P365 – A Year's Journey

Looking back over the past months, 2018 is ticking on quickly and soon enough we will be knocking on 2019. The scary fact is, people are planning next year already and we haven’t even finished this year, let alone hit half way. So it is important you make your next 6 months better than the ones before.

If you think you’ve already made it, that’s when you can fall short and go backwards. I’m constantly pushing forward and chasing the element of perfection. – Jason Derulo

But in all honesty, this quick checkpoint should tell you one of two things. Either you need to up your game for the next 6 months, or you need to keep on keeping on. Regardless, there is no backing down. So either way, you need to be moving forward.

On paper, my year is progressing well. I am learning lots, growing lots, achieving lots and majority of this is in my work life. This is great as I have had a goal to set a deep foundation in my career, setting me up for the long years ahead. Likewise, I have also achieved some things this year in my personal life which I have been trying to do for a while. So in all honesty, I should be proud!

But if I have done all this in the first 6 months, what do I have to aim for in the next? I know exactly what. For the next 6 months, I want to up the anti. Recently, I have had to focus on work, which I have loved and will continue to do so. However, I also want to grow things outside of work too. I want to ensure that my work skills don’t only reflect there, but reflect on my entire life. And vice versa.

So what am I going to do?

I’m going to push harder. I will look at the next 6 months just like another day. And each day I strive to do and be better than the day before. If I don’t end up coming out better, than the experience itself is worth it. I still have some goals and things I want to knock out and I still have 6 months to do it. But my plan is to overcome these goals and go greater.

The question I have for you is; what are you going to do for the next 6 months. Checkpoint today and take a high-level evaluation of what you have done for the past 6 months. Are you happy?

We can all improve, but if you are not happy, what are you going to do about it. That is the ultimate question. What are you going to do about your next 6 months?

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Each morning as the sun rises, or even before, we lie waiting for the sound of what we call the ‘wretched alarm’.

If you’re an iPhone lover, then the mention of the classic alarm ringtone will give you anxiety every time.

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A few months back I wrote about one’s ability to combine habit and willpower to create further motivation. Like Momentum. Yesterday I noted that step by step you will pick up momentum and if you want results, you need to apply some action to keep momentum.

I’ve always been one to aspire further and higher than the day before. The urge and drive I have to move forward, higher, further, deeper and closer towards my goals, grows stronger each day as I apply daily discipline. This creates a new habit through willpower, which further proves to myself that I can and that I will conquer. In doing so, I am motivated more and more by the result

The sooner you give up, the sooner you accept defeat.

My challenge to you is; before you start moving forward, why not take a moment to identify the next step it is you need to take. What will it require from you and what will you do about it? Sometimes, we can be so caught up in moving forward we miss what we are actually trying to achieve.

Regardless, each day is a chance to start fresh, start clean and a chance to start again. Will you be willing to take today as that chance? Are you up for it?

Start now. Start where you are. Start with fear. Start with pain. Start with doubt. Start with hands shaking. Start with voice trembling but start. Start and don’t stop. Start where you are, with what you have. Just … start. —Ijeoma Umebinyuo

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Don’t beat yourself up! Learn. Reapply, then get back out there and do better this time!

We all make mistakes, it’s only a problem when you keep making the same mistake. The idea is to overcome and do better!

Forgiveness provides the closure and the peace at mind to make it happen!!!

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If we spent more time focusing on fixing ourselves, trusting ourselves, believing in ourselves and learning to be confident, then we would have the characteristics to enable and equip us to change the world.

I’m not trying to say that we are all not wise, but sometimes, we think we are making a difference doing something when really all we are doing is exactly that; thinking that we are. Being clever is great, but being wiser will always supersede being clever.

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The biggest struggle and the biggest challenge we face is that of ourselves. We are the decision makers, the dictators and the ones who are going drive us to our end. In any given moment, we are living in pursuit of something more. We are living to be more. In primary school, we are striving to make it to the next grade, then in secondary school, we begin to pursue deeper results to land us into a college course, which should enable us to land into the career we have been convinced is our destiny and our ultimate goal. But soon enough, you will wake one morning and will realize, what you are chasing is never going to be living, but only static, as you will be always chasing and striving for the next thing. Stop for a moment. What about now. Think about the now. In order to land into the goal or the dream you need to be equipped, ready and enabled to do so. To do so, you need to have a clear and focused mind daily. If you are too focused on the future, how can you grow in the present to actually reach the future? Take a step back, slow it down and regroup your thoughts, regroup your plan and identify what you need to do in order to successfully move on to the next step.

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Change is always around the corner, ready to pounce at any time. Most of the time we run from the very thought of change. However, from time to time we will accept it and move on with it. What I suggest is when change comes, it is better to embrace, adapt and adjust, rather than trying to fight it. As constant change is here to stay.

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I know I am like a broken record when it comes to chasing your dreams and planning and practicing your passions. But the fact is, these are important elements to one’s life and the sooner you realize it and take action, the sooner you will understand even more. Plus I think you will be a whole lot happier, energetic and enthusiastic.

If you are still trying to figure it all out, today I have a few contextual points which may help you identify what it is you should be doing as your passion.

I would suggest having a read and asking yourself these. Maybe do it alone and write it down, then explore deeper into what these mean to you. If you want to be very detailed, try writing down 10 separate points for each of these, expanding your thinking and really locking down your passion.

• Is there something you already love doing?  If there’s already something you love doing, you’re ahead of the game. What is it? What are 10 things?
• What do you spend hours reading about? This will mean you love or enjoy knowing more about it.
• Brainstorm. Nothing comes to mind right away? Well, get out a sheet of paper, and start writing down ideas. Anything that comes to mind, write it down. Look around your house, on your computer, on your bookshelf, for inspirations, and just write them down. There are no bad ideas at this stage. Write everything down, and evaluate them later.
• Ask around, and surf for possibilities. Ask other people for ideas. See what others have discovered as their passions. Look all over the Internet for ideas. The more possibilities you find, the more likely your chances of finding your true passion. Find 10 sources of inspiration.
• Give it a try first. It’s best to actually test your new idea before jumping into it as a career. You may be passionate about it for a few days, but where the rubber meets the road is whether you’re passionate about it for at least a few months. If you pass this test, you have probably found it. So write down things you would like to dive into regarding this passion.
• Do as much research as possible. Know as much about your passion as possible. If this has been a passion for a while, you may have already been doing this. You can always learn more, so be willing to grow.
• Practice, and practice, and practice some more. Don’t go into it with amateur skill level. If you want to make money — to be a professional — you need to have professional skills. What 10 ways you will keep yourself committed to practicing?
• Never quit trying. Can’t find your passion at first? Give up after a few days and you’re sure to fail. Keep trying, for months on end if necessary, and you’ll find it eventually. There may be more than one passion in your lifetime, so explore all the possibilities.

Keep trying, and try again, until you succeed. Success doesn’t come easy, so giving up early is a sure way to fail. Keep trying, and you’ll get there. – Unknown

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Sometimes in order to win, we may just need to lose, to give us the motivation and drive to push further next time.

If you are failing, you are actually progressing more than those you are choosing to stay comfortable. To fail is to learn and to grow, adapt and try again. To be comfortable is to remain the same, static and without growth. The problem is, in order to grow (regardless if you fail or not), one must take a risk and face the fear of vulnerability and put something on the line, even if it is your confidence. The best part of taking small steps and stretches from outside of your comfort zones is the safety net it provides around you. I am not suggesting you go jump outside of your comfort zone, to a degree that you are throwing yourself under a bus, but drip feeds your growth, slow and steady or at a rate, you can be comfortable with.

Just don’t fall into the trap of becoming constant and being stuck in another comfort zone.

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Practicing gratitude is a powerful way to help stay enthusiastic in life, especially when it try’s to drown you. So even in the thick, the dark and the hard, here are 10 tips to help you stay enthusiastic, even when you are crazy busy.

Act Enthusiastic

Force yourself to act enthusiastic, and you’ll become more enthusiastic,” was Frank Bettgers’ number one rule. He challenged people to try this for just 30 days, because this one change could easily revolutionize your life. He went on to become one of the most successful salesmen of his day, and a best-selling self-help author.

Take 15 minutes a day to do something you love

If you can’t put fifteen minutes into doing what you love, you’re making an excuse. Try this yourself. Make a list of everything you love to do. What’s calling to you right now? No matter how busy you are, take 15 minutes to do something that gives you joy, and watch your enthusiasm return.

Get enough sleep!

Learning and memory, metabolism and weight, cardiovascular health, and immune function all suffer when you don’t get enough sleep, and so does mood. Need I say no more…

Feed yourself well

When your body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs, it affects brain chemistry, which impacts mood, memory, and cognitive function. The right diet actually changes how the brain functions, which can boost your mood, help you deal with stress, and make it easier to stay enthusiastic.

Move your body

When you’re feeling unenthusiastic, you may want to head for the couch, but instead of lying around go do something that will make you sweat. Take a walk, swim, dance, go throw a football around with a friend. Anything that gets your body doing what it was made for (i.e., moving!). This will make it easier for you to find your enthusiasm again, heck you might even surprise yourself. I did.

Own self-compassion

Self-compassion is the practice of noticing what you’re feeling, remembering that you’re human. If you practice responding to yourself with self-compassion rather than aggression, you’ll discover it’s a much more pleasant way to live, and when life is better, it’s so much easier to stay enthusiastic.

Meditation

This will vary for many, but spending the time with your creator even just 10 minutes a day can spur on a positive change!

See “whats going well’

Human beings seem to be wired to focus on what’s not going well. It’s important to notice this, of course, so we can make adjustments, but it’s equally important to notice what’s going well.

De-clutter

It is hard to be enthusiastic, when you are weighed down. This is an internal and external element too. Keep your environment de-cluttered as well as your heart.

Surround yourself with the enthused!

Enthusiasm is contagious. Follow it and share it.

Hopefully some if not all of these enthusiastic tips will help you make your life that extra exciting!

*Article has been influenced by Lifehack.org

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