up weapons to battle the obstacles that face us everyday.

Very few of us crumble when life throws curveballs. Because life has made us stronger. It has strengthened us and has pushed us. If that didn’t happen then we wouldn’t leave the house. How many people crumble when they face obstacles? You are stronger than you think. You are braver than you think. You are smarter than you believe. It’s important for you not to forget that.

Remind yourself of what you faced because that will help you to push the needle forward. If you got over that breakup you never thought you, then you survived heartache. If you managed to get up when you were fired then you can deal with anything that comes your way. This is a way to tap into your motivation sources and it will surely inspire you to keep going.

What do you want your story to be?

This is a more unique take of how to tap into your motivation source. What if a writer wants to write your biography? You are sitting opposite the writer and they want you tell them your story. What will it be? What do you want your story to be a part? We all have a choice what we write down. We all have a choice what we want our stories to be part. The thing is you might not have much control about what happens in the grander scheme of things. You do, have a choice in your actions.

Your actions are important. That determines what your story will be about. You have a choice what people will see when they read your story, Often we think or rather believe we don’t have a choice in our actions. When I was twenty-one I lived with this girl. We were friends at the time. She told me I needed to change. Back then I had issues. Guess we all do. Even though, I didn’t agree with her about most things. I realize she was trying to help me out. I hated change. I could blame it on my nomadic ways. As a kid I jumped one from school to the next. I could blame it on the people who never stuck around like my siblings. They left when I was really young.

If I’m being honest it was all on me. I was no longer a kid therefore I had to take responsibility. My story is about a girl who learned how to love herself. It’s a story about battling the odds, acceptance and resilience. At the end of my book, I want to inspire people to chase their dreams no matter how many odds are stacked up. What do you want your story to be about? This is how you can tap into your motivation source by inspiring yourself to never give up.

Also Related: 13 Ways to Stop Being a People Pleaser

Who inspires you?

This is another way into your motivation source. Who inspires you? For the longest time my inspirations were celebrities. Now I don’t have one particular person who inspires me. I do get motivated by people’s success though. Years ago that wasn’t me. I was overjoyed when my friends achieved something great. Still, I used to compare myself. Why couldn’t that be happening to me? I’ve learned to be present in the silence. I’ve learned to be present when the world was ablaze. It wasn’t easy, but I’ve come to understand the waiting period isn’t supposed to be.

When I was twenty-three, I spent a whole year waiting to go back to university. That was hard. My peers graduated. Some of them even started a business and appeared on magazines. I was stuck. Waiting. For the rain. For a miracle. For God to open the door to my life. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy celebrating when my life wasn’t moving forward. But I realized that their success was a testament to never giving up. I learned that to lift my glasses to celebrate their victory. The people in our lives can inspire us just as much as the top 1%. You don’t need a Tony Robbins or the big guns to inspire you. Often it’s the people who know who can inspire you.

When I started looking it like that my viewpoint changed. I started celebrating more boldly because they had achieved something that many deemed impossible. Looking at the way the world is it’s not easy buying a house. That should be a celebration dance. Here’s another thing, when the people around start doing great things that will inspire you because you will want that as well. This is why it’s important who you surround yourself with.

Here are a few ways you can tap into your motivation source.

How will you tap into your motivation source. Let me know in the comments section.

KEEP P USHING

VANESSA

4 Lessons I Learned in 2021 and How it Applies to You

by vanessa | Jan 12, 2022 | Entrepreneurs, motivation, personal development

4 lessons I learned in 2021 and how it applies to you

The below are the lessons I learned in 2021

Now that we are in the new year, thought I would tell you a few of the lessons I learned in 2021. These lessons changed the way I look at life and have shifted my direction. I hope they will do the same thing. 2021 in many ways was like the previous year. Filled with uncertainty and doubt. Many of us questioned what the future would bring. We wondered what would happen next. Life seemed to go to a standstill. And we questioned if we would ever find a way out of the doldrum that we found ourselves into.

Last year taught me so many things about myself and I grew from it. When we leave behind a year it’s important to reflect on the lessons we learn. It’s from that we can grow and become better versions of ourselves. It’s impossible to do that if we’re stuck in the past, contemplating the wrong choices we make. Sometimes the wrong choices we make can make us into better versions of ourselves. Here are four lessons that I learned in 2021.

The most valuable currency is invaluable

One of the lessons I learned in 2021 is that they are a few things that invaluable. These things are the most valuable currency. You can never replace it or replicate it. Once it’s gone you can’t buy it or trade something else for it. This is time, health and loved ones. Many of us understand the latter one. We understand how we should appreciate our loved ones. Very few of us do though. Very few of us appreciate the people in our lives.

Though, today I want to focus on time and health. I have always known on some level how important it was. Then something crazy happened. It was a freak accident. Something I never would have thought would ever happen. I started now wondering what happens if I never go back to normal. My new normal scared me. It was scary not knowing if my health would ever be the same before. It took months to recover. Almost a year to be exact. I had to go to physiotherapy. Then after months I was back to normal. Now, I realize how much time we spend on things that don’t matter. Health is so valuable. Once it’s gone it never comes back. That’s a reality many of us don’t consider.

The body can heal itself. Sure. But when you recover your health might not be the way it used to be. The other valuable currency is time. How many of us spend our time doing things that don’t matter. We waste our time with activities that don’t add to anything. That don’t push us. I learned a lot of lessons in 2021. One thing I discovered is that time is invaluable. You can do so much with it. As long as you are willing to run with it.

Don’t conform to the world

There are so many people who are conformists. They change according to the world. But society is always shifting. Certain issues that are important now might not be important in five years or more. That’s how the world works. This is one of the lessons I learned. They has to be a time when we stop trying to conform. This also means to stop trying to please people.

Many of us want to fit into a box or we want to feel as though we are in the right place at the right time. There is no such thing though. Not really. They will never be a right time or a right place. They are moments when things happen, but it happened because people pushed the barriers. It wasn’t circumstantial. Or something that happened because things aligned. Life will never be that simple. It will never be that easy. This is a lesson many of us need to learn. We need to stop trying to conform to the world.

So that means spending too much time listening or reading the news won’t help us. When I was younger my parents taught me that it was important to be informed. I thought this was so long. There’s nothing wrong in being informed, but when you allow the information to consume you allow it to conform it. It’s easier to conform to what is happening when we listen or read the news. The tactic a lot of media uses is fear mongering. That helps sells newspapers and viewership. When you are afraid, you will always be looking over your shoulder. It won’t help you to get where you want to go.

Validation is a dirty word

One of the others lessons I learned in 2021 is validation is a dirty word. What this means is that we spend so much of our time trying to get validation or for some of us approval. Yeah. It doesn’t work. They are people we admire, look up to or even respect. We all have those people in our corners. This might be controversial. But those people don’t see you the same way. That stings. No matter how I will put it. Not to say that is the case with everyone. Chances are that you have a few people you respect. You have known them for a long time. Smile when ever you scroll through their insta feed.

Those people probably don’t see you the same way. When I discovered that, it stung. It hurt but I needed to accept it because it was the truth. No one ever said that the truth was easy to swallow. That’s why they say it’s a bitter pill. Often it is. It doesn’t stop it from being the truth though. We all want approval. I know some people will say that isn’t true. I’m not saying you a people pleaser, but we have been trained to do things not to rock the boat.

So you want start a new career because of what people will say. You are too terrified to move to a new city or country because of people’s opinions. This might seem like a small thing. It still links to approval. You being concerned with people’s opinions has stopped you from going out they. We all suffer from it. Some people have found a way to ignore it. Many of us are still trying to figure it out though.

Living a passion filled life will make you happier

Passion is something that will never run out. Motivation will run dry. Even your willpower will dry up, but when you are passionate about doing something it won’t run dry. You won’t stop loving exercising especially if it makes you come alive. The same can be said for anything that you are passionate about. The Japanese have a word for that. They call it Ikigai. This isn’t just passion, Not. It encompasses so many things.

This is one of the lessons I learned in 2021 that shifted my perspective. When you live a passion filled life you will know what your purpose is. Often they are tied together. Often it isn’t neat or tidy. Then again life isn’t that then why should your purpose be.

How will living a passion filled life make you happier? When you are passionate about something that will encourage you to make it into a career. Yes. You can make it a career. And make money from it. Unless it’s so obscure that only a small portion of the population will enjoy it. But there’s still a possibility you will still make money from it. They are people who have made money from things that were really obscure. So why not you? Now, when you are doing something you love that often will motivate you. Besides that you will get a boost of the happy hormone. Dopamine. More dopamine equals a happier version of you. That’s not a bad thing at all.

You are also less likely to give up when you are living a passion filled life. No matter how hard things get. You will get up and keep moving. Why? Because you are inspired by what you are doing. Take artists who sell their art online then decide to teach people how to paint. It isn’t easy. But that doesn’t stop them from doing what they are doing.

I have more lessons that I learned in 2021. These are the four main ones though.

What lessons have you learned in 2021. Comment below.

KEEP PUSHING

VANESSA