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Tag: new beginnings

  • Year End Advice: How to Make 2022 a Success For You

    Year End Advice: How to Make 2022 a Success For You

    “Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get” ― W. P. Kinsella

    How can I make the year 2022 work for me?- Quora

    I think we can make a big impact in 2022 when we learn first to define want success looks like for ourselves. We can’t make the year work for you if you don’t know what you are aiming for in the first place.  

    Success means different things to different people. My life changed the moment I realized I was living my life based off the standards of others. Here are a few suggestions to help jump start your new year:

    Learn to trust your inner voice. 

    This was a hard lesson for me to learn.  It’s like programing your GPS to your desired location and then wanting to turn it off or doubting it because it’s taking on a whole new route you never traveled before. Once you get comfortable using the GPS, you learn to trust that it knows the best way to get you there. You stop trying to outsmart the navigation system.

    Figure out what you’re aiming for

    I learned to set goals a little more by watching football.  If you don’t know what end zone yours is, you’ll never know which way to run and when you’ve had a touchdown.  Once I started setting goals, my brain went to work looking for opportunities like a quarterback looks for a receiver.

    Stop waiting for approval from others

    Sometimes we are the one who must be the first to lead.  This goes with trusting your inner voice which seems to get louder the more you listen. We all have an assignment to do in life.  You have a special gift or talent that you are equipped with. This is your superpower.  The world is waiting for you to discover and cultivate your special power.  You might have the idea to end world hunger or cure cancer but without you are taking that first step to cultivate your superpower, the world is left with a great loss.  That missing puzzle piece.

    Build a support team

    We don’t have to do everything on our own.  Look for other people who want to also do something in their life. We can be become candles for each other who in turn help to keep each other’s paths lit.  Form an accountability group or create your own.

    As we close out 2021, I always suggest taking inventory of the things that worked for you and the things that you would like to change.  To get to your desired location, you must know where you are on the map!

    I would love to learn more about who you are and what you do. Feel free to connect with me through a Meetup group.

    1. Confident Strides Women’s Empowerment Network https://bit.ly/CSWENMeetup
    2. Confident Strides Personal Development Network Group https://bit.ly/CSPDNMeetup
    3. Confident Strides Women’s Professional Network https://bit.ly/CSWPNMeetup

    Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/success

    To connect with me: https://linktr.ee/confidentstrides

  • Cheers to a 30 Day Habit Run: How to Implement a New Habit

    Cheers to a 30 Day Habit Run: How to Implement a New Habit

    “Change might not be fast and it isn’t always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.” ― Charles Duhigg

    How can we go 30 days with a new habit we want to make without interruption? – Quora

    We commonly think we need to “add” a new habit but in truth we are looking to make a change in lifestyle.  To implement change in your life, think about not only adding, but also consider, eliminating an old habit or modifying a current one. A moment of reflection always helps to implement and maintain a new habit or lifestyle change. 

    To implement change, begin by asking yourself questions like:

    1. Why do I want to do this? Keep the answer in front of you. If you know why you want to do something, it will give to you the motivation to keep going. 
    2. What’s the benefit of adding this habit to my life? I don’t like walking in the cold, but I love the clarity and the peace it brings. The benefits sometimes outweigh the effort. 
    3. What would happen if I gave up on myself and my dream or goal? The pain of regret can provide motivation.
    4. How will you feel? You are the only one who makes and breaks the rules. If you interrupt the habit, don’t beat yourself up. Give yourself grace. The biggest thing to celebrate is starting in the first place. 

    Here are a few suggestions you can do to help:

    1. Check off the days you complete the new habit. It’s called “a Streak” or “Don’t Break the Chain”. It’s amazing how great you feel in keeping you habit and checking it off on your calendar is physical proof.
    2. Buddy up with someone. I wanted to hit a goal in December, I partnered with someone who also had a goal they want to hit, and we held each other accountable.
    3. Set a daily reminder. Use your smart devices as assistants.
    4. Write about it. Journal your experience.

     I wish everyone a successful lifestyle changes in the coming year!

    Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/habits

    Here is an invitation to connect with me: https://linktr.ee/confidentstrides

    We also just launched our new website where you can find out Youtube videos and Anchor podcast episodes in one location. Check it out here: https://confidentstrides.com

  • How To Be Productive in 2022: Conduct a Year End Review First

    How To Be Productive in 2022: Conduct a Year End Review First

    “Consider everything an experiment.” ― Corita Kent

    What my military experience has taught me is valuable even after retirement.

    How can one be productive? -Quora

    As this year ends, I think it’s an excellent time to reflect on just how far we have come.  We focus so much on what we want to achieve that perhaps we don’t stop and realize that we are not the same person we were when the year started. There has been people and experiences that have changed us either for the good or the bad.  This is the time to reflect and see if what you are aiming for is still relevant. Do we need to readjust and realign our priorities?  Do we still feel the same way about these things?

     In the military, we would call this time for reflection an After-Action Review or AAR for short.  This is when we would sit down and ask the participants what their experience was. Did we hit our objective?  Where did we come up short and what did we do right? What did you learn? To know is you are productive, you first need to know what the goal was that you were aiming for. 

    What is your target?

    We can apply an AAR to weekly, monthly or year end events.  Did you hit your weekly, monthly, or year-end goal? What did we come up short on and what did we do right?  What have we learned? By taking time to see what worked and what didn’t we can now adjust our aim.

    Being productive is only relevant in the terms to what you want to achieve and the kind of life you want to live.

    1. Write down your dreams and goals. You can’t hit what you can’t see.
    2. Evaluate the activity you engage in daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. Are they in alignment with your core beliefs? Are they taking you to or away from your goals?
    3. Reflect on what is working and what is not. Conduct an After-Action Review.
    4. Adjust your aim and keep moving.

    For 2022 to be productive for you, take a moment of reflection and see what your core values and beliefs are. Then you will know what kind of activities you need to incorporate or eliminate.

    Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/productivity

    Here is an invitation to connect with me: https://linktr.ee/confidentstrides

    We also just launched our new website where you can find out Youtube videos and Anchor podcast episodes in one location. Check it out here: https://confidentstrides.com

  • Making a Comeback

    “Sometimes the hardest part isn’t letting go but rather learning to start over.” ― Nicole Sobon

    I have been having the urge to write again. I guess it’s something that never really leaves you, perhaps life just causes you to stop and re-evaluate what’s important to you.

    A lot has changed since I first started writing this blog many years ago. I started a YouTube and Anchor podcast last year just before the COVID shutdown. I wanted to see what I could offer to the world during the shutdown. I was on a walk with my dogs when the thought of how we were going to manage this “new normal.” I just keep looking at Chloe who I didn’t really want and I just pondered how this dog ended up in my life. My elderly neighbor was placed in a nursing home and she had asked my to keep Chloe. Chloe would growl and my husband when he would give me a kiss before heading off to bed. Chloe sheds a lot too! But here I was, walking this dog and actually enjoying myself. That’s when I realized that no matter what happens in life, we are always going to face change. Change is inevitable! What makes the difference is how we react to the change that is right in front of us each day.

    Now back to my podcast idea, I raced home and decided to make an offer to the coaches in my network. What advice were they offering to their clients during this time of change? The whole premise of the podcast was to present positive insight by offering the coaches an opportunity to be interviewed by me. My first interview appeared on YouTube in March of 2020. A whole year later, I am still interviewing and sharing positive insight that’s being uploaded weekly.

    My purpose moving forward with this blog is a way to provide positive insight that I gathered through the interviews as well as the insight I get while running. I invite you to join me on this comeback journey.

    Quote Source https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/start-over

  • Creeping Through My List

    Creeping Through My List

    Each year brings a new adventure. This year, I decided to recommit myself to my network marketing business.  Like many others, I associated negatively with network marketing. I never bothered to see if I was perhaps a contributing factor to past failures.

    One of my goals has been to re-connect with people. I have been reaching out to people who are on my contact list to see if they are interested in coffee. This story is about a failed attempt.  Here’s what happened:

    Me: Coffee, next week?
    Woman: No
    Me: Thank you
    Woman: For what?
    Me: I appreciate you responding back.
    Woman: Who is this?
    Me: Tonia Tyler
    Woman: Who
    Me (I thought I knew her): I used to manage you social media account when I worked with …
    Now, I am trying to remember if this is a person I met back in my PR days, so I look at her FB page.
    Me: Pure Romance?
    Woman: How old are you?
    By now, I realize I definitely got her confused with someone else.
    Me: Never mind. I realize you don’t know me so please forget it.
    Woman: Okay
    Woman: You are a creeper (something along those lines)

     

    I almost decided to respond, but then I just deleted our text conversation and her contact information. I was one of those people who use to collect business card and fail to follow up.  I know now that just because we don’t do business today, does not mean we might not do business later, if at all.  It’s not about how many names you have on a list, it’s about the friends you make from your opportunities.

  • Desires in Bloom

    Desires in Bloom

    goodwp.com_18212“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke

    I love my morning walks especially during the springtime. I think it’s because of the tree blossoms. The blossoms are a sign that what we thought looked dead is actually alive. Spring to me means new beginnings because it’s truly a completely new season during the new year. I love the possibilities that come with new hopes, new dreams, or new beginnings. The walks seem a little bit more invigorating and refreshing. My wish for this new season in life is that each and everyone of you find something that excites, inspires and motivates just as my walks do. Let your desires take bloom.

    Photo credit: click here.

  • Training Wheels

    Training Wheels

    Kids Bike With Training Wheels CloseupThe hardest thing to do is to simply get started in whatever you want to do. Often we feel like we have to do everything “just right” in order to start, but that’s not often the case. The more you work on whatever you do, the better it gets over time. Remember that most of us learned to ride a bike with training wheels and as we got better, the wheels eventually came off. When you wish to start something new, it’s okay to use training wheels.

    Photo credit: click here.

  • Cheers to You!

    Cheers to You!

    drinking-cheersWhat I love about the new year is that it always brings new opportunities. There is always a sense of excitement and enthusiasm that is just so powerful. This is the time to set your goals and establish positive habits that will help sustain you throughout the year to meet those goals. My wish for everyone during this coming year is lots of happiness, personal growth and abundance.
     
    Photo credit: click here.
  • A Friendly Reminder

    A Friendly Reminder

    time2“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” ― Mae West

    Death is a reminder that life is worth living. Time is the most valuable resource that you have. We have the beautiful choice in how we spend our time but always keep in mind that when it is gone, it is gone forever.

    Photo credit: click here.

  • Year End Reflection

    Year End Reflection

    2017-1We are just about two weeks away from the end of the year. Now is the perfect time to take inventory of what worked for you this year and what you should consider changing for next year. I like to call it, The Year End Reflection. This is also a great time to plan out your goals for next year, both professional or personal. Let’s bring in 2017 with gratitude in our hearts and goals on our minds.

    Photo credit: click here.