Blog - Page 14 of 50 - The Goalden Lady

#TBT: Why Worrying Won’t Work

When unpleasant challenges arise, the first thing most people do is worry. It’s a reaction that lives on autopilot in your mind, ready to go when needed. Not only does worrying affect you on the inside, it affects how you perceive things on the outside. Let’s see why worrying won’t work.

Don’t be a Worry Wart. What is a Worry Wart? As soon as something out of the basic routine happens, you begin to stress about it.

“What’s going to happen?”
“Why did it happen?”
“Who did this to me?”
“What am I going to do?”

All types of questions, along with several negative emotions, start to run rampant in your mind.

This raises your stress levels. You begin to attempt to answer those questions in your mind. Nothing is working out in your favor. Is there a number to call? Is there someone you can speak to about the situation?

You want answers because you simply don’t know why this is happening to you. Therefore, you just continue to worry because you don’t know what else to do.

Sometimes, it’s simply something that you, the Worry Wart, did to yourself that caused the issue. After that, you can’t be mad and stressed about it anymore. Take responsibility and deal with the consequences.

On the other hand, it may have been a mistake that needs to be corrected. You follow instructions on how to fix the flaw and it’s done. No more worrying because you resolved it.

In both cases, your mind went into a frenzy because you didn’t know what was going on. There’s a way to save yourself from the stress of worrying, but it takes practice.

When you receive bad news or something happens out of your control, talk to someone or simply do the research. Spazzing out doesn’t help and most of all, it won’t solve your issue.

When you get emotional about things you can’t control, it affects your surroundings, as well. You may take it out on the kids, friends, and you’re unpleasant to be around. You’re just an all around grump until you figure out what’s going on.

That’s the thing – figure out what’s going on. That’s what needs to happen. You’re only making it worse for yourself and those around you.

Learn to respond, instead of react.

When you let your emotions get the best of you, it normally doesn’t end well. Not only does being emotional make it worse, you’re also not solving anything. Nothing gets done.

It’s normal to have an initial emotional reaction. Don’t let it overtake you into worry world. Start thinking about what you can do to help the situation or to solve the issue. Do what you can. If you can’t control it at the moment, leave it alone until you’re able to figure it out.

When you respond, you come out with better results. It works out for you and those around you. Sometimes, you’re unable to do anything about certain situations until a period of time has passed. There’s no need to put yourself and others through hell because in the end, you could be worrying about nothing.

Worrying won’t help. It only takes up your precious time and for some, can even lead to health problems. Do what you can and be calm enough so you can resolve the issue. Decide to respond around your emotions and not in your emotions. If you do this, you’ll have a better handle on taking care of what needs to be done.

3 Essential Habits That Lead To Making Progress

3 Essential Habits That Lead To Progress

It takes great effort to make things happen towards your goals. Sometimes, it happens in your favor and sometimes, it works against you.

The most important thing that matters is how you respond. Do you have the discipline to see it through, or will you remain lazy, hoping it will relieve you of that responsibility?

Making progress is the way forward to success, but you must have the right strategies in place. Here are 3 habits to help you towards making progress.

1. Keep Your Focus

Distractions are at work, 24/7 all around you. The news, social media, friendly gossip – it’s all there, waiting to steal your attention.

There’s no doubt that it can be difficult to look the other away when a train wreck is happening right in front of you (metaphorically). The more productive thing to do would be to keep your focus.

Stare straight ahead and continue forward. Your progress depends on your consistent effort and persistence. If you take your eyes off the prize, you’ll end up where the distraction wants you to be – nowhere.

Hold your concentration. See past those attention hoarders. The outcome to your goal is worth fighting for. Recognize the distractions, but always keep your focus.

2. Take Responsibility

Your decisions will direct the path of your life. Even when unexpected things happen, it’s still your job to adapt, adjust and keep moving.

Personal responsibility is hard for some people, but in the end, it’s worth having control over your own destiny. You can decide if you’re going to be stagnant, or be resourceful. Blaming someone else for your downfall won’t make it any easier. You still have to make the choice to get up and make the necessary changes.

Giving people power over your decisions and choices will only create the type of person they want you to be. Start thinking for yourself. Have your own opinion and theory about things, even if it doesn’t align with the masses. At least you know where you’re going and can change course whenever you feel the need.

3. Create Your Own Privilege

Do it yourself. Become self-reliant. Depend on no one.

You may see others who have privilege or a greater advantage than you, but insulting them won’t help your situation. Instead of giving in to the victim mentality and expecting someone to give it to you, start doing something for yourself.

There are parents who provide trust funds and inheritance for their children. Instead of being jealous, do the same for your kids. Start now and create generational wealth for your family. It doesn’t always take a winning lottery number or a stroke of luck to make a ton of money.

Realize that no one owes you anything, but you do owe it to yourself to make a way for your future heirs. Don’t get stuck just because someone else is already successful at it. Be the example that you wish you had and make it better for your family by creating your own privilege.

Progress Leads To Success

In the end, it all depends on how you respond to different situations and obstacles, the choices you make and how you prepare yourself for the future.

The biggest reward is being able to get through the journey. Keep making progress with these 3 habits and in no time, you will begin to grow into your greatness!

#BeGoalden

#TBT: Live Your Life Today

Whatever it is you want to accomplish in your life, do it. There may not be much time for you to contemplate.

Everyday is a chance to do what you want to do and make progress. Even if it is uncomfortable, the opportunity is there for the taking.

We think so far into the future, that we forget to do something today. Overthinking takes over our mental space and we end up doing nothing. Planning is essential, but starting is just as important.

If you knew what day would be your last, you would do everything you want to do, within that amount of time, especially if it was soon. That’s what makes time so precious because we don’t know how much of it we have left.

And that’s the catch – you don’t know when your last day is. Therefore, you must do your best today, as if tomorrow may not come.

So what if you mess up? So what if it didn’t turn out right? So what if only one person showed up? How many times are you going to let an outside force, stop you from reaching your goal?

The trolls, the gossip, the weird stares – none of that matters in the end. Don’t waste time thinking about that insult. Stop saying ‘yes’ to situations that allow you to float through life. Hold yourself accountable and do what you want to do. No one can live your dream the way you can because your dream is in your control.

We think so small of ourselves and give so much consideration and power to what other people think. Instead of praising others, praise yourself. Stop thinking that other people are always successful, you are successful, too! Stop thinking that good things only happen to other people, good things happen to you, too!

None of us are any better than the other – we are all human and we all have the ability to do something great. Some of us leave it up to other people to be great, but the capability is there. You just have to get up and do the work that it takes to be great.

Don’t let your time run out without making your mark. Put forth phenomenal effort daily. Regret is a painful feeling that no one should have to experience. The only way not to, is to live your life, everyday.

#BeGoalden

Procrastination And It’s Many Forms

Procrastination can take on many identities. It can show up as overthinking, waiting for the “perfect” time or by doing things that don’t really matter.

Procrastination is the act of constantly putting something off. Whether it’s an action or a thought, there’s something more important that causes you to make the excuse of not doing what needs to be done.

In reality, procrastination disguises itself with busy work and overstimulating thoughts. It tricks you into validating your excuses, instead of following through and moving the needle.

Overthinking

Have you ever had a tough time deciding what to do? The task is simple, but you make it difficult by thinking too far into the details?

This is what overthinking looks like: “I want to wear the red shirt, but it doesn’t match my shoes. I wish it was cooler outside – it would go great with those jeans I bought the other day. Did I buy this too big? Then again, I think I might return it to the store, but I really like it. Maybe I can exchange it for another size, but the store is an hour away…”

It goes on and on. Being indecisive and overthinking wastes time and causes inaction. Either you’re going to wear the shirt or take it back. Get in the habit of making a decision and sticking with it. If it’s the wrong decision, don’t procrastinate more by beating yourself up about it – just make another decision and go with it.

The “Perfect” Time

Waiting on the “perfect” time to start is complete nonsense. There is no “perfect” time. The time to start is always now.

This is what waiting for the “perfect” time looks like: “I’ll start writing my book after that new computer goes on sale. Let me eat everything I want and then I’ll begin my new diet on Monday. It’s raining today and rain makes me feel lazy – I’ll do my chores next week. My homework is due tomorrow, but my friends are coming over right now – I’ll do it after they leave.”

The “perfect” time is causing your procrastination and it’s an easy trap to fall into. What are you waiting for? The circumstances may be right when you think about it, but it’s also harder to follow through when you constantly put things off. Don’t get in a routine of waiting for the “perfect” time to do something – the best time is always now.

Doing Things That Really Don’t Matter

Sometimes, we even create busy work to make it seem like we’re not procrastinating. We think of odd things to do, in order to cover up what needs to be done.

This is what doing things that really don’t matter look like: “I would start on that new project, but first, let me clean my desk. I’ll do my taxes, but I need to paint the garage, first. I’ll start drawing the blueprint for tomorrow’s meeting after I update my phone.”

Understandably, there may be an order to things, but don’t take it for granted when something important needs to get done. Painting the garage isn’t an essential chore compared to doing your taxes. Busy work doesn’t necessarily equate to productive work. If there’s a deadline, procrastinating by doing busy work won’t make it go away. Fight the urge to do non-important tasks and push forward towards the constructive ones.

Beating Procrastination

Have the discipline to beat procrastination. Do the work now and make it better as you go along. No matter how you feel, look forward to completing the task at hand – you’ll always feel better after you’re done.

Let’s be more productive and move the needle. Time waits for no one. There are many opportunities that are missed when we procrastinate. Start thinking more “just do it,” and less “I’ll do it when…” Train your mindset to take action and make things happen!

#TBT: Why Consistency Is Key

Consistency is key when it comes to making progress in life. The daily habits you develop play a major role in being consistent and can help with making incremental improvements over time.

Why is consistency so important? What happens if you don’t follow a certain pattern everyday? Will consistency enhance your life?

Daily Habits

We all have different daily habits that help move our day along. We perform most of these patterns unconsciously and it provides a foundation for the rest of the day.

Habits, such as brushing your teeth and taking a shower, are things you do from a necessity standpoint. If you weren’t consistent with these things, no one would want to be around you. Hygiene habits are critically important.

Other habits, such as folding your clothes or writing down your expenses, are things you choose to do to keep organized. No one has to do these, but it helps you on a personal level and allows you to promote your own development.

Consistency Has It’s Benefits

Being consistent naturally falls in line with your habits. Since you do them everyday, you’re already consistent with them.

Imagine if you didn’t brush your teeth everyday. What would happen? It definitely wouldn’t be in your best interest personally and it could lead to possible health issues. The fact that you brush your teeth consistently, is beneficial to the people around you and your health.

When folding your clothes, you are prepping for when you have to choose your outfit for the day. If you didn’t fold your clothes, you could waste time looking for something you need, as opposed to knowing where it is and putting it on right away. When you’re organized, you can focus on more important things and avoid draining your energy on the simple things.

The Power Of Consistency

Having a habit of consistency enhances your life, especially when you have productive habits.

If you exercise on a daily basis, you’ll see and feel the results throughout your body. Not only will you look good, you’ll feel good. This is a powerful habit that leads to being physically healthy, along with other advantages.

When you develop a habit and you’re consistent with it, you’re ahead of the game. Others who aren’t consistent with their good habits will have a harder time becoming more productive and won’t enjoy the perks from being consistent.

It’s a win – win situation. The more consistent you are with your good habits, the more progress you will make in your life.

The Key To Being Consistent

Don’t overwhelm your mind with how hard something is – if you do, it will seem hard and you won’t even begin.

The key to being consistent is to keep going. Start small and take action everyday. As time goes on, you will become better and it will allow you to put your mind power towards accomplishing your goals.

Consistency also helps with your confidence and puts you on another level. Because you take the time to enhance yourself on a regular basis, your confidence will rise, which prepares you for the next level of your life.

Unless you practice being consistent with the productive habits in your life, you will remain stagnant. Growth doesn’t happen where consistency is absent.

Develop some good habits and don’t allow any distractions to get in the way. You’ll soar beyond your potential when you continue to be consistent with the good, productive habits in your life.

#BeGoalden

Discipline Picks Up Where Motivation Leaves Off

Having discipline is one of the foundations for success. Motivation is great in the moment, but it can only carry you so far.

Have you ever heard an inspirational story or read an article that made you want to become the best version of yourself? Yes, we all have.

What happens after that? Do you go on and finish the rest of your day without thinking about it again, or do you make a plan and start taking action?

Motivation Gives A Good Push

Who doesn’t like a good motivational movie or speech? We all need that good push every now and then, to get us going in the right direction, with the right mindset.

It seems to always come at the right time – when we start a new project or when you need something to give you that energy to get going. There’s nothing wrong with motivation, but it’s only temporary.

How many times have you told yourself you were going to start Monday and Monday comes and goes? At the time, motivation gave you the mental strength to think enough to follow through, but the actual work never happened.

Being motivated gives you a winning feeling, but it doesn’t force a winning action – that’s where discipline comes in.

Discipline Forces Action

Where motivation ends, discipline begins. Discipline is when you do the actual work, whether you feel like it or not. If it has to get done, having discipline will make you do it.

There are many times when you are tired, had a long day, your child gets sick, your car broke down, you don’t understand, it’s too much right now – the list of excuses are infinite.

Motivation gives you a choice, but discipline doesn’t. If it needs to get done, it needs to get done. Instant gratification is not an option. You do the work because it will move the needle and get things done in a timely manner. It doesn’t matter what’s going on, discipline teaches you to be responsible with your actions and words.

Intentions don’t give results, but discipline will. No matter how you feel at the moment, there’s something in you that will give you enough willpower to follow through and perform according to plan. Imagine how far along you would be with your goal if you were more disciplined with your actions.

Make Discipline Work

Develop a habit. Break your goal down into something you can do daily. If you want to write a book, get in the habit of writing 500 words a day. Don’t let external factors drive your decision of if you’re going to do it or not – just do it!

Don’t break the chain. Jerry Seinfeld developed a habit where he would create a joke once a day. He would then mark a red ‘x’ on the calendar everyday he performed this habit. The point is to keep up with the daily habit, or you’ll break the chain on the calendar. You’ve worked so hard to create the chain, you wouldn’t want to break it. In the meantime, your habit gets sharper and your discipline builds up.

Once you create the habit of discipline successfully, it will also increase in other areas of your life. It gives you responsibility and control over your life. You are disciplined because you did the work and the outcome is a feeling of self-confidence and satisfaction.

Never allow the negative voices in your head to guide your decisions. This is where discipline steps in – it tells you to keep moving forward so you can make progress.

Giving in to your emotions will definitely make you comfortable, but the art of discipline will make you an achiever. Practice your discipline today!

#BeGoalden

#TBT: Are You Cheating Yourself?

What do you do when no one is looking? Are you the same person? Do you sneak an extra cookie? Do you skip putting money into your savings?

Your character and integrity are best defined as what you do when no one is looking. Some of us have the same, disciplined demeanor, as if someone is watching us all of the time. Others of us, think a little differently.

What Are You Doing?

When you have a goal, everyday can be a challenge. The plan to make it to the next level can be trying, especially if you’re doing it alone.

No one may be watching, but you know what you’re doing. Your guilty conscious will reprimand you with the quickness. It hurts just as bad as getting caught by someone else.

Why Cheat?

Most people cheat themselves for one of two reasons: either they’re a bad person, or they don’t believe in their own abilities.

The first reason is obvious. There are just some bad people in the world and they seem to always have a ‘better idea’ about how to do something. They will take every chance they can to get over, not realizing that they’re only creating a negative pattern for themselves.

The second reason has to do with limiting beliefs. You think that you’re unable to perform at a decent level, so you cheat. This only drives you further into your own disbelief about yourself, because you’ll feel even worse after you’ve cheated.

Bet on yourself and have confidence. Confidence won’t allow you to cheat yourself. You can do anything, as long as you stick to the plan and respond accordingly to any situation. Know that you can do it, even if it doesn’t work out the first time.

Always Do The Right Thing

Even if no one is there to make sure you are acting within your responsibilities, you should want to do the right thing. That’s what makes you dependable and trustworthy.

So many people will try to cut corners and get away with things that they know are wrong. They may think they’ve figured out a better way, but life doesn’t work that way. It may appear to work for the moment, but it all works against you in the end.

When You Cheat, You Suffer

You may feel that eating one more piece of cake won’t matter. Or spending your savings won’t hurt.

In both cases, you may not see the effects of it at that moment, but it will come back to haunt you. When you get on that scale and you gained, instead of losing weight. Or, when your water heater breaks down and you’re stuck microwaving tap water to take a shower (good luck with that).

Don’t suffer your own consequences. We are all fully aware of what’s right and what’s wrong. Whether you do it in front of someone, or by yourself, it doesn’t matter – always act with integrity.

The End Result

Be level-headed. Don’t let little things tempt you to take shortcuts. It’s almost, always, never worth it.

We only have so much control in our daily lives, so why make it harder on ourselves by cheating? If you do things right the first time, you won’t have to suffer the outcome later.

Use your energy for good. Be consistent with your attitude and actions, inside and out. Besides – you never know who’s watching.

#BeGoalden

Create A Habit of Living On The Edge

Creating a habit is a good thing. When you live by them, it can alleviate large amounts of unwanted stress from your life. The more you follow those daily patterns, the more smoothly your day will go.

What happens when we become to robotic with our habits? Is there a time when we should kick them to the curb and live on the edge? Is there a such thing as being too habitual?

The Everyday Habit

Having a few habits that you follow everyday is actually a responsible and productive thing to do. When you know what you’re doing, it gives you a feeling of being in control, along with an instant dose of self-confidence.

There’s nothing wrong with going through that same ritual day in and day out. It allows us to save more brain power for other important decisions and constant developments throughout the day.

At the same time, we should allow a little wiggle room for the unexpected to happen. You must allow for mistakes and adapt and adjust, just in case your plans don’t go the way you thought.

Don’t Let Comfort Become A Habit

Going through the motions of your habits is comfortable, but it also doesn’t allow for growth. It can be disturbing when something happens out of the ordinary – it may even throw you off track.

Know that when something happens out of your daily routine, it’s okay. Take a breath and know that you can handle what needs to be done next. If you let it take a hold of your emotions, you’ve already lost.

When things happen unexpectedly, it gives you the opportunity to think past what you know. This gives you a chance to grow – as a result, you become more flexible with your thoughts and actions. It’s never a bad thing to get out of your comfort zone.

Give yourself the space to adjust. Create new habits and see if they’re more efficient than what you were doing before. You shouldn’t have the same exact habits you had five years ago. Show a little creativity and do it a different way.

Try Something New

Exploring a new place is an awesome way to escape your daily routine. It forces you to think a little more and to try something new.

If you happen to go on a vacation, don’t do the same thing that you would do at home. Eat something different, go to a museum or learn a new hobby. Being in a new place should spark new ideas – it defeats the purpose if you choose to do the same things that you would normally do.

Don’t be afraid to schedule a little spontaneity. Make time on a certain day to go out and “feel” your way through. If you turn left, see where turning right will take you. Get lost and find your way back. Eat spicy instead of mild. Go to a random public event. Accept the challenge and participate in a contest.

Whatever you do, just do your best at it. If you’re unable to find your way back, you can always use your GPS or (dare I say) walk up to someone and ask for directions. You don’t have to eat spicy ever again – now, you know what it really tastes like. Some things are better when you find out for yourself.

Everything is just an experience. You might make a new friend, develop a new hobby or find a new place you like to go. Make the time to do something out of your ordinary routine.

Create A New Habit

Throughout all of this, you’ve grown. You stretched your mind more than you usually do and it guided you to a new adventure. Instead of always asking someone what is it like, you have your own personal opinion to offer.

Keep your daily habits – no one is saying to give them up completely, but allow yourself some room to evolve.

Habits are great, but don’t forget to live a little. It doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking, but something as simple as shopping at a different grocery store can give you a nice challenge.

If you think your life is boring, drop your habits and live on the edge for a little while. Adventure will find you sooner than you think.

#BeGoalden

#TBT: The Best Investment To Make When You Have Nothing

#TBT: The Best Investment You Can Make when You Have Nothing

What is the best investment to make, when you have nothing? Is it stocks? Real estate? Car collection or hand bags?

Before you even think of making an investment, you must have a lot of money, right? Wrong. There’s one thing you can invest in that’s free and well worth your time and energy.

The returns on this specific investment is infinite. All you have to do is have a mindset of discipline, confidence and resilience to begin.

What Can You Invest In Without Money?

You don’t necessarily need money to invest in something. People invest their time and energy into things they want to see grow and become better.

The biggest investment you can ever make in your life, is investing in yourself.

Yes, you! There is something that you enjoy doing or want to know more about – this is what you invest in. You put forth extra effort and stay up late because you want to see it develop into something more.

Throughout that process, you are learning and building yourself into a valuable resource. You are investing the time and energy it takes to become an unstoppable version of yourself.

How do you invest in yourself?

Know what you want to do. What are you good at? Is there something you do everyday, flawlessly, that is hard for others? There is something you’re awesome at. If you’re not, you can become awesome at it. Know what you want to do (or have an idea) and be clear on it. Some people get caught up in the idea of knowing and they forget to take action, but the process doesn’t stop there.
Read and research. Learning never stops. You can always read and discover something you didn’t know and apply it to your life. It doesn’t take money – you can do research on the internet or listen to a lecture full of gems. Have an open mind when it comes to new information. Improvements can always be made.
Develop strong habits. Habits create your identity. Routines put those habits into practice. It’s good to be spontaneous, but habits must be in place to promote productivity. No one is spontaneously successful. Constructive habits and skills will increase your personal value.

Make Time For Your Personal Investment

Most of us are looking for ways to impress other people so we can get a job, be in a certain circle or get to the next level. We do things to gain attention from other people, as opposed to building ourselves.

When you invest your time and energy into others, it can be a disappointment. They may not see your significance and dismiss it, without a thought. You’re at their mercy.

Now you’re stuck, trying to figure out who to impress next so you can move on. Instead of making other people see your value, see the value in yourself. Why not attempt to put your future into your own hands?

Invest in yourself. Benefit yourself before you give your benefit away to others. When you invest in yourself, you open up doors to new possibilities and endless opportunities. It also gives you the highest advantage of profiting from your own skills, first.

The investment that you make in yourself is priceless. You are the best investment that you could ever make and no one can take that away. Stocks and real estate will go up and down on a whim, but the constant investment you make in yourself will allow you to grow in many ways throughout life.

#BeGoalden

4 Tips To Planning Your Goal Effectively

We think up big and small goals on the regular. Anything from what we will eat in the morning to how we will plan for retirement. No goal is too great or insignificant, but it still involves mental and physical action to get the best outcome.

It seems like pursuing a goal should be as easy as moving forward with everything already in place, but it’s not magic. Your life is in your hands and the results come down to the basics of strategic planning and decisions.

Goal-Making Questions

Every goal should be actionable, but some will require deeper thought. Here are some goal-making questions to ask yourself:

What do you want? If you don’t know what you want, how will you get there? It’s a simple question, but a lot of people act without knowing exactly what they want. Knowing what you really want will give you the best possible results. Write it down, detail by detail.
How will you start? Some people believe you need to have all of the stars aligned before you can start. That’s not true – you simply start where you are, with what you have. Take note of your resources and figure out how to move the needle. Everyone doesn’t have the same advantage when starting – some will have more, some will have less, but you must make it a point to focus on yourself and start where you are. If you don’t, you’ll be in the same place as you were before.
What can you change? This is where a lot of people get stuck in life. They worry about things not going their way or some circumstances that didn’t turn out in their favor. Although you aren’t able to control what happens, you CAN control how you react and what to do moving forward. You can’t control everything, so learn to adapt and adjust. When you give up the anxiety and stress of worrying, you’ll quickly begin to see improvement.
What can I do to move it forward? Working on your goals and strategies takes focused work, but don’t forget to take some time and have a little fun. When you make time to take a break, you allow your mind to breathe and create more ideas and figure out challenges. Visualize and create your blueprint – improve it as you go along.

Productive Habits Will Get You There

It takes daily practice to drive yourself towards your dream. Prepare a set of helpful habits that will guide you into working on your goals daily. This helps out, even when you don’t “feel like” following through.

Self-improvement is a lifelong task. Having focus, discipline and resilience will make that journey a little easier. Once you accomplish one goal, there’s always a bigger and better one to go after. Put your goal in place with these tips and become the successful person that you visualize!

#BeGoalden