I guess it needs to be first laid out that you need some kind of goal that you are moving forward to, before you can make the steps to get there. So that’s step 1. Have a few goals. They could be financial, could be fitness, could be a specific job, could be weight loss, could be growing your nails, could be learning a new skill or hobby…you get the picture.
I am by no means a pro at staying on task or staying hyper focused on end goals. I am a big fan of the journey and of what I call Manicure Milestones. Small rewards as I move closer to a goal.
I am a big fan of making lists of goals that I would like to achieve within each month and the whole year. I’m not the best at breaking each goal down into specific tasks, and that’s something I am working on to get better at. #alwayslearning
What I am good at are these three things that help me move forward to my goals.
Financial Goals
This is a big goal. I don’t mean the number is big. I mean the act of saving money and reaching financial goals is not an easy one. There are so many things that can throw a curve ball into finances and it’s critical to have a safety bucket of money for those things, so you don’t lose motivation. The worst thing to feel is de-motivated, like you will never succeed and then spiral into a spending spree that you hope will make you feel better…we all know how that plays out.
I keep a VERY close eye on my finances. Like daily. I track what comes in and what goes out regularly and although I would never say I go without, I don’t spend without giving purchases a very good thought. This may sound silly and ridiculously simple…but I don’t go into stores just to look around. What I don’t know can’t hurt me. I don’t look at new fashion trends or go into designer stores. I stay away from home decor stores and I stopped buying magazines at the walmart checkout. These small habits have turned my finances around and it works for me.
These suggestions may not work for you, and that’s cool. My biggest suggestion would be to track your month and quarter spend…see where you are investing your hard earned money and then ask yourself if you need those things. Maybe you do. Do you need them as frequently? Are there other locations you could pick them up cheaper? I hate looking through grocery flyers, and I’m definitely not going to 5 different stores to get the best deal. I will, however, stop at the grocery store that has the majority of items on sale that I eat regularly and stock up. Cheese! Always buy a shit ton of cheese on sale and put it in your freezer. Never pay $8 a brick. EVER!
Journaling
So I don’t journal in the traditional sense of having a pen and paper notebook and sit in a quiet room and put all my deepest fears and hopes on paper each day.
I started a new practice this year and I haven’t missed a day yet as it is fast and easy to do. Every day at 7:50pm my phone sends me a reminder to journal what I am grateful for, that day. JUST THAT DAY. I need to find something that transpired over the course of the day that made me happy or that I am grateful for, or maybe that I learned from. Something positive. Some days there are a few things, and I don’t rate the good and pick the best…I jot them all down. There have a been few days where nothing really stands out and I really have to think about it. The simple act of looking for the good helps me each day to try and do/see/feel/experience a good thing to journal about.
You can use a digital app on your phone or a notepad and pen. I, admittedly use my phone/iPad A LOT, and that is easier for me to stay on track. Until last year, I was obsessed with cool Sharpie pens (still am for post-its) and pretty notebooks/planners. Jan 2022 I sprung for an Apple Pencil and the app Noteshelf, and my planning, note taking, goal setting, PDF collecting, digital course material game changed. I am now paperless and loving it. But you do you!
Side note: buying the NoteShelf app has also saved me $75+ a year on beautiful planners and pens. It’s a one time app purchase and FULLY customizable with awesome templates for pages and covers and it’s like having an ENDLESS supply of content to put into bookshelves. You can save downloaded PDF’s and use the pens to draw on the PDF’s. You can create your own notebooks for work, for journaling. The pen colours/thickness are fully customizable. You can also have e-books loaded in and use the highlighter function. It’s pretty amazing. (Not an affiliate, just a happy note taker).
Education
If you know me at all, you will know this obsession is real. I love to learn. Photography educators see me coming and call me Easy Money. LOL. Based on my first point, you know that isn’t exactly true, but I do invest in education more than anything, except maybe groceries…they are getting expensive!
I love Spotify for streaming music, but lately I haven’t listened to much music. I’m hooked on business podcasts. Jenna Kutcher, Rachel Ngom, Sarah Petty, Nikki Closser and Laura Vanderkam are all on rotation for me.
Jenna Kutcher: The Goal Digger Podcast
Rachel Ngom: She’s Making an Impact Podcast
Sarah Petty: Worth Every Penny Joycast
Nikki Closser: The Portrait System Podcast
Laura Vanderkam: Before Breakfast Podcast
They all serve a different purpose for me and depending on how much time I have will determine which I listen to that day, or in the time I have allotted.
Learning brings me a lot of joy, confidence, inspiration and in many way purpose to my day. If I can learn how to be a better photographer, a better human or a better business person, I can hopefully inspire others to do the same. Living a life with empowerment and confidence doesn’t just happen. It takes work. Work on yourself, your craft, your passion and your people skills. I love peopling. (Must be a word, auto-correct didn’t freak out). To be a better people person, I know I need to add value to others. That’s where I feel empowered. Absolutely not everyone will feel that same. Totally cool. My recommendation would be learn what fills your cup (not just tea), and dive in. Learn more. I have never heard anyone say, “the more I learn, the less good I will feel about myself”. Ever.
Free education is all around. You don’t need to fall into the trap of buying every course out there. If you have a couple mentors that speak in a way that resonates with you, invest in them. Dive into Pinterest and find new content on your passion project and learn through their blog posts or YouTube videos. Go to the library. When is the last time you took a book or learning material out from the library? My guess is it’s been a while. Going back 17 years when I wanted to learn how to knit I was obsessed with the library. Reserved every book I could to learn. 17 years later, I’m still knitting and loving it.
If you like teaching others about your passion and what fires you up…do it! Start a YouTube channel (don’t be shy), start a podcast, start a blog…the only thing more rewarding (to me) than learning, is teaching.
If you want to kick up your “selfie” taking skills and turn them into Scroll Stopping Self Portraits, click HERE for a free downloadable PDF that will get you started.
Years ago I had an awesome leader at work who was hyper focused on personal development and she had us all purchase the Strengths Finder book and do the exercises. My top attributes (I think that’s the term the book uses), are Lead, Teach, Coach and Inspire. I, 100% agree with this assessment of what fuels my fire.
If you want to learn how to take your dSLR camera off automatic and learn some manual settings and when/how to use them, I created a blog post to help with that. Check it out HERE.
Determine what fuels your fire and sparks JOY for you and move towards that. Make goals, follow up regularly and invest in yourself.
You’ve got this!
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