So I awoke one morning in 2000 and something and realized that mentally I had changed. I had just turned 27 with no marital prospects in sight and trust me, if you're a single female in the church, it means something. But what was amazing to me (not that I wasn't stressing the marriage thing) was how much I began truly understanding myself. I began seeing traits and desires in myself that I never really paid attention to before. I had truly developed the desire to be the most authentic me. I began reading books that were geared towards personal growth. I had truly began the journey to finding myself. So here is what I came up with.
What Brings Me Joy
One of the most important questions I have began asking myself is, what brings ME joy. I have realized that I cannot allow other peoples' thoughts and other peoples' opinions drive my decisions. Ultimately I have to live by the beat of my own drum. In order for me to understand what really brings me joy, I had to do a lot of soul searching to find my value system. What are the values and principles that drive me? What do I believe and if this is what I believe, am I willing to die for it? My belief system tends to fall under a few categories: 1.Spirituality, 2.Family, 3.Self. Narrowing down my core values have really helped me to determine what really drives me and what truly brings me joy.
My Choice of Friends
Choice of friends have also been a big part of finding self. Reason being, my friendships mold my growth or lack of growth. Choosing friends who aid in my personal growth is also determined by my core value system. Are my friends uplifting me or are they tearing me down? At times it may not seem very clear cut, but for me I have to guard my mind and determine with each conversation, was that a waste of my time or did that conversation really uplift me. Even though it is important to step out of my comfort zone, I have to choose friends who mirror my value system. Our friends do hold significant amount of sway in our way of thinking. Even when we move by the beat of our own drum.
Staying True to Me Behind Closed Doors
How do I approach my day to day activities? If being hard working is a part of my value system as I claim in my writing, then how I show up to work, whatever gets my stamp of approval, should reflect that. I have to become the woman that I claim to be, not necessarily for outward show, because I can pretend, but for my own peace of mind and sanity. How I show up to work is for me a work in progress, which is why I write my thoughts down. But as I struggle with growing from mediocrity, complacency and procrastination I have to constantly self assess. How I do the little things in my life, will dictate how I do everything. I cannot be a winner in big things, if I cannot be trusted with the little things.
Dear friends, I encourage you to determine who you are. Find your core principles, and live by them. Allow yourself to become the person you were meant to be.
Please share with me your thoughts and challenge me on mine by leaving me a comment. Also, if this article added value to your life, please share it with others.
One Love
Danni
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Thursday, July 20, 2017
From Bayview Projects - Canarsie Brooklyn!!!!!!!!
For many of us living in the US, Starbucks is a household name. Whether or not you are a coffee drinker, there is no doubt that you have stepped into Starbucks a time or two, either to purchase pastry or their multiple lattes or to meet up with friends, study, relax or use free wifi. I've done them all. Starbucks isn't just any old coffee shop, it's a culture. And not only does it have its own vibe, it also has its own language.
What most of us may not know is that Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks is not only a NYC kid, he grew up in the Bayview projects in Canarsie Brooklyn. His parents were poor, not just poor, they were very poor. (For those who may not be accustomed to American culture, the projects is government subsidized housing which is unfortunately stigmatized as poor and crime filled). My question is, how does someone with such a past and from such a beginning have such a great accomplishment? In one of my previous post I talked about the fact that your past should not define you. One of the keys to Schultz 's success, is the fact that he was determined from an early age to break that cycle of poverty in his family. In his book Pour Your Heart Into It. How Starbucks Built a Company one Cup at a Time, Schultz writes " my story is one of perseverance and drive. I willed it to happen. I took my life in my hands, learned from anyone I could, grabbed what opportunity I could, and molded my success step by step".
Howard Schultz wasn't exceptional as a kid, nor is he more gifted or talented as an adult. But his success like the success of so many others is one of 1. Dream, 2. Drive 3. Determination and 4. Dedication. Nothing at all is beyond our grasp if we incorporate the four D's in our lives. In addition to this, one has to be coachable. Being open to learning new things, stepping out of our comfort zone and actively looking for opportunities to grow. Accomplishing our dreams, especially very big dreams are no walk in the park. It takes a lot of work, very hard work. And it's often times a long, lengthy, frustrating process.
I encourage each person reading to dream big, don't settle, and don't assume that your time has passed, regardless of your age or current situation. Never limit or doubt yourself. Redirect your thinking to one of win win. Sky is always the limit, but only through the 4 D's will you get to that place of greatness.
One Love
Danni
What most of us may not know is that Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks is not only a NYC kid, he grew up in the Bayview projects in Canarsie Brooklyn. His parents were poor, not just poor, they were very poor. (For those who may not be accustomed to American culture, the projects is government subsidized housing which is unfortunately stigmatized as poor and crime filled). My question is, how does someone with such a past and from such a beginning have such a great accomplishment? In one of my previous post I talked about the fact that your past should not define you. One of the keys to Schultz 's success, is the fact that he was determined from an early age to break that cycle of poverty in his family. In his book Pour Your Heart Into It. How Starbucks Built a Company one Cup at a Time, Schultz writes " my story is one of perseverance and drive. I willed it to happen. I took my life in my hands, learned from anyone I could, grabbed what opportunity I could, and molded my success step by step".
Howard Schultz wasn't exceptional as a kid, nor is he more gifted or talented as an adult. But his success like the success of so many others is one of 1. Dream, 2. Drive 3. Determination and 4. Dedication. Nothing at all is beyond our grasp if we incorporate the four D's in our lives. In addition to this, one has to be coachable. Being open to learning new things, stepping out of our comfort zone and actively looking for opportunities to grow. Accomplishing our dreams, especially very big dreams are no walk in the park. It takes a lot of work, very hard work. And it's often times a long, lengthy, frustrating process.
I encourage each person reading to dream big, don't settle, and don't assume that your time has passed, regardless of your age or current situation. Never limit or doubt yourself. Redirect your thinking to one of win win. Sky is always the limit, but only through the 4 D's will you get to that place of greatness.
One Love
Danni
Thursday, July 13, 2017
10 Thousand Hours to Perfection
One day I sat watching Elmo with my toddler. In this episode they had a two headed monster who was giving directions to someone trying to get around in New York City. But when they got to giving directions to Carnegie Hall, the directions given were "practice, practice, practice".
We might assume that this is funny, and the slight message could have easily been missed. But in order for someone to make it to the stages of Carnegie Hall, it's not talent, it's skill. If you have been following me, you know that I place talent and skill in two different categories. Talent we have naturally, skill we have from hours and hours of "practice, practice, practice".
This post is written for those of us who are desiring to excel in a field that we believe we are not competent in. But for the person who is new to a particular activity or task, competence never comes as a result of being talented, becoming a master of a particular task comes from repeatedly doing this activity until it becomes effortless. "Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good" Malcolm Gladwell. Not only do you spend time practicing, you practice with a desire to identify and correct your mistakes. This is extremely important, what's the sense in repeatedly doing the wrong thing over and over.
In the book Outliers by author Malcolm Gladwell, he looks at various people or groups who have truly mastered their craft. He writes "the student who ends up the best in their class (musically) begin to practice more than anyone else 16 hours/ week by age 14. They are practicing purposefully and single minded playing their instruments with the intent to get better. The elite had over 10,000 hours of practice". Can you imagine that, to truly become a master, it takes roughly 10,000 hours of practice. It is said that 10,000 hours of practice is equivalent to ten years of performing a task. That may explain why many employers ask for ten years of work experience.
There in lies the key to perfecting a craft. Being the under dog can be extremely discouraging. However, knowing that you are the underdog should motivate you to action. Action isn't merely putting in a few hours here and there, but intentionally and obsessively spending hours and hours working on and mastering our craft. That distinguishes those who become masters and those who remain average.
Please share, like and leave me a comment. I do enjoy reading your thoughts.
One Love
Danni
We might assume that this is funny, and the slight message could have easily been missed. But in order for someone to make it to the stages of Carnegie Hall, it's not talent, it's skill. If you have been following me, you know that I place talent and skill in two different categories. Talent we have naturally, skill we have from hours and hours of "practice, practice, practice".
This post is written for those of us who are desiring to excel in a field that we believe we are not competent in. But for the person who is new to a particular activity or task, competence never comes as a result of being talented, becoming a master of a particular task comes from repeatedly doing this activity until it becomes effortless. "Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good" Malcolm Gladwell. Not only do you spend time practicing, you practice with a desire to identify and correct your mistakes. This is extremely important, what's the sense in repeatedly doing the wrong thing over and over.
In the book Outliers by author Malcolm Gladwell, he looks at various people or groups who have truly mastered their craft. He writes "the student who ends up the best in their class (musically) begin to practice more than anyone else 16 hours/ week by age 14. They are practicing purposefully and single minded playing their instruments with the intent to get better. The elite had over 10,000 hours of practice". Can you imagine that, to truly become a master, it takes roughly 10,000 hours of practice. It is said that 10,000 hours of practice is equivalent to ten years of performing a task. That may explain why many employers ask for ten years of work experience.
There in lies the key to perfecting a craft. Being the under dog can be extremely discouraging. However, knowing that you are the underdog should motivate you to action. Action isn't merely putting in a few hours here and there, but intentionally and obsessively spending hours and hours working on and mastering our craft. That distinguishes those who become masters and those who remain average.
Please share, like and leave me a comment. I do enjoy reading your thoughts.
One Love
Danni
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Creating A Winning Culture- The Usain Bolt Effect
On my last visit to Jamaica, I happened to stay at a villa in Ocho Rios that was close to a soccer field. Most evenings on our walk down to the town we would pass these little boys ages 8 through 14 running track. I grew up on the island so it never meant anything to me, but over time it arrested my husband's attention (who by the way is not Jamaican) he was very surprised at the boys' dedication and commitment. I guess it was on his mind so much that one day he said to me, "why are they practicing track everyday by themselves"? My response was so nonchalant "that's just what Jamaican kids do babe". It wasn't until recently that that statement came back to me.
Many people around the world are mesmerized by Usain Bolts ability to win so effortlessly and so consistently. But honestly, Usain Bolt's ability never happened in a vacuum. Embedded in the Jamaican culture is an appetite for track and field. Not only do we love the sport, but we believe that it's our duty to create great athletes. Once a child gets into pre K, they are being groomed towards track and field through yearly sports days that have track competitions. As kids grow older in the Jamaican school system, those with unique track abilities are prepared for bigger competitions. So it's not strange to see young children passing time by running track. It's just what Jamaican children do, it's in our DNA.
Preparing our children for greatness should become part of our mental DNA. Preparing ourselves for greatness should also be apart of our DNA. It should dictate and determine the decisions that we make on a daily basis. Children who excel in life for the most part are groomed by parents who are bent on creating excellent kids. Which means that we cannot nonchalantly sit on our phones and ignore our kids when they ask us to read them a story, or choose not to take them to the library because we feel tired. One day we will wake up and see that not only have we lost time, we have lost our kids. We also cannot casually live our minutes, our hours our days aimlessly assuming that great things are within our reach. Every decision, we make should be carefully thought through. Don't allow your mind to carelessly wonder. Choose friends who stretch us instead of dragging us down.
Creating a winning culture in our homes, with our families, in our physical health, with our spiritual lives takes determination, dedication, but most importantly it's allowing ourselves to be principle centered. Over time, it will become embedded in our DNA.
I'm no guru on parenting, actually I'm not a guru at anything, but I want to encourage us to begin evaluating all aspects of our lives, and the lives of our children and begin creating a winning culture for ourselves and our families
Love your feedback. Please hit me up, let me know what your thoughts are.
One Love
Danni
Many people around the world are mesmerized by Usain Bolts ability to win so effortlessly and so consistently. But honestly, Usain Bolt's ability never happened in a vacuum. Embedded in the Jamaican culture is an appetite for track and field. Not only do we love the sport, but we believe that it's our duty to create great athletes. Once a child gets into pre K, they are being groomed towards track and field through yearly sports days that have track competitions. As kids grow older in the Jamaican school system, those with unique track abilities are prepared for bigger competitions. So it's not strange to see young children passing time by running track. It's just what Jamaican children do, it's in our DNA.
Preparing our children for greatness should become part of our mental DNA. Preparing ourselves for greatness should also be apart of our DNA. It should dictate and determine the decisions that we make on a daily basis. Children who excel in life for the most part are groomed by parents who are bent on creating excellent kids. Which means that we cannot nonchalantly sit on our phones and ignore our kids when they ask us to read them a story, or choose not to take them to the library because we feel tired. One day we will wake up and see that not only have we lost time, we have lost our kids. We also cannot casually live our minutes, our hours our days aimlessly assuming that great things are within our reach. Every decision, we make should be carefully thought through. Don't allow your mind to carelessly wonder. Choose friends who stretch us instead of dragging us down.
Creating a winning culture in our homes, with our families, in our physical health, with our spiritual lives takes determination, dedication, but most importantly it's allowing ourselves to be principle centered. Over time, it will become embedded in our DNA.
I'm no guru on parenting, actually I'm not a guru at anything, but I want to encourage us to begin evaluating all aspects of our lives, and the lives of our children and begin creating a winning culture for ourselves and our families
Love your feedback. Please hit me up, let me know what your thoughts are.
One Love
Danni
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Stop Playing Not to Lose Play to Win.
There is nothing I hate like playing checkers or monopoly with my husband and losing. The problem is, once I start playing a game with him, I automatically know that I am going to lose, and I begin playing defense and lose optimism. What I really should do instead is bring my A game, spend time learning from him, and look for oportunities to win.
We have brought the first half of the year to a close, and it is at this point in time that we should be reevaluating the goals that we had set in January. Remember all those new year resolutions that were set, and how pumped up we were about reaching those targets? February stepped in and what was four days at the gym weekly turned into a one day drive by every other week. My aim here is to encourage you to not look back with disappointment, even though you have lost momentum. It is important to begin playing the game looking towards winning versus trying to prevent losing.
Last February as I sat with anticipation, watching the super bowl I could not believe that the New England Patriots (who by the way is not my favorite team by FAR) were able to make a come back at the last minute and actually won the game. But the lesson I have now learned from that is, even when it seems like a sure lose, reevaluate and bring your A game. I have to tip my hat to Tom Brady for what is truly a winners mentality.
So as we start off the second half of the NEW YEAR, don't abandon the goals you have set in the begining. Start looking for those oportunities where you found strength to persevere, pick up that baton and begin running again. For those who are Christians, can you imagine the raw deal the disciples felt they were served after the crucifixion? It never stopped them from moving forward. For those of us who are into sports, think about teams who have a history of winning, even when they are down, they find a window of oportunity, bring their A game and move towards winning. A few tips that may help in maintaining momentum are: 1. Determine what got you excited about your goal on January 1st, recreate that emotion and allow it to propel you 2. Treat the first of every month as if it's January first. Even if momentum is lost, the consistency of restarting will eventually help build endurance and sustenance. 3. Get into environments and around people who share the goals that you have, people who will help motivate you to stay focused.
Regardless of the issue, if you have lost momentum, your drive, your passion, your desire to keep going, don't be discouraged, reevaluate and bring your A game.
This is your day, this is your week, this is your month, this is still YOUR YEAR. OWN IT. No looking back...Bring your A game.
Please leave me a comment. I love hearing from you guys.
One Love
Danni
We have brought the first half of the year to a close, and it is at this point in time that we should be reevaluating the goals that we had set in January. Remember all those new year resolutions that were set, and how pumped up we were about reaching those targets? February stepped in and what was four days at the gym weekly turned into a one day drive by every other week. My aim here is to encourage you to not look back with disappointment, even though you have lost momentum. It is important to begin playing the game looking towards winning versus trying to prevent losing.
Last February as I sat with anticipation, watching the super bowl I could not believe that the New England Patriots (who by the way is not my favorite team by FAR) were able to make a come back at the last minute and actually won the game. But the lesson I have now learned from that is, even when it seems like a sure lose, reevaluate and bring your A game. I have to tip my hat to Tom Brady for what is truly a winners mentality.
So as we start off the second half of the NEW YEAR, don't abandon the goals you have set in the begining. Start looking for those oportunities where you found strength to persevere, pick up that baton and begin running again. For those who are Christians, can you imagine the raw deal the disciples felt they were served after the crucifixion? It never stopped them from moving forward. For those of us who are into sports, think about teams who have a history of winning, even when they are down, they find a window of oportunity, bring their A game and move towards winning. A few tips that may help in maintaining momentum are: 1. Determine what got you excited about your goal on January 1st, recreate that emotion and allow it to propel you 2. Treat the first of every month as if it's January first. Even if momentum is lost, the consistency of restarting will eventually help build endurance and sustenance. 3. Get into environments and around people who share the goals that you have, people who will help motivate you to stay focused.
Regardless of the issue, if you have lost momentum, your drive, your passion, your desire to keep going, don't be discouraged, reevaluate and bring your A game.
This is your day, this is your week, this is your month, this is still YOUR YEAR. OWN IT. No looking back...Bring your A game.
Please leave me a comment. I love hearing from you guys.
One Love
Danni
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Why Micro Goals are Your Best Friend
There is nothing in life that hits you in the head and makes you begin taking inventory of your life like being pregnant and having a mortgage. It's during those moments when I sit silently by myself and evaluate my life, my thirty something ish years of existence, that I begin asking myself; why the heck am I here? What is my purpose on earth? Have I really accomplished the goals that I know God has placed upon my heart? Am I really in the field that I want to be? Do I come home daily feeling fulfilled knowing that I am living in my purpose? I hope this article will help those who like myself want to begin actively working on their dreams.
I have written extensively about having a particular goal and running towards your goals, staying focused and working hard. But I've never really dived into setting goals and how to actually accomplish them. I have found that goal setting plays a major role in guiding our lives in the right direction. But in order to work on a major goal, it's best to break it down into micro goals.
What are Micro Goals?
Micro goals are those smaller goals that set your larger goal in motion. At times having a big goal in mind can be overwhelming. So it's best to break your goals down into smaller building block goals that will eventually allow you to get to the finishing line. Any and everything that you want to accomplish have to start with setting achievable goals. Here are some simple steps in setting our goals.
1. Get a pen and paper: This is the first and simplest step. If you don't write your goals down, they will stay jumbled in your head, and I promise you, it makes it that much harder to achieve.
2. Write down all the things you want to accomplish, regardless of the length of time it may take. So for example, if your goal is to save $1000 in the next month, write it down. If your goal is to start a charity in two years write it down.
3. Place a time line next to your goals. So the goal that will be accomplished in a month, write 1 month next to that goal. Those to be accomplished in a year write 1 year and so on.
4. Place your goals in categories based on time line.
5. Make a note of what it will take to accomplish this goal. Under each goal write subcategories of daily, weekly, monthly and yearly action steps. If you have a goal to save a certain amount of money, two daily action steps may include packing lunch daily instead of buying lunch at work or making a daily note of all your purchases and so on. It is extremely important to take inventory of how we spend our day. It will allow us to pinpoint those areas of weakness where time is wasted.
6. Have a daily activity time table which will incorporate your daily action steps and all the activities that you do during the day. This has been helping me with managing my time while raising my daughter.
7. Be committed to your micro goals. If you happen to loose momentum, focus on the end goal and the reason you wanted to accomplish this goal in the first place. Begin with the end in mind and know your why.
I hope that these tips were helpful. Remember this, a year from now, you WILL wish you had started today. Do not procrastinate. Begin working on your tomorrow right now. It is more important to sacrifice the comforts of today for the comforts of tomorrow. Failure to do so will bring regret later on in life. Let me implore you, to turn your TV off, put down the cell and begin implementing goal setting in your life today. It really will change your life.
One Love
Danni
I have written extensively about having a particular goal and running towards your goals, staying focused and working hard. But I've never really dived into setting goals and how to actually accomplish them. I have found that goal setting plays a major role in guiding our lives in the right direction. But in order to work on a major goal, it's best to break it down into micro goals.
What are Micro Goals?
Micro goals are those smaller goals that set your larger goal in motion. At times having a big goal in mind can be overwhelming. So it's best to break your goals down into smaller building block goals that will eventually allow you to get to the finishing line. Any and everything that you want to accomplish have to start with setting achievable goals. Here are some simple steps in setting our goals.
1. Get a pen and paper: This is the first and simplest step. If you don't write your goals down, they will stay jumbled in your head, and I promise you, it makes it that much harder to achieve.
2. Write down all the things you want to accomplish, regardless of the length of time it may take. So for example, if your goal is to save $1000 in the next month, write it down. If your goal is to start a charity in two years write it down.
3. Place a time line next to your goals. So the goal that will be accomplished in a month, write 1 month next to that goal. Those to be accomplished in a year write 1 year and so on.
4. Place your goals in categories based on time line.
5. Make a note of what it will take to accomplish this goal. Under each goal write subcategories of daily, weekly, monthly and yearly action steps. If you have a goal to save a certain amount of money, two daily action steps may include packing lunch daily instead of buying lunch at work or making a daily note of all your purchases and so on. It is extremely important to take inventory of how we spend our day. It will allow us to pinpoint those areas of weakness where time is wasted.
6. Have a daily activity time table which will incorporate your daily action steps and all the activities that you do during the day. This has been helping me with managing my time while raising my daughter.
7. Be committed to your micro goals. If you happen to loose momentum, focus on the end goal and the reason you wanted to accomplish this goal in the first place. Begin with the end in mind and know your why.
I hope that these tips were helpful. Remember this, a year from now, you WILL wish you had started today. Do not procrastinate. Begin working on your tomorrow right now. It is more important to sacrifice the comforts of today for the comforts of tomorrow. Failure to do so will bring regret later on in life. Let me implore you, to turn your TV off, put down the cell and begin implementing goal setting in your life today. It really will change your life.
One Love
Danni
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Some Key Success Strategies
Many times we think of the differences between someone else's success and ours. Most times we harbor excuses within our own selves. We tend to rationalize that the reason a person is successful and we aren't, are the oportunities that the other person had, versus our own lack of oportunities. But when we truly look at the history of those who have overcome the odds and have become successful we realize that they had every reason and excuse in the world to fail. So what tends to separate those who have beaten the odds and those who haven't?
1. Consistency: Consistency is key. Consistency is staying focused, being persistent and constantly working on what you are trying to accomplish. Starting and stopping creates a mindset that your goal is not important. This also diminishes the drive to get the job done. But how can one be expected to stay consistent when things don't seem to be working out, or at least moving in a positive direction? In order to do so, you have to know and focus on your why. Understanding the driving force behind why you started gives you a clear reason for staying in the game. You can only make a building one block or brick at a time. But what eventually creates a building, is placing one block or brick on top of another until the structure is complete. Take baby steps, but be consistent.
Take Home: What ever you decide to do, don't punk out, just be consistent. Even if you have to slow your pace or ease into a particular activity, just stay consistent.
2. Be a Person of Your Word: Integrity is everything. How many times have you been let down by someone that you trusted or who had promised to do something and decided not to keep their word. It leaves a bad taste in our mouths. It's better to say no, than to say yes when deep down you know you have no desire to fulfill that commitment or is not able to deliver. My 3 year old promised her dad one of two candies that she had. She kept a flavor for herself that she assumed she would like, but ended up hating. A few hours later she began tampering with the candy she promised her dad and I stood my ground with her. She has to understand that if you made that promise, follow through.
Take home: Don't make promises that you cannot keep, and keep the promises you make.
3. Belief: You have to believe in yourself and your ability to acheve your goal. The story is often told about breaking the record of completing the mile run in less than 4 minutes. This was achieved on May 6th 1954. Despite the fact that this had never been done prior, within 46 days this record was broken by another athlete. Reason being, a mental shift occurred in the mindset of the athletes once someone else was able to accomplish that goal. Self doubt immobilizes us and keeps us in a place of inaction.
Take home: If you can believe it, you can achieve it.
Quality is better than Quantity: My mom always said, whatever your hands finds to do, do it well. Mediocre is a word I've used a lot and its because as I've said before, it's also a personal struggle. But it's better to do less and its well done than to do more and its questionable.
Take home: Put your absolute best foot forward.
Staying consistent, being a person of your word putting forward quality and really believing in yourself are four important and very key factors that set those who have gone on to do great things and those who haven't. I challenge you to read up on many of those major companies like Airbnb and others who have gone on to be household names or the biography of successful athletes. They struggled tremendously in the begining, but overcame the odds by instituting these principles.
I would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment and please share my blog on your social media page.
One Love
Danni
1. Consistency: Consistency is key. Consistency is staying focused, being persistent and constantly working on what you are trying to accomplish. Starting and stopping creates a mindset that your goal is not important. This also diminishes the drive to get the job done. But how can one be expected to stay consistent when things don't seem to be working out, or at least moving in a positive direction? In order to do so, you have to know and focus on your why. Understanding the driving force behind why you started gives you a clear reason for staying in the game. You can only make a building one block or brick at a time. But what eventually creates a building, is placing one block or brick on top of another until the structure is complete. Take baby steps, but be consistent.
Take Home: What ever you decide to do, don't punk out, just be consistent. Even if you have to slow your pace or ease into a particular activity, just stay consistent.
2. Be a Person of Your Word: Integrity is everything. How many times have you been let down by someone that you trusted or who had promised to do something and decided not to keep their word. It leaves a bad taste in our mouths. It's better to say no, than to say yes when deep down you know you have no desire to fulfill that commitment or is not able to deliver. My 3 year old promised her dad one of two candies that she had. She kept a flavor for herself that she assumed she would like, but ended up hating. A few hours later she began tampering with the candy she promised her dad and I stood my ground with her. She has to understand that if you made that promise, follow through.
Take home: Don't make promises that you cannot keep, and keep the promises you make.
3. Belief: You have to believe in yourself and your ability to acheve your goal. The story is often told about breaking the record of completing the mile run in less than 4 minutes. This was achieved on May 6th 1954. Despite the fact that this had never been done prior, within 46 days this record was broken by another athlete. Reason being, a mental shift occurred in the mindset of the athletes once someone else was able to accomplish that goal. Self doubt immobilizes us and keeps us in a place of inaction.
Take home: If you can believe it, you can achieve it.
Quality is better than Quantity: My mom always said, whatever your hands finds to do, do it well. Mediocre is a word I've used a lot and its because as I've said before, it's also a personal struggle. But it's better to do less and its well done than to do more and its questionable.
Take home: Put your absolute best foot forward.
Staying consistent, being a person of your word putting forward quality and really believing in yourself are four important and very key factors that set those who have gone on to do great things and those who haven't. I challenge you to read up on many of those major companies like Airbnb and others who have gone on to be household names or the biography of successful athletes. They struggled tremendously in the begining, but overcame the odds by instituting these principles.
I would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment and please share my blog on your social media page.
One Love
Danni
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