advantage Archives - The Goalden Lady

You Win Everyday And You Don’t Even Know It

It’s the ultimate goal – everyone wants to win. Sometimes, we neglect the small wins, but those are the ones that move us towards the big wins.

When you don’t notice the little wins, you end up looking to others for confirmation of your worthiness and you lose your way. You become the victim and you want others to tell you that you’re great or acceptable.

You’ve been winning, but you’ve been listening to other people for so long, you don’t see it. Everyone’s wins aren’t the same. Everyday, we slay different dragons to the best of our ability – those are the small wins that we overlook.

Win In Your Mind

The very first rule of winning is don’t give power to what others think or say. This is the easiest way to throw you off of your path and waste valuable time.

The only thing that matters is what you think and how you move. Keep your mind focused on what you’re doing and not on what Sue says about your makeup – that’s not important. Your goals are way more significant than her simple opinion about how you looked today.

Be concerned with how you’re going to make today better than yesterday. People’s judgments are based on their insecurities. They want to shame you, to hide what they think of themselves, so it’s never really about you. Don’t let that doubt bring down your energy.

Fight that negative chatter in your head – it probably came from someone who said something senseless about you and you allowed it to linger. For every negative thought you have, replace it with a positive one.

Someone else’s careless opinions are never more important than what you already know. Have the courage to trust yourself.

A Win Is A Win

Big or small, a win is a win. Recognize the small wins, just like you recognize the big wins. Whether you find a dollar walking down the street, or you hit the lottery for $1,000, a win is a win.

We tend to give the big wins more attention than the small ones. The small wins are what carry us to the big wins. The details are what creates the big picture. If you’re unable to succeed on a small level, it won’t propel you to succeed on a bigger level.

Did the vending machine give you extra chips? That’s a win! Were you able to navigate a four way stop safely? That’s a win! Did a stranger smile at you today? That’s a win!

Why are those little things considered a win? These are wins, because if the vending machine took your money, you would be angry. If you were in an accident at that four way stop, it would ruin your day. A stranger being impolite to you would bother you mentally and destroy your focus.

Find the benefit in those small gains. They occur all the time – you just have to recognize them. It makes your day a little more positive and easier to handle.

What Makes A Winner?

Coming out on the other side of that challenge is what makes you a winner. You could have easily ignored it, or allowed it to become an opportunity for someone else. Instead, you chose to face it and work through it.

When other people are involved, it’s not important if you win first place or third place – you got farther than those who didn’t try at all. Even if it’s fifth place, be proud of the fact that you accomplished what you set out to do. Many people quit before they even start. A winner makes adjustments, while continuing to move forward.

Find your confidence and be your best. There’s always going to be someone with more advantages than you. If you are better than you were before, that’s all that counts. That’s a win!

Stop letting yourself be defined by what others say about you – that’s for losers. Don’t fall into the trap of living up to someone else’s standards of you. You win when you please yourself.

When you win on the inside, you can win on the outside. Start from within and have the courage to make those small wins count. If it helps, write it down and keep your own score card on how well you do throughout the day. When you achieve the little things, it gives you the drive to excel to bigger things.

Bet on yourself, move forward and be the winner that you already are!

#BeGoalden

Conserving Your Personal Energy

There are thousands of distractions that consume your energy daily. Today, it’s necessary to know how to respond, so that you are able to succeed and maintain your focus.

Distractions are like gravity – it constantly pulls you down. This can have an effect on how you interact with others, as well as how you take care of yourself.

When something drains your personal energy, it can put you in a bad place, mentally and physically. How can you protect your energy to be more productive?

Save Your Physical Energy

Getting enough rest and sleep helps to restore your energy. Unlike time, you can replenish your energy whenever you need to.

It’s normal to think about energy in a physical sense. If you exercise, you’re tired in the end. If you eat a junk food diet, your body won’t perform well when it’s time to.

Your physical energy allows you to carry yourself progressively throughout the day. If the elevator breaks down, taking the stairs can be a struggle if you aren’t used to moving your body and exercising.

When it’s time to put in extra effort on a project, it doesn’t help if your diet consists of candy and soda. What you eat has an effect on your thinking and focus. Over time, bad eating habits can decrease your physical energy.

Eating a healthy diet and exercising contributes to your everyday productivity. If you ever have to run from danger, you don’t want to be the one who gives out of breath after taking 3 steps. Give yourself a better chance by improving your vitality with a healthy diet and exercise.

Preserve Your Mental Energy

Worrying creates anxiety and takes up space in your mind. Being a people-pleaser can be stressful, simply because you want someone to like you.

All of these drain your energy, mentally. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, so you must work on taking care of it, as well.

When you worry, you’re basically giving energy to what hasn’t happened yet. Sometimes, whatever is worrying you won’t see the light of day. Avoid the habit of constantly doubting the future. Don’t overthink it. Let it unfold naturally on it’s own and respond accordingly.

Also, you don’t have to react to every conflict, or answer to every bad thing someone says about you. It may be difficult, but develop the habit of letting it go. Your mind consumes so much energy when you’re mad at someone, or when you want to correct a conflict.

These situations leave you feeling mentally irritated. Not only will it possibly get you into trouble, but it takes away from your plans and goals. You have exhausted your mind with nonsense and in return, it hinders your progress.

If it won’t have an effect on the bigger picture of your life, ignore it. People will talk about you (in person or on the internet), just to make you angry. They know it will give them attention and shake your focus. You will save yourself lots of mental anguish, if you choose to just let it go.

Hold On To Your Advantage

It’s easier said than done, but you must learn to avoid wasting time on things that hijack your energy. Working towards a healthy lifestyle can help your energy and worrying about little things that won’t make a difference only hurts. The different ways your energy can be stolen is astonishing.

Keep your peace. Use your energy to move you forward and improve your situation. Your goals require steady focus – not constant distractions.

Give yourself an advantage by conserving your strength for the things that matter. Avoid giving your power away to negative thoughts and people who don’t deserve it. Protect your energy for yourself and your goals.

#BeGoalden

The Best Investment To Make, When You Have Absolutely 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

How To See The Advantage, In The Disadvantage

Most people quit when they don’t have a winning advantage. Working towards your goals can take up a tremendous amount of time. It’s frustrating to see others who have an advantage, move forward at a faster rate than you. If only the odds were in your favor…

The odds are in your favor. This is a long term game you’re playing and you want to have the foundation and the staying power to continue making progress.

When you’re at a disadvantage, it works in your favor in the long run. You will learn strategies and skills that others will never know of, because they are working with the advantage.

Think Outside The Box

The direct way is not always the correct way. Sure, it may be faster and more efficient, but will it always work?

Everyone takes the shortest route. When everyone goes in the same direction, it gets crowded and things slow down. Is there any other route you can take?

There are some side streets you can take to get to your destination. Although it may take a little more time, it flows better and it’s not as congested as the direct path.

Think outside the box. Go against the grain. There’s always another way to get to where you’re going.

Be More Strategic

Having the advantage doesn’t call for a lot of thinking. You’re used to things going your way, therefore, strategy and planning never really occur to you, naturally.

As in war, you need to outsmart the enemy. We all know how to attack, but where do you attack (from the front or the back)? When do you attack (in the daytime or on Christmas)? How do you attack (loudly or quietly)?

These are strategies to consider, so you can turn the odds in your favor. You are working against your competition’s expectations. Take what they know and use it against them.

See From A Different View

Finding an advantage may be difficult at first, but the more you do it, the quicker you are able to act. Learn to see from a different view.

Close your eyes and imagine what it takes to get to your goal. Go into your competitor’s mind and think what they’re thinking.

Seeing things from a different view will put you at an advantage. Of course, we don’t know exactly what someone else is thinking, but how would you plan to win if you were in their position?

They may have the advantage, but the possibility of losing or falling behind is still there. Interrupt their ‘winning’ pattern that they use all of the time and use it to your benefit.

You Always Have The Edge

Whether reaching for your goals, or outwitting the competition, give yourself the advantage. Leverage their know-how and play it against them.

In essence, there’s more of an advantage in having the disadvantage. There are limitless ways you can win – all you need to do is think and respond on another level.

Being at a disadvantage may slow things down or be more tedious, but you will gain more knowledge and skills along the way to help you win. You may not win all of the battles, but you will certainly win the war.

#BeGoalden