Whiz…Zoom…Fly…
Soon talk will turn to reflection…
Reflecting on 2014…
Celebrating successes, taking account of failures, and planning for the future…
Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas just a month away I am taking advantage of the holiday weekend to look back on my 2014…
The words that come to mind are
WHIZ…ZOOM…FLY…
2014 took me by surprise early…I started on the mountain top, lost my footing and spent the rest of the year sliding down trying to get back control…
After six months of unemployment I started a new job January 2nd 2014…the commute was long and there was A LOT to learn…days flew by and it felt like all I did was get up, drive to work, drive home, put gas in the car, sleep, and repeat…May I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism…June I spoke at Launch Out and confirmed the dream in my heart…July I turned 33 and started a new position in my company which shortened my commute by over 75%, cut my gas consumption by almost 300 a month, but required learning a new position all over again and doing a job meant for 1 3/5 people leaving me tired, and overwhelmed….
the year kept whizzing, zooming, and flying by…
In October I went to a Storyline conference that was life changing…It is now late November the 2nd position at work has been filled and there is hope for work to become less hectic and overwhelming…
There are 4 fours things I have learned this year I want to share with you…4 things that have allowed me to celebrate this year as opposed to seeing it as a failure…
#1. Take Care of Yourself…
Self-care, balance, margin, the buzz words that get thrown around when people can see that you are overwhelmed, or you say you are stressed…those words mean nothing if they aren’t followed by practical ways to care for self, find balance, and create margin in your life…
here are some links to resources to help you in learning how to care for yourself…
– 40 Ways to Practice Self-Kindness
– 5 Ways to Treat Yourself Like a Good Friend
– Self-Care and Balance (video)
– Protect Yourself from Unexpected Stress by Creating Margin
#2. It is OK for Dreams to Remain Dreams…
Are you in a season right now where your dreams have had to be packed away? I know exactly how you feel…January 2014 I was at the starting gate ready to sprint toward my goals and tackle them to the ground, but life happened, a new job started, and all I could do was take it one day at a time…instead of being upset about my lack of progress I fell into the routine, and was thankful for the work, knowing there would be a time in the future where my dreams would get to take center stage again…
– You got little ones running around? If you keep them alive until tomorrow I consider you a hero and require nothing more of you…
“But I am more than just a mom”, you say…”I have dreams and needs and things that I need to do”…yes, absolutely…keep those dreams, share them with your children (as it is age appropriate)…fit in working on your dream wherever you can…but don’t be discouraged if that is only one time a week…because one time a week every week turns into 52 times by the end of the year and you can write a book in 52 sessions…you could start a business in 52 hours…
– Do you have a family member that is ill? You might even have a job in addition to taking care of them…do it with a joyful heart, get at least 6 hours of sleep a night, take a shower daily and I declare you a WINNER…
“Winner?!” you say, “I don’t feel like a winner”…I challenge you to look at your circumstances and see if down the road those circumstances may be the very thing that enhances your dream…keep dreaming, don’t be discouraged, and find hope IN THE MESS…
– Are you sick? Listen to your body and take care of it…it says sleep, then sleep, it says you need to go to the doctor, go to the doctor…
If your dream is to run a 5K and your body ain’t up for it right now here is what you can do…while you are resting make a list of all the races you would like to run…create a customized training plan for when you are feeling better…find a community of people on-line who are all about 5ks and be encouraged…prepare!
Whatever you do, DO NOT beat yourself up for not being able to spend every spare moment chasing the dreams and goals that bubble in your heart…there will be time for them…there is a time for them (it just might not be now)…and while I am not condoning procrastination I am begging you to live in the present…find contentment no, find JOY, and watch how easily your dreams start slipping into place…
#3. Surrounding Yourself with Positive and Encouraging People…
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn
A couple of years ago I would have heard this quote and said WHATEVER that is silly…I am who I am, not who those I hang out with make me…but I would have been wrong…It has become evident to me in the last year an a half the people you surround yourself with have EVERYTHING to do with how you feel, what you produce, and your over-all quality of life…without the people in my life that believe in me, and let me stand on their shoulders as I reach for my dreams I would not be as far along as I am…
There might be people in your life that you need to step back from…people that are holding you back…you might not call them toxic, but I will do it for you…TOXIC PEOPLE will poison you one way or another, and only you control the dosage…click here for a previous series I did on toxic people in your life …
#4. Take the Next Step…
Feel stuck and ready to give up? Don’t…instead take a breath…and take the next step…
Let me tell you a secret…a book is written one word at a time…this blog post, which has been overwhelming to write, has been written one section at a time over the course of two days…a marathon, it is ran in steps…roughly calculated, 52,000 steps all taken one after another…
Earlier I shared all the things that made this year WHIZ, ZOOM, and FLY by…but you know what I left out?
All the little NEXT STEPS I took in chasing my dreams…
it is easy to discount these little steps but we need to CELEBRATE them…
So, I celebrate with you…
– 2 ‘Change of Perspective’ bags went to chemo patients…
– Birthed ‘No Excuses Encouragement’ …a card business where the cards are delivered to you already stamped so you have NO EXCUSES not to send them…
– Started selling ‘Jamberry Nails’ which provides me with disposable income to do things like…
– Buy a microphone to begin a podcast… ‘Discover Freedom’ coming in 2015!
– Created a speaking page …
– Created one-sheets to use when telling others about my dream to speak…
– Amazing head-shots taken by Allison Mayer
– Attend bi-weekly Mastermind meetings that encourage, challenge, and help me grow in my dreams…
– Commissioned graphics/logo for my blog , and Change of Perspective bags…
– and you know what? I still have a month to book a first speaking engagement in 2014…
I want to celebrate your NEXT STEPS with you…comment and tell us what they have been…think back…you will be amazing at the things you will come up with…
If you liked this you might like these...
