goals Archives - Page 11 of 12

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

Move To Improve

We let so many thoughts scare us…

it needs to be perfect
it’s not the right time
what if they don’t like it
what if I fail

Then, there’s another level. We make situational excuses…

I’ll start when I get paid
it rained
I have to do ‘A’ before I do ‘B’
Little Billy got sick

What are we afraid of? It’s not that we’re really busy – it’s that we’re afraid to actually do.

People who really go after what’s in their heads are special. They don’t stop to overthink and analyze how crazy it might seem. They aren’t afraid of the voices in their head. They just go and succeed and keep right on going.

Everyday, try to have that mindset. Commit to doing something everyday, even when it sucks. If you put in the daily effort, it can’t get any worse – it has to get better.

So, whatever it is that you want to do, please don’t worry about the outcome or what other people will think. That is exactly what stops you.

“Be like a computer. Respond with results, not excuses.”
The Goalden Lady

Google, or any other search engine, has never given an excuse when you use it to find answers or research.

Creating excuses is a habit that has been unconsciously passed down from generation to generation, across the world. When someone asks you something, instead of telling them the truth, your mind automatically looks for an excuse. It has spilled into so many other areas of our lives, we accept it without thinking.

We treat procrastination the same way. It’s used so much, we believe it. We’re making ourselves intellectually soft. No one wants to think or do anymore.

It’s going to be hard to quit, but I challenge everyone to catch yourself when you make an excuse. Catch yourself when you procrastinate. Don’t let yourself off the hook. Hold yourself accountable.

What do you do instead?

You find the mental power within you and push through. You do it. Perform. Act. Create. Operate. Be intentional and start. Be intentional and finish. It doesn’t have to be big, just begin. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Start by making small changes. You don’t have to start drinking 8 glasses a day, start with 2. You don’t have to start by running a 5k, start with a walk in the neighborhood. You don’t have to start with an expensive date with balloons and roses, start with a kind word and a smile.

Build your foundation. Work your way up to the results you want to obtain. Often times, we see what we want and it overwhelms us because we don’t know how to start – all we see is the end result. Start small and keep building, day by day.

Also, you will have to kill the negative chatter in your head, because that’s also stopping you. Your will to improve has to start in your mind.

Tell yourself how great you are. Tell yourself that you have the ability to do anything. Tell yourself that no matter how difficult it gets, you will find a way. Tell yourself these things, because it’s true.

You’ll even fall, sometimes. That’s okay, just remember to get up. There will be times where it hurts, but give it the time it needs, then keep going.

It’s going to be hard. You’re going to want to give up. You’ll make even more excuses because that’s easy. Change is hard. As long as you have breath in your body, believe that you can do it.

You won’t improve by doing the same thing – at some point, you’ll need to upgrade your game. Do something positive, something that will push you towards a greater situation, to the next level – something different.

It sounds so simple, but it’s one of the most hardest things in the world for people to do.

Take action and move.

#BeGoalden

Getting Ready To Get Ready

Preparation is key to becoming great, but sometimes, we can over do it.

Getting ready to get ready is really an excuse to procrastinate. We say things like:

I’ll start on Monday (everybody’s favorite)
When I get $500, then I’ll start saving
When I finish all of the ice cream in the freezer, then I’ll start my diet
When I buy some exercise equipment, then I’ll start exercising

Do you see a pattern? When I do ‘x’, then I’ll do ‘y’.

It may be hard to admit, but this is just a fancy form of procrastination. Anything you can do, can be done immediately. It won’t make any difference when you start, but because you are constantly ‘getting ready to get ready’, you never begin.

This is why it’s better to start your ideas soon after you have them. Giving yourself time to ‘get ready’ only prolongs what you are trying to do.

In the above examples, you can start any of those things right away. Most people like to start their plans on Monday. Why not start the following day? Why can’t you start saving money now, even if you don’t have $500? What does eating all of the ice cream first have to do with you beginning a new diet? Instead of wasting time trying to buy the right exercise equipment, why not start with a YouTube workout or go outside and play with the kids?

Stay Ready

Anything you want to do can be done without using the ‘getting ready to get ready’ excuse formula. We have to stop giving ourselves an easy way out. Procrastination only brings about more procrastination – it’s a neverending cycle.

Make up your mind that you will start, no matter what the circumstances are in your head. Don’t hinder your own growth – don’t become your own enemy. Be disciplined and take action. Have the confidence to move forward and create progress. You are more than capable and prepared to start than you think you are.

Hold yourself accountable and take control of your future. Hesitating won’t get you anywhere. You don’t want to be in the same place, a year from now. Be extraordinary and do what needs to be done, even when you don’t feel like it. Embrace those challenges so that you can become the exceptional person you’re meant to be!

#BeGoalden

Stop Reflecting; Let 2018 Go

It sounds kind of harsh, but in order to make any progress, you have to let something go.

Reflection is necessary and it should be done. Take time to look back and see how you can improve on the upcoming year. The issue is, sometimes, we can reflect a little too long and stay there as we’re going into 2019.

More time should be spent on planning for 2019, as opposed to reflecting on 2018. Since 2018 is almost gone, it won’t do any good to stay in reflection for too long. Don’t let the past keep you there.

Go for 2019. Get out of your comfort zone (2018) and step into the New Year with confidence. You’ve reflected enough. You know what you need to do.

If you don’t know, then do this: Pick something from the categories of mindset, health and wealth.

For example, you may want to work on your focus (mindset), eat cleaner (health) and save more money (wealth).

Now, let’s get more specific. You want to have deep focus without giving in to distractions while you’re writing your book. You want to eat at least one plant-based meal per day. You want to save at least 10% of your paycheck, every pay period.

That’s how you begin 2019. If it didn’t happen in 2018, let it go and start now. Don’t make it harder than it has to be.

Everyday is a chance at a new opportunity. Don’t get stuck looking back.

#BeGoalden

Have Faith Over Fear

When the unthinkable happens, it’s hard to let it go in your mind. The loss of a job, a loved one or having anxiety can all trigger that one, go-to emotion…

Fear.

Doubt sets in. Worry takes over. Panic ensues. It’s the natural path your mind takes when you attempt to gain control of a situation.

How many times have you wanted to try something, but doubt enters your mind and you slowly let it go? How many times have you worried about something and in the end, you felt like you wasted time thinking about it because everything turned out fine? How many times have you automatically thought the worst of a situation and began to panic out of habit?

Fear is natural when you’re running from danger, but it’s learned when you use it as a ‘first response’ emotion when it comes to facing challenges and obstacles.

Faith, on the other hand, is knowing that you can handle whatever situations arise. It doesn’t cloud your vision or destroy your life. Some way and some how, you just know that things will be fine.

Some people think that faith works on it’s own. If you believe it, it will happen. Well, that’s partially right, but that’s not exactly how it works.

Faith is believing. As with anything, it starts in your mind, but it doesn’t stop there. You have to put in the work to push it through.

Don’t have faith and just stop. Have faith and then, do the work.
The Goalden Lady

The situation you’re going through may be scary, but would you rather carry that anxiety around with you, or have faith and help make it better?

Putting in the work behind faith is necessary. Your mind is doing the mental part of believing and you must do the physical part of taking action. Faith doesn’t work well alone, but when you put forth the effort and energy to make it happen, you’ll get the results you were looking for.

How do you put faith over fear? First, the cure to fear, is action. Even if you are afraid to take action, that’s the only way you’re going to conquer fear. Acknowledge the fear and move forward. If it doesn’t physically harm you, do it.

Secondly, if action cures fear, then all you need to do now is have faith along with the action. Buy that house, ask him out, speak to the crowd. No matter how big or small, do it scared and make progress in the right direction. Do it enough times and you won’t be scared anymore – you’ll be able to help others on how to do it, too.

Having faith doesn’t guarantee that everything will go your way, even if you do take action. Obstacles will come up and test you and your fear will speak to you. This is not a sign to stop, but a sign to work through it and keep going. There is something better for you on the other side.

Keep working on it. If you stop at the first sign of defeat, it’ll never happen.

Have faith over your fear. Staying in the same position in your life just because you are afraid to move forward will get you absolutely no where. Your potential is limitless. When unexpected situations happen, fear will keep you complacent, but faith will carry you through.

#BeGoalden

This Time, Next Year

After all of the holiday feasts and family get-togethers, what’s next?

Usually, this is the time where people start to get into their New Year’s plans and resolutions. Year after year, it’s the same pattern.

There’s nothing wrong with a little tradition, but how about making a new personal development tradition?

No one has to know, but you. There are some people who get a little weird when you mention self-help or personal development, but if you have a supportive circle of friends, you can all do it together.

Here’s the big question you want to answer: “Where do I see myself, this time, next year?”

It may sound like another way to create a resolution, but this is for life, not just a few months. This involves your mindset, health, and wealth.

We are capable of working on more than one thing at a time. There’s a time to focus on all three at different times throughout the day.

In the morning and at night, focus on your mindset. When you wake up in the morning, guide your mind into positive thoughts. Think about what you want to accomplish that day and how it will successfully unfold. In the evening, think about how your day went and how you can improve or make it better. Read something that inspires you to be your best. This will set into your subconscious before you fall asleep and gear your thoughts towards positive action.
Before you have a meal, focus on your health. Don’t overthink your eating habits. Plain and simple, eat food that will give you energy and avoid food that makes you feel tired. We all know what’s not good for us, so to start, make a change with every meal. Switch out a slice of cake for an orange, or potato chips for celery. It may be a far stretch from what you’re used to, but start small to work your way towards better eating habits. It’s hard to do because some food tastes really good, but think about your future. You have nothing without good health.
Mind your money and watch your wealth. It seems like every wealthy person always had money, but some of them had to start from the bottom. Pay yourself first, with every paycheck. This doesn’t mean buy things and have a great time, it means put money aside for emergencies. Living paycheck to paycheck is stressful and painful. Help yourself by setting aside a set amount every time you get paid. Make it a habit. It may seem small at first, but over time, it builds up into a good amount. Now, when you have an emergency, you don’t have to wait for the next paycheck and put off other bills to accommodate it – you’ll already have it to fix the problem.

This is just a start to many things you can do towards your personal development. The biggest challenge is to actually start.

Everyone always starts on a Monday or on New Year’s Day, but you can start in the middle of the week if you want to. The “I’ll start on Monday” excuses will trickle down to the end of the year if you let it.

The only way you will achieve any goal, is to start. It doesn’t have to be a parade before you start, just do it! The next meal you have, pick a healthy substitution for one thing on your plate. The next time you’re in the car, listen to a podcast involving your goal. The next time you get your change back from a purchase, collect the change in a jar (if you’re using a debit card, have your bank put the extra change into a savings account for you).

It doesn’t matter, just start! Excuses will only keep you in the same place, this time next year.

Make a commitment to yourself. The best investment you can make is in your self improvement. Once that becomes a daily habit, everything else will fall into place. You’ll be a better version of yourself, this time, next year and for years to come.

#BeGoalden

How To Finish Strong

The year is winding down. There are only a couple of weeks left until the New Year. Everyone will begin to think about their goals and resolutions.

What about the goals from this year? Did you complete some of them or all of them? How can you effectively move on to new plans without completing your current plans?

This is the time of year where everyone starts to begin making plans for next year. We skip the record and go straight to the end. How about finishing this year, first?

Don’t let up on what you have going on this year. Finish this year strong, so that we can have an amazing start to next year. First, we have to close this year out, successfully…

Have a year-end review. How did things turn out? Were your goals too big or too small? Did you feel comfortable reaching them or was it too difficult? These are important factors to consider when making plans for next year’s goals. Maybe you can go a little harder or you could create more time to dive into your plan. Be strategic when preparing your objectives.
Keep up the momentum. “There’s only two weeks left, I’ll take it easy…” This is where you want to work your hardest. Towards the end, we tend to slow down because we see the finish line. Keep pushing with the same (or more) energy you’ve been working with. Just because it’s close to the end doesn’t mean you’ll automatically finish victoriously.
Build next year’s goals with intent. Goals should be broken down into more achievable pieces. This way, you won’t get too overwhelmed with the process and you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment. Continue to structure your plan according to the end goal. Don’t give up in the middle and have to start over. Even if you didn’t reach the goal, keep it going into next year. It may be the year it all comes together!

Remember, taking your foot off the pedal and cruising into next year doesn’t serve you in any way. Review what you’ve done, make adjustments and keep moving with dynamic strength.

Don’t allow time to sneak up on you and get away by slowing down. Use it with purpose and dedicate yourself to the end result.

If anything, be more persistent as the end draws near. You may be closer to your results than you think.

#BeGoalden

Live Your Life In ‘Real Time’

The concept of ‘real time’ is doing something as it happens or at the moment it occurs.

It seems like we live in ‘real time,’ but most of us really don’t. How can you not live in ‘real time’ while you are actually living?

Some people put things off, therefore, real time is delayed time. Procrastination at it’s best.

For people who never have enough time to exercise or eat right or spend time with their kids, etc., that’s absolutely not true.

You can find time – it’s always there. What you want to do, you’ll find time for- you can make time for anything.

Understandably, when you’re at work, you can’t just stop and do the things you want to do – but what about those moments when you can?

When you’re at home and you’re eating a bag of chips, your mind says, “Maybe I should eat an apple…”. In ‘real time’ you would put down the chips and eat the apple, but instead, you choose to ignore that thought.

That’s how living in ‘real time’ works.

When you’re binge-watching your favorite show and you think, “I need to write an outline for my paper…” stop watching it and create the outline for your paper. That’s ‘real time’ living.

We all know what we should do in out minds, but we seem to make the choice to ignore those hints. When we see others who are successful, we complain, “I could be successful like that, but I didn’t have time.”

The difference between you and them is that they listened to those mindful hints and applied it in ‘real time’. They acted upon those thoughts in ‘real time’.

They didn’t say, “Let me finish eating this ice cream first, then I’ll eat healthy,” or “I’m gonna sleep in – it’ll be there when I wake up, it’s not going anywhere.”

As you can see, living in ‘real time’ takes discipline and effort. Sometimes, we’d rather do what we want to do, rather than what we need to do.

Living in ‘real time’ accomplishes goals. You can’t be lazy and expect to achieve what you want – it takes ‘real time’ habits.

When you think it, do it – that’s all there is to it. Before you binge-watch your favorite show, get all of the ‘real time’ tasks and responsibilities out of the way, first. Then you can enjoy your shows with a sense of completion and fulfillment.

Besides…it’s not going anywhere.

#BeGoalden

Be Happy Now

No one knows how long they have left in their life. We have a habit of procrastinating and putting certain things off, thinking it will be better in the future.

Because we have lived this long, we always think there’s tomorrow. This works for having a plan and setting goals, because goals take time to accomplish, but there are some things that can happen now, like your happiness.

Being happy is a simple thing. It doesn’t have to be something big and elaborate in order for us to enjoy the moment.

Happiness can be a baby’s smile, a corny joke, or simply waking up in the morning.

Sometimes, people will tie happiness to an event.

“I’ll be happy when I get a raise.”
“I’ll be happy after I lose 10 pounds.”
“I’ll be happy if he even looks at me!”
“I’ll be happy if I get that car.”

Happiness can come from the result of something happening in your favor, but that’s not the extent of true happiness.

What about the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven or a hot shower after a hard workout? A cup of hot tea in the morning or putting on warm clothes, right out of the dryer? These are basic, everyday things that bring a moment of bliss into a busy life.

It’s not wrong to be happy once you have achieved your goals, but you can still allow happiness until that time comes.

Putting off your happiness can contribute to your overall well-being in a negative way. It doesn’t help being a grumpy person, blaming others and complaining about everything. Not only will other people not want to be around you, but you start to become dependent on other things to bring you happiness.

Happiness does not come from the outside. It is your choice to be happy and content. Other people will try to steal your joy, but don’t let them. They want you to be unhappy because they’re unhappy. By all means, don’t fall into that trap!

You are responsible for your happiness. Yes, joy may come from outside things, but that’s not the source of your joy. Before you walk out into the world, you determine your outlook for the day. It’s in your control, so why not start out happy?

Don’t delay being happy until something happens. Be happy in the meantime! It doesn’t have to be attached to a result. Find those little things that bring you peace of mind and joy on any given day.

#BeGoalden

Don’t Believe What They Tell You

You decide to be who you want to be. There is no ‘maybe’ or ‘can I’ or ‘what do you think’. None of that. Get it in your head that you can be who you want to be – it’s your decision.

Believing in yourself is hard. It takes guts to take control of your thoughts and become your vision. Most people will go by what their parents say or what their teacher says about them.

Don’t believe what they say! Don’t let it enter your mind and take over. If you let it, you will be what they say you are. You will slowly adapt to their opinion of you.

They may call you awkward, but you’re not. They may say you’re lazy, but they haven’t seen you work. People will say all kinds of things about you, but don’t be what they say.

This is how you begin to win. Believe what YOU think. Throughout life, there will be plenty of people trying to make you into someone else, but always remember that you are who you are. They can take it or leave it.

People are shocked when they find out that someone isn’t who they ‘thought’ they were. They’re appalled because that person didn’t match their image of what they imagined.

Don’t let let it distract you. The only person you should be concerned about is you. Keep building yourself. Keep being awesome. Keep making progress to YOUR idea of greatness.

Let others know, too. Evidently, people don’t know that they can be who they want to be. They have the power to be magnificent. They have the energy to move in the direction of their choice. Sometimes, they have so many other people in their ear, it drowns out their own thoughts.

If your mom wants you to be a lawyer and you don’t, that’s her issue. If your father wants you to be a doctor and you don’t, that’s his problem. It may disappoint the people you love, but would you rather make them happy or make yourself happy?

It’s upsetting to see grown people living the life that their parents wanted. If that’s what you want, that’s fine, but please don’t waste your entire life being something you’re not.

It is a tough decision, especially when it comes to loved ones, but always bet on yourself. Don’t allow those opinions to be your life’s path – it’s your choice. Follow through and be you.

#BeGoalden