5 simple questions to find your life purpose? 

The first month of the new year is over. It went slower than you might have expected, but with that you might wonder about starting a new business. The beauty in starting is that you can change your mind easily. The question, though, is how do you find your purpose? For many of us our purposes slapped us in the face as children, for others it was a gentle nudge. A breeze that spoke volumes to their personality.

Whatever it is, at some point we had to ask ourselves questions to determine whether we were on the right path. Your life purpose as a child doesn’t change, it takes a unique form or if you are multi passionate it adds. Depending on what you were like as a child, your purpose will change. These questions will help you explore the avenues you can take to figure out what you should do with your life. 

The key here is to take your time with every question. More and more people are starting their businesses, following their passions, and even are exploring alternative paths. This is your year to do that. Take in mind the journey isn’t an easy one, if that was the case then many people would have followed their passions. But life is full of potholes and obstacles. Why should finding your life’s purpose be any different? So, here we go.

What were your passions a child

 As children, we all had things we were passionate about. I loved creating stories. I’d create worlds where knights saved princesses, where super children would save the day, and many of my stories I wrote about them. I have always been a storyteller. That was my passion. The older I grew it shifted, but I never stopped being a storyteller.

As children, we have more freedom to pursue our passions. Then we become older and it’s shunned upon as though following your dreams is taboo. For many, it is. It’s as if you are choosing to struggle. But every successful person has struggled. Their stories have given us motivation and inspired us to become better versions of ourselves. That doesn’t take away from their story, it adds to it. So, don’t worry about following your dreams. The world isn’t the same as it was two decades or a decade ago. It’s easier now to make money from your passions. 

You need to ask yourself this question, because many of us still have those passions even as adults. Whatever it was a child, write it. This will give you ideas on what you should do. This is one you can find your life purposes.

 Also Related: How to Generate Business Ideas from Your Passions

What are your hobbies?

Hobbies make the world feel better. They make us more creative or more at peace. It is an affordable therapy session. Most people have hobbies and we would feel less ourselves without them. You might have more than one hobby, that is alright. What is your number one hobby? As a teen and in my early twenties, I had two hobbies. I loved writing songs or poems and stories. 

At that point, I thought I would become a singer songwriter, but the older I got I realized that wasn’t what I wanted. Not really. Your hobbies shape your personality. Take for example the messy artist who is an abstract artist or the passionate guitarist who wants to become a singer songwriter or the experimental budding chef. They want to become the next big thing and open a restaurant. Often, our hobbies take form and become part of our personality. Maybe, you don’t necessarily have a hobby, but you enjoy spending time with your friends and family members. This can be helpful because you are meant to be in the service industry. 

What this means is that your experience or knowledge can be used to build a business? It can also mean your passion might be harder to find than others. 

 If you couldn’t fail, what would you do?

The number one reason many people don’t go for what they want is because of fear. They fear failing. It’s a normal response. We all have been through it. The clutching grip of not wanting to disappoint ourselves. We all have seen what happens when that happens. It’s as if a dark cloud hovers over us at the thought of failing.

But what if you couldn’t fail? I know it seems unlikely, but it’s fun to imagine a future where you are what you want to be. Maybe a world renowned speaker or a transformational coach or an entrepreneur. They are so many possibilities. I asked myself this question when I was sixteen. I kept asking myself this question until I found my answer. I wanted to help people. Sounds vague. But my life purpose was to help others find their purposes or inspire them to do so. That’s what I wanted. Ironic how they are so many ways to achieve this in a technological world, but it is true.

Check the pages of the Instagrammers you follow; you’d be shocked to find out many of them want to help others. Either find themselves, solve a problem, or start a business. Failure stops us from going after what we want. This question will help find your purpose in life. It is easier than you might think.

Also Related: 3 Powerful Ways to Overcome Failure

What’s your dream?

We all have dreams. That is a simple fact. Many of us don’t go after what we want for many reasons. Maybe it’s financial, lack of support, low self-esteem, or it can be that you are afraid. These stop us from going after what we want. But we all have dreams and our hesitations don’t take that away.

Have you ever had a bucket list? What about an intentions list? There are things we want to accomplish, and then procrastination happens along with doubt. It pins us to the floor. Unable to make a move until something shiny comes along. And darn it, that’s always happening. When you’re about to do something spectacular, you find yourself glued to the floor. But the thought is still there. “I want to be….”

This is how to find your life’s purpose by listening to your innermost thoughts. I wanted to be a writer as a kid. But here was the problem, I sucked at English and people around me found it amusing. How could I become a writer? Here’s the truth, I worked at it. I kept working at it. Pushing myself and I never gave up. Never give up on your dreams and even when people doubt you, don’t listen to them. Don’t listen to the negative voices floating in your mind. Having a bucket or intentions list can help you find your life’s purpose.

Who are you?

Many of us do not know who we are. But the people in our lives can help us with that. And there are few things that can give insight to this question. Why do you do what you do? Why do you love listening to people talk about their relationships and why do you give them advice? Why are you great at training dogs and don’t understand why your friends struggle with it? They are things that come naturally to us compared to others. It almost seems as if it isn’t a big deal, but it is.

Here’s another important fact. How would people in your life describe how you affected their lives? What would they say you have helped them with? Unless you’re a hermit, you have helped your friends or family with a problem. It can be big or small. Who we are encompasses a lot of things, but this will help you find your life’s purpose. This simple question will give you insight to your purpose. 

Here’s another thing you should ask yourself, what makes you happy or angry? What injustices do you loathe? What makes you question what you could do more? Our loves and hates embody who we are, and this will point you in the right direction. This will give you a stepping stone and help you understand who you are better.

                                                                                              KEEP  PUSHING

                                                                                                  VANESSA

What is your takeaway from the blog and what are your favorite questions to find your life purpose? Comment below

6 habits of people who thrive in a crisis

This year has been hard on all of us. The start of this year they were a lot of things I wanted to do. For one, I wanted to travel and release my new book. That was at the back of mind, but that didn’t work out. My father used to say to me when I was younger, “don’t worry about what you can’t change.” As a kid I didn’t understand this, and I always used to worry about every little thing. From people’s perception of me to whether I could change someone’s mind. 

The older I have got; I have realized most things are out of our control. We can’t change everything, and we can’t change the way the world is. All we can do is change our perspective and pivot from what has happened this year. Pandemics and crisis aren’t new. If we were to look through the history books, they were filled with them and yet people survived. But they are a few that thrived. In 2008, a lot of entrepreneurs emerged, and that changed the dynamic,

It changed the way the world works and runs. It’s as if a light was switched on and a flood of entrepreneurs came out of one of the most trying periods in recent times. If you want to thrive in a crisis, these are a few of the habits you need to have in order to achieve that. 

Your story

We all have a story we want to tell. One that will inspire and encourage. But the story we tell isn’t as important as the story we tell other people. What is your why? Simon Sinek spoke about this in his book. But to thrive in a crisis I need you to ask yourself what is your why? Knowing your why is important for you to thrive in a crisis. 

Who do you want to be? It’s important to ask yourself this question because this is one habit that will help you thrive in a crisis. This habit will help you understand who do you want to be? Your future you. Regardless of what many of us have believed, your personality isn’t set in stone. You can change who you are. In 2018, I was defensive. I had built walls around me to protect myself, but it took me working on my business to work on myself.

I realized if I was going to be successful; I had to stop letting criticism affect me. It wasn’t a bad thing. My perception of it was what was bad. As soon as I changed the narrative, I knew who I wanted to be, and what I wanted to do with my life. Who you are today won’t be the case a year or two from now? Our experiences shape who we become. It’s important to note that. 

Growth mindset

Another habit of people who thrive in a crisis is a growth mindset. You need to have a growth mindset in order for you to move in the right direction. What exactly is a growth mindset? I didn’t know what a growth mindset was two years ago. I had to figure it out. What I discovered is that a person with growth mindset will push themselves to get where they want to go. Regardless of what obstacles that are in their way, they accept they will make mistakes so they can achieve the results they want.

It’s a belief that you can change anything as long as you work through it. Whether those are your limiting beliefs, lack of confidence, finances and your surroundings. Having a growth mindset anything is possible. That is what a growth mindset is. It’s a habit that’s extremely important for you to survive in a crisis. Why? Because whenever a crisis happens, it leaves you stuck.

Everything shifts from what you are used to, and then you face what’s next. What move do you make next? What do you do next? It’s then that you have to ask yourself whether you can move forward. But with a growth mindset you might fall, but you will pick up yourself up. Having a growth mindset is a habit that will help you thrive in a crisis. 

Also Related: Is a Success Mindset Still Key to Success

 Embrace the unknown

In 2018, I was planning on moving to a new city. I have always had nomadic habits; I should have been used to moving to a new city every couple of years. Still, I didn’t know what would happen. I wasn’t just moving to a new city; I was going to move in with a relative.

The uncertainty of it all was terrifying. But one habit you must possess to thrive in a crisis is embracing the unknown or discomfort. A simple reason is that there are no guarantees. There’s no guarantee ensured in life. You can’t go to a store and give back the hurdles of the challenges you faced. There’s no return to sender when you face hiccups. So, the only thing you can do is embrace the unknown. 

You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Sure, they are certain things that will work out. There are certain things that won’t out, but you don’t know what will happen. Just like I did not understand what would happen when I moved to a new city. Next year we do not understand what will happen. If you don’t embrace the unknown, it will haunt you and you will be too terrified to step up your game. 

Step up the game

This year the one term I heard more than most was, “learn to pivot.” I did not understand what it meant, but now I do. Now, I realize how important this term is. One habit that can help you thrive in a crisis is you need to learn to step up your game or pivot. What this means is you need to change your routine. Change what you are doing in order to survive.

If the method you used to use doesn’t work, then change it. If you are losing customers, find out what you are missing. If you are struggling to get someone onto your email list, then try alternative methods to do it. If you were fired, find out how you can make money while you find another job.

For every problem there’s a solution, but you just need to look for it. That’s an important factor. Finding a solution for the problem is how you thrive. Those who thrive in a crisis have learned this habit is important. Every successful person has had to do it. Steve Jobs had to do this to improve his sales for Apple products. If you look at any business, they all have this one trait. They step up their game. Whether it is the way they approach business or people or how they sale. Stepping up your game is important for you to thrive in a crisis. It will help you solve your problems quicker. 

Also Related: How to Face and Overcome Obstacles

Clear vision

 Your vision has to be clear. What does this have to do with thriving in a crisis? A clear vision is a habit that many of us struggle with. But it is important to thrive in any crisis. When you are stuck what helps to get you unstuck. Years ago, when I was in a rut, I would stay that way for months.

Not sure what to do next with your life. And now that’s not the case. Now, I realize a clear vision will help you understand what your next steps should be. It will also give you the motivation to zero in on your goals. There’s nothing you can do about what happens around you. Still, that should never stop you for going for what you want. A clear vision should push you into the right direction. This is one habit many of us don’t focus on enough.

A clear vision defines a strategy for you. It also gives you direction. Let’s say in the beginning of this year you wanted to start a business. But you weren’t sure what kind of business to start. Many of us get overwhelmed with life that we put our dreams on back burners, but it is easier to do that when your vision is clear. But if your vision is clear, then you are most likely going to keep moving regardless of the challenges you face. 

Also Related: 7 Tips for Creating a Clear Vision for Your Life

Be kind to yourself

Failure is inevitable. You will make plans and they won’t come through. You will face another set of challenges and you might fail to work through them. That’s okay. Be kind to yourself. I struggled with that. Loving yourself in a stormy period isn’t easy, but need to love yourself to heal.

I had to be gracious to myself when hardship struck. Was it easy? No. But this habit is important for you to thrive in a crisis.  Many of us forget how to love ourselves in the storms and when we fail. We forget by being kind to yourself it’s empowering and not a weakness. Belittling yourself when you fail won’t help you at all. It will do the opposite. It will cause pain and then comes the doubt. Limiting beliefs stop us from going after what we want. 

It prevents us from pushing ourselves. Because to protect ourselves, we tend not to put ourselves out there. But to thrive in any crisis, you must put yourself out there. However, you also need to be kind to yourself. Focus on this habit in any part of your life and you will thrive in any crisis. 

                                                                                             KEEP  PUSHING

                                                                                                VANESSA

What is your takeaway from the blog post and how will you thrive in a crisis. Comment below

7 things holding you back in life

As we wind down to the end of the year, you might ask yourself. What is holding you back in life? It’s a question we ask ourselves in our lives. They are dreams; we have buried within us. Maybe, at the start of this year, we wanted to embark on a journey of self-discovery and then the pandemic happened.

Maybe, for a while now, you have had dreams bubbling beneath the surface. Dreams you have wanted to work on, but you found yourself stuck in a loop of not knowing what to do next. We have all gone through that. But it’s now or never. You need to ask yourself what’s holding you back. Figure out what has kept you behind and why you aren’t as far as you hoped you would be.

I get it. We all have things that hold us back from going after our dreams. Many of us have sunk deep in the sea of unaccomplished dreams, and when we look back, we see all the lost potential. Time can be illusive. It’s tricky to wrap our minds around it and it can escape from our grasp. That’s why it’s important that you figure out what you want from your life.

What do you want to do? Ask yourself what’s holding you back in life. Be as honest as you can about it, because only then will you figure out what needs to be done and go after it. In this blog post, we will look at a few things holding you back in life. 

Fear

Fear holds many of us back in life. It grapples and pushes us back. Many of us struggle with fear because no one can be certain of the future. That’s the problem. Uncertainty. If you want to go to a new city. That’s terrifying because you aren’t sure what will happen. We are so used to things working out the way we want them to. We are so used to a constant flow of predicted events. 

What I mean by this is going to a new city for college is terrifying, but there’s a safety net. You know this is supposed to happen and you understand in no time you will make friends. But going to a new city on a whim is terrifying. I have done this many times and each time it was terrifying. I didn’t know what to expect, and that terrified me.

Fear holds many of us back. Fear is fake events appearing real. When I realized this, it was as if I had a Eureka moment. You can’t run away from fear. But you can push through it by acting on it. When you commit to action, it gets less terrifying the more you do it, but if you don’t act on it, fear will always hold you prisoner.

No one wants to remain in shackles. So, embrace that fear will always be there. Push past it. Don’t allow it to hold you back in life. 

Lack of a clear vision

If you don’t have a clear vision for what you want to do this will hold you back. Why? Because you are stuck in a loop. You might know that you want to start a business. But you don’t know what kind of business. There are dozens of businesses out there. Different business models you can try out, but choosing the right one is difficult.

A clear vision sets those who excel from those who are stuck. Having a clear vision isn’t as hard as we’ve been led to believe. You need to know your why. The big reason you want to do a particular thing. It has to be strong. The stronger it is, the more it will push you in the direction that you want to go.

The next step is that you need to understand the fundamentals. For example, the fundamentals of starting a blog might be to know your niche, choose your brand name, designing your website and writing your pivotal blog posts (these are the blog posts that will attract your first readers.) The fundamentals of doing dropshipping will be different.

You then need to build the business. Building a business is the same in almost every industry, but you can get lost if your vision isn’t clear. A clear vision also includes your ideal readers/customers and what you will sell them. There’s more to this, but when you understand what a clear vision entails, it is easier to work on yours. Not having a clear vision for your life might be what’s holding you back. 

Also Related: The Reality of Finding Your Calling

Your lack of a support system

Starting anything new can be terrifying because for a while you will be on your own. Your friends and family might not understand why you are doing what you are doing. It might confuse them or they could think you are acting out. When your loved ones don’t support you the way you want them to, it can be heartbreaking.

It can feel like they don’t love you. That’s not true. They want the best for you. And often what they think is the best for you isn’t the best for you. The best thing you should do is to accept it. Every successful person has gone through that. They have had to overcome their doubt and their loved one’s doubt. It’s a lonely way to the top.

That’s why you need to be part of a community of people who can support you. People who will understand that you are following your heart. There’s nothing wrong with following the beat of your drum. Don’t let anyone think otherwise. And even when people doubt you don’t allow this to stop you because you’ll regret it.

Don’t let this hold you back. What I have realized is that we are all on a journey. On that journey we will find people not who don’t believe in our dreams and it’s our choice. I am sure Jeff Bezos went through it. Many people might have thought he was crazy for creating Amazon. He founded the company in 1994 when online shopping seemed too futuristic, but he carried on with his idea. You do not understand how far your idea can go if you push through with it. 

Lack of discipline

For many of us, lack of discipline is holding us back. For me, this was a factor. I would want to work, but I wanted to watch television more. That’s why it’s important that your why is powerful. When you have a powerful why you can push yourself and it is easier to do things. 

Will you still struggle with discipline? Yes, but like everything in life, work at it. Many of us don’t become who we want to be because of lack of discipline. And the older we get; we regret never working on it. You can become better at self-discipline. We over complicate things. The simplest way is for you to have a sound reason you want to do something. Then you can use the ten-minute rule.

The ten-minute rule is a game changer. Why? Because if you work on something for ten minutes, you will see it through.  This is the easiest way to work through discipline. You also need to realize that every problem has a solution. We all think some problems have no solutions, but that isn’t true. There’s a solution to every problem. All you have to do is find it and in time you will. 

Also related: The Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Self-Discipline

Limiting beliefs

Your limiting beliefs might hold you back in life. We all have limiting beliefs and we all struggle with them. The key is learning on how you can quieten the noise and prevent it from holding you back in life. Whenever you are about to doubt yourself look at all the things you have achieved and accomplished. All the things you have done with your life.

We all have moments that were motivation boosters. It doesn’t have to be big. The older we get, moments that appeared monumental don’t seem that way anymore. For example, at twenty-eight, your high school graduation doesn’t seem all that big. We can say the same thing when we graduate from college. However, those moments are still important because you achieved something.

When you think about that, you realize that you can achieve so much more. We all forget those moments and see them as inconsequential. But they are important. My big moment was when I was eleven. That was years ago, but it carries a lot of weight because I achieved something I thought was impossible. I won an award for coming in first place for sprinting. I have achieved more since then, but as a nonathletic person who it was a big moment for me. It showed me that our limiting beliefs hold us back from accomplishing great things.

Anything is possible. But here’s the key you must believe that.  

Also Related: How To Overcome Limiting Beliefs That Hold You Back From Success

Lack of self-awareness

Many of us aren’t self-aware. Heck, I struggled with self-awareness for the longest time. Not knowing who I was and what I wanted. It took a class in my first year of university for me to understand how important reflection is. Many of us do not understand how to reflect our actions and decisions.

It isn’t your fault. Society hasn’t taught us the importance of reflection. The reason we aren’t where we want to be in life comes to not reflecting on our decisions. Reflection should be part of your daily activities. You should ask yourself why do you feel this way? What your purpose is? What do you want from life? Continue asking yourself these questions and you will shocked and how far you will go.

Don’t be terrified of asking yourself these deep questions. If you are tired of not being where you want to be in life this will help. Lack of self-awareness is holding many of us back. It held me back for the longest time. Whenever I am afraid to do something, I ask myself why that is, and that pushes me past my barriers and keeps me going.

Not being good enough

Five years ago, the one thing that held me back was not being good enough. I never published my books because the thought of not being good enough was unbearable. I never pushed myself because I was afraid that people would judge me for my lack of talent.

This is where comparison hits the most. We care how people see us and compare us to other people. Comparing yourself is like comparing two different car models made in two different countries. Comparing yourself is pointless. Why? Because our backgrounds are different and so are our experiences. Someone who was once homeless will see life differently to someone who grew up in a two-parent household. 

We all have this switch that turns on when we’re comparing ourselves. “That person is so much better than me at this.” We say. That is a given. They will always be people more beautiful, more talented, more experienced than you. It’s the world. But you can’t go on and compare yourself. That has to be the definition of madness. So, stop. Love yourself. Stop comparing yourself to people because that’s a recipe for disaster. 

Don’t allow this to hold you back in life because it will. I will never be like Marie Forleo or Lewis Howes or Tony Robbins. Because God created that person to be one and not a clone of someone else. Just like God created you to be an equal and not like anyone else. 

What are the things holding you back in your life? Comment below.

                                                      Keep Pushing

                                                          Vanessa