Monday Motivation: Believe You Can

 

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

 

This sounds like an exaggerated quote; like your belief will actually write half of your paper for school or physically wash half of a large pile of laundry. It’s not an exaggeration, because your belief in completing a task is what propels you forward. If you doubt, then you won’t even begin working on the project that lies before you. If you believe, then you will start a task and you will push through until it’s complete. Even if it becomes difficult, if you believe, then you won’t give up.

If I doubted that I would ever finish writing a book, then what would be the point in writing the first word? The confidence that I have in myself is what helps me to begin writing even when I know it is sometimes difficult to get down the next sentence, paragraph, or chapter. I continue writing, because I believe that I will complete the rough draft and, ultimately, the final draft at some point in the future.

Believe in yourself enough to know that you can successfully complete the task you’re working on right now. It might take a considerable amount of time, talent, patience, and perseverance; but you will finish in the future, because you believe now.

 

Monday Motivation: Find Your Destiny

 

“The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then do it.” – Henry Ford

 

Success can come in many different forms:  money, job title, popularity, number of social media followers, and more. But I think the best way to measure success is whether or not you have become who you are created to be. Of course having a job that provides for your needs is essential, but I believe that money will come after you’ve found what you’re meant to do and begin doing it.

Those who only chase fame and money are losing out on one of the key ingredients of success:  passion. If you find a way to use your talents in a way that you enjoy, then it will be easier to work hard. Once you discover what you’re destined to do to make the world a better place and follow your own unique path, then you will finally find success on your own terms. Yes, you will likely earn the money you need and perhaps even gain the popularity you want, but what is most important is that you will become the best version of yourself that you can be.

 

Monday Motivation: Don’t Wait Until Tomorrow

 

“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” -Picasso

 

It’s so easy to procrastinate. I personally struggle with this on a daily basis. It’s easy to put off tasks that I don’t particularly enjoy, because I assume I will have time to complete them later. As an independent writer and author, I don’t have anyone to tell me when articles or books are due except myself. I can shirk some of these responsibilities, because I don’t have anyone to answer to. But does this attitude generate a plan for success? Of course it doesn’t.

Motivating yourself can be hard sometimes, but motivation starts with desire. Desire comes from a place of wanting to achieve your goals. Keeping your dreams and aspirations in mind is one way to fight off feelings of procrastination. Even simple, everyday tasks that you don’t want to finish can affect your long-term goals. Every step you take today can either help or hinder your pursuit of success.

 

Choose progress over procrastination. If you never do what needs to be done today, you’ll never succeed tomorrow!

 

Monday Motivation: Keep Moving Forward

 

On this Martin Luther King Day, I am reminded that every small step forward is vital. It’s easy to think that what you do in one moment is not significant; but moments become days, days become weeks, weeks become years, and years quickly become a lifetime. Every decision we make is one that can propel us toward a life full of positive productivity or we can easily waste it. Sometimes it is easy to go through the motions of going to our jobs, procrastinating as much as possible and then mentally checking out as soon as we clock out.

The leaders who inspire us, like Martin Luther King, Jr., are those who find ways to make a difference. They don’t take the easy way out. They take the hard, rocky path, because they know they are moving in the right direction. They go against social norms, leaving behind a legacy of both love and success.

So, whether you’re attempting to change the morals and ideals of a nation, or you are simply trying to become a successful entrepreneur; remember that every step counts. And if you can’t take a step, then crawl. The world needs your talents and your courage. Don’t give up, because you have chosen a more difficult path. Make every moment meaningful and then you will live a life full of purpose.

 

Monday Motivation: You Can Do It

 

This iconic quote is full of optimism and imagination just like Mr. Disney himself. Some might disparage these words, arguing that it leads one to believe that all dreams are possible. I would reply that those who dream are more likely to achieve their goals than those who do not.

Dreaming and doing can not live separately. Dreams are what inspire and propel one into the process of actualization. It is a rocket to the moon before the first steps on lunar soil. It is the hot air that fills a balloon before lifting it off the ground. It is the fragrant smell of coffee that draws one to drink a mugful.

Dreams can only be fulfilled by working hard. While dreaming is the inspiration, hard work is the less glamorous, nitty-gritty process that usually includes mistakes and failure. These only contribute to the journey of success. This middle ground of learning and discovery is actually where creativity and problem solving cultivate.

No, not every dream is possible, but it is more likely to come true if it is combined with hard work, discovery, learning, and patience. So start dreaming and start doing!

 

Monday Motivation: Don’t Watch the Clock

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This is a guest post by fellow writer, Stephen Graves. You can follow him on twitter at @SGraves612.

 

We live life one day after another, similar to the way a clock ticks from one second to another. We’ve all heard that old chestnut about how a watched clock never tells time, right? Well, if you stare at a clock, you’ll get a snapshot of time, but you won’t get a sense of its progression. That’s a small but important distinction for this metaphor.

I worry on a daily basis, throughout the day even, that I’m not close enough to my goals. I fear that my writing isn’t good enough in terms of quality and volume. I wish I were reading more. My saving’s aren’t where I want them to be. I’m not as physically fit as I hope to be. I have close friends, but it would be nice to have more. You get the picture. One of the defining qualities of humanity, for better or worse, is our inability to be satisfied.

It’s because, at any given moment, we’re only looking at a snapshot of our lives. We’re watching the clock tick, and that’s why it doesn’t tell time.

I don’t keep a journal, but in moments of high stress, I’ve been known to jot my thoughts as a form of meditation and stress relief. One day, I was feeling down about seemingly going nowhere in life, and I happened to stumble upon one of these old stress entries. It was amazing to see how much better my life was, in every area, than it had been when I wrote the entry. I was so concerned with the ups and downs of the snapshot that I’d been missing the upward trending progression.

Even knowing this, I still stress about my goals. You probably will, too. That’s human nature. It’s not a bad thing in itself, but any time you feel especially bogged down in the tick-by-tick slog, pull back and look at just how much progress you’ve made. Don’t sweat those small concerns.

 

You’re probably much further along than you realize.

 

Monday Motivation: Make a Difference

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“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” -William James

 

Sometimes it’s hard to keep yourself motivated for another work day or the beginning of another long work week. You might ask yourself, “Why am I doing this again?” or “Is it really worth the money?” One way to not get bogged down by these thoughts is to adjust your attitude! I know sometimes I focus on the negative too much and find myself complaining and venting to my loved ones. Instead of focusing on what you don’t like about your job, focus on what you do like. You may not be able to change how your day is going, but you can choose how you react to it.

You may wonder if what you do for a living even matters. From the lowest position to the position of a CEO of a major company or corporation, what you do matters and makes a difference in this world. We all affect each other and contribute to our society whether in big or small ways. One of the most important ways is by spreading love and positivity into the world. It’s very easy to complain about what you think is going wrong concerning your position or that your day is terrible, because it’s another boring or stressful Monday. Choose to smile and spread joy.

 

Choose to have a positive attitude!

 

Friday Favorites #5

FridayFavorites

 

What I’m wearing/using: I use Wet n Wild’s icon blush to contour my cheeks. Sometimes I also use it on my forehead, chin, and nose as a bronzer.

 

 

 

What I’m eating/drinking:  I’ve been drinking more tea lately to help with my seasonal allergies. Traditional Medicinals’ Throat Coat tea doesn’t need any added sugar and is soothing to an itchy throat.

 

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What I’m reading/watching:  I’ve been enjoying trade novels by Debbie Macomber lately. Her novels pull you into the story, showcasing the relationships between realistic characters. I’m about halfway through The Reluctant Groom right now.

 

 

 

Monday Motivation: Just Try

 

pw-every-accomplishment-starts-with-the-decision-to-try

 

“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”

 

This quote by Olympic medal-winning runner, Gail Devers, seems simple enough, but is actually profound. As a perfectionist, I sometimes feel paralyzed, fearing I’ll do something completely wrong or won’t finish a task perfectly. I quickly jump into worry-mode instead of simply taking the first step.

In order be successful, you must complete your work. Instead of letting fear of failure hinder your progress, just do your best. If you do fail, then you will learn how to do better next time. If you don’t try, you will be filled with regret.

 

Try, learn, and then you will succeed!

 

Friday Favorites #4

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What I’m wearing/using:  Covergirl’s clean invisible concealer blends in easily and completely covers blemishes. Get yours here.

 

 

covergirlconcealer

 

 

What I’m eating/drinking:  I’ve been drinking V8 healthy greens juice. It definitely beats (nutrition wise) my former favorite:  Dr. Pepper!

 

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What I’m reading/watching: I binge-watched the first season of Humans on Amazon Prime. It made wonder if technology might actually surpass humanity someday.

 

 

 

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#MondayMotivation and #FridayFavorites