Have you ever decided to pursue a dream that you were not positive would bring you the results you wanted? You put in work and see small successes but still no cigar? Many dreams take so long to see results that people give up and move on. How can you work toward your goals without losing hope or giving up? How can you maintain your happiness on this journey? Well, I am on that path right now and thought I would share a few pointers that help me to stay focused and keep my head in the game. While I will be talking about blogging because that is what I am pursuing, this applies to absolutely all goals.
- Don’t compare – When reading through various blogger forum threads, I see people ask others questions like, “How much do you make per month blogging?” or “How long did it take you to reach x amount of followers?” Unfortunately, while you are watching others you are stopping your own progress because you cannot drive your car in someone else’s lane. Journeys are all different and you do not know all the facts surrounding other people’s perceived success. People may have worked on something longer than you, lucked up on a cool opportunity that put them ahead of the game or simply may have lied about their success. Regardless of their results, you need to maintain focus on your goal in order to reach it. Dedication to working for your goal is what is going to move you forward. Nothing else.
- Be realistic and honest – Unfortunately, in the world we are living in, we are seeing people have what seems to be an instant success. We watch people show the best of what they have, but we do not see the work that it takes to get there or remember that many things that people share is curated so you do not see anything negative. One of my favorite bloggers is relatively new (3 years in) and she has been very honest that her 3rd year was the first that she was able to financially break even. Her life looks so glamorous and fun but she shared that for a while she worked for free and was in debt. You may have to work for YEARS to get what you want. So before you go further, decide if you really want what you are working for. There may be no immediate payoff. If you got no money for it would you do it? Your reaction to this question holds your answer. Now that we are realistic we may have to be honest with ourselves. Have you consistently put in the work for years and seen no results? If so, perhaps you may need to take another look at how you see your success…If not recalibrate and get to work!
- Celebrate small victories – We may want to see huge leaps toward our “goal” but sometimes we need to take a moment to celebrate the small things we accomplished. Setting a good foundation through hard work, making new connections, becoming a subject matter expert on a certain topic, reaching a milestone. All of these steps are getting us further than we were at the beginning. You are working hard and you need to be your own cheerleader! So YAY you! This video is from the night my blog went live. I was so excited, note the end celebration 🙂
- Take in positive information – It is a great idea to take in information that will help you on your journey. I love podcasts, books and music so here are a few suggestions:
- Podcasts – There are so many great podcasts out there but 2 of my fave are How I Built This with Guy Raz – Guy interviews people that invented the things we use daily from the ground up like – Starbucks, Spanx, Barre3, Airbnb, Rent The Runway or Kickstarter. All of these are Multi-Million, some Billion dollar corporations, but trust they did not start that way. Many were on the brink of failure. If anything this can show you that the journey is long and bumpy but stick with it and you will break through! The second is the Myleik Teele’s MyTaught You Podcast – She is No Nonsense when it comes to building your own empire and being a boss (my favorite line is you are not a boss if you sign no checks and even then your client is your boss). She is the owner of Curlbox: a Million dollar, natural hair subscription service and she answers questions about navigating professional life and living your best life. I adore her.
- Music – Music can affect your mood and your thinking. I love playlists that make me feel great and that feeling is triggered by a release of dopamine in your brain. I have a playlist of songs that make me feel so happy and they do not match a certain genre, they are just special to me. So make a playlist, if you want a theme, choose songs that embody your goal or maybe songs you will play when you reach your goal. Then play it, see yourself accomplishing your goal or celebrating a huge milestone! When you envision it, you are making it happen already. Fill your brain with dopamine! You will thank me later.
- Read and support your environment – Reading good books that will give you pointers or help you reach your goal by adjusting your point of view is essential! Take in some knowledge on self-care to help you maintain happiness while you reach those goals! An outstanding resource for that is the Go Love Yourself Subscription box. It is a curated box delivered monthly directly to you! Each box contains books, teas or candles, and writing materials to help support your personal well-being as you take your goals to the next level – Success!
- Podcasts – There are so many great podcasts out there but 2 of my fave are How I Built This with Guy Raz – Guy interviews people that invented the things we use daily from the ground up like – Starbucks, Spanx, Barre3, Airbnb, Rent The Runway or Kickstarter. All of these are Multi-Million, some Billion dollar corporations, but trust they did not start that way. Many were on the brink of failure. If anything this can show you that the journey is long and bumpy but stick with it and you will break through! The second is the Myleik Teele’s MyTaught You Podcast – She is No Nonsense when it comes to building your own empire and being a boss (my favorite line is you are not a boss if you sign no checks and even then your client is your boss). She is the owner of Curlbox: a Million dollar, natural hair subscription service and she answers questions about navigating professional life and living your best life. I adore her.
- Take a break – I get so obsessed with work that sometimes I don’t stop and I am sure you can feel the same way, but a break is necessary. You can let your brain recharge while reconnecting with friends or just getting out and having a drink and conversation about something not goal related. Self-care is so important. So give your brain a well-deserved break and after you are done, you may have new ideas or be better equipped to start work again.
Me taking a break with a great girlfriend and my sweet puppy
I hope these 5 points helped you to see that you can maintain your happiness while pursuing your goals. I think it is awesome that you are working toward a goal at all. That is a victory in itself, so keep your head high and keep working on that goal and I know you will succeed!
xo Danie
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I love the first point!! When you compare, it can get so unhealthily. I know I personally get very discouraged when I compare!
Thanks for the inspiring post!
I completely agree and podcasts are so good keep you motivated focused and positive. My favorite is the simple life of the sophisticate
This was so good!! Definitely helpful for new and older bloggers alike to not come compare ourselves and celebrate our success! Very well done!
I totally agree on all accounts – it’s so easy to believe in instant success, because people tend to show only the good sides. I also agree music can greatly improve your mood! And that break is absolutely necessary to regain focus… these are just few, I can’t really find anything I would not agree with though… 😉
All of these tips are amazing! I am currently pursuing full-time blogging/freelancing/consulting after I quit my job a few months ago. I have to remind myself sometimes that I will see success but only if I don’t give up! It can be very hard sometimes not making that much money and seeing my blog grow so slowly. But, it takes a positive mindset and a lot of focus! Great post 🙂
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I am so glad you are continuing to pursue your goal. It takes courage! I will check out your blog. We can support each other on this road to success!!!
I loved all your points! Your pictures are also so beautiful ❤️
The tips were amazing. I totally agree with celebrating small victories (there’s a great leadership book about it). The little things count in life.
Wonderful tips you shared. I often tell my self the race is with myself. I’m not competing with anyone other than me. Just run my own race and not rush through everything. It helps me a lot. Good luck on your blogging journey.
I love the points you make. Especially don’t compare particularly in regards to blogging.
There’s no such thing as instant success. It all takes hard work and you have to start from the beginning. Surround yourself with positive people and keep moving forward towards your own goals and you’ll get there! Thanks for the tips!
These are amazing points you made! I’m currently on my way to feel happy & so, so these were super inspirational. Thank you!
I have been finding myself listening to podcasts more and more. I love them because I feel like i can learn while driving all the time 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I have a really hard time with the comparing thing. I really have to pull myself back as I’ll start to just take it too far and it does really hold me back. I try and keep myself centered and focused on me, any my goals.. without being too worried how I am compared to others. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but also one I am trying to get my kids to understand so they get it before they’re my age!
Taking in positive information is totally a great way to maintain joy while pursuing goals! I do this everyday (on a super small-scale) by listening to podcasts and audiobooks while I do chores and during my commute to and from work. It’s totally changed how I feel about these 2 things. Anyways, thanks for the positive information recommendations! I’ll definitely check out those podcasts. xxoo
Wow you always write amazing and inspirational posts! This one really hit home for me, I’ve always been driven and worked towards my goal, but many times this has compromised my happiness. I’m trying to find out that balance now. Thanks for sharing x
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Thanks so much for saying such a kind thing Justine. I want people to feel inspired when they read these posts. It means a lot to me. Its so hard finding a balance right? I was thinking about writing about that. I found a great book from Shonda Rhimes called Year of Yes and she talks about that. We may be torturing ourselves expecting balance and I find that mostly it’s women that push ourselves for this. I may write a long post about that 🙂
I so needed to read this! Have to stay positive through this journey. I need to start listening to podcasts. That is a great idea!
Sometimes we get so caught up in chasing the “dream” that we forget to prioritize our happiness, thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for this list. I am very driven, but tend to get burnt out on things, even when I want them badly, because I don’t make time for the things you discuss here. Great motivation!
These are great suggestions and I am sure we all need to focus better on some of them or all…I try not to compare my blog but sure feel like the ones I see are so much more put together. And the work is never done when it comes to a blog so I am really having to start to set better boundaries and time allotments each day so I focus on other things that matter to me too.
Great list. And remember that happiness is an inside job, beyond all else. Kx
It happened that I have just read on a facebook group a message of a blogger saying that she got 3k page visit only after 3 months of blogging. And I said wow, I’m so far from this great achievement. You’re right, don’t compare yourself with other bloggers.
This is a great post! Really great suggestions. I love reading and listening to podcasts daily to feed my mind 💗
I have a really hard time with not comparing, especially since I fear my blog topic is already over saturated. I try to stay positive and focused that I am putting my own spin on the topic, I have my own voice. This was a great post and a wonderful reminder to me. Thank you!
I love all these points, but my favorite one is to take a break! Many people stress themselves out while trying to achieve their goals, but it’s important to take a step back and take time for yourself. You can’t live life with no play!
Sondra xx
Such a great read and something great to keep in mind! Thanks for sharing!
This is such a detailed and helpful post! I’m definitely pinning it so I can read it again later!
Alice |