mindset Archives - Page 3 of 18

The Power Of Your Potential

When you know that you have great potential, it can work in your favor. The world is so full of distractions and negativity, it can be easy to forget the power we have in our own lives.

We’ve been so used to listening and following instructions as children, but as adults, we simply forget that we can follow our own paths. You don’t have to allow others opinions to set the trajectory of your life.

Your Potential Has Always Been There

Your potential is what you’re capable of doing. The possibility is there, but some of us don’t know how to realize it and make it real.

You’ve heard people say, “You have potential…”, or “You’re not living up to your potential.” Yes, you can do better – there’s always room for improvement. The idea is that you KNOW it, even if no one tells you.

Sometimes, you wait on someone to give you a good feeling before you start that project. You’re waiting on that vote of confidence from them, but why?

It gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling, knowing that someone else believes in you. Allowing someone to make you feel this way can be detrimental, because you’ll get used to waiting on someone else before you start. You should already know you can do it and move forth, anyway.

Compliments and encouragement are nice to hear, but even when no one is around to say those positive things to you, you need to know and believe that you already have that ability. Create the habit of starting those ideas on your own.

That hobby you’re interested in? Stop thinking about it and start doing it. Considering a new project? Don’t sit and watch how well someone else does it, do the research and find a way to take the first step. Whatever it is, it’s all in your control – use your potential to your advantage, because it is your advantage.

Don’t Miss Out On Life

We hear people talk about FOMO (the fear of missing out), but mostly, it’s talked about in a negative way. Fearing that you may miss out on things that make no real difference in your life can be a disappointment, but what would happen if you used in towards yourself?

FOMO can work well with your potential. When you feel self-doubt about starting something new, think about what would happen if you never start. Think about missing out on creating opportunities for yourself, as opposed to waiting for them to happen to you.

This type of FOMO thinking shifts your perspective when you use it in the right way – it leaves no regrets in your mind, because you’ll act upon whatever you’re thinking about. Whether it turns out good or bad, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you did your best and you tried.

Free yourself mentally from hanging on to other people’s words and thoughts about you. Your potential is already there, you just need to put it to work. Be forward thinking and put in the effort. No one has to tell you that you can do it – have the courage to step into it.

Activate Your Potential

Everyday, you should set out to win at something. Having a target to shoot for is what activates your potential.

If you’re going to have FOMO, have FOMO about missing out on your own life. Waiting, wishing and wondering won’t help you achieve your goal. The longer you procrastinate, the closer you’re getting to that later stage of regret.

Time is your most precious asset – once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. We waste so much time with distractions and pleasing other people. Be wise and start living YOUR life. Everyday is a chance to get it right.

Get out of your head and get into your life! Those goals won’t achieve themselves. Use your potential and discover just how far you can take it. You’ll be surprised how far you can go when you put forth your full potential!

Success Has No Timeline

It seems that success is supposed to come by the time you’re 30. We should have settled into the big house, with the perfect spouse and the fantastic career.

While this may be someone’s reality, it doesn’t happen that way for most of us. Somewhere down the line, someone convinced you that “having it all” was supposed to come before you turn a certain age.

For others, it’s the direct opposite. While “having it all” is very possible, there is no particular time you should be concerned with when it comes to reaching your goals.

Compare Yourself, To Yourself

Why is your friend successful, but you’re still struggling? Who keeps watering the grass on the other side, so it’s greener? What is it that you’re doing so wrong?

There’s one answer to those questions and others like it – it’s none of your business. When you constantly compare your life to others, it’s always wrong.

When you begin comparing your life’s journey with someone else’s, that’s where you lose. Everyone else will always look better and have more than you. “Perfection” is never within your reach.

Some of us are born with advantages, some of us aren’t. Some of us have both parents living at home, some of us only have one. Some of us are millionaires by the age of 25, some of us by 55.

The point is, life is different for everyone. Each and every person’s journey is unique – there are no 2 lives on the planet Earth that happens exactly alike. Build right where you are, using what you already have.

Their life is so perfect – “why am I so far behind?” If you’re putting in the work, doing the best you can do, your achievement isn’t far away. Don’t measure how successful you are, using someone else’s ruler. Your own efforts will put you right where you need to be.

Focus on what’s in front of you, not what’s happening with someone else. Success doesn’t come to you, when you’re looking at other people. Again, do what you can, with what you have.

Where Is Your Focus?

Always look at what’s ahead in your life. Taking your eyes off of the prize (your goal) will surely slow you down. What someone else is doing doesn’t make your journey any less worth traveling.

Plan and prepare for what you want to do. Control what you can. You can only do this by betting on yourself and minding your own business.

When you look at what others are doing, you’re giving them the attention you should be giving yourself. You give them credit for what they’ve done, when you should actually be giving yourself credit for what you’ve accomplished.

We don’t see what other people do to become successful. They don’t tell you how hard it was, the friends they lost along the way or the sacrifice they made in order to reach their goal. All you see is what happened in the end.

Maybe they did something unthinkable to achieve what looks like a dream life – the whole point is, you don’t know. Instead of going through all of the guessing and assuming, focus on what you’re doing and how you’re going to be outstanding in your own life.

Success Will Come In Time

Concentrate on what you can do to make yourself a success. The world will open up to you when you begin to live your life. Don’t let your ego get in the way by thinking you have to keep up with someone else’s life, just to prove you’re worthy. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.

It’s good to have people who inspire and motivate you, but don’t expect their success to be your success. You can follow the exact same blueprint of Serena Williams, but that won’t make you a champion within the same amount of time.

The only thing you can do is take responsibility for how hard you work. You have the power over how disciplined or resilient you can be. No one can put in the work for you – you must do that yourself.

Be inspired and motivated, but know that your success will come in your time, not theirs.

Position Yourself In A Winning Environment

Change can be hard. You realize you need to do something to improve yourself or a habit to create to do better.

Just doing it can be difficult, but sometimes, we make things more difficult than they have to be. You want to achieve your goal, but you set yourself up for failure.

Prepare Yourself

How can you prepare yourself for whatever happens? It’s simple to do, but we can make things bad by putting ourselves in non-productive situations.

If you want to eat more healthy foods, it’s easy to think it. When the time comes to go out with friends, that’s when it becomes a challenge.

Everybody wants to eat fast food or something unhealthy. It may not be their fault, but you must be prepared to face situations like this. They will do their best to convince you to eat unhealthy with them – they’ll tell you that one time won’t hurt – they may even insult you to make you feel bad enough to eat along with them.

Should everyone eat healthy just to make you feel better? It would be awesome, but not necessarily. The responsibility lies with you. You must prepare to respond to these types of scenarios.

You can either flat out refuse to eat, or you can order something healthy, if possible. If worse comes to worse, you could even pack a healthy snack with you wherever you go.

Be prepared enough to not give in.

Self-Sabotage

You must be aware of your surroundings when you’re out and about. Some environments will make you slip back into habits that you are working to get rid of.

If you’re trying to stop drinking, don’t go to a bar. You’re setting yourself up for failure. Why even tempt yourself? You may be strong enough to resist, but don’t even put yourself in that position.

People will try and motivate you to drink, especially if they know you’re trying to change. At this point, they’re not to blame. If you do take a drink, it’s on you. You put yourself in that place to begin with and you’ll have to suffer the consequences, not them.

Know how to position yourself. Think of the effects it could have on you. Being in a place that doesn’t promote your greatness is self-sabotage. People will do what they do (and try to convince you to do it, too), but you must be willing to put your foot down and make the right decision for yourself.

Position Yourself To Succeed

This is one of those things that’s easier said than done, but if you’re serious about the change you’re making, it should be a no-brainer.

Do you know what to do? Do you know what you want? Of course, you do. Be clear with your intentions – if you’re not going to eat unhealthy foods or drink alcohol, stick to it. Don’t let anyone distract you from your mission.

Face yourself and the the many possible outcomes. There’s no need to play the victim or have a pity party if it doesn’t go your way – this was your decision. Yes, we all know it’s challenging to do what needs to be done, but the responsibility is yours. All you can do is position yourself well the next time and do better.

This is your personal journey – it’s something that you must do for yourself. No one else can walk that road for you. Not only will you be a better person and make yourself proud, but you’ll be an inspiration to someone else.

Don’t give in to resistance. It’s the first instinct your mind runs to because it wants to remain comfortable. Be flexible and learn to adapt and adjust. Allow your mindset to shift from resistance to freedom – the freedom to choose how you want your life to be and to play it out in that way.

#TBT: Self-Care: Start Choosing Yourself

Self-care is something we need, but we don’t practice enough of. We’re taught to be respectful and to love one another. Be considerate and kind to everyone you meet – everything that describes the Golden Rule.

What happened to us? Did anyone ever show us how to be independent and love ourselves? We become so caught up in being available to others, yet, we cheat ourselves out of a fulfilling life.

Self-Care Isn’t Selfish

People will call you selfish when you do something that doesn’t include or benefit them. You could have given them a million dollars last week, but you’re ‘selfish’ because you didn’t visit them yesterday.

You’ve done all you can to please them and make them happy. Even if they’ve never done anything for you, it makes you feel a certain amount of guilt when they complain about how you treat them.

It’s not your responsibility to make others happy. If you do something nice, that’s great, but if they don’t appreciate it, move on. As a matter of fact, don’t do it for appreciation, do it because you like doing nice things for people. When you expect something in return, emotions get involved and feelings get hurt.

Don’t spend your energy attempting to make it right or trying to mend their feelings. Some people like to make you feel guilty just so you can continue to do things for them. You may feel bad, but at some point, you have to stop living for them and start living your life.

They’re not coming to save you, so you must take care of yourself, first.

Putting Yourself First

You’ve been so used to putting others before yourself, it seems odd to put your own needs first. You are not accountable for their life, but you are accountable for your own.

Think about when you go to work and ask for a promotion – why not take the time to promote yourself with your own personal business? Yes, it may take some time, but you’ll be able to call the shots yourself.

We’ve been trained to always look to others for what we need or want. You never get to truly live life on your terms, because you’re stuck in a place where you have to constantly ask for permission. If you choose yourself, you don’t have to convince anyone else of what you deserve.

Learn to trust yourself. If you want to make lots of money, make a plan and get started! Depending on your boss to provide for you is not smart. Get in the habit of doing for self, even if it takes time to materialize. Commit to a strong work ethic and the time will pass – before you know it, you’ll be the boss of your own life, truly doing as you wish.

Choose You

Self-care also involves self awareness, or how you see yourself. Thinking small of yourself and big of other people hinders your intentions. You can’t have a short, defeated outlook when it comes to pursuing your goal. Your abilities are just as good as anyone else’s, but you’ve got to be proactive and bold towards your plan.

Make little promises to yourself and keep them. That’s the key to believing in yourself and building courage. Exercise that characteristic within yourself and portray it – I am strong, I am beautiful, I am successful, I am smart, I am magnificent. Speak it into existence because you are what you say you are.

Develop the discipline to perform the habits that make you better and your ambition will soar. Expecting others to give you that feeling of worthiness will no longer exist because you can achieve it on your own.

Self-care is imperative. Don’t be afraid to choose yourself. No one is going to do it for you. Have your own back and create your own solutions. Depending on someone else puts you at risk. Take your own risks and be successful because you chose yourself.

#BeGoalden

How To Mind What You Think

Your mind is an amazing tool. When used properly, it can make some of the most incredible things happen – that’s just how powerful it is.

Take a look around you – everything that you see came from a seed of thought in someone’s mind. From the book you’re reading to the chair you’re sitting in, it all started in the mind of a determined person.

The mind can also be tricky. Some people come up with devastating ideas and put them out into the world. As you can see, it can be used in a constructive or destructive manner.

How Do You Think?

Most times, we allow our mind to run rampant. We take in so much stimuli every second, that we become unaware of the things we’re taking in.

The way you think can lead you to certain results. Exactly, where do you want to go? What do you want to do? These are the questions you need to ask yourself in order to produce the type of day (or life) you want.

Getting to your goals takes the right mindset. If your mind is clouded with distractions and resistance, it can be difficult to push through the mess to any type of achievement. Like a diet, you must feed your mind the right thoughts to get the maximum outcome you want.

Of course, you can only control so much of what goes on around you, but the good thing is, you can control how to respond.

What’s In Your Control?

Your environment may not be as positive as you want it to be, but it’s not the end all, be all. There are certain things you can do to control what goes into your mind.

From the music you listen to, to the images you see on TV and the information you read/see on social media, it all has an effect on your brain, which has an effect on your productivity.

With technology, we are bombarded with so much information at one time, it has become distracting. If you’re not careful, it can make you a master procrastinator. You become so interested in someone else’s life, you forget about living your own.

There’s access to positive information, but you have to tune into it. Celebrity gossip, the news and even social media influencers (hence the word, “influence”) have one thing in common – they want to grab your attention.

What grabs attention? Negativity and negativity produces procrastination.

Creating Your Mindset

All of these negative mediums make it possible for you to become distracted in under a few seconds – that’s all it takes to hook your attention. They make it even harder to look away.

Before you know it, you’ll look up and half the day has gone by and you weren’t productive at all. Where did the time go?

It’s important to plan out what you listen to and what you see. There are many ways you can feed your mind in order to be more productive with your day.

As the saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out”. Whatever your mind takes in, it’s likely to give you the same output. There’s a better chance of you being more productive if you don’t scroll through social media every chance you get.

Even though your mind can be easily distracted, you can create ways to become more focused. What you put into your mind at certain times will allow you to be effective with your work and habits.

By limiting your “garbage” intake, your mind will be more clear and capable of uncovering those bright ideas and solutions. Listen to a podcast that will benefit you or watch the NASA channel – something different. If you scroll through social media, make sure that your feed only contains positive and constructive posts – things that inspire you to create and become your best.

Use Your Mind

It’s up to you how you will use your mindset. Will you use it to numb your way through life or to become a better version of yourself?

Don’t trick yourself out of living a magnificent life. Things will happen (that’s life), but you do have a choice in how you respond. Your mind will either allow you to wallow in self-pity or it will encourage you to stand up and push forward.

The choice is yours.

#TBT: Focus On The Process, Not The Results

When we set our goals, our mind automatically starts to focus on the end result, but the biggest part is figuring out how to hit the target and win.

Twenty years ago, it was a challenge to find an abundance of successful people. They were there, but our access was limited to television, radio and the newspaper.

Today, we can see success everywhere, at anytime. The internet has opened up many avenues for more people to achieve their dreams. Even people who aren’t successful can pretend like they are on social media.

Instant Gratification

This leads to ‘short-cut’ thinking. We’re so flooded with images of people who’ve reached their goals (or at least they look like they did), we begin to think that it’s an easy process.

Although it looks like it, the path to your goal isn’t easy and that’s not to discourage you. Anything worth doing will take hard work and consistency, but you must concentrate on the process.

Does anybody remember when Beyonce started out with Girls Tyme? No, we only recognized her when she came on the scene with Destiny’s Child. Prior to that, she was practicing and working her little heart out to be who she is today.

Technology has made everything so easy, we expect the goal to happen without going through the process. Fast food, texting, all kinds of apps – it’s designed to make life more convenient, but there’s one thing that won’t give you that instant gratification.

Why Is This Taking So Long?

When you have a goal to reach, it will take months or even years before you will see the end result.

Envisioning the end result is good to do. It gives you something to see in your mind as you work on your plan.

The trick is, you must focus on the plan, not the result. You can focus on the result all day long, but nothing will happen. You must focus on the plan that will get you there.

The plan is what needs to be figured out and adjusted on a regular basis. Things change and you have to be flexible enough to create solutions to those challenges.

No One Path Is Alike

There are no two paths alike, that will achieve the same goal. There may be an overall map that will carry you in the right direction, but as far as an exact path that we all can take and experience the same success, that simply doesn’t exist.

Everyone has to figure it out for themselves. This is why you focus on the path, because is will change. Life happens and you may have to rearrange what you are doing to accommodate your circumstances.

It’s important to stay open-minded because you never know who will be able to assist you. Do different things and take risks and see where it leads.

Envision Your Result, But Focus On The Process.

Hoping that you will succeed won’t work. Wishing someone will let you tag along won’t work. Those are distractions and the best way to avoid them is to buckle down and focus on your process.

While your goal won’t change, the path to get there will change many times. It will take mental and physical energy to take on this effort and to do your best. You must be ready and willing on all fronts to encounter your journey.

Don’t let time become a factor. Time is always there, it just depends on how you plan to use it to your advantage. As they say, it takes years to become an overnight success.

Be flexible, make adjustments and be persistent. Know that it will take time, discipline and consistency. People won’t see how hard you are working now, but they will definitely realize, once you’ve reached your goal and become successful.

#BeGoalden

Is Revenge The Only Option?

Thinking of revenge can be a crippling feeling. It happens – someone upsets you or gives you a hard time. They have no idea how they make things worse for you, so you want to get back at them.

You feel some kind of way. In your mind, you think of all the ways you can get even with this person. All you want to do is give them a taste of their own medicine.

We hear people say things like, “sweet revenge” or “revenge is a dish best served cold…” Is revenge really the best way to go about making things better?

Revenge Doesn’t Make You Feel Better

Of course, it feels good to get back at someone. They have no idea how much they hurt you or make things harder for you. All you want to do is get back at them and feel good about it.

Does it really make you feel better? Most people would say yes, but actually, it may have the opposite effect. When you get revenge on someone, most of the time, it makes you feel bad in the end.

In theory, you should feel better, but you don’t. Most times, you end up feeling just as bad for getting back at them. You begin to realize that’s not the person you really are and you’ve stooped down to their level.

The bigger person understands that getting even is not always the best idea. There are other ways to go about getting back at someone, but when you turn around and use the same lowdown strategy that they used on you, there’s a strong possibility that it can make things worse.

There’s Something Deeper Going On

For them, it could be fun to see someone else suffer, just to get a laugh out of the crowd or something could be bothering them on a deeper level than anyone can see.

When people are negative or disrespectful towards you, most of the time, it goes deeper than we can see. They may have some internal issues going on that they don’t know how to handle (things aren’t right at home, they lost their job or something just didn’t go right).

They need an outlet, so they take it out on an easy target. Some people don’t know what to do with their feelings, so they lash out at whoever’s in front of them. It’s a way to ease their own troubles (or so they think) and it takes that burning attention away from them.

It may seem silly, but this is a way that a lot of people escape their own reality or whatever they’re dealing with. Yes, it’s wrong and irresponsible, but know that you don’t have to be wrong back at them, just to prove a point.

Reacting is the first thing you think of when someone treats you this way. Your first thought is “how can I get back at them?” Instead, try thinking, “Something is bothering them and I’m the target.”

Let It Go

There’s no one, concrete answer on how to deal with wanting revenge, but one thing you can do is not allow it to get the best of you.

When you start to think about revenge, it can take you down a dark path. It can consume your energy and your mind. When you’re doing other things, all you can think about is how to get back at them.

You may not realize this, but this person now has control over you because you’ve given them power to get under your skin. Basically, you’re saying, “I give you the power to control how I feel and to make me feel bad all day.”

Before you know it, you’re always in a foul mood. No matter where you go or what you do, it means nothing because you’re constantly thinking about this person and how they made you feel.

They are now living in your head and you’re unable to see and enjoy what’s in front of you. That’s a lot of power to give someone who isn’t even in your space.

Control Your Own Actions

Instead, take your power back. You may not be able to control what they do, but you can control your own emotions and how you respond. Don’t give them your energy by falling into the trap they set for you.

Don’t fall into the trap of someone else having authority over your life. Live your life and be the best you can be – you can believe that they’re watching and waiting for you to fall again.

Take that power away from them and be the bigger person. Let them see you stay calm and positive. This hurts them because they see that it has no effect on you – what they’re doing to you isn’t working. Once you react to them, that’s when you give them power.

So don’t react – respond with kindness. By doing this, you’ll take away their power and they won’t know what to do. Some may continue to go on, but eventually, they’ll run out of steam. Game over – you win, without revenge.

Being Different Is Your Path To Personal Success

Being different can be one of the most difficult things to do. It’s easy to fall into the crowd, but it takes courage to stand alone.

To be different doesn’t mean you’re the oddball or that you don’t get it. It simply means that you have thought about things and have come to your own conclusions and decisions.

Looking for others to give you direction is a waste of your abilities. How can you live up to your potential if you’re waiting for someone to think for you and tell you what to do?

How It Starts

It all starts when we’re little. “If you want a treat, you must be good – we won’t go to the park unless you eat your vegetables…” These ultimatums slowly turns us into people-pleasers.

When we’re young, we need reinforcement to help us do the right thing. Telling a child to sit down for five minutes is asking a lot, but if you attach it to a reward (“sit down for five minutes and you’ll get a cookie”), it becomes worthwhile for them to obey the parent.

The challenge comes when it becomes a habit that we carry into adulthood. You wait for others to give you instructions, as opposed to doing what you really want to do. When it becomes a way of life to mentally depend on someone else, you’ve essentially given up your power to lean into your own potential.

Following The Crowd

It’s comfortable to follow the crowd. It must be right if everyone else is doing it, correct? Not always.

As the old saying goes, “If everyone else jumped off of a bridge, would you do it, too?” This implies that you should think for yourself and make your own decisions.

Don’t fall into the trap of going along with others, just so you won’t stick out like a sore thumb. Being the “sore thumb” can save you a lot of trouble in some cases.

Most of us want to be in the group with the cool kids, but it’s not always worth it. We want to be associated with them, so that everyone else will think we’re cool, too. Again, you’re not really thinking for yourself and being who you want to be. You’re just handing over your life to someone else.

Swimming Upstream Is Different

It’s hard to go against the grain – to be the only person to have an opposing idea, while everyone else follows the herd. It’s never emotionally convenient to fight the war by yourself against an entire army.

What others fail to see is that they have been brainwashed into going along, just to get along. When they don’t have to think for themselves, they automatically give up their power and ability to become the best version of themselves.

But not you – you keep your power and you stand in it. You at least know that you’ll go out doing and thinking the way you want to think, not by following someone else. Swimming upstream is being different, but you must trust yourself and not look for anyone else to confirm it for you.

Keep Your Power

How do you keep your power? By taking personal responsibility for your decisions and actions.

You may feel lonely and maybe even awkward, but that’s what it takes to follow your own path. Be okay with the fact that others won’t see your vision and will even attempt to talk you out of it – it happens to the best of us. Most times, it means you’re on to something.

If something goes wrong, you can take the fall with pride and adjust, if needed. Imagine how you would feel if you were going along with the crowd and you ended up where you didn’t want to be. In the end, you would be there because of someone else’s decision, not your own and that’s not a good feeling at all.

The biggest advantage to being different is you get to live the life you want to live. Follow your own path and break the habit of going along with the group. All it takes is a little confidence and thought.

Don’t give up on yourself so easily by allowing someone else to have authority over your life. There’s still time for you to start thinking on your own behalf. Save yourself.

Planning Your Days Will Build Your Life

Planning and preparation isn’t just something big companies do to stay in business – it’s what disciplined people do in their daily lives to become successful.

How do you begin your day? Is there a plan in place for you to follow so you won’t procrastinate, become distracted or be unproductive?

Everyone should have some sort of foundation in place for their daily lives. Having a schedule or a foundation to work from will promote and push your life in the direction you want it to go.

Procrastination Is Everywhere

What happens when you don’t have a schedule or a to-do list for the day? Procrastination – that’s what happens.

When you don’t know what you’re doing for the day, it’s easy to let it slip away. At the end of the day, you wonder, “Where did all the time go?”

One way to beat this is to do some planning. People think you only make plans for vacations and holidays. This may be true, but you also should start planning your days.

Planning your days is a domino effect – when you create a productive plan for the day, your week will be more productive. Then, those productive weeks turn into a productive month and those productive months turn into a productive year, and so on.

Not having a daily method in place leads to procrastination. This will come in the form of distractions such as watching TV or scrolling through social media. When you don’t know what you’re going to do, procrastination will surely find a way to fill that time.

Don’t Be The Cause Of Your Own Stress

What happens when you don’t prepare? You become stressed out and start looking for excuses as to why your plan didn’t go the way it was supposed to.

Being unprepared can lead to anxiety, which can leak into other areas of your day (and your life).

How can you avoid stress and anxiety? By controlling what you can. If there is something you can prepare for, then prepare. Preparing puts you in a productive state and allows you to focus on what’s in front of you, as opposed to being all over the place.

Preparation gives you confidence because you know what to do and what to expect. Walking into any situation prepared gives you the certainty of doing well and being more effective.

Planning Allows For Life To Happen

Don’t leave it up to life to make a way for you. You should have something in place to help it along. You don’t have to have every second of your day planned, but at the very least, have a structure.

By having a structure, it allows for more time to do other things. You will begin to find time that you never thought you had. Instead of drifting through your day, you can get things done efficiently and still have time to do what you want.

Planning and having structure also contributes to strengthening your life characteristics – discipline, focus, resilience, time management, etc. – it all plays an important role in your life and how you handle things moving forward.

Your Life Depends On Your Efforts

Most people wake up in the morning and they let the day go where it takes them. There’s no doubt that we need to be spontaneous every now and then, but unless you’re rich and can do whatever you want every single day, it’s best to have a strategy in place.

Start by creating a morning routine. It doesn’t have to be anything over the top, but simple enough for you to begin and to remain consistent. You can make your bed in the morning, go for a walk or read a book while having your coffee. Establishing habits like these will signal a productive start to your day.

As you go through these habits, you’ll begin to recognize little, positive changes here and there in your life. Everyone has a different design for their life, but you get to customize how your life looks and what you want it to be, for you.

Do your part and start creating your life by planning your days, today!

7 Habits That Will Give You An Advantage In Life

How do you build winning habits? The first thing you have to do is start, but where?

No, there isn’t a pamphlet on success, but here are 7 habits that can give you an advantage. Here’s a list:

Be helpful and encouraging of others. In order to be successful yourself, you should be supportive of others. This allows for a positive environment, which benefits everyone around you. As opposed to being critical, be helpful.
Hold yourself accountable for your actions and decisions. Personal responsibility will take you further than excuses and complaining. When things go wrong, instead of working together, most people will place the blame on someone else. The truth is, the sooner you accept responsibility, the sooner you can move on. Blaming others only allows you to become stuck and stagnant. There is power in responsibility.
Take your emotions out of it. Having emotions has it’s place, but it shouldn’t be overdone. Being emotional takes energy and it can contribute to making bad decisions and can stunt your personal growth. Some people like to whine and be in their feelings, when they can simply choose to move on. Don’t stay stranded – feel it for 10 minutes and get on with your life.
Build your standards. You don’t have to ‘find’ yourself – you can create yourself. This is done by coming up with standards. What characteristics do you need to work on? How do you see your future self? Start with actionable habits that will shape you into that person. For example, if you want to become more disciplined, make your bed every morning. Be intentional.
Don’t expect anything. When you have expectations of other people, there’s always the possibility of becoming disappointed. You can’t control what other people do. Have expectations of yourself, but never of others.
Spend time outside. Technology has done wonders for communication (among other things), but it’s imperative to step away every once in a while. As humans, we’re not made to sit and stare at our wonderful devices all day, everyday. Get outside and take a walk – you’ll be surprised at how much it helps to clear your mind and allows for new ideas and solutions.
Be solution-oriented. This ties in with being accountable. Instead of blaming and complaining, be the one to find a solution. It may not be the right solution, but at least you’ll be moving forward and figuring it out – don’t be afraid to be the captain of the ship.
BONUS: Always keep it moving. It’s important to take a break, but some of us stay on break. No matter what it is, always figure out a way to move. Being complacent is comfortable, but it’s not productive. Life doesn’t stop for anyone. Physically or mentally, always keep it moving.

Begin building your habits. You don’t have to do them all at once – start by focusing on one per week (or month). If you ever find yourself stuck, follow any one of these suggestions and it will put you on a productive path to progress.