5 Tricks To Kick Your Worst Mindset Shift Challenges

by vanessa | Oct 13, 2021 | Blog, Entrepreneurs, motivation

5 tricks to kick your worst mindset shift challenges

Here are five tricks to kick your worst mindset shift challenges and conquer your fears.

What many of us don’t get is that it’s easy to kick your worst mindset challenges. These challenges have stopped you from growing and becoming all that you need to be. We all have two versions. The one we were and the one we become. Many of us spend years figuring out who we are. We never let go of the past and that affects us, leading to the future.

We are struggling to let go of mindset shift challenges. These mindset shift challenges make us believe we are incapable of achieving great things. Today we are going to talk about how you can kick your worst mindset challenges and why you should.

I started working on my business in 2018 and it was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. It was also one of the most rewarding. I had to shift my mindset. For years I was battling mindset shift challenges that stopped me from starting a business, changing my degree in university, writing a book and publishing it, and much more.

Our mindset has so much control over what we do in life and where we go from here. It can shape our perception. As human beings, we cling to things that we believe will make us happier. This is a phase, and it won’t last long. Eventually, the heartache isn’t too far away. That’s why you need to shift your mindset, so you see opportunities and grow from your experiences.

You’re incapable of going after your dreams

This is one mindset shift challenge I had to face. You will as well. You’re not incapable of going after dreams. Society made you believe this lie. So that you stay in a box. Why? Because it’s safer than going after what you want.

Our brain wants to protect us. Survival mode switches to the max for some people. This is so they don’t venture too far out of the lines. What happens is you never go after what you want?

A mindset shift challenge can be hard to get over. It’s difficult to kick. At first, it doesn’t seem too much of a burden. How can it be? This is why you haven’t achieved your dreams. Haven’t started a business. Every successful person has thought about this when they were starting. Every comedian was told they weren’t good enough. Every performer croaked on the stage. We all have fears and sometimes our fears can creep up.

When you are facing a mindset shift, challenge you have two choices. You either listen to it and never move past the challenge. The other choice is you choose to face it. Face your fears and challenges.

Also Related: Is a Success Mindset Key to Success?

I don’t have enough time

Time is invaluable. It is one of the most precious resources you have. There’s a quote that says, “people overestimate what they can achieve in a year, but underestimate what they can achieve in 10 years.” We all have the same number of hours in a day. The difference between us and successful people is they use their time wisely.

This is what many successful entrepreneurs do. They batch their content. This is one trick right, you can use it to have more spare time. By working on all your content in a week for a month or two months, you have more time. More time to do all the things you want to do. You can apply this to social media. Take photos for the entire month. This will help you a lot considerably.

Another trick you can do is to use the Pomodoro technique. This is a technique many successful entrepreneurs do. What this means is you work consistently with no destructions for twenty-five-minute sessions. Then you take five-minute breaks. You can do this for two to four hours.

What you will soon discover is that you will achieve more than you thought was possible. Especially if you know what you want to do for each of the twenty-five-minute sessions. This is how you kick one of your worst mindset shift challenges.

I don’t have money to invest in myself

One mindset shift challenge deterring from growing is this one. Yes, you might be broke or unemployed, but there are ways to make money. When you want to make money, you need to believe that wealth is abundant. Why? Because you will see an opportunity to make money. When I was starting, I had no money, but I wanted to start a blog. I was unemployed. In the past, I would have given up. Chosen not to go forward. Excuses would fly out of the shelves.

This time, that didn’t happen. I got money from my siblings. Not much. Started my blog. I ran out of money. I didn’t give up. They had to be something I could do. So, I helped my friends with their websites. That’s how I made money. You need one thing you can work on. One person you helped. It starts first by doing. Sometimes all you need is one thing that can propel you ahead. That will help you get more people interested in what you offer.

Never be ashamed that you have to start from scratch. Everyone has had to. Every successful person started from the ground and made their way up. This is how you kick this mindset shift challenge.

I have made far too many mistakes

Our mistakes define who we become. It sets us apart from everyone else. It gives us the courage to move forward. This mindset shift challenge has made us feel as though we’re failures. Whatever mistakes you have made relish in them. There’s no shame in embracing your mistakes. Why? Because this is how you can learn.

Imagine the world if no one made mistakes. If no one failed. Then there would be no telephone, airplane, iPhone, or electric cars. Our greatest flaws have led to the greatest innovations. When we make mistakes, we find better solutions.

Society has made us believe that it’s wrong to make mistakes or it’s wrong to fail. But didn’t Elon Musk fail in the beginning? What about Steve Jobs? Or Alexander Graham Bell. The greatest leaders, innovators, artists, and entrepreneurs all made mistakes. They have made many mistakes.

I will give you a few examples. Maybe you made mistakes at work or home or with your kids or in your relationships. It’s alright if you dated the wrong person or if you let your anger get the best of you. As I stated, we all make mistakes. Face this mindset shift challenge and accept that this is part of the journey. Nothing wrong with that.

I have nothing to say

We all have a story. One that can change the world, our nation, region, or loved ones. You never know where your story can take you. It doesn’t have to be something as inspiring as climbing the tallest mountain in the world or overcoming an addiction. It can be as simple as learning how to solve a problem. Countless people search the internet for solutions to their problems.

This is how you start a business by identifying what problem you want to solve and solving it. You don’t need a guidebook on this. Face this mindset shift challenge by realizing you can help so many people with your story. My story is of a girl who struggled with ADHD and started a business, a YouTube channel and wrote a book. No one believed I could do that, and I still did it. I believed I had nothing to say until I realized this wasn’t true. I had so much I had to say. You do as well. Face this mindset shift challenge by identifying all the problems you have solved in your life.

Was the solution simple? Was it complicated? How did you solve the problem? Then look at all the ways you can help people. Can you teach them how to play the piano faster? Can you teach them how to solve their pet’s problems? What can you help them with? Don’t allow your mindset shift challenges to stop you from going after what you want.

What mind shift challenges do you need to overcome. 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

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

Life Lessons I Learned in 2020

by vanessa | Apr 28, 2021 | Entrepreneurs, motivation, personal development

life lessons I learned in 2020

These are 10 ways you can improve your life in less than 30 minutes.

Where were you when the world changed? Do you remember how it felt? They have been many events in history that have shaped the course of our lives. Those events could have been on a larger or shorter scale. When everything shifts and your perception changes. Those moments move us in a direction we never thought would ever happen. There are a few life lessons I learned in 2020.

However, few moments in history can change the course on a global scale. In 2020, a different tune was sung. As a virus spread throughout the globe and the world went into lockdown, the world was still. We watched as the world we loved came to a halt. Shops closed. Travel stopped. Companies closed down. And home-schooling became a critical point in our lives. We all learned invaluable lessons in 2020. Many of us have carried those teachings with us. Our world changed. How could we forget how it changed our lives? We couldn’t. For months, we watched our four walls, praying for answers, and now we’re in 2021.

It’s a new year and so much has changed. In this blog, I will discuss what life lessons I learned last year. As we go into the second quarter of the year, carry these life lessons with you. It will help you move forward a lot quicker in 2021. Not only that, but you understand that often the lessons we learn pivot us to greater heights.

No guarantees

Many of us take advantage of the time we have. The experiences that have formed us. We never take these things into consideration. Every experience has shaped you into who you are today. Why not take advantage of that? Tomorrow isn’t a guarantee as much as we think it will be. We need to stop living as if we have all the time in the world. All your dreams can come to a crashing halt. 2020 happened, and it changed things for me. I realized that life is precious. Any second or moment can slip away. Why not go after what you want today? Why not start a business today?

This life lesson I learned made me realize tomorrow isn’t a guarantee, but today is. Take full advantage of what you have and make the best out of it. Follow your dreams and your heart wherever it takes you.

Invest in yourself

Invest in yourself. This is one of the life lessons I learned in 2020. If you didn’t do this, then you need to learn how to. In the beginning, investing in yourself won’t be easy. In time it will get easier. One thing you should realize is that you matter. What you do matters. If you want to improve yourself, then you should invest.

What are your dreams? The things you wanted to achieve in 2020. Pick up a few books. Buy a course. Learn a new skill. Travel when it becomes safer to do so. Invest in yourself. Why? Because you matter, and if you want to have a good life, invest in yourself. This will push the needle forward.

Also Related: How to Invest in Yourself

Have hobbies

Many of us see hobbies as stupid activities. Life can get hard. If that’s the case, then you need your dopamine levels increased. By doing that, your stress will be reduced. This is a great life lesson I had in 2020. Have four hobbies. One that enriches your life, or that makes you money. One that can exercise your creativity and imagination. Hobbies that can keep you moving and hobbies that help you engage in learning.

There are many benefits to hobbies. It is great for your mental wellbeing and can help bring a sense of satisfaction to your life. People who have hobbies are happier than those who don’t. People who have hobbies are also more successful than those that don’t. Why? Because having hobbies can give you a sense of purpose and relief. It can help you understand life and yourself better. Once you do that, you’ll be in a better place than most people.

Pursue your goals

We all have dreams, but many of us don’t go after what we want. One of the best life lessons I learned in 2020 is it matters to go after your dreams. Dreams fuel you and give you a purpose. Life is precious. There are 365 days in a year. 12 months in a year. 48 weeks. Go after what you want and you do that. There’s enough time to discover what you want to do.

You can’t guarantee anything. If that’s the case, then why not put both feet forward? Pursue your goals and dreams. Go wherever they take you. One thing that I’ve realized is that if you don’t go after what you want, you’ll regret it. Life lessons make us wiser. They’re supposed to guide us, so we make better decisions.

Face your fears and do it anyway

We all have fears. Many of us learned this life lesson in 2020. We had to face our fears as the world came to a standstill and everything we thought we knew stopped. Everything that we thought we understood became a mystery. Numerous questions were asked. When would the world become normal? What would happen a month or three months from now? Would we live to see Christmas?

Then everything became normal. Quarantine was no longer strange. Still, we held onto the fear. You might know this quote well, “feel fear and do it anyway.” Fear is something that can’t be controlled. You will be afraid of a lot of things. That doesn’t matter. Why? Because it’s normal. There’ll be things you will be afraid of and if you let it affect you it won’t stop. There’ll always be things you will be afraid. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Let that be your mantra for life and allow it to sink in. Alter the way you look at life. This life lesson is important because it will push you. Allow it to.

Also Related: How to be Fearless by Doing it Anyway

Cherish your relationships

We all have fears. Many of us learned this life lesson in 2020. We had to face our fears as the world came to a standstill and everything we thought we knew stopped. Everything that we thought we understood became a mystery. Many questions were asked. When would the world become normal? What would happen a month or three months from now? Would we live to see Christmas?

Then everything became normal. Quarantine was no longer strange. Still, we held onto the fear. You might know this well, “feel fear and do it, anyway.” Fear is something that can’t be controlled. You will be afraid of a lot of things. That doesn’t matter. Why? Because it’s normal. There’ll be things you will be afraid of and if you let it affect you, it won’t stop. There’ll always be things you will be afraid of. Feel the fear and do it, anyway. Let that be your mantra for life and allow it to sink in. Alter the way you look at life. This life lesson is important because it will push you. Allow it to.

Have numerous side-hustles

Side-hustles will help elevate you. There are many side-hustle ideas. Why struggle to pay your bills? Most entrepreneurs or successful people have many side-hustles. This isn’t part of their principal business. If you are looking at becoming an entrepreneur, you can start a side-hustle. With time, then grow it into a fully fledged company. This is one of the life lessons I learned in 2020.

Not everything has to be clear in the beginning. Sometimes it takes time for things to concretize. What you must do is start small then grow your brand or company, What counts is your idea. There are so many things you can do with that.

Also Related: Quick Side-Hustle Ideas to Start at Home

Take care of yourself

I remember someone once said to me that self-worth and health once gone are hard to get back. This is so true. Did you know it takes much more effort to combat the negative words you tell yourself? It takes five positive affirmations to change one negative belief. That’s how much power negativity has.

This is one of the best life lessons I learned in 2020. Take care of yourself. Your self-worth and your health. Once your health is affected, getting back on track will be challenging. Many of us never consider this. We take advantage of this, but once it’s gone, it will difficult getting back what you lost. So many people lost a lot of things in 2020. Everything we have we need to appreciate because when it’s gone it will be hard to accept.

Count your blessings

You are blessed. We live in an incredible time. Yes, there are problems. But every time had its own problems. Think of any time and you will realize it came with opportunities, but also disadvantages. Count your blessings. Every day is a blessing. The people in your life are blessings. The fact you can go after your dreams is a blessing. Cherish the moment and appreciate that you can go after what you want.

Even if life is hard, look at your blessings. Why? Gratitude will make you realize that they’re so many things in your life you should appreciate. It will also help you see opportunities. If you focus on the negative, that’s all you will see. If you focus on the negatives, you will complain about what you don’t have. This is a life lesson I learned in 2020. One that many of us need to learn. The reason people complain is that they focus on the problems. If you appreciate your life, this will push you to find solutions to your problems. There’s always an answer.

Enjoy the journey

Enjoy the journey. Life is a process. A road that we travel on with many routes and you will wander on the wrong route. That might take you on a journey you never wanted. That makes life exciting. We all take routes that we never thought we would take, but something happens. A powerful discovery. We meet people we never thought we ever would meet. We see the world from a new perspective. From the time I was ten, my favorite saying is that everything happens for a reason.

That’s true. Everything happens for a reason. There’s a reason you went down that road. Maybe you don’t know the answers now, but you will. What you need to understand is that enjoying the journey will impart wisdom. You will discover things about yourself that you never thought possible. It all starts with one road. One route. Enjoy discovering what makes you happy and your purpose. This is a life lesson we all need to learn. Enjoy the process.

What is your main takeaway from this and what life lessons affected you the most. Please comment below.

Keep Pushing

Vanessa

The Truth About Becoming Comfortable With The Uncomfortable

by vanessa | Mar 31, 2021 | motivation, personal development

the truth about becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable

Here are a few ways you can become comfortable with the uncomfortable

We all love our comfort. The safe zones that protect us from stepping too far in the outer zones. That’s why we call it the comfort zone. It offers us protection. It gives us an extra layer of safeguards that keep us from getting rejected or failing. Many of us prefer comfort over the uncomfortable.

Here’s the problem, if you want to become anybody you have to get used to becoming uncomfortable. You want to start a company get used to becoming uncomfortable. Being comfortable stops us from going after what we want. Why? Because we’re used to certainty. Used to set up and the obstacles we have to face. We’re used to relying on pillars. What happens if we take that away? What happens if you are starting from scratch? It’s uncomfortable, right?

More than that it feels as if you have nothing to protect you. You have to face things by yourself and that isn’t easy. But it is possible because we all have to start from scratch. We all have to climb the first step to get to the top. That’s life. You can’t escape that. You have to embrace it. As painful as the realization is becoming everything starts with the first step. It also starts with becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable.

Start

“If you never start, you never will,” a friend said that to me when I was thinking of starting my business.

“I have no idea where to start from.”

“That’s the point, isn’t it? Starting is scary, but it needs to be done. You can’t allow fear to stop you from going after what you want.”

So, I listened to her advice and I did just that. I started. The hardest thing to do is start something especially if you no idea what you are doing. It’s uncomfortable. But this is a start we all need in the beginning. In the beginning, it will be uncomfortable. You have to unlearn certain things and figure out what steps you should take next.

I had to unlearn that I didn’t need a business degree to start a business. I didn’t need to have it all figured all out and I had to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. When people would ask me questions I had to find the answers for myself. But my friend was right, if I never started I never would.

Your life begins today. So, often we push what we want to the back of our mind. Whether it’s procrastination or fear, time slips by and it gets harder to start. Go for what you want today because time has a way of making us forget.

Don’t dare quit

Don’t quit. Our default is to quit when it gets hard. Life is a beautiful mess with obstacles. It is so easy to quit and throw in the towel. But quitting will become easier if you choose to allow yourself to quit. One of the most uncomfortable things I had to do was wake up early. It sounds easy. But I’m a heavy sleeper.

If I had chosen to quit I would never have broken through. For weeks, I had to figure what would work for me. Nothing seemed to work the way I wanted it. Not the five alarms I set or my nighttime routine. I had to change it. In time, I figured it out. We all have excuses for why we quit. It’s too hard. I’ve no idea where to start from. I don’t have money. But you can’t give up because once you do that will become part of your life. It will become your default. When life gets hard you’ll quit. Every decision you make, there’ll be an easier option.

You’ll never go far if you always quit when it gets hard.

“It’s too hard. Nothing seems to work out the way I want it to,” I’d complain to my father.

“Nothing worthwhile is easy.”

He had a point. I took what he said to heart, if it was easy then I’d never go far so I had to learn that the challenges make it worthwhile. Keep moving forward and you will realize that challenges make life worthwhile. Becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable makes the journey so satisfying. It might not feel like that at the moment, but you will realize that if you never started you would have never learned what you do know now.

Relish in your suck factor

When you start anything new you will suck. No way you can run from that, but that doesn’t mean it will always be like that. There will be times when you don’t suck. You will have your ups and downs. It will be uncomfortable at first. That’s why you have to embrace becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable.

The one thing you have to do is appreciate sucking. When I first started blogging I sucked. That isn’t news, everyone goes through that. At first, they suck. Think of anyone who was ever great. Picasso. Einstein. Richard Branson. Madonna. The list goes on. They all have one thing in common, they sucked at something. It could have been marketing, personal branding, or even what they are known for. Maybe, their suck factor is different from ours, but the emotion is still the same. They could have felt they weren’t as good enough as they wanted to be.

What matters is they changed their perspective and embraced what made them. They embraced becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable. That changed their whole lives. They were no longer playing defensive, but offensive and it cultivated an inner strength that they didn’t have before.

If you want to be great then you must do what they do. Relish in your suck factor. It’s okay to not be as good as you want to be. You can improve on that. Those who refuse to relish in their suck factor will forever remain stuck. Not because of a lack of potential, but because you can’t improve if you believe there’s no room for improvement.

Find your community

Okay, so this took some time for people to figure out. There are seven billion people in the world. A lot of people won’t agree with your viewpoint, but they will be people who do. It’s all about finding your group of people. This will take some getting used to. The whole point of becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable is you got to change the way you do certain things.

For example, you got to venture out of your bubble. Join groups whether that’s Facebook or conversations on Clubhouse. This won’t be easy because you are used to dealing with your friend group. It doesn’t mean you should let go of your friends, but you need to prop yourself up. People who will believe and push you to do what you want. You can’t change your life if you aren’t surrounded by people who motivate you.

Will all this be hard? Yes. At first, it will be difficult. But that’s the beauty of life, beauty can be found in moments of absolute pain and the uncomfortable.

Celebrate your small milestones

For me, this was hard to get my mind around. Every milestone you make should be celebrated. Take the opportunity to embrace becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable. Yes, for many of us this is uncomfortable. Celebrating the small milestones. My English lecturer once told me that any achievement is a sign of success. Didn’t understand that. Now, I do. Celebrate waking up 30 minutes earlier. Celebrate saying yes to yourself.

You should celebrate standing up for your beliefs. When you choose to celebrate every small milestone, you are opening yourself to opportunities and becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable. It might take time for you to incorporate this into your daily life. But once you do, you will discover you’re happier and achieve more at a faster rate. Why because when you notice your improvements this motivates you. You can’t see your progress if you choose not to celebrate your small milestones.

Push yourself further

Are you uncomfortable yet?

If not then you need to find ways to become uncomfortable. Crazy. I know. We all need to be reminded that becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable will help us to grow. You can’t grow if you don’t push yourself to be uncomfortable. Maybe, that’s appearing on camera or working on your Instagram game, or learning a new skill.

Keep pushing yourself and you will find a rhythm. This will help you to progress fast. It will be hard, I get that, but you must always push yourself. You need to confront what fears you have. When you do that you will excel. Keep reminding yourself whether something makes you uncomfortable. Choose to push yourself further. I’ve had to learn that often we need to not cling to what is known, but push ourselves further. Many will look at this as stepping out of your comfort zone. That’s what it is. You have to step out of your comfort zone. Embrace the unknown. It’s not as scary as you think it is.

Also Related: 6 Brilliant Ways to Master Self-Sabotage

Rinse. Repeat

One thing you need to do to keep progressing is to rinse and repeat. Keep working on becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable. This is going to work in your favor. Successful people are constantly working on themselves. You need to do the exact thing. Work on yourself. So, here’s what you got to do. Start working on yourself or a project. Don’t quit when it gets hard. It is a guarantee that it will get tedious, but don’t allow it to. If you have to relish sucking at first. That is normal and will help you improve. No one starts being good at something. The first time you do something, it won’t be easy or you won’t be as good as you can be.

The next step is to find your community that will motivate you. Push yourself further so that you can achieve more. Then you rinse and do it all over again. This is how you can become comfortable with the uncomfortable.

What is your main takeaway from this and how will you become comfortable with the uncomfortable? Please comment below.