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Ten journal and conversation prompts

Ten journal and conversation prompts

Thought provoking, fun and light hearted journal or conversation prompts. Can be used for your own personal recollection, your next date or even a team building exercise!

How to change your day after you’ve gotten up on the wrong side of the bed

How to change your day after you’ve gotten up on the wrong side of the bed

We’ve most likely all been there. We wake up and feel irritated for no good reason. Or maybe a few moments after we wake up, something small but crappy happens. This is seemingly a part of life everyone experiences. Perhaps there are groups of spiritual {read more}

Tenacity, passion and goals

Tenacity, passion and goals

Can you think of the last time you felt a true inner knowing that you CAN and WILL meet your goal?

Often, when setting goals we are in a great mood, believing all is well. Our goals come pouring out of us with clarity and we are able to articulate what we want. Or maybe we have a fresh outlook because it is a new year or we’ve started a new job. Thinking back to when my goals were the clearest and there didn’t seem to be anything that could stop me. For me, this was as I was about to finish college, and I truly wasn’t aware of anything that could hold me back. When friends would worry or share their challenges, I’d (most likely annoyingly) try and help find a solution, or provide never-ending encouragement.

 

When the luster wears off

Isn’t it interesting how that shininess wears off and we are left with the mundane day in and day out? At this point in life, having faced a number of unexpected challenges or setbacks I didn’t see coming, I understand discouragement on a deeper level. Still though, I do believe anyone can achieve anything.

Most people feel doubt from time to time as they walk through the process of achieving their goals. Some feel it all the time, and therefore never even write their goals down. Managing through this feeling could potentially be the most important part of setting and achieving your goals. While in pursuit of your dreams, it isn’t always going to feel great. At times, there may be no sight to progress. While this can be discouraging, it is so important to overcome the worry and doubt and start believing again.

 

Garnering the passion

Through the observation of others and by working through things myself. One commonality involved in those I see meet their goals no matter the situation and no matter the setbacks is: passion. Without passion, it is much more difficult to be tenacious. Sheer will power can sometimes get us through, but even that has to have a fuel source.

This goes back to the post on our pilot lights. If we are stressed and burnt out, it is much harder to see the possibilities. It is also much harder to gain the energy to feel interested, even sometimes in the things we are most passionate about. The first step to finding that passion again and re-lighting your pilot light is getting rest.

This may seem counter intuitive to some, but taking a nap, or letting yourself sleep in immediately helps in most cases. Getting enough rest allows for more clear thinking, which can then lead toward the reestablishment of your passion toward something.

Once you have clarity again, think of your goals and determine if you’d like to shift them around. Sometimes it isn’t a lack of rest, but instead your interests have actually changed. In addition, my recommendation is to keep word-smithing the sentence of your goal until it gives you a feeling of excitement again! This will allow that heart to reconnect with the brain in those moments where tenacity is needed.

 

Exercise

  • Make sure to get some rest and have clarity of thought.
  • Review your goals list, give an honest assessment of what seems to be making progress and what seems to be stuck.
  • Reword the goal until it feels exciting again.  Remember to include the ‘why’ and some feeling words in the sentence.
  • Approach the goal from a fresh perspective the following day.
  • Know that you are doing your best and eventually it will come to fruition

Page Break

This 100 day goals journal was of special interest to me.  I liked the timebound aspect of it.  I ordered it to see what the inside is like but haven’t starting using it yet.  I do believe it would be the perfect gift for someone graduating or embarking on their entrepreneurial journey.  

 

It provides space for daily gratitude, actions to take that day and any successes.  It also allows for space to capture progress.  I highly recommend it!

Thoughts and inspiration about why delight is so important

Thoughts and inspiration about why delight is so important

Today’s post contains thoughts and inspiration around why delight is so important on a daily basis. Also included are links to books about delight. AND phone backgrounds for a reminder to find delight today!

Motivation & Enjoyment

Motivation & Enjoyment

Storytime Recently, the childhood memory of playing video games with my brother popped into my mind. He was always able to win faster, I think he understood the cause/effect better than I did. Another memory which comes to mind is trying to learn, by his {read more}

Dealing with self-doubt

Dealing with self-doubt

In the last post, I briefly touched on some of the ways this year has felt like a roller coaster. Here lately, not only have external events happened to shake things up. But also, internally I’ve started to experience something I think most people feel at one point or another. Self Doubt.

Typically being a person who believes anyone can achieve anything, the feeling of self-doubt is strange. Unsettling is one way to describe it. Some recent articles call it imposter syndrome. Label it what you may, its awful. During this period of self-doubt I’ve struggled to find any comfort. Being self-critical over every choice current and past. Trying to establish some form of baseline feeling that I’m doing anything at all right. It’s been a really tough time.

Those said to suffer from the Impostor Syndrome struggle with the sense that their successful outcomes are not an accurate reflection of their underlying abilities.

Braslolw, Matthew. et al, “Self-Doubt.” , Social & Personality Psychology Compass. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2012, pp 477-478

Knowing that many people deal with this on a continuous basis, I decided to share some of the research I’ve found. And also share some of the things which have helped to at least redirect my thoughts to see myself in a more positive light.


About self-doubt

One of the most helpful things I learned while researching this topic is that YOU CAN OVERCOME it! In the moment it might seem debilitating, but on this blog, the author, also a clinical psychologist states:

Self-doubt isn’t a personality trait. It’s simply a mental habit.

Nick Wignall, Clinical Psychologist

Habits can be changed, improved and built. It should also be known that not all self doubt is bad. It can be healthy and motivating to have a tad bit of self doubt when going into a new situation, or taking an exam for example. When the doubt creeps in almost as a push to study more or edit an article again, it plays an important role.

The problem with it comes into play when it starts to limit activities or causes a hesitation based only on fear. In these instances, studies show that individuals begin to distance themselves from people or activities they may actually enjoy in fear they will fail. Another negative symptom that could potentially be rooted in self-doubt is underestimating your loved ones care for you.

Interestingly, self doubt creeps in when one person compares themselves to another. I say interestingly, because studies have shown that no two people measure success in the same way. Meaning, the importance placed on any aspect of a person’s life differs from person to person. Therefore, unless competing in the same sport, the comparison rarely matters. Not to mention, there isn’t just one way or approach to take when doing something! While you may admire how someone else does something, it does not mean your way is any less, it just means it is different!


Some Tips to help manage through self doubt

  1. First, realize that self doubt is common, normal and can be productive in some instances.  
  2. Second, write down a few things in the past year you did that were worthwhile. This could include helping others, completing a work project, cleaning out a closet. All the way to writing a book, giving to your local charity or maybe the work you do everyday.
  3. Think of the ways in which you nurture yourself. Have you taken the time for self-care, started a conversation you’ve been meaning to have? Or maybe you’ve made a point to take a calming bath from time to time or eat your favorite meal. Even if you’ve been hydrating well lately, acknowledge it.
  4. Refer back to when the people around you have genuinely thanked you. Sometimes it can be tough to take compliments, instead remember the last time someone sent you a thank you note, or wrote even a sentence of appreciation. When I was first starting my career, a training instructor suggested having a folder set aside for emails where people are genuinely giving you positive feedback. For the simple fact, referring back to it and reading through will remind you of when your contributions not only made a difference to the bottom line, but also to another’s day.
  5. Make a decision. One of the best ways I overcome self-doubt is to make a decision. Potentially a small one, like whether to eat Five Guys or Clean Juice for lunch. Or, potentially a huge one, like whether to move to a new city or not. The small decisions help to reinforce your self-awareness over decision making. And, the big ones allow you to get over a hurdle, sometimes weighing you down.
  6. Take time to think of all the good decisions you’ve made up to this point. It’s a fact that we make decisions based on the information available and understood to us in the moment. Yes, sometimes our decisions go hay-wire if we let too many emotions or fears creep in. For the most part, we do the best we can with what we have. Give yourself that credit.
  7. Perhaps not as intuitive is to think of the decisions you made that you regret. List 3 at the max and write down next to it what you would do differently next time that same decision comes up.
  8. And, one last tip is to go try something new. Do something completely out of your ordinary, something that has any % of fail rate. Just simply give it a try. EVEN if you fail, it will be empowering!

And, if all else fails. Advice straight from my own father: give yourself a hug.


Connect

What are some of the tools you use to overcome the feeling of self-doubt? Are there any you’d add to the list above? How have you helped your loved ones overcome this feeling?

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Goal Check-In

Goal Check-In

Simply put, this year has had a handful of twists and unexpected turns. Whilst I do enjoy roller coasters (they tickle me and I laugh and laugh), I’d rather not experience anything similar in real life. However, as we all know, rarely do things go {read more}

Amazon Favorites

Amazon Favorites

my amazon favorites all in one place.

Hello & Update

Hello & Update

Hello everyone! We missed you last week. First off, thank you for following me and asking where the posts were! One day Ill open up about the past week and all the things going on. At its most simple, I needed a break. It wasn’t planned otherwise I would have mentioned. All that being said, please do expect posts to start coming out on an altered schedule.

 

What’s been going on

In addition, one of my amazing brave cousins has been encouraging me to go on video. As most of you know I recently had a Mohs surgery close to my eye which has been affecting, not just my appearance, but my ability to use the screen for awhile. Eventually I will do a video (and I might even post an edited older one). Not to mention, I will want to open up about my surgery. After coming across another women’s blog about her surgery I felt so much better! Please be aware that skin cancer can affect you at any age. Protect yourself from the sun as best you can!

 

Your thoughts!

In one of my posts, I mentioned how there isn’t really a total science to all of this social media ‘stuff’. There are trends and Google Analytics which can provide some information, however overall what really matters is what YOU all want! My readers and audience. If you have any preference over posting days OR topics for that matter that would work best for you. Please let me know! In the mean time, thank you for understanding about last week and see you soon!

 

Lastly

Mugs and stickers are still for sale! Soon, a new design will be posted and I will also soon be partnering with my friend at DesignatedGrapes on Etsy to have some other fun products!

Love Grows Here Mugs and Stickers can be found here: USE CODE SUMMER21 for 10% off

TeeSpring Store Front

https://my-store-11434254.creator-spring.com/

Encouragement

Encouragement

This post is mean to recognize that effort and let yourself feel proud for the actions you have taken toward your goals. Appreciate yourself and keep going.