[Heat(h)]ing Up

Oh how easy it is to put yourself on the side and continue carrying on with life’s demands. It is way too easy to fill completely motivated and like you are going to take on the world and then when you go to do a simple task all of that motivation is gone.

The amount of times I have thought about and/or planned on writing a post and not following through is way too high for me to even think of because it is just plain sad. I have had every urge to better myself and create the world I want to live in, yet at the same time I stopped doing the things that were getting me where I wanted to go.

I felt exhausted, I felt like my work wasn’t paying off, and I felt like it wasn’t going anywhere. I started blogging because I love to write and I find it fun to read what I write when I am finished, because 100% of the time it is always different than how I imagined the piece to turn out. Writing helps me understand my brain better because it is showing me evidence of what is going through my mind at any given moment.

Some days I am all over the place and the blog totally takes a turn. I could have had a very well-thought of idea that I was going to write about, but then when I start typing and words start flowing the idea takes a turn. I just go with the flow because that is what my brain is telling me so I help it explore the tunnels that are dark and would like a little light.

Writing frees me, it helps me express myself, it gives me a sense of success, and hopefully allows others to think differently or inspires them to start chasing after what they love.

If writing has so many benefits for me and it is what I love doing it then why would I stop? Why would I allow life’s demands to take over my own? I do think I have made progress on becoming the person I want to be and I have made moves in getting to where I want to go, but I need to keep my foot on the gas pedal.

About a month ago, I decided that my current work life balance was not what I wanted it to be, the work itself was not challenging or driving me, and I saw no professional development for myself. Bravely, I resigned and it was the best decision that I could have ever made.

The experience was thrilling, absolutely invigorating, I felt so empowered. For the first time I knew that I was in charge of my life, that I was in full control, and that I was responsible for what happened next. No longer was I being controlled by the demands of a clock and specific rules. I could do whatever I wanted, when I wanted, how I wanted, and in whatever I wanted to be wearing.

What was weird is the thoughts that came after. Only once did I ask myself if I made the right decision because I knew that I had and that was not what I needed to question. What I needed to think about was what am I going to do now and how am I going to get there.

I know that at this point, yall are all probably thinking, but what about money? How are you going to pay rent, how are you going to survive, what are you going to eat? All of the questions that come with money. Yeah, trust me I thought about it too, and it is scary as all get out to put yourself in that position. Let me tell you a little secret though, money does not matter. Money should not be the thing you think about or keep you from making the decisions you want to make.

Know yourself. Trust yourself. Tell yourself that you are not going to put yourself in a position that is not good for you. I understand that we cannot see the future and we do not know what is going to happen. However, if you truly go after what you want, prepare yourself, network, and go for opportunities that come your way, then you will figure it out. Do not let money be the one thing that is holding you back from pursuing something.

Absolutely go for it. Stop letting life’s demands keep you from following your own. Life is going to continue to go on regardless so what are you doing to keep life healthy for you? How are you going to shape your life?

I wish I had a happily ever after story to end with, but unfortunately I have not got there yet. That is okay though, I am on my way, I am chasing, and I am still going after it. I know that I am a step closer than I was the day before. I am in a job that pays better and the hours are more suited for my lifestyle. The work itself may not be anything I ever imagined doing, but it is still giving me experiences and skills that I did not have before. It is allowing me time to work on my professional development and it is a step closer to get where I am going.

The trick is to take the risk, make a small step each day. As I sat down today to focus on my own journey and wanted to research markets that I might be interested in, I came across an article that reminded me of a few important things that you might find useful in your own journey.

Firstly, form habits around your strengths. Identify your strengths and form healthy habits around them because it is your strengths that you will be able to grow on and help set yourself apart from the rest. You are unique, your strengths will be different to someone else. Focus on timeless skills such as communicating, writing, and storytelling. These skills will always be valuable and useful in any industry. Lastly, pursue side hustles, no matter what it may be. Build things you want to build. These side hustles are not necessarily to provide you with a living and they do not need to have a deadline. It needs to be something that you love so that you will always come back to it. These side hustles will ultimately help you gain skills that may be useful for future opportunities.

Personally, I am going to focus on writing more because I know that is going to help me get further to where I want to go. Where do I want to go? I still don’t really know, but I know that writing will be a part of it and that is enough to keep me going for now. I challenge you to take the risk. If you don’t know what the risk is then maybe it is time to sit down and identify where you want to go.

Evaluate your life. Are you happy with it? Is there anything you want to change? Anything you want to explore. It can be as easy as taking the first step by reserving the time to have a self think-tank session. Make a plan and get started. You’ve already missed yesterday. Don’t let today slip away.