2019 is almost here, but there’s still enough time left to see your strengths and weaknesses and figure out where you’re going to go from there. It’s easy to forget that 2019 is literally, at the end of the day, a week from the end of 2018. Big revelations won’t happen overnight, but you can start working on the kind of person you want to be next year, the things you want to make time for and the advice you need to take to heart.
We’re all on a learning curve, becoming the best version of yourself is easy when you’re constantly trying to improve. With that said, there is some life advice that every woman needs to know if you’re trying to smash your goals in 2019 keep these things in mind and everything will fall into place.
1. Every action is a brick
Remember this for next year, every action you take is a brick that builds up a ‘wall’. What kind of wall do you want to have to show for next year? Piece by piece, the actions you take not only affect how you go about your day, but how others see you. People will view you a certain way if they see the actions you take over and over again. Every action is a brick when they’re all put together they build up a pretty good picture of the kind of life you lead.
2. You are what you consume
The books you read, the TV you watch, the things you eat. They make you who you are. If you’re always tired and pessimistic, start with these things. What are you consuming? Next year, to better yourself, only consume things that add to your life. Eat the right foods, watch documentaries and TV that you wouldn’t usually watch, read non-fiction. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and try new things.
3. The most important relationship you have is with yourself
This is one of the most important pieces of advice you’ll ever hear. Never sacrifice your career for a relationship or a friendship. Never compromise who you are because of it, instead, realize that you need to have an appreciation of who you are before you can be loved by anyone else, you’ll develop this by working on yourself, becoming comfortable with your strengths and weaknesses and spending time alone.
4. Failure to prepare = preparing to fail
Planning is at the heart of everything. Preparing for everything that lies ahead in 2019 is crucial if you want to make it the best year yet, which means you’ll need to sit down and think about where you want to be, not just in twelve month’s time, but in one month, in five months, in eight months.
You can plan this well using the Goals 2019 Diary, look at your month at a glance and start to plan out what you want to do and where you want to be for every month of the year. Write in your monthly goals next to your month overview so you can always see them, no matter what you’re up to. This will help you stay prepared for anything life throws at you and stay ahead of everything you need to do.
5. Procrastination stems from fear
Procrastination, which we’re all guilty of, comes from fear. You might not be outright afraid of completing the task, but you might indeed be afraid of starting something that you can’t finish, being bored, doing something wrong, or spending too much time on something.
Most cases of procrastination come from a fear of some sort, identify the key reason why you aren’t doing the task you set out to do and combat that fear if you want to stay on top. You can find some scientific ways to beat procrastination here if you need some extra help in the new year.
6. Caring for yourself is the most important thing
Similar to watching what you consume, you need to look at how you care for yourself, too. How do you treat yourself? Are you working out regularly? Do you eat healthy foods? Have you given yourself a self-care treat every week? These little things add up to make you the best version of yourself that you can possibly be because they help you feel confident and boost your mood. Take care of yourself always.
7. You won’t get anywhere trying to cut the line
Becoming successful will not happen overnight, trying to think of ways to ‘get rich quick’ or make success happen in double time won’t help you get anywhere. There is no such thing as overnight success, getting rich quick only happens with the lottery. For everything else, there’s hard work. If you cut the line and it pays off, nobody will respect you. Working for it helps you learn lessons, make mistakes, fail forward, and earn the success you’ll get at the end.
8. Your reputation is everything
Your reputation is the most important thing, you should protect it and think about how you want to be conveyed. Reputation speaks for itself, and how you want to be seen will affect the opportunities that come your way. Protect your reputation and it will pay off massively.
9. You are only as good as the risks you take
You need to take risks in order to grow, face and conquer fears to develop confidence and push yourself out of your comfort zone to succeed. In this sense, you are only going to get as good as the risks you take. You need to take a risk if you feel it in your gut, be scared sometimes because nothing good happens in your comfort zone. Take more risks in 2019 (not life-threatening ones mind you!) and reap the rewards.
10. Someone is always coming for your spot
There’s a saying, climbing to the top of the mountain isn’t the difficult part, staying on top is. Someone with a completely different experience to you is climbing that very same mountain, coming for your spot on the top. Nobody is irreplaceable, and that shouldn’t be a bad thing, it simply means that you need to work to step up your game always, to see what others are doing and improve yourself to allow yourself to create opportunities. Keep learning, keep reflecting, and keep improving.
Adenekan Mayowa Adebayo
Chief Blogger: MayorNaijaBlog
Instagram/Twitter: @Mayourspeak