growth Archives - Page 8 of 11

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

How Discipline Outweighs Instant Gratification

Discipline is a word that successful people are comfortable with, but for others, it’s a Debbie Downer. Having self-discipline allows you to stay ten steps ahead of those future obstacles and challenges.

It takes discipline to achieve any goal, whether you’re a toddler learning to walk, or an adult getting in shape. It may sound repetitive and boring, but that’s where your achievement lives and if you want it bad enough, you’ll use discipline to get you there.

Instant Gratification

The opposite of being disciplined is indulging in instant gratification. Instant gratification is nothing more than doing what feels good in the moment.

Eating cake feels good in the moment, but if you have too many of those moments, you’ll gain weight, among other things. Once you start noticing the outcome, it’s not so gratifying anymore.

We all want to feel good in every moment, but a lot of times, it doesn’t turn out good in the end. Too much of anything isn’t good for you, so you have to be mindful and consider what’s more beneficial in the long run – eating cake all day and feeling crummy, or replacing it with an apple and feeling vibrant?

Yes, it sounds like a buzz kill, but when you experience the results that you thought were impossible, it feels awesome! Discipline turns some people off because they can’t see an immediate change, but all you need is a strong focus and determination to reach your desired outcome.

The person who decides to save a dollar a day, will benefit more financially down the road, than the one who decides to spend a dollar day. Not only will they be in a better financial position in the future, they will also have developed a mindset of discipline.

Discipline Is A Major Advantage

When your friends want to go out and have a good time every Friday and Saturday night, that’s instant gratification. When you make the choice to stay home and work on your side business, that’s discipline.

Who doesn’t want to have a good time on the weekends? You deserve it, right? Who wants to stay in the house, working on their future all the time?

Spending most of your paycheck as soon as you get it is not the move. It feels good over the weekend, but when Monday comes, you’re back to where you started. Having discipline will take care of that ‘back to rock bottom’ feeling.

Discipline is not sexy. It’s not the fun or hip thing to do. As boring as it seems, it’s the best tool you can use to prepare for the best results of any goal in mind.

Drinking water everyday, or putting money aside for unexpected emergencies can be hard at first, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. Drinking water for two weeks will show the glow in your skin and the energy in your step. Having money saved for those little emergencies won’t blow your bank account back to zero. Being disciplined is a major advantage.

Discipline Gives The Best Rewards

If you’re not used to making small sacrifices in order to meet your achievements, take it one step at a time. The most important thing to do is start.

You don’t have to save $500 every week – start with $10. You don’t have to start doing cardio an hour a day – start with 10 minutes and build. That’s how you develop discipline and eventually, dominate life.

Discipline gives you the best rewards. No one can be their best without practicing some form of self-control. We all want to live our lives on a beach, not worrying about money or going to a job we hate every morning. In order to do what you want to do, you must do what you have to do. It’s going to take time and a strong, consistent effort, but that’s discipline.

When you master self-discipline, you grant yourself more options and opportunities. Take hold of your future by building your discipline, today.

#BeGoalden

Finding The Experience Within The Obstacle

Life is full of situations that go wrong, or at least, that’s the way we see it. Actually, these experiences show us who we are and what we’re made of.

You break up with a significant other, you get into a car accident, you’re 2 credits short of graduating, your shoe got caught in the vent – it goes on and on. How do you handle these moments?

Failing Is An Experience

Most of the time, things don’t go right the first time around. When that happens, is it a hint to just stop?

Most people will take it as a hint from the universe that they should give up. Failure isn’t bad, it’s just another way of saying something isn’t working. It’s an experience to learn from and do better. Taking action shouldn’t stop if you fail.

Get past what you were taught about failing – it’s not the end, it’s a suggestion. Don’t worry about others laughing at you or waiting for you to fall flat on your face. They won’t be laughing when they see your success, but you must keep failing until you get it right.

Failure simply means: this didn’t work, so try something else. Eventually, you’ll hit the nail on the head, but only if you stay focused and involved.

When Disaster Strikes

Life has a way of letting us know who’s in charge. Everything could be going well and then, something totally out of the ordinary happens.

When disaster strikes, there’s no doubt that it hurts in some way. It’s not what you expected, it happened at a bad time or, it puts your life on hold. If you’re unable to handle it immediately, you may have to take some time to work towards a solution.

Most people will play victim in these types of situations, because they are too lazy or they just don’t want to face it and deal with it. They will blame it on something or someone else and complain about the circumstances. It’s an easy way out.

While it may be true that you didn’t deserve what happened, it prepares you to conquer challenges on a greater level. It may not be what you’re used to, but if you’re determined, you’ll come out in a better position than you were before.

Save Yourself

When we have these experiences, we look to others for some sort of help or relief. That may not always be convenient, so you’re going to have to learn to save yourself.

The experiences that happen to you, are for you to learn from – it is unique to your life. What you learn from misfortune will help you in the long run, as long as you choose to cope with it constructively.

For example, what happens if you’re short on money? Most people ask for help. When you ask someone for help, they don’t have it (or pretend they don’t have it). The only option you have left, is to save yourself. Will you sink or swim? Put yourself in a position to be independent, as much as possible.

This is why it’s important to stay 10 steps ahead. If you’re short on money, maybe you should create a budget, get a second job or start your own side business. Do something with that negative experience and turn it into a teachable moment and thrive. Master the art of independence, so you won’t have to constantly be disappointed by depending on others.

Embrace The Experience

As bad as it seems, it won’t last forever. Don’t become a victim of your own life. You’re living the blueprint. Learn the lesson, be persistent and move forward with confidence.

There will be all kinds of experiences throughout life, but it encourages your personal growth. It’s not to tear you down – it’s to help develop your character and work towards your potential.

Whenever you catch yourself in a bad situation, ask, “What can I learn from this?” It’s not an easy thing to do while you’re going through it, but it will prepare you for any future challenge that may come your way.

#BeGoalden

Happiness Is Your Responsibility, Not The World’s

Happiness Is Your Choice, Not the World's

Your happiness is in your control. Often times, we allow outside circumstances to direct how we feel throughout the day. We have the power to feel the way we want to feel, but sometimes, we give up that responsibility to someone else.

Being happy and having the right attitude takes conscious effort. You can easily go through life thinking of unfortunate things that have happened in the past and reliving it everyday, but you also have the ability to decide to be positive and move forward.

Find Your Happiness

The reason why so many of us aren’t happy is because we are waiting on someone, or some thing, to make us happy. “I’ll be happy when I’m married – I’ll be happy when I lose 10 pounds – I’ll be happy when I finish school.” Relying on an outside source to make you feel good will fail every time.

When you wake up in the morning, give yourself permission to feel joy. Yesterday may not have been a great day, but you don’t have to invite that feeling into the next day, or the day after that. Even if you need to address the same challenge today, go into it with a positive mindset, knowing you will overcome it.

Find happiness on your own. Make the decision that this day will be productive and fulfilling, because you will make it that way. If you made the attempt and it doesn’t work out, leave it where it is – don’t carry it over into the next day. Keep a good attitude, start again and work through it with confidence.

A Good Attitude Is Rewarding

Possessing a positive attitude is more beneficial than having a bad attitude. How many times have you received poor customer service, because that person had a negative vibe?

Everyone won’t be chipper and delightful all of the time, but by having a good attitude, you remain in control of your feelings. Just because someone else isn’t having such a good day, doesn’t mean that you should give in and mirror their emotions.

Having a positive attitude lights up a room – you never know who it could affect. People with bad attitudes expect others to participate in their negativity, but you could always walk away or change the direction of the conversation.

Who wants to be around a person who’s always gloomy? Keep your attitude at a positive level and don’t let others steal your happiness.

Distractions And Discipline

Distractions are out there, fighting for your attention. It could be in the form of watching the news, people gossiping, or chasing that new, shiny object.

Whatever the situation is, don’t let your attitude follow the various distractions you encounter everyday. There are pleasant distractions that can make your day, but when it takes away your concentration, it can lead down a different road.

Distractions are a form of control. Whenever you fall for a distraction, it has power over your demeanor. There’s no way to avoid all distractions, but you still have control over how you receive and react to them.

Practice being disciplined with your attitude. When something grabs your attention, your reaction is normally to go with it. Letting distractions control your feelings can bring about anxiety and stress. Instead, acknowledge it, have your feelings about it (if necessary) and get back to your happiness. There’s no need to ruin a good day, over a small disturbance.

Happiness Takes Practice

Having a positive attitude should be common practice in your life. Don’t let other people take away the joy you want to keep.

It can be a daily battle, but it becomes easier the more you do it. By making the effort and choosing to have a brighter perspective, you open yourself up to opportunities and handle challenges more effectively.

This doesn’t mean that the bad distractions will go away, it just means that you’re in a better position to manage them – again, you have the power. When you choose to be happy, instead of allowing some outside force to hijack your emotions, you become more positive and it catches on to other people around you.

We all have a choice – are we going to guide the day, or let the day guide us?

Always keep your happiness, a good attitude and a bright perspective.

#BeGoalden

The Power In Your Potential

We think we know our own potential. Most of us have been living our lives according to what other people think and that’s not your potential. In fact, it goes further than you think.

Your potential is infinite – there is no end to your ability to do anything. We say to ourselves, “I can do anything!” The real question isn’t whether you can do it or not, but will you actually put in the necessary time and effort to do it?

How Do You Think Of Your Potential?

Everyone has the capability to do what they please. If that’s the case, why is it so difficult to follow through and achieve your plan?

There’s no doubt that there’s power in thinking and saying you can do something. An idea starts in the mind. You are responsible for growing it to it’s fullest potential.

You give up power when you let other people’s judgments guide you. You ask for their opinion and trick yourself into thinking that you need their approval. Sometimes, you just want an audience to cheer you on before you start.

The absolute power is in the act of doing it for yourself. We all know that anyone is capable of doing anything. Have the confidence to make it happen, whether others support you or not.

Use Your Power For Yourself

If you’ve made it this far, you’re ahead of the crowd. You can talk about accomplishing your goals all day long, but nothing will work, unless you do.

Instead of wanting others to support you and validate your ideas, do it for yourself. They can’t see your vision, because it’s yours. Put forth the physical effort by showing up and doing the actual work.

Hold yourself accountable. It may help to have an accountability partner, but in the end, it’s up to you whether you will do it or not. When it gets hard, other people will easily tell you to take it easy or say ‘I told you so.’ It’s not important to them like it is to you. Don’t let yourself down.

You must be fine with others not liking your ideas. Be comfortable with negative feedback and the criticism that comes along with your journey. Be persistent and carry out your idea towards your potential. Keep others and their distractions at a distance.

Will You Do It?

Are you strong enough to stick with your idea, even when everyone else thinks it’s impossible? Do you still see your own light? Yes, it can be hard, but there are other places where you can find support and encouragement.

The internet has allowed the world to connect through the touch of a screen, or with the click of a mouse. You are no longer held captive within one specific environment.

There are motivational blogs to read – even social media can be a great support, IF you follow the right people. Select a podcast that serves your motivational interests and feeds your mind with inspiration.

Join a group of people who are on the same growing path as you. This will allow you to connect with positive energy and will benefit you moving forward.

Potential Is Power

Don’t be discouraged by others. It’s easier to insult and criticize someone, than it is to be helpful. Keep your eye on the prize and be disciplined enough to battle through your limits.

By using your resources wisely, you’ll be able to find the right community that shares the same hunger for achieving the impossible.

Understand that you won’t find your power in other people. You have to find it within yourself. Always bet on you – others may count you out before you even start, but know that you have the focus and discipline to push through to the end.

You’re Not Perfect, But You Can Still Be Successful

The idea of being perfect can be your worst enemy. It makes you think you’re making progress, by being ‘busy’ and constantly being in a state of getting ready.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be the absolute best at what you’re doing, but when it turns into a big project of nothing, that’s where we have an issue.

Everyone wants to be perfect and do things right the very first time, but it almost always never happens that way. There’s no such thing as perfection, but you can get close to it.

Is Being Perfect Possible?

The idea of perfection has caused a lot of mental harm to people. We know that no one is perfect, so why do we continue to chase the illusion?

We see perfection on social media. People who have the perfect spouse and they go on perfect vacations, with their perfect salaries, in their perfect little world. That’s what we want.

We also see perfection in other people’s judgments. When we’re being judged, the first thing we think about is how we can change, so we can avoid that judgment in the future.

Stop thinking that everyone else is perfect and you are behind or lacking any ability. There’s also a side of people that you don’t see, or know nothing about, that isn’t so spotless. Most people will only show you what they want you to see.

No one will ever be perfect and that’s okay – just don’t fool yourself into thinking that perfection is what it takes to be successful.

Excuses And Procrastination

How many times have you used the excuse of making something just right (perfect), only to end up extending the time and eventually, not following through?

Being a perfectionist definitely leads to procrastinating. “It has to be just right, or it won’t work.” What about just doing it to the best of your ability and putting the thing out there and seeing what happens?

The only way you will know the result of something, is if you just do it and put it out there. It may not be exactly how you pictured it in your mind, but you need to take action in order to know if it’ll work.

How can you work towards a desired outcome if you have no feedback to go on? Yes, feedback can be scary and it can hurt your feelings (if you let it). Get in the habit of consistently doing and putting it out there, so you can see where you need to improve.

The more you put it out there, the more progress you make. The more progress you make, the closer you will get to perfection. You won’t be perfect, but you’ll get really close.

Don’t Waste Your Time

Don’t waste time with it. Take imperfect action. That means speaking in public, taking that test, publishing that book, cooking that dish for those special guests, talking to that person, closing that deal – whatever it is you’re attempting to be perfect at.

If you keep working on it, before you know it, two years will have passed by. What if you had done it and learned how to make it better along the way? Within those same two years, you will have become a pro at what you’re doing, as opposed to still figuring out the perfect way to start.

While you’re hesitating by being ‘busy’, someone else is out there making mistakes and correcting it as they go. They are continuing to enhance and advance. They will accomplish their goal by carefully managing their time, while seeing past the illusion of being perfect.

Time is constant and no one can stop it. Be productive by taking advantage of it and constantly making great strides. Ask any older person and they will tell you that they wish they had more time, or used the time that they had, more wisely.

Pushing Past Being Perfect

Nothing is perfect. Even your technical device will have a hiccup every now and then, but it doesn’t stop because it’s not perfect – it updates and keeps going. When it comes across another error, it’ll update again and keep going.

This is how you must look at perfection. Be imperfect, but don’t let it slow you down. Make it better (update) and continue on. You’ll see your success quicker this way, rather than mindlessly creating the perfect process.

Being disciplined and having tough skin will help with overcoming your misconception of being perfect. You must be willing to take losses, as well as being judged. At the same time, you have to be resilient and remain focused if you want to achieve any goal.

Don’t let being perfect be a distraction. You can keep putting off starting and say you’re not ready, but you’ll find yourself in the same place, this time next year.

Make a commitment to getting unstuck. Launch your idea, even if it’s not 100% ready. Speak in public, even if your voice is shaky. Receive judgment and criticism, even if it stings a little. Allow it to fuel you, not frustrate you.

You’re already ahead of most people who let their thoughts and ideas live in their heads. The best way to get close to perfection, is to put yourself out there and take imperfect action.

#BeGoalden

Don’t Expect Everyone To Love What You Do

Do you expect everyone to love what you do, before you get started? When we start a significant journey, one of the first things we deal with are our expectations. We expect a good circle of support, as well as a good outcome of something great.

Having a positive vision helps with the process, but you shouldn’t get stuck depending on others. Waiting for someone to validate you or agree with your idea is a waste of time – you’ll be waiting forever.

Instead, bet on yourself and take a chance. Remember to keep up with your own expectations – run your race, according to your standards.

Control What You Can

One of the most important things to remember is that you can only control what you can. Often times, we get bent out of shape over things we have no control over and we allow it to consume our day in a negative way.

If someone gives a negative opinion about your project, that doesn’t mean you should stop. It’s just an opinion. You did your best, but you aren’t able to control what other people say or think.

Don’t overthink their opinion. It’s fine to think back on how you could improve, but don’t let it ruin the fact that you pulled off this project when no one else wanted to take it. You put the idea out there and took a chance, while they gossiped in the break room everyday.

You can only deal with what you can control. If it rains on the day you were planning to go out, don’t worry the rest of the day away – you can either plan it for another day, or simply do something else.

Don’t Expect Immediate Support

You have this incredible idea in your head and it’s going to change the world! You can’t wait to get started.

When you tell your family and friends about it, they don’t seem too excited. You may even receive some unsolicited feedback on how it won’t work out and how crazy you are for thinking of it.

If these are the types of reactions you get, you’re actually on the right path. Hardly anyone ever supports great ideas from the start. Sometimes, you have to prove yourself before people jump on board.

It can be a lonely path in the beginning, because no one sees your vision the way you do. As they say, if it were easy, everyone would do it. Most people won’t be supportive at first, so don’t expect everyone to back you. Believe in what you’re doing and continue to persist.

This is why it’s important to get around a group of encouraging people. It’s not necessary, but it helps that someone else can see a glimmer of light when everyone else only sees darkness.

Expect Nothing To Go As Planned

Writing your thoughts down and creating a plan to make it work is essential when working on your goals. What happens when things don’t go according to your plan?

If your plan doesn’t seem to work, it’s alright. You’ve found a way that doesn’t work, therefore, you don’t have to waste any more time on that particular strategy. It’s called making progress.

This is not a hint to stop and give up. It’s a helpful hint that is pointing you in another direction, to attempt something else. There’s no straight path to success.

The twists and turns that you’ll experience will only make you more productive, aware and intelligent. Mistakes are merely suggestions on what to do next, or how to do it better.

So, no, it won’t go as planned. You must possess the mindset that you have the ability to figure it out as you go along. Every path is different and you are creating your own.

Expect The Best From Yourself

It won’t do you any good to have great expectations of other people, but it does help to expect more from yourself.

Other people will let you down, but you won’t let yourself down. Your standard of excellence will allow you to advance towards the future you are building. Others can’t do that for you.

Be confident and believe in yourself. It may be difficult, but trust yourself enough to go out and pursue your dream. Have the courage to go at it without stopping and succumbing to other’s opinions.

All it takes is one confident thought and some productive action. People will always find a way to insult your dreams, but only you can build yourself and make it happen.

What do you expect from yourself? It’s all up to you.

#BeGoalden

Success Never Stops -Achieve More Goals

Achieving success is never easy. Most strategies don’t go as planned and time plays a role in the entire process.

Once you finally reach your goal, you may think it’s over, but it’s not. There’s always another peak to climb and conquer – life doesn’t stop after one major accomplishment.

After I Achieve My Goal, What’s Next?

It took you months, or maybe even years, to be successful with your goal. It feels great and you want to celebrate and live in that particular success forever!

Who wouldn’t want to stay in that moment? You won the game, beat the odds and you’re the champion, but what’s next?

This is a natural feeling after you’ve achieved a major goal in your life. Some people don’t know what to do, but you need to create another challenge for yourself and start the climb all over again.

Your first success is only the beginning. You’re at the peak of this mountain, but now, you have to start hiking the next mountain. When you finally reach the top and look out over the horizon, you see there are more mountains to climb.

Take On Another Challenge

There has to be another challenge to face, or another battle to win. This is what helps you become more productive and builds confidence for your future plans. If you stop after one success, it will quickly fade away.

Think of a singer with a popular song. The song may have been #1 for a few weeks, but sooner or later, someone else will come along and become #1. You don’t want to be a one hit wonder – you want to continue and have more #1 hit songs.

To keep it going, the singer may start to put out their own artists, or maybe cross over into movie soundtracks. Maybe they want to step outside of their talent and open a restaurant, but no matter what, they must keep up the momentum.

Success Isn’t A One Time Event

If you want to be successful, it never stops. After you achieve that goal, there’s more to consider.

You don’t take over the world after achieving one goal. There’s always someone who is working just as hard to overshadow your success. In order to keep making progress, you must find another summit to scale.

Don’t become a ‘has-been’ and continue repeating and remembering that one time in your life. You don’t want to live your life wondering what would have happened. Stretch yourself and see where your new abilities take you.

Success Never Stops

The skills you gain from each success should allow you to take aim at an even bigger target. It never stops.

The most important step to achieving any goal is to just start. Figure things out along the way. You won’t have all the answers in the beginning – it’s all a part of the journey.

The more mountains you climb, the more skills you’ll develop. You’ll put yourself in a position to help others who were once like you and that becomes another form of success.

Validate your potential. You are capable of more than you think, but you’ll never know if you stop after achieving one goal.

#BeGoalden

3 Proactive Strategies To Build A Successful Life

People say it all the time: “Just do it! Start where you are! Think positive!” Those things sound good in theory, but where do you actually begin?

Developing strong habits is a great start. If you want to build yourself into a more productive person, you’re going to have to make some changes with your daily practices.

Introduce the following 3 habits into your life. This isn’t about instant gratification. Instead, it’s about preparing for upcoming opportunities and growth, which will be beneficial to you in the long run.

Strategy #1: Take Ownership of Your Actions

As kids, we would point the finger at someone else if we didn’t want to get in trouble. Even if we knew it was our fault, we would do anything to avoid punishment. For some of us, we carried this habit over into adulthood.

If you do something wrong, own up to it. This is the sign of a leader. The point isn’t to find someone to blame, it’s to take responsibility so the team can move forward.

People are so worried about the consequences of their actions, that they don’t want to own their mistakes. This type of mindset holds up your process to achieving any goal.

No one wants to look bad, but in hindsight, see where you went wrong and improve upon what happened. If you should come across the situation again, you know how to handle it better. Own your actions and allow it to be a life lesson.

Strategy #2: Hold Yourself Accountable

In order to become the greatest version of yourself, you must hold yourself accountable. Your personal standards should exceed the standards of what others expect of you.

It’s good to have accountability partners, but they’re not always necessary. Some people work better alone because they can move at their own pace. In some instances, an accountability partner can hold you back.

Instead of giving someone else the responsibility of holding you accountable, hold yourself accountable. Letting yourself down should be more painful than letting someone else down. You can disappoint others and not care, but if you disappoint yourself (especially if it’s something you really want to accomplish), it should spark you into action.

Don’t depend on others – start holding yourself accountable. Without realizing it, your friends can be your biggest downfall. They may let you get away with skipping a workout or look the other way when you slip up. Trust yourself and don’t give in.

Strategy #3: Be Solution-Focused

When everyone else is complaining, find a solution. While everyone else is making up excuses, find a way to make it work. Make it a habit of making things happen.

It’s easy to find comfort in negativity. Most people live in those spaces, but there’s no growth there. If you want to find yourself in a better position, you’re going to have to do the opposite and that means finding solutions.

Be the person that looks for an answer. Even if your suggestion doesn’t work out, at least you didn’t sit there and complain while doing nothing. All you did was learn one way that didn’t work.

Whenever the chance is given, always look for a solution. Contributing to the problem doesn’t move you any closer to solving the issue. Your job is to focus on getting to the next level. Be solution-focused.

BONUS – Strategy #4: Be Consistent With Taking Action

This is the most important strategy. No matter what happens, be consistent with taking action.

You will encounter obstacles and challenges throughout your life – no one is immune to this. The only way you can guarantee your achievement is to take consistent action.

The more action you take, the more direction you give yourself. If you go in the wrong direction, turn around and go in another. This leads to the path towards your achievement. Keep taking action until you reach your goal.

Most people will see it as a sign to stop, but it’s just a hint that you should try again, but in a different way. You can change the course, but never change the goal.

These strategies will help you create a steady foundation for the rest of your life. Begin using them now and start reaping the benefits of your future sooner, rather than later.

#BeGoalden

#TBT: You Don’t Have To Like It (Just Do It)

You’re ready to start committing to your goal. You’ve done all of the research and you know what it’s going to take. The plan has been thought out and you’re prepared. The start date comes around and you realize that you’re not feeling it. It looked good during research, but now it’s time to do the actual work.

When people say they want to reach a certain goal, they mostly think about the parts they like to do. This can be fun and it’s part of the reason why you want to do it, right? Everyone says, “Follow your passion! Do what you love!” That’s called a hobby. If you want to make a living off of what you love to do, it’s called a business.

Now, you have to do business things. It doesn’t seem so fun anymore. You can only get paid under the table for so long. You will run into someone who will ask you to fill out an I-9 or W-9 for whatever type of tax or identification purposes*. Now, you need to temporarily stop baking cupcakes and start doing the paperwork necessary to make your business official.

Yes, I know you hate paperwork and filling out different forms and making payments to cover your business name with the state, etc. Well, you don’t have to like it, you just have to do it. While you’re baking those lovely cupcakes, you also have to make time for the things you need to do to make your business grow and to generate more customers. You can pay someone to do these things for you or you can take the time and do it yourself. I know it’s laborious, but you should always aim to have all of your ducks in a row.

You just learned that you need a license in order to bake those lovely cupcakes you’ve been baking for the last ten years. You already know how to do this, so why do you need a license? Well, it’s the law (for example purposes). If you get a surprise inspection one day, you’ll be glad you did it. Get your lovely cupcake baking license and keep moving forward. Want to be recognized as a woman-owned business? That’s a task – you’ll need the last three years of taxes, articles of organization, the date your business started, meeting minutes, NAICS codes, etc*. Ask anyone in a legal business and they will tell you that there’s much more to running a business, other than doing the part you love.

It sucks that these things come up, but don’t let it ruin your passion for those cupcakes. There are many other things you will have to do, just so you can bake those lovely cupcakes. As your business grows, you’ll be able to hire someone to help you with the boring, tedious paperwork. Again, you don’t have to like all of the exhausting, monotonous work, but you have to do it. Don’t let it stop you from starting your business. Everyone has to do it – no one is picking on you. If it’s needed, then do it. Plain and simple. The complaining and whining will only hinder your progress.

One more time: you don’t have to like it, you just have to do it. If it was easy, everyone would be successful.

*The examples in this post are merely used as a guideline in starting a fictitious cupcake business. Please do your own research in order to succeed.