Taking the time to be grateful for the simple things in our daily lives is something that we tend to overlook. Between work and distractions, it can be easy to forget.
By being mindful of the things you are grateful for, it lets you work from a place of sincerity. Instead of different things ticking you off, you allow it to pass, without it bothering you or disrupting your day.
5 Simple Things To Be Grateful For:
Breathing – It may seem simple, but someone didn’t get to wake up today, or they didn’t make it through the entire day. There are even people who have a hard time breathing on their own and depend on machines to assist them. Be thankful for the natural act of breathing.
Challenges – We normally call these ‘problems.’ Yes, you should be grateful for your challenges, as well. Challenges may be difficult, but they allow you to grow and give you confidence. If you can make it through a challenge, you can do anything.
Thoughts – Your thoughts give you the ability to be creative and think on your own. You can come to your own conclusions and set your own standards. Your thoughts are the blueprint to your life. As Napoleon Hill said, “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”
Family and Friends – You may not like some of your family, or you may be at odd with some of your friends, but no matter what kind of relationship you have, they had a part in shaping you. You picked up some good habits and some bad habits – you learned what to do and what not to do. Observing them helped you to become who you are.
Freedom – Being free, you are able to do what you want to do. Unlike jail, you can wake up when you want to, go to work if you want to, or chase an opportunity whenever you feel like it. The choice is yours because you are free. There are some people in the world who are still being held captive against their will. Be grateful that you are free and have control over your own life.
Be Thankful For Life
We don’t know when our time is up, so make everyday count and be grateful for what you are able to do. Instead of putting things off for tomorrow (because tomorrow never comes), be productive and do them today.
Wherever your life takes you, be thankful for the experience. Life has a way of making us feel like we’re the only ones when terrible things happen. There is someone who has been through your experience and you’re never the only one who is going through that situation.
Even when things aren’t going great, continue to fight. It’s hard, but be grateful that you are operating from a place of strength and will come out more powerful on the other side. The hard times are what make us who we are.
Always remember to be grateful in the good and the bad times. It all comes together to create the perfect you in the end.
Time management is not a ‘one size fits all’ type of thing. Everyone is different, so we have to figure out what works best for each of us.
Everyone doesn’t do their best work in the morning. Everyone doesn’t work well after a full meal. Weekends are precious to some because that‘s their family time. Others see the weekend as a time to do uninterrupted, quality work.
As you can see, time management plays a role in how efficiently you do your work. How do you know what works best for you?
Self Awareness
You must know who you are and how you work best. This means you need to know your strengths and weaknesses. It will take trial and error to figure out the best times to do certain things.
When is the best time for you to tinker with your invention? Is it when the kids are up or when they are asleep? Is it early evening or late evening? Do you generate your best ideas while driving to work or in the shower? The most important thing is to be honest with yourself because you are aiming for the best results for productivity.
I find it hard to write early in the morning. When I write early in the morning, I struggle. My mind is chasing what I need to do throughout the day and I have no focus. Some writers do their best work early in the morning.
By paying attention to how my body and mind responds to different environments and time, I can determine what works
best for me. My best time to write is mid-afternoon. I don’t know why, but that’s when my focus is strong and my words flow.
Knowing that my best time to be productive is mid-afternoon, I’m able to use my time wisely and schedule everything else around it. We can’t control time, but we can create a plan and use every minute to our benefit.
Being able to make the best use of your time will take some effort. People waste time when they don’t know exactly what they’re doing. Some people think they have all the time in the world, so they don’t plan – they play everything by ear. Everyone has a different perspective.
To use time to your advantage, become self aware – know what you do and when you do it. This could possibly take weeks, maybe even months to discover, but it’s worth the effort. When you’re self aware, you end up doing more constructive and intentional work.
Once you figure out what works best for you, your plan can move forward. You’ve mastered the time of day, now, you have to do the work.
Dedication
What does dedication have to do with time management you ask?
At this point, you’ve figured out the best time of day (or night) to do your best work. Now, you have to align your dedication with that time of day.
Doing your work at the same time, everyday (or whatever your schedule calls for) is dedication. You are bringing the same energy and motivation to the table to give your highest effort.
Progress ensues and you’re making improvement that you can see. You keep going nonstop for days and months because you’re dedicated.
That should be easy – normally, whatever time of day that works well for you is the same time you have the energy and willingness to do your best work. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
An excerpt from Book 3 of the “Help! I’m Stuck” series.
Competition can make you or break you. Either you’re competing directly with someone, or you’re competing with the idea of someone.
Whomever you are competing against, it’s great. It keeps you on your toes and it holds you accountable for your actions. Even if it doesn’t turn out the way you expected, you’ve done more than you ever thought you could do in the first place.
Having competition can offer awesome benefits. Most people that are competitive, tend to learn and bounce back quicker than the average person.
Have you ever thought about who your biggest competitor is? It’s someone you know very well – you see them on a daily basis and you probably don’t acknowledge them like you should.
You are your biggest competitor.
The Competition With Your Mind
Every morning, you wake up and instantly decide if you are going to roll over and get an extra 5 minutes of sleep, or get out of bed and move on with your day. That’s you competing against your mind.
The choices you make on a daily basis are a constant battle. Your ego, distractions or your negative behavior – if you don’t have the right mindset to handle it, you simply lose.
We don’t look at our choices that way, but it’s the truth. Should you keep working, even when no one notices? Or, maybe you can get away with not doing any work for 1 more day. These may seem like insignificant actions, but they have a great impact on your life.
These small decisions add up and become major in the end. Sleeping in everyday and being lazy will eventually grant you a lazy life. Everyone else around you may be making progress, but that’s not your competition. Focus on yourself and do better at those small things.
The Competition With Your Health
At some point, we’ve all struggled with that second piece of cake or taking a day off from running. Ultimately, the decision is yours to make.
No one else can make you be healthy. Those everyday choices you make will show up on the scale or your waistline, sooner or later. That is another type of competition that you deal with regularly.
Again, we don’t think of these things as competing against ourselves. We keep comparing ourselves to pro athletes and their diets. They are not coming to save you – you must save yourself through good decisions and following up with consistent action.
Health is very important, so challenge yourself to eat healthy and exercise on a regular basis. You are competing against yourself and your fitness. Win that game first, before you test someone else.
The Competition With Your Money
The competition isn’t with Oprah or Bill Gates – it’s with you.
They already have their wealth. They’ve worked on this personal competition for many years and they’ve come out on top. You are not competing against them.
Save your money. Make investments. Play the long game and say no to instant gratification. Anyone can spend their paycheck in one weekend, but how much of it do they actually keep?
Make an attempt to do better with your money. Create wealth by setting financial goals and sticking to them. If you get off track, simply get back on, or start over. You are your competition.
Building Longevity
Competing with the person in the mirror should be your primary intention. This is how you form a great foundation for your future.
Building longevity starts with small, productive habits. How you do one thing is how you do everything. In the end, the only person that has control over the outcome is you, so make it happen.
Let’s not look at other people and mindlessly make them our competition. You may be able to beat someone else, but can you beat yourself?Challenging others is good, but the major competitor is you. Look in the mirror and take control of your intended, successful results.
Constructive criticism can be hard to take. You feel like you know what you’re doing and no one else can tell you any different.
People who give unsolicited advice are just jerks. They think they know more than you and want to appear smarter. Someone’s always trying to outdo you.
This isn’t always the case. In some instances, people see you being productive and they simply want to give support and help.
Take Your Feelings Out Of It
Let’s understand something: whenever you are making a decision that’s not personal, take your emotions out of it. This is where most people mess up.
We live in a world where everyone is sensitive and you have to watch what you say. People are easily offended and it gets in the way of good business.
This is not how you should operate. Your emotions have nothing to do with your productivity or your work, so keep them out of the equation. There have been very bad outcomes because someone acted on their feelings, as opposed to being logical.
Emotions can do more harm than good. When you let your feelings dictate how you do business and go about your goals, it gets very personal and causes confusion. It may seem very cold, but you must learn to keep your personal feelings separate from your goals and business.
Constructive Criticism Is There To Help
Now that we’ve gotten our emotions under control, let’s see how we can learn how to tolerate constructive criticism.
Constructive criticism is when someone tells you how to do something another way, in order to get better results. The thing is, most people don’t like others telling them when they may be doing something wrong.
There are some people who will talk, just to be talking, but there are others who really want to help you on your journey. They see something that you may not be able to see at the moment and want to offer a suggestion.
Don’t get caught up in your emotions and start thinking, “Who are they to tell me what to do? I know what I’m doing!” Sometimes, this type of thinking will hold you back.
Keep an open mind and take heed to their advice and give it a try. If it works, that’s awesome – if it doesn’t work, don’t get mad, just keep going.
Constructive Criticism Isn’t Always Bad
It can be difficult to decide who’s really being honest with their constructive criticism. Would you want your ego to get in the way of you receiving good advice? No, so you need to be able to tell who is on your side.
Everyone communicates differently, so it can be hard to tell. For the most part, someone who is offering productive advice will take the time to speak with you in private or give you an explanation as to how you can improve. Others will say it in a way that may embarrass you or make you feel inferior.
Constructive criticism is helpful. There are good people who want to see you win. Be grateful that they are generous with their knowledge and willing to share. Don’t be the person with the big ego and learn things the hard way.
Keep An Open Mind
The one thing you don’t want to do is reject every idea. No one wants to be criticized in a negative way. It’s important that you keep an open mind and determine who is helpful and who is not.
Therefore, don’t dismiss it all as weak information. You’ll be able to tell who’s being sincere and who’s pulling your leg. Their input could be the tip you need to get to that next level.
In the end, you want to accomplish your goal, successfully. Along the way, you will encounter people who want to see you win and those who want to see you lose. Leave your emotions out of it, align yourself with those who want to support you and return the favor by helping someone else in the future.
I know you’re thinking, “How can motivation become a distraction?” It sounds impossible, but there are ways people allow motivation to interfere with their goals.
Motivation is inspiring. It is the catalyst that creates motion. It gives us that mental push we need to move forward and accomplish our dreams. Without it, the world would move a lot slower.
We all have those things in our lives that help us take action, but what happens when that thing holds you back and causes inaction?
Motivation Is Like A Drug
For the most part, drugs are addictive. People become slaves to a substance that controls their minds and eventually, their actions.
Motivation is like a drug. Everyday, you consume motivational content, in one form or another, and it becomes addictive. It becomes hard to put it down because you want more and more.
Like drugs, motivation gives you a high. Although it’s not fatal, it can stop you from taking the action needed in order to get to your destination.
Social Media
If motivation is like a drug, who’s the pusher? Social media.
It’s great when you discover new content on social media that inspires and invigorates you, but in the end, that’s all you end up doing – scrolling through content.
Motivation feels good. You can picture yourself being successful, just like the person in the post. When you wake up in the morning and you start scrolling down your timeline, it feeds you with more and more. It gets you pumped up to take action. You’re ready to go, but then, you crash before you even start.
How many times have you (or someone you know) attended a seminar and you leave fired up and ready to take on the world, only to get home and follow up by doing nothing? The motivation is there, but you feel like you need more in order to move on.
The Distraction
This is when motivation becomes distracting. Your energy is there as long as you’re reading or looking at the content, but you never actually get around to putting one foot in front of the other and making it happen.
You become stuck and figure you need more motivation. Back to social media you go and consume more content. The more encouragement you can get, the harder you think you’ll work towards your goals. Day by day, it steals your attention and you become more sluggish.
Yes, your intention is to grind and hustle like the content says, but you only put in a little work and you’re back to needing more motivation. How can you turn this around?
Action Over Motivation
Like a drug addict, you have to go cold turkey when it comes to consumption. Yes, that means taking a break from social media and other forms of inspiring content.
Let’s not make the mistake of thinking that personal development is bad, because it’s not. Personal development has given people a positive way out of negative situations. It has transformed many destructive mindsets into thinking of productive possibilities.
At some point, you have to put in the work and take more action. Yes, it helps get you on your way, but nothing will happen unless you get to work!
Less Is More
Flip the script. Put a time limit on how you consume content. Put that extra attention towards taking action and making progress with your daily plan. Use that motivation to push you forward – it doesn’t take much.
It will be difficult, but make it simple: less consumption, more action. Create your own encouraging ideas to post for others to become motivated. Be the example.
But it won’t get done unless you put down the device and start taking action.
There’s an interview with Kobe Bryant, the retired NBA player, where he’s asked what drives him.
“When people boo me. I THRIVE on that.”
Let that sink in for a moment. People are actually rooting for him to fail, yet, he turns it into an advantage.
How many of us can do that?
Most People
Most people fold when they’re booed. Everyone doesn’t perform well under pressure, but as you can see, it can be used to your advantage.
For the most part, we’ve been taught to make others happy. When people are encouraging us, it makes us feel good inside — we have someone who cares enough to support us and their hope and belief means the world to us.
When we fail, we feel like losers — like we let the whole world down. It’s as if someone died and we can’t get another chance or make another attempt. It’s too late.
That’s how most people respond to failing. It has been reinforced through our environment at school and home. Failing is bad and you won’t get another shot at being your best.
This is exactly what makes people avoid trying anything in the first place. Have you ever seen someone who never tries anything new? No matter how simple it is, they always have an excuse as to why they won’t step out of their comfort zone.
It’s like they don’t want to learn new things, or get better. Maybe they just don’t know how, or it’s too embarrassing if it doesn’t work out in their favor.
We tend to think about the worst before we think about the best. We think the world will laugh at us forever and never forget. No one will let us move on because of that one time when you did your best, but you fell flat on your face.
Two Things To Remember When You Fail
One: it’s all in your head. People may laugh or make critical comments, but it’s not personal towards you. It may feel like it is, but it’s not. Before you know it, they’re laughing and criticizing someone else and moving on.
There are so many distractions coming through that device in the palm of your hand, don’t think of yourself as so lucky that someone gives you some critical attention and that they’re always focusing on you. Get over yourself. They’re on to the next thing and you should get out of your feelings and move on, as well. No one really cares.
Two: the definition of failing is ‘to learn how to do it better next time,’ not ‘it’s bad, you messed up, you’re so stupid, how could you make that mistake, everyone saw you…’
How else will we learn if we don’t make mistakes and fail? The world isn’t perfect, but since the beginning of time, we’ve failed and made some major improvements on a lot of things. You must shift your perspective.
How Can I Shift My Perspective?
Failing is learning. A mistake is feedback. A problem is a challenge. An obstacle is a step to the next level.
It’s all about how you process these ‘negative’ words. All of these particular words (and more that aren’t listed) are based on the foundation of your personal development.
It’s never too late. As long as you’re breathing, you can always improve and become better, everyday. That’s why you hear people say things like, “Fail forward.” Again: how else will you learn?
Some things you can learn by other people who’ve made mistakes (feedback). That’s good and all, but it shouldn’t intimidate you from continuing to take action.
How Will You Fail?
Back to the question: how will you fail in 2020?
Everyone is talking about their goals and how 2020 is going to be the year and so on. We say this every year and for some of us, nothing changes. We just like to be in the happy midst of making goals and resolutions, so we won’t feel left out.
Personally, I’m tired of hearing people say what they’re going to do and they haven’t even finished 2019, yet. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that people have goals (after all, I am The GOALden Lady), but there needs to be physical action behind those verbal goals.
It happens every New Year — we announce all of the amazing things we’re going to do and then…crickets. Everyone is on to something else, as if your words don’t matter. This can really mess with your mindset and how you proceed to do things. Unless you follow up with some type of action, you’ll never have the determination to finish anything.
So, instead of asking, “What are your goals for 2020?”, ask, “How will you fail in 2020?” In other words, how will you learn in 2020? This should make you think beyond the basic response of, “I’m going to exercise/lose weight/start a side business.”
How will you learn? Are you going to exercise the same muscle groups everyday? Will you learn how to eat more nutrient dense foods? Are you going to research and file that business license?
When you make the decision to learn something, you must think through the process in detail. Thinking in detail does make your mind work a little harder, but there’s no easy way to get those results. It’s part of the productive process.
Back To Kobe
As you see, becoming successful will require you to be your own cheerleader. It will require you to shift your perspective, in order for things to work in your favor.
As a superstar, you’d think Kobe shines the most when everyone is rooting for him and encouraging him as he plays. That helps, but even in that clutch moment when it seems everyone is against him, he still comes out on top. If not, he learns what to do the next time he plays.
It’s as simple as that.
Do what you can control. Don’t just blurt out your goals for 2020, but give them some serious thought in how you will follow through and achieve them. No one has control over your mindset more than you. Decide what types of thoughts you want to accept and reject. Shift your perception of what goes on around you and make it work for you.
We’ve been used to using an excuse to get out of just about anything we don’t feel like doing. Sometimes, we use them so consistently, it seems like it’s not a big deal and it turns into a worthless routine and a waste of energy.
Actually, excuses over a long period of time will cause you to miss out on your own life. How do you even begin to create a habit of avoiding excuses?
Understand What An Excuse Is
Excuses are lazy reasons we give ourselves, or others, to not follow through with what needs to be done, or a responsibility.
Some may say, “…but it’s a valid reason…”. If it’s a valid reason, then it’s not an excuse. Don’t get caught up in thinking that every excuse is a valid reason.
Deep down inside, we know when we give in to those ‘valid’ reasons. Later, we begin to feel some sort of guilt because we dodged what we could’ve done.
Excuses are disguised as reasonable explanations, when they’re really not. Don’t let it fool you into being lazy and unproductive. Also, beware of others who try to give you excuses to use.
Recognize What Your Excuse Sounds Like
Everyone has a certain word or phrase they use when confronted with a request or responsibility. It usually sounds something like:
“I don’t want to.”
“I’m tired.”
“Why can’t she do it?”
“I did it yesterday.”
“If he would’ve done it the right way in the first place…”
All of these are the beginnings of a whiny excuse. When you recognize what your excuse sounds like, you can make the attempt to avoid going down that road.
Start by knowing you can do whatever it is that needs to be done. You can make it happen and move on with your day. Handle your responsibilities with confidence and be accountable for what you do.
Just Do It!
What should you do if you hear yourself about to create an excuse? Just do it!
How do you overcome a life full of excuses? You conquer it by dealing with it head on. Be honest with yourself and lean into it. Yes, it’s hard, but there’s no other way to rid yourself of this ugly, unfulfilling habit.
It’s easier said than done, but it is very possible. Free yourself and become the excellent person you want to be. Nothing comes easy – it starts with eliminating those useless thoughts and words and taking action towards becoming more responsible.
If You Want To Be Excellent…
It all begins in the mind. If you want to be excellent, don’t wish for it, be it.
Being the example holds you to a higher standard. People who play on a different level never consider using excuses. When something needs to be done, it gets done.
No matter how tired you may be, or how late it is, you can always do a little more. When you practice being ambitious, it gets easier with time. You’ll become a beast at getting things done. There’s no room for being average in your journey to success.
Understand the power you have. Many people have done great things before you and you possess the ability to do great things, also. As long as you keep moving forward and stay focused, committed and resilient, you can make all the dreams in your heart come true.
Making progress is essential to your growth in life. It’s not always pretty and easy, but it is always worth it in the end.
Progress could be anything – adding an additional stream of income to your portfolio, passing your math test or exercising more regularly. It depends on where you are in life and the next step that you need to take.
What does making progress look like? Even though it’s slow and not the same for everyone, there are hints along the way that let you know you’re on your way.
Progress Can Be A Lonely Path
It’s normal to expect others to be happy for you when you achieve a goal. Who wouldn’t want their family and friends to be proud of them?
The truth is, most people don’t care to see you advance to the next level of your life. It makes them feel like they aren’t doing enough. They are insecure about themselves and don’t want to see you pass their level.
Making daily improvements is a lonely road. There’s no one there to tell you how great you’re doing or to keep up the good work. You’ll have to pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself along the way.
This is what progress looks like.
Obstacles Create Progress
You are improving and things are moving along smoothly. All of a sudden, you encounter a challenge. Great – something else to throw you off track.
Don’t be intimidated by obstacles and challenges. Not only are they there to make you better, they are also there to help promote your progress. Nothing enhances progress like a good challenge!
Yes, it may hurt your momentum and take some time, but it carries you to the next stage of your journey. You always win when you overcome any obstacle.
This is what progress looks like.
The Silent Battle In Your Head
There’s another way you can tell if you’re making progress. Those voices in your head that tell you to quit are a sure sign that you are moving in the right direction.
Never mind the outside forces that are trying to stop you, what about the inside? What is your inner voice saying to you? Are you giving in to it or are you taking action until it goes away?
Your thoughts are always with you – there’s no way to escape them. Mindset plays a critical role in achieving success and you should never accommodate your fears.
Listening to constructive podcasts and reading motivational information is necessary to feeding your mindset. Negative thoughts are simple and convincing and can easily hijack your progress.
This is what progress looks like.
Progress Doesn’t Stop
Many things will attempt to stop you from moving forward. If it didn’t, it would be easy to become successful.
Stop looking for permission from others – you have the ability to believe in yourself and make anything happen. Validate yourself and keep taking those small steps toward the bigger picture.
Understand that progress doesn’t always look good. It comes in all different forms, but it’s imperative that you recognize it and deal with it accordingly, so you can keep moving forward.
Always bet on yourself. You’ve made the incredible commitment of showing up everyday, even when it looks like nothing is changing. Acknowledge your improvements and encourage yourself through the distractions and confusion. Things may work against you at times, but you have the power and confidence to endure it and see it through.
That’s what progress looks like.
#BeGoalden
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