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It’s Time To Go After What You Want

Jaclyn Baker
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Experiencing self-doubt is a part of being human. It’s a universal emotion that affects everyone at some point in their lives. However, for those in minority groups or living with chronic health conditions, self-doubt can be even more pronounced. It can feel like a barrier, keeping you from going after what you truly want in life.

The most important step in going after what you want is taking action. It’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of self-doubt and inaction, but taking even the smallest step forward can break this cycle. Here are some strategies to help you move past self-doubt and take action:

  1. Set Clear, Achievable Goals: Break down your larger goals into smaller, manageable steps. This makes them feel less overwhelming and more attainable.
  2. Practice Self-Compassion: Be kind to yourself. Acknowledge your achievements, no matter how small, and give yourself credit for the progress you’ve made.
  3. Surround Yourself with Support: Build a network of supportive friends, family, and mentors who can encourage you and provide valuable feedback.
  4. Stay Flexible: Life is unpredictable, and goals may need to be adjusted. Stay open to change and adapt your plans as needed.
  5. Celebrate Progress: Recognize and celebrate your successes along the way. Each milestone is a step closer to your ultimate goal.

Going after what you want is not always easy, especially when self-doubt and additional challenges are involved. However, by leveraging the power of imagination and taking actionable steps, you can overcome these obstacles. Remember, the journey towards your goals is just as important as the destination. Embrace your potential, take action, and watch as your dreams become reality.

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Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Jaclyn Baker
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A promotion or graduation are milestones that should be celebrated!

But sometimes, it can feel like we don’t deserve recognition, or we haven’t earned our success.

When those emotions take over, it can feel like our success is due to luck, not skill or talent. 

If you ever feel that way, you may be experiencing imposter syndrome, which is more common than you think.

Even though you may not always believe it, you have so much to be proud of.

Every milestone you’ve achieved in life is due to your talent and hard work. Celebrating your success shouldn’t be something we avoid. It should be something we embrace. 

Create A Brag Box

Have a college acceptance letter hidden in your junk drawer or a thank you note folded up in your purse?

Go collect those items and place them in a special box!

Looking at the physical content of past achievements can help remind you just how special you are.

The next time you catch yourself doubting your abilities, you can look back on your collection and celebrate yourself. 

Stop Comparing Yourself

“Don’t be busy chasing what other people have.” – Marshall Goldsmith

All people are different, and all have their own journey. 

It may feel like your peers are ahead of you in certain avenues – but what you see is not always factual. 

Most of us tend to discuss and spotlight the high points of our success. 

We can never know for sure the full story of how our peers got from point A to point B.

Open Up 

Surrounding ourselves and opening up to loved ones can help us in many avenues of life. 

The longer we keep negative emotions bottled up inside us, the more intense they tend to feel. Sharing our fears and doubts with loved ones can help us look at them in new ways.

Who knows – your friend may be feeling the exact same way you are.

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Acting As If You Feel Motivated

Jaclyn Baker
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Let us know if any of these thoughts sound familiar?

“I would have been able to finish that task if I had more motivation.”

“How come some days I feel motivated, but some days I don’t?”

“I wish I knew the secret to becoming motivated!”

Now, motivation is an interesting thing as it can come and go in waves. Plus, some of our actions can slightly impact it, such as our sleeping patterns, eating habits and overall thoughts.

The following hacks may not be able completely transform your overall motivation, but they can certainly help! 

Practice Compassion

Whether you are having a good or bad day, it’s key to be kind to yourself. Pushing yourself too hard and not respecting your limits can bring on added pressure.

That feeling of pressure can actually make us more likely to procrastinate due to the fear of not being good enough.

On the flip side, when we treat ourselves with compassion, our motivation and willingness to succeed can increase.

Set Healthy Rewards 

Setting small rewards for yourself throughout the day can be very motivating. These rewards don’t have to be significant by any means. Plus, it’s always nice having something to look forward to.

You can set up a little reward system for yourself based on milestones.

Let’s say you have to complete a 5-page PowerPoint for work. Every time you finish one slide, you can treat yourself to a snack or watch a show for 20 minutes. 

Incorporate Fun Tasks When You Can 

We are much more likely to put off tasks we find boring or scary. Pairing something we don’t love with something we do – can help make the task at hand much more fun. 

You can listen to music or a podcast while running errands, call your best friend while cleaning the house, or watch your favorite show while cooking dinner.

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Boosting Your Mental Health This Spring

Jaclyn Baker
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Spring signifies a time for change and renewal. 

As the season changes and plants begin to bloom, we can follow their lead and give ourselves a fresh start.

There is no better time than the present to motivate ourselves to tackle new goals. 

We can spring forward with these three steps.

Change Up Your Space

Even the smallest changes can make the biggest difference.

Changes such as rearranging some furniture or buying a piece of clothing you wouldn’t normally gravitate towards can give us a newfound burst of energy.

Give it a go and see what happens!

Reconnect With Others

Branching out can help us form new connections or reconnect with old ones. 

The people we spend time with can impact us in so many ways and allow us to experience new things. 

Making the effort to reach out to new people can potentially bring on lots of new positive experiences. 

Prioritize Your Sleep

Now that the sun is setting later and rising earlier, our sleep habits can change.

Getting appropoate sleep is crucial 365 days a year, and poor sleep can catch up on us.

If you’re starting to catch poor sleeping habits arise, now is the time to do something about it.

You may have to re-evaluate your current bedtime routine and make some changes depending on your needs.

Putting your phone away a couple of hours before bed, taking a hot bath or practicing light stretching are just a few healthy habits to consider. 

However, you may have to implement an experiment or two to find the best habits for your own needs.

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Feel Like You Have Too Many Things On Your Plate? Here’s What To Do

Jaclyn Baker
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We all have those days when our to-do list feels completely unattainable and stressful.  

Believe it or not, your to-do list may not be as intimidating as anticipated.

Just because a particular task feels complex doesn’t mean it is! 

An overwhelming to-do list has the potential to become a simple one with a few mindset shifts.

Make a Decision

Have you ever put off making a decision (big or small) due to the fear of making the wrong one?

The thing is, the longer we put off making a decision, the harder and scarier it tends to become.

It’s so easy to tell yourself…

 “Oh, I will decide once I have more information.”

Or,

“I can’t decide XYZ until I figure out XYZ.”

Even though decision-making isn’t always easy – it’s part of life. Procrastinating can be exhausting both physically and mentally.

Making decisions faster can help give you more time in the day to focus on other activities, which in turn can help you knock more items off your daily list. 

Come Up With a Strategy For New Tasks

We all have those tasks we do on a daily basis that are pretty smooth sailing. 

But what happens when we have to do something new?

Working on new tasks is unavoidable – whether it be personal or professional.

Doing anything new for the first time can be draining and potentially take twice as long as it ideally should.

The good news is there are several tactics out there that can help make completing new tasks easier and faster such as listening to music or munching on your favorite snack.

Give it a try and see what happens. 

Done is Better Than Perfect

Spending 3+ hours on a task that should ideally take around 30 minutes won’t necessarily result in a better outcome.

More often than not, overthinking tasks can lead to more mistakes and limit our ability to be creative.

Accepting and embracing that done is better than perfect can potentially transform your overall productivity. 

“Don’t mistake activity with achievement.” – John Wooden

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Managing The Winter Blues

Jaclyn Baker
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Do you ever catch yourself feeling blue when the sun sets earlier and the days and nights start to blend?

Even though we can spend time outdoors after work or school in the winter –  we are far less likely if it’s dark and cold outside. 

Spending day after day indoors for long periods of time can lead to what is commonly known as the winter blues.

But it can be managed, and we can flip the script. 

Here’s how!

Take Action

Even when it’s cold outside, we can still incorporate the things we love into our routine. 

Setting aside some time to go on a brisk walk (even if it’s only 10 minutes) can significantly impact your mood. 

If going outside that day isn’t an option, there are several fun indoor activities you can try out as well, such as listening to a motivational podcast or journaling. 

Celebrate Accomplishments

Celebrating all accomplishments (even the smaller ones) can help encourage us to keep going and help break up the day.

When you finish a task – don’t immediately move on to the next one.

Instead, you can set aside some time to feel proud of what you’ve done. 

Doing so can give you more incentive to continue moving forward!

Do Something Special For Yourself 

Every day is a good day to practice self-care and be kind to ourselves. 

Small acts of kindness can go a long way. Especially the kindness we show ourselves. 

Prioritizing what makes us happy can help us cherish every moment.

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Getting to Know The Real You

Jaclyn Baker
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Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly changing.

You are not the same person you were this time last year.

As time goes on, our values, goals, and ideas tend to evolve. 

You should never force yourself to participate in something that doesn’t feel right. 

But at the same time, you can never know how you feel about something unless you try (sometimes more than once). 

Setting Goals

Setting new goals and diving back into older ones can teach us a lot about ourselves.

Imagining your future self is just as important as discovering your present self.

Where would you like to be five years from now?

What can you start doing today that will help you get there?

We can’t expect great things to magically fall in our laps. 

We have to put the work in to make those dreams a reality. 

Describe Yourself

How would you describe yourself to a complete stranger?

Would you start listing your personality traits, family, goals, job, all of the above?

You are so much more than your job or your hobbies. 

Every single piece of you makes you who you are. 

List Your Values

What do you value in others and yourself? 

Do you care about community, authenticity, generosity?

Take a moment to write down the values you cherish in life. 

Putting these values down on paper can help you look at them in a new way and help them feel more tangible. 

Keep in mind – this list does not have to be a set-in-stone thing.

You can easily add new items to the list or even erase some as time goes on. 

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Asking For Help When You Need It

Jaclyn Baker
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Have you ever felt uncomfortable or put off asking for help when you needed it?

Our days aren’t always smooth sailing, and we all need a helping hand from time to time. None of us know everything – in fact, life would be pretty boring if we did.

If you are ready to change the way you view asking for help, keep on reading.

Accept The Struggle

There is no such thing as perfection – but there is such a thing as progress.

Even when you feel confident completing a task solo, there is nothing wrong with wanting to learn more and/or seeking another point of view.

After all, there is always more than one way to do something.

Even though your method may be working well right now, that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved upon.

It takes strength and courage to accept that we don’t know everything.

There is No I in Team 

Now, on one hand, it’s important to be independent and make an effort to figure things out. But at the same time, there is value in teamwork!

Not everything in life can be read about in a book or found on the internet. Some tasks require another set of hands and eyes to tackle. Just because you can do something alone doesn’t always mean you should!

“Asking for help isn’t weak, it’s a great example of how to take care of yourself.” – Charlie Brown

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