failure

Jul

2022

Your Mindset Affects the Direction of Your Life

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Your mindset affects the direction of your life. It determines your future. Your mental attitude and disposition will lead the way to either your success or failure in life.

Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset

A growth mindset is an underlying belief that you are in control of your destiny. Thus, the power to change things is in your hands. On the contrary, a fixed mindset just accepts what is given. It focuses on what you do not have.

Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? The hare was so sure that he would win that he slept during the race. The tortoise on the other hand, believed that if he worked hard, there is a chance that he could win the race. Despite the odds against him, he was not afraid of failure and tried his best to win the race. Do you remember who won in the end? Was it the tortoise or the hare?

Youtube video by Pinkfong

The hare and tortoise exemplified the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset respectively. Their mindsets ultimately determine their success and failure.

Carol Dweck, a psychologist and researcher at Stanford University, stated that the two mindsets lead to different behaviour and thus different results. In reacting to setbacks for example, a growth mindset sees failure as a way to improve while a fixed mindset will be discourage and ultimately give up.

For example, as a student if you are not good in Math, a fixed mindset will just accept that Math skills are an inborn talent. It is either you are good at it or you are not. A growth mindset believes that the brain can be developed. Thus, even though you are not a Math person, you will try your best to develop your skills. As a result, persons with a growth mindset are more likely to maximise their potential.

A growth mindset is an integral part of a success of an individual.

Scarcity Mindset vs Abundance Mindset

Stephen Covey, in his best-selling book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, defined scarcity mindset as a belief that there is simply not enough for everyone. People with scarcity mindset “see life as having only so much, as though there were only one pie out there. And if someone were to get a big piece of the pie, it would mean less for everybody else.“

One indicator that you have a scarcity mindset is if you are sad or jealous if a co-worker gets a pay raise and you did not. It is like a feeling that somebody else got the raise and there is nothing left for you.

If you spend the whole of your pay cheque as soon as you receive it to buy stuffs you don’t even need or to spend it on partying, travelling or any kind of entertainment even though you don’t have enough money is another example of a scarcity mindset. Moreso, if you justify your spending, saying that “if I will not enjoy my life now when I am still young, I will never have a chance later on.” This kind of mindset focuses on short term decisions.

An abundance mindset on the other hand focuses on the long-term. It is a deeper understanding that not having something now does not necessarily mean that you won’t have it in the future. As Steven Covey said, “it is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody. It results in sharing of prestige, of recognition, of profits, of decision making.

With an abundance mindset, instead of spending all your earnings now, you would rather invest first and spend later on.

Poverty Mindset vs Millionaire Mindset

A fixed mindset and scarcity mindset are both indicators of a poverty mindset. In the same way, a person who has a millionaire mindset has a growth and abundance mindset.

Your mindset is very important. Your future is dependent on what mindset you have right now. It is crucial in ordinary times, mores when you are faced with challenges. Having the proper mindset especially during a crisis will greatly influence the direction of your life.

What kind of mindset do you have right now? If you want to have a better life, your first step is to change your mindset.

First published in Pinoy Smart Living on 12.28.2018

Feauture Image by John Hain from Pixabay

Jan

2022

Success Is A Decision You Make

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Success is a decision you make. You make the decision at some point in your life. It just suddenly clicks for some people. For others, it takes some time to get to that place. First, it starts with a vision. How do you define success? What does success look like to you? If you don’t know what you want; you won’t know how to act to get it.

Success is a process, not an event.”
– Gary Halbert

Plan

Make a plan. Start with the little things. It’s the small things you do everyday that matters the most. These accumulate into a more impactful result if done consistently. You may not be able to afford some of the things you want at the moment. By saving a little each time, you can come up with the amount you want. You can improve your health over time. Just be consistent in exercising a few minutes a day.

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.
– Benjamin Franklin

Do what you can with your current resources and take bigger steps as you accomplish each goal. Don’t forget to celebrate each victory to motivate you to go forward.

Environment

Set up your space. Your environment may be hindering your success. If you really want to change your life; you must decide and commit yourself to finding ways to overcome your circumstances. Create a space for yourself to work on your goals and show up to that place each day.

When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.
– Alexander Den Heijer

Part of your environment are the people around you. Are these supportive people who share your enthusiasm for your goals?

Commitment

Stay committed. Success starts with the decision to change; to do whatever needs to be done to get you closer to your goal. Decide. Plan. Do. Stay committed to your decision. Challenges will definitely come your way. This isn’t a sign that you are a failure. Successful people think of failures as a sign of progress. If you don’t fail, you won’t learn as much or at all. Keep a positive mindset and focus on the goal.

Your positive action combined with positive thinking results in success.
– Shiv Khera

Remember that your success ultimately depends in how much you believe in your self. You won’t be able to even reach the decision to commit to your success if you don’t believe that you can. Believe that you can and you most definitely will succeed.

Watch the video and get the worksheet to get more insights.
Updated. First published on Pinoy Smart Living on 2018.07.20.
Feature Image: Original Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash.

Jul

2021

How to Recover After A Business Failure

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Wondering how to recover after a business failure? Whether it’s your first time as an entrepreneur or your nth time; failing any venture is never easy to accept. However, the proper mindset and planning can help you get back on your feet quicker and with more confidence than before.

Don’t Take Things Personally

One of the things you should remember is to not take a business failure personally. Don’t judge yourself too harshly. It’s your business that failed, not you as a person. The business failing is not all your fault. After all, there are alway circumstances you can’t control and other people involved. These people have their own reasons for making the decisions they did. So don’t play the blame-game either.

However, you should still take care of your personal needs at this time. Perhaps you need some time alone to process your feelings. If you need to cry your heart out, just do it. Give yourself permission to express your grief, your disappointment or frustrations. But set a time limit for yourself and don’t dwell on the negative emotions too much. Once you start feeling better, then you can go back to analyze things with a more objective point of view. Take the time and effort to properly recover from a business failure. Don’t rush it.

Reflect on The Lessons

A business failure is always an opportunity to reflect and learn. It helps to write down a list of what was good about the experience and what was bad. Then figure out where errors were made and how it lead to the business failing. What did you lack in starting your business? Do you need to get yourself your own dream team instead of relying solely on your self?

An honest review like this should help you identify the gaps in your previous plan. You can see the weak elements that need more support or need to be replaced with something better. You will also get to know yourself better. This will help you figure out your own decision-making process and the habits and perspectives you had that you need to change so you can make better decisions in the future. Essentially, you need to recover your personal confidence so you can work on your business much better.

Take Things A Step at A Time

Take the time to breathe and take things slowly. Recovering from any kind of loss, whether personal or business, should never be done in a hurry. Especially for beginner entrepreneurs, it is best to take the time to rebuild your resources and your own confidence before jumping right away into your next business venture. Unless you already had a Plan B in mind if Plan A failed. It would be great if every entrepreneur had a plan on how to recover from a business failure. But each failure is different and it is hard to prepare for all eventualities.

The usual results are always to be expected though. A business failure usually entails lack as well as loss of funds. So you need to decide whether you need to go back to being an employee for a while to rebuild your funds again. Many people go from employee to freelancer and back again. This is a common practice nowadays and nothing to be embarrassed about. The important thing is that you don’t quit your dream of having your own business. You’re just getting ready to build it up again.

Make A Better Plan

Failure is always an opportunity for learning. It wipes the slate clean so you can start again; this time with a better, stronger mindset and more courage to try something new. This means that you are now able to come up with a better plan for your business. Or your time as an employee may have helped you develop new passions and interests that you want to turn into a business. You may realize that your previous business plan is not what you truly wanted to do.

With the lessons you took away from your first business attempt and better knowledge of yourself; you are now more ready to take on a new endeavor or continue what you started with a better strategy. You can even create a new goal for your self and your business.

An entrepreneur should not be afraid to fail. Instead, you should always be excited to unleash the genius in you, and give your best at whatever you do. Don’t let failures bring you down. Let them be the fuel that fires your engines to get closer to your success.

Feature Image: Original Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash.

Mar

2021

Spring Clearing Challenge

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The Spring Clearing Challenge is an annual practice in many households all around the world. Different cultures have different names for it. It is also practiced at different times of the year, usually during holidays or when the weather changes. Of course, not everyone views it as a challenge. But isn’t it challenging work to clean out stuff in our homes and in our lives, whatever season it may be?

There are many stages in our lives where we practice “spring clearing” to rid ourselves of past negative energies that are weighing us down. The end of the month is as good a time as any to do some spring clearing.

Spring Clearing Challenge

For this challenge, instead of just cleaning out our space physically; we will do a clearing up of negative energies. Remember that our mind and body are connected. Our thoughts, emotions and physical health influence each other. So clearing up one aspect will help improve the others.

Take Time to Meditate

Find a spot at home to sit awhile for a meditation. Make yourself as comfortable as possible and try to calm your mind and relax your body. If you are just starting out, focusing on your inhales and exhales is the only thing you need to do so you don’t get distracted.

Ask yourself, “Where would I want to be to feel completely relaxed and refreshed?” Allow your imagination to take you to that place. Picture yourself relaxing there and try to enjoy all aspects of that moment with all of your senses. Taking the time to relax your senses helps you feel lighter so you can better focus on what needs to be done.

In this way, you can slowly clear up the things that are piling up around you, mentally, physically or emotionally. By doing this spring clearing challenge; you can prepare yourself for a fresh start on your goals.

Practice Mindfulness

Can’t sit still enough or can’t find the time for a meditation? Then start practicing mindfulness. Try to be aware of the little things in your daily life; the small actions that you do throughout your day. Are you eating your favorite dessert? Savor the taste. Are you enjoying the smell of a new book? Tune your senses to that moment.

Ask yourself, “What makes this activity so pleasant or pleasurable?” Finding the answer to this question helps you get to know yourself better. It helps you better understand what things make you happy and allows you to plan for more moments like this.

By understanding what motivates and triggers you; you can better take control of your own actions and reactions to negative circumstances. Reacting mindlessly to negative situations is one of the biggest ways to waste our time and drain our energy. So being able to manage yourself in these situations allows you to focus on what you should be working on. It also helps you figure out how to deal with toxic people and not become a toxic person yourself. So you can focus your attention on the people you love and cherish instead.

Let Your Feelings Go

You may be carrying a lot of emotional stress because of past traumatic experiences, like losing a loved one. You may have regrets about not being able to apologize to someone. Or you maybe struggling to forgive someone. Instead of bottling everything up, why not let it all go?

Ask yourself, “How do I really feel about the situation/person?”. Crying is not weakness. It is a necessary process to start your healing process. Many of us go through our daily lives like zombies because we refuse to deal with our feelings and confront them. We end up becoming numb to other emotional experiences as well.

Find the time to be alone and cry if you have to. If you need to write down your thoughts and feelings while you’re crying, then do so. Maybe you want to watch sad kdramas or movies while eating ice cream; go ahead. You need to feel what you feel and acknowledge it. Of course, you will feel bad at first, but that is the only way you can release all those burdens in order for you to start feeling better about it.

Envision a New You

Clearing out your life should be for a purpose. It is natural for us to strive for a goal in order to have a direction in life. Otherwise, you will just be living your life on auto-pilot and never feel fulfilled with anything that you do even if you accomplish much.

Ask yourself, “How do I want my life to look like in 3 years, 5 years, 10 years from now?”. Make plans for yourself so you can start acting on something you truly want. This is your signal to the Universe so that you can be guided in the right direction.

Create a vision board, write down a bucket list of how you want your life to be. Don’t be afraid to go big and be ambitious. Of course, you have to be prepared to work for these goals so make sure they are SMART goals.

Many people don’t want to start working on their goals because they are afraid to fail. Remember that failure is part of the process to success. Unless you fail, you will never learn which means you will be stuck doing the same thing over and over again without moving forward. Treat failure as a learning process instead of an end result. Welcome the challenges into your experience; like this spring clearing challenge. They are good experiences to help you grow.

Don’t Forget to Have Fun

Do you start the day with a smile? Maybe you still feel groggy from a lack of sleep. But try to face the mirror with a smile and see how it lifts up your mood. Try to smile back at people too and express your gratitude so you can lift up their mood. You never know how your small gesture can make another person’s day brighter and more pleasant. A genuine smile can completely change a person’s negative outlook in life and even make them feel more hopeful.

Ask yourself, “What can I do today to make things more fun (for me or for someone else)?” Having fun on your own may sound boring for you. Doing it with somebody else can make the goal even more worthwhile.

Taking life too seriously is one of the major causes of stress in our daily lives. Worrying endlessly about the what-ifs exhausts us mentally and emotionally. By focusing on the positive aspects of any situation; you can feel less stressed about it and enjoy the whole experience instead.

These are just some of the things that you can do to start spring clearing your mind, your emotions and your physical environment. This spring clearing challenge is not just for spring though. You can do this anytime you feel the need to clear out negative energy from your self or in your environment. Try to start spring clearing today and see how much better you will feel afterwards.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash.

Dec

2020

Start-up

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Have you seen the latest K-drama that is topping the charts lately? The series, Start-up is about the story of individuals involve in the start-up world of technological companies. It is about the struggles and challenges that people faced when starting a company.

By definition, start-up pertains to a newly-formed company by entrepreneurs who wants to bring their product or service to the world. According to Forbes magazine, nine out of ten start-ups fail. That is how hard it is to start a business from scratch, especially with little capital. It’s really a great challenge.

Despite the low success rate, there are still the 10% that succeed. The statistics might be low but it is still worth a shot compared to not trying to all.

The biggest failure you can have in life is not trying to all.
-Emil Motycka

Did you know that the most successful people on the planet have failed their way to success? Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Walt Disney, Sir James Dyson, Bill Gates, Colonel Harland Sanders, Oprah Winfrey, you name it; all failed first before reaching the level of success that they are enjoying or have enjoyed in their life. That is because they understand that failure is part of success.

The one who falls and gets up is stronger than the one who never tried. Do not fear failure but rather fear not trying.
– Paolo. Coelho

Whether you are trying to start a business, changing careers, migrating to a different country or taking a relationship to the next level, take courage. Don’t be afraid to try to start something new. After all, success happens outside your comfort zone.

Feature Image by Prateek Katyal from Pexels

Oct

2020

Life-Changing Lessons from Walt Disney

Reading Time: 4 minutes

If you can dream it, you can do it.
– Walt Disney

Have you ever been to any Disneyland park around the world? If you have been there, you will probably agree that there is something magical about the place. A Disney experience is such an emotional experience. It is like being in a world of imagination where everything is joyful and blissful. It magnifies all your senses. Minus the crowd and the long lines, Disneyland will make you feel like a child again, full of laughter and dreams. Disneyland truly deserves the title as the “happiest place on earth”. But did you know that everything that you see and feel in the Disney parks all started in the imagination of one man? Yes, millions of people around the world can feel and experience the Disney magic today because one man was able to dream it and visualize it. It’s all thanks to Walt Disney. Take some inspiration on some life-changing lessons from Walt Disney.

The Story of Walt Disney

Walter Elias Disney, popularly known as Walt Disney, was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. He was one of five children. At a tender age of seven, he already started working. To help his family make ends meet, he worked as a newspaper boy. While in high school, he attended the night classes of the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. At 16 years of age, he joined the American Red Cross as an ambulance driver in France, after being rejected by the army for being underage during the first World War.

After the war, he became a night watchman. While working he began drawing animals at night. Although he wanted to become an actor at first because of his love for Charlie Chaplin, he opted to become a newspaper cartoonist instead. After his own cartoon “Laugh-O-Gram” became popular, he was able to acquire his own studio that produced a seven-minute live action and animation called Alice in Cartoonland. However, the studio went bankrupt after a few years in operation.

After some time, Walt, and his brother Roy decided to move to Hollywood to start anew. There, they created a character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit together with cartoonist, Ub Iwerks. They were then able to strike a deal to have their cartoons distributed. Unfortunately, the rights to their cartoons were stolen by the New York Distributor.

The Birth Of Mickey Mouse

Out of desperation, they produced a new cartoon based on a character named Mickey Mouse. The audience was not impressed but the team did not give up. On the third animated film, Steamboat Willie, Mickey Mouse became an instant hit!

Video Credit: Walt Disney Animation Studios

In 1929, Disney introduced Mickey’s friends – Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto. In 1937, the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was shown in movie theatres. The movie earned $8 million dollars despite the Great Depression happening at that time. The film made Walt Disney a millionaire.

The Birth of Disneyland

Despite the financial success brought about by the film production company, in Walt Disney’s mind, he still envisions an imaginary world of fairy tales. Unfortunately, investors were wary. Even his brother Roy, did not support him with his new idea. Still, Walt Disney persisted. After being turned down 302 times, he finally got financing for his dream in creating the Walt Disney World.

In 1955, the first Disneyland Theme Park opened in Anaheim, California. Today, there are 14 Disney Theme Parks around the world: 2 in California, 4 Disney parks and 2 water parks in Florida, 2 in Tokyo, 2 in Paris, 1 in Hong Kong and 1 in Shanghai. As of 2018, about 726 million accumulated visitors were recorded to have visited the Disney parks since they opened.

Life-Changing Lessons from Walt Disney

Walt Disney’s life story is so inspiring that there are so many life-changing lessons the we can learn and apply in our lives:

1.Nothing is Impossible

Walt Disney grew up in poverty but this did not stopped him from reaching his dreams. If he just accepted his circumstances back then, then he would have not been able to inspire millions of people around the world today.

If you are born poor, it’s not your mistake, but if you die poor it’s your mistake.
– Bill Gates

2.Stand Up After Failure

Walt Disney did not just fail once or twice. He failed multiple times on his businesses. He also was rejected 302 times before he was able to secure funding for Disneyland. What is inspiring is how he was able to stand up despite all the failures and rejections. How about you? Did you give up the first time? The second time? How about after 50 failures and rejections? How about 100? 200? Will you be able to go on? It takes a lot of courage and perseverance to be able to do what he did.

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.
– Confucius

3. Do What You Love

One of the reasons why Walt Disney stayed motivated and did not give up was because he followed his passion. It will be very difficult to continue doing what you are doing if you do not love what you are doing. Passion is your key to success. Why do you think the likes of Bill Gates, Kobe Bryant and BTS are so successful in their own fields? What’s the rule of success that these people followed?

4. Believe in Yourself

Although the odds were not on his favor, Walt Disney believed that he can do it. During that time, the first world war had just ended. And remember that it was also the time of the Great Depression. It is quite similar to what is happening right now. People lost their jobs and the world economy was in recession. They just emerged from the flu pandemic that affected one third of the world’s population. Yet, he believed in the power of his dreams.

5. Visualization Works

Everything that you see and experience in Disneyland today started on Walt Disney’s imagination. He was able to imagine a whole new world on his mind. In fact, every man-made thing that you see around you started on one’s person’s imagination. That’s how powerful the mind is. As what Walt Disney believed, if you can see it in your mind, you can do it. Pursue your dreams and turn them into reality.

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
-Walt Disney

Updated version. First published in Pinoy Smart Living on 09.06.2018.

Feature Image by Aline Dassel from Pixabay

Sep

2020

Failure is Part of Success

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Failure is not the opposite of success; it is a stepping stone towards it. Failure allows you to learn so that you can be better prepared for achieving success.

A lot of us feel down after a failed attempt at a business or a career change but this shouldn’t be the case. Failing at something lets you see what to improve to increase your chances of success next time.

Failure is just there to point you in the right direction.
— Oprah Winfrey

An Experiment

Scientists often make experiments in their laboratory expecting for most of their attempts to fail. However, each failure gives them more information about what to do next so they get closer to the results they want to achieve for the next batch of experiments. They understand that failure is part of success. So they never quit and they go on experimenting until they get their desired results.

Failure helps you realize what is truly aligned with your deepest goals. Failure can even pave the way for new and better ideas that will bring you closer to the opportunities to help you succeed.

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
— Robert Kennedy

A Review

So next time you fail at something; get up and review why you failed. Don’t feel down after a failure. Get back up and get ready to fail again. Just like any experiment, success is learned thru trial and error. An important thing to remember is to have fun in the process.

If you learn from defeat you haven’t really lost.
— Zig Ziglar

Another Chance

Try again but be prepared to accept and learn from your failure. Those nuggets of wisdom that you learn each time you fail, are what will bring you closer to achieving your goals or show you another path to your life’s dream.

In the meantime, you may want to start by defining or reviewing what success means to you and what failure means to you as well so you have a clear idea of the two. Then you can review your plan on how to succeed in your goals.

Updated. First published on Pinoy Smart Living on 2018.11.24.
Feature Image: Original Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels.

May

2020

What Is Your Definition of Success?

Reading Time: 4 minutes

When you are asked what is success, what is your answer? Do you have a sure and ready answer or does the question compel you to pause and think? Most people have a ready, but not necessarily sure, answer to this question.

The most popular answer is either to be wealthy or to be happy. If this is also your answer, have you thought about how much wealth you need to have to be able to say you’re successful, or how do you know when you have succeeded in achieving happiness?

Wealth constitutes what you have when someone takes all your money away.
— Jordan Peterson

If you pause and think about this question, then you might be considering what exactly being successful means. As a way to answer the question, let’s first try to define what it is not.

What Success Isn’t

Most people would consider failure as the opposite of success. But if you review the lives of many individuals we consider “successful”, most of them had their turning point to success after a series of failures, or right after a major failure or a combination of these events. Take a look at these people:

Walt Disney – fired from the Kansas City Star because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Formed his first animation company but had to dissolve it because he could not pay his rent. Went on to be nominated for 59 Academy Awards for his work.

Oprah Winfrey – born into poverty, was pregnant at 14, fired from her first TV job because she was “unfit for television.” Became the host to one of the longest-running talks shows on TV and now has her own media empire.

Bill Gates – his first company with two other partners failed but this didn’t stop him from trying again. He founded Microsoft, one of the worlds biggest companies and he is now one of the wealthiest men in the world.

JK Rowling – found herself divorced, on welfare and with a child to support by the time she finished her first book. Her book was rejected by all 12 major publishers until a year later when Bloomsbury accepted it and gave her a small advance fee. Her series of books is still enjoying huge success.

Failure is Part of Success

Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.
— Winton S. Churchill

From these few examples, there are some noticeable patterns for achieving success:

Failure is just a stepping stone to success.
Focusing on a major goal and not giving up is important.
Success is not concentrated in just one career path or industry.
Wealth is a consequence of achieving success.

An important thing to take note of is that each of them had different major goals in life based on their personal talents or interest or what we may call as their passion. They set out to do something which they already love to do. This fueled them to keep on working even when facing setbacks.

Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.
— Winston S. Churchill

Although their goals were personal to them, it also had a huge impact on a large number of people. Their actions in pursuit of their goals fulfilled a need, addressed a lack that people were trying to find a solution for. This attracted people to support them and their activities which boosted their momentum towards their goals.

Success isn’t just about what you accomplish in your life; it’s about what you inspire others to do.
— Unknown

They did not set out specifically to become wealthy but it was a by-product of achieving their goals and thus, being successful in their particular field.

Stop chasing the money and start chasing the passion.
— Tony Hsieh

What Success Is

Using the observations we have from the examples we reviewed previously, we can define success roughly as follows:

Success is the state of an individual who has achieved a major life goal that they pursued diligently by overcoming failures, which also benefits a large number of people.

Obviously, success is something that you define personally, so you can reword this definition the way you think is more appropriate to you. The more important thing is that you understand the whole concept.

Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.
— Conrad Hilton

Arriving at a state or position in life where you can call yourself successful means that you have achieved a “major life goal”. “Major” is emphasized here, because in order to reach this goal, you have to succeed in the smaller goals first.

Think of it as succeeding in your daily health habits, like eating the right food, which leads to your success in your major health goal of losing weight and achieving a slimmer body.

How To Be Successful

From these patterns, we can further say that the method for success is as follows:

You define your major goal in life.
Your goals should benefit other people.
You work diligently to pursue your goal.
You don’t give up when you fail.

Now that you have a blueprint for success; it’s time to take your first step to determining your own definition of success.

Start Your Journey to Success

One of the first things you can do to start your journey to success is to define what you mean by success. There are many ways to go about this so choose the one that works for you. Here are some guide questions you can ask yourself to get started:

Take some time to think about your answers to these questions and write them down. An important tip while doing these exercises, and even while you’re pursuing your goals, is to maintain a happy demeanor.

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
— Albert Schweitzer

This means that you “choose to be happy” every day and not wait to succeed to become happy. By deciding to be happy every day, you will be able to bounce back from failures better and you will be more open to learning from new things from other people and experiences.

We hope this helps you gain clarity on what success means to you and also help you take your first steps to your journey. Cheers to your success!

Feature Image: Original Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash.

Apr

2020

Gratitude in Tough Times: Bringing Light in the Dark

Reading Time: 4 minutes

It is easy to be grateful if everything is doing well. However, the challenge lies during difficult times. It is hard but it is something that we need to learn. To practice gratitude during tough times is the only way to bring light in the dark.

Darkness deserves gratitude. It is the alleluia point at which we learn to understand that all growth does not take place in the sunlight.
– Joan Chittister

Pessimistic. Negative thinker. Sensitive. Prone to depression.

That’s who I was.

There were moments that I will just find myself crying. I would wake up in the middle of the night and just feel the sadness, pain, and rejection and all over me. I’d feel deep sorrow permeating inside me. I would cry and cry until I fall asleep again.

And when I am down. Gee! I was really down. And it would be difficult for me to stand up again and live my life. For weeks, my emotions would control and pull me down.

I am the type of person with a melancholic temperament. For a personality like mine, seeing the positive and being grateful is back-breaking.

I had this tough experience but to this day I am thankful. I had this super difficult boss. No matter how much effort I put into everything I do, it will not be appreciated. If I do well in my work there is no need for appreciation because I was just doing my job as expected of me. Those were his words to me. But when I make any mistake no matter how tiny and insignificant, it is easily noticed. I will be reprimanded immediately even in front of many people.

It was an arduous journey. Pessimistic as I am, if I have collected the tears I shed it would have been an ocean. Even my self-esteem went down.

But later on, I learned a very important lesson.

For you to improve the quality of your life, you must see the blessings. Then you will attract more of the things that you can be grateful for.

I am dealing with this difficult boss but I love my job.

My boss is grumpy at times but I am grateful that I can still smile and influence him to smile.

Although my boss is unappreciative but I am grateful for the people around me who support and love me.

Yes, my boss will easily reprimand me for my mistakes but I am grateful for the many opportunities for me to grow and improve.

So, instead of sulking in negativity and self-pity, I changed my perspective and saw it as a challenge. Instead of the negative, I chose to see the blessings and learned to be grateful with the blessings that I have. I chose to work smarter. By reading a lot of books and attending seminars, I began to grow. I learned from my mistake and improved the quality of my work and my disposition.

And when I decided to change myself and the quality of my thoughts, without me knowing, my boss saw my improvement. He even commended me personally and even in front of others about how I have changed and improved through the years.

Because of that experience, I became a better person. A grateful one at that.

Today, you might not have a difficult boss that you are dealing with but instead you are in a difficult situation. You might be experiencing a grueling trial in life or you might be dealing with a loved one or an officemate who is challenging to deal with. You might have problems with your family, your finances, and your health.

I do not know where you are right now. But remember unless we experience failures and hardships in life we will not truly grow. It is essential for our success so that we may bear fruit.

I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop.
– John 12:24

GOD suffered and died for us. He was crucified and was buried in a dark tomb. After three days, He resurrected.

There might be times in our life where we feel it was dark, hopeless, and it seems that the suffering that you are experiencing will not end. You feel buried in the darkness of hardships, trials and difficulties. However, let us remind ourselves that problems in life are temporary because victory is on the way. Easter is coming.

Let us be persons who will see the good in difficult people. Let us be the kind of persons who will see the opportunity in a challenging situation, and the kind who will appreciate what we have, even in the face of darkness.

It is easy to become grateful when life is easy but being grateful when things are difficult is hard. Let us choose to embrace gratitude to be able to get through the hardships. And in the end, we will come out victorious!

Think of one difficult moment or any problem or any challenge you are experiencing in your life right now. Write down 10 blessings that comes with that problem.

Hazel Atencio is author of the book The Gratitude Habit: How to Change Your Life by Saying Thank You Everyday.

She is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering. When she was still in college, she dreamed of entering the convent to dedicate herself serving to God as a nun. She finds her calling serving God in Bo Sanchez ministries.

Hazel’s personal life mission is to influence and add value to others by bringing out their uniqueness and greatness.

To learn more about Hazel, connect with her via her Facebook page or email her at hazel.atencio@gmail.com.

First published in Pinoy Smart Living in 11.14.2018
Feature Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay Images

Mar

2020

Tips to Stop Procrastinating

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Many of us have had the experience of not being able to start on a task or project, or not wanting to. We find many excuses to delay doing what we need to do. Writers call this the “writer’s block”, others call this phase being “uninspired” or “unmotivated” and those who don’t understand may just attribute it to laziness. Whatever the reasons, here are some tips to unblock you from this unproductive phase and stop procrastinating.

Try out some of these strategies to combat procrastination or laziness whenever it hits you.

1. Make a List and Prioritize

If you can’t start doing what you need to do for a project or deliverable, get pen and paper and list down what it is you’re supposed to do. Keep in mind to just write the bare minimal; be short and concise. Number what needs to be done first so you can focus on finishing that task first. You can fill out the details once you start working on the task; and that’s the next thing you’re supposed to do after completing your list.

Sometimes, we just need to unclutter our brains to be able to focus on what we should be doing. Writing down what you want to do and sorting out what really needs to be done first helps us refocus our attention and prevents our brain from getting distracted with unnecessary worries.

2. Try New Things

A tried and tested method, such as writing your To Do’s, might not work. During these times, you can try out new methods to hep you cope. For example, instead of writing down your list, maybe doodle them or get a colleague and tell them about your tasks through a story. Give yourself a time frame though so you don’t spend all your time on your new method.

Similar to writing things down, your goal is to get your brain to focus on what needs to be done and trying out a new method will also help get your creativity flowing.

3. Teach Others

Some people learn best when they have to teach others. Of course, you already know what you’re supposed to do but if you can’t focus, then ask a colleague or friend to help you out by acting as your pupil or apprentice and learning something in return.

Teach them how they are supposed to do things if they were the one who needed to do what you should be doing. They don’t need to do what you teach, they just need to listen. The purpose of this method is to help you reframe your perspective on why you should be doing what you’re not doing yet.

By teaching others, you are able to form new ideas to help you do the task at hand. It also jumpstarts your creativity as you need to find a way to convey the information in a way that will be easy to understand.

4. Make Work Into Play

Make a game out of your To Do’s. Every time you accomplish a task, think of the rewards or benefits. Maybe getting off work on time and getting home early enough to watch a movie online. Or getting off from work early enough to get dinner at your favourite food joint.

You can also, reward yourself with small things like a piece of your favourite chocolate for each task completed, or promise yourself a more decadent slice of chocolate cake at your favourite cafe for completing everything on your To Do list.

We all know rewards are a great motivator but be sure to not ruin your budget just to curb your procrastination.

5. Do Something Else

There are tough times when procrastination hits us so hard that we can’t seem to do anything about it. During those times, don’t force yourself and do something else instead. Follow the tenet “Love what you do or leave.”

Get up and make yourself a cup of coffee or go out and order yourself that coffee. Do some stretching exercises while seated on your chair; walk around the block or start working on something else that you’ve put off for a while like a side project or something a colleague asked you for help with.

Walking away from a situation, or in this case a state of mind, helps you reframe the situation and see it with clearer eyes when you get back to it. It may also inspire some new ideas on how to tackle your To Do list more efficiently and effectively.

Remember, there are no short cuts to success. The key is to do the work consistently. But you should give yourself a break when your brain or mood is not cooperating. These tips should help you get back on track.

However, if you find yourself procrastinating more often than usual on a particular project or task, then you may need to examine why you always “feel not up to doing it” and end up procrastinating instead.

Always remember, your future begins today so stop procrastinating. Start acting now.

Updated Version. First published in Pinoy Smart Living on 01.25.2019
Original Photo by Pedro da Silva on Unsplash