So, I’ve been putting this post off for quite a while now as it’s been almost two weeks since my birthday. I gave myself quite a bit of time off for ~celebrations~ and then had friends visiting, but, mostly, I wanted to make sure I had adequate time to reflect on my journey over the past few months.
What I’ve learned
- People are more supportive than I ever would have thought. From you guys to my friends in real life who have been incredibly helpful with my businesses (and who have also believed in me more than I thought possible), I’ve been reminded so much of all the love and support in my life over the past few months.
- Taking breaks is okay. You’ll get sick. You’ll feel burnt out for no reason. As long as you’re headed in the right direction, slowing down when you need to is okay.
- Being overly ambitious is good so long as you don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get everything done (because you won’t). I knew I wouldn’t get all 10 of my top goals done in three months. And that was always the plan. But, by aiming high, I was able to get my top 5 completed more quickly than I otherwise might’ve been able to.
- Work to your personal working style. For me, this means that sometimes I’ll feel super motivated and work until 4 AM, and other days I might only work a couple of hours.
- Plan and replan. Your first plan won’t be the way you achieve your goals in the end. But continuing to plan will keep you on track.
- Celebrate small wins. This was one of the most important things for me. It’s easy to think you’re not making any progress until you objectively measure your wins against your plans.
- Motivation needs to come from within. While people will support you, you’re not going to get anywhere unless you really want to achieve your goals. Don’t waste time pursuing goals you think you *should* pursue for the sake of them.
- You’ll mess up, waste time, and waste money, but that’s okay. It’s not a straightforward path to getting to your goals and sometimes you’ll make some questionable choices along the way.
- It will be a lot of fun alongside the hard work. You’ll get into that flow state.
- Don’t be embarrassed to ask for what you want. In life, in relationships, in general.
- Know when to say yes…and when to say no. Don’t say no just because you’re scared, but don’t say yes just because you feel you should.
- You’ll get mental blocks…just keep moving forward a little at a time. If you can’t face a full day of work, start with 5 minutes and see how you go.
- Never sacrifice your mental or physical health for your goals. You’re doing this for you. Don’t ruin yourself in the process.
- Don’t become a shut in, but give yourself enough “me” time. Try to get outside every day, but also don’t succumb to FOMO too often.
- You’ll learn more random things than you ever thought possible. Honestly, when I started this journey, I never thought I’d learn so much about online marketing, business, or any of the other random skills I’ve picked up along the way.
- Don’t buy into BS facebook ads. As soon as I quit my job, Facebook bombarded me with get rich quick ads. And, to be honest, I bought into some (and bought some things…some of which were good purchases, some of which possibly less so). All those free webinars can be useful, but they can also be a major time suck.
- Try to keep a routine…most of the time. It’s good to go to bed and wake up at a similar time every day. That being said, though, if inspiration strikes at midnight, it’s okay to be a bit more flexible.
- Your priorities will evolve. Even in three months.
- Don’t be desperate…be patient, you’ll get there. It’s easy to want it all right away. You’ve got to put in the work, but you’ll get there.
- Succeeding is a pretty awesome feeling. Especially when it’s at your own personal goals instead of for someone else at a job, etc.
- Try a bunch of different things until you get it right. If it’s not working, move on.
- But, that being said, stay focused. Stick with things long enough to give them a proper shot.
- You probably won’t even care much about the reward. Reaching your goals is pretty sweet in and of itself.
- Reflection is key. You may not realise just how awesome you’re doing without it.
- You never know what you can achieve until you try.