As you can tell, this post is long overdue…. But better late than never!
I’ve been spending a lot of time recently thinking about how the 2019 year went and what I hope to achieve in 2020. Although there were some great things that happened like the birth of my son, there were also some not-so-great moments.
I’ve listed just a few of those great and not-so-greats below:
Great
Ended year for my business beating our budget
Welcomed my son, Caius, to our family
Had a chance to take a small vacation earlier in the year
Read a handful of books
Listened to too many podcasts (used to track this data, probably should again)
Rekindled my love for brazilian jiu-jitsu
Continued developing my Mandarin language skills
Not-so-great
Unable to build a recurring business (Growthier was still stuck in one-off projects)
Did not meet minimum hour threshold for Mandarin skills
Slacked on my Korean studies
Wasn’t able to code my first program
Lost 2 customers
Though the year had its ups and downs, I’ve learned a lot from them. My goal is to take these learning opportunities and apply them for 2020. For every down, I’ve put together a process map to determine how I can improve these areas and parts of my life, then applied them to the goals in clickup.
One of my biggest fears in life is staying stagnant, not learning, not growing. Because the day I can’t learn is the day I’ve become complacent. That can’t happen.
So everyday is a day for me to embrace new challenges and learnings. Don’t get me wrong–there are things I still hate to do.
But its those very things that I hate that I know I have to do right away.
Anyways, 2019 was an interesting year and overall I was happy.
And just like that, we’re entering into December and inching closer to the next year.
As I reflect on 2019, I realize just how much those around me have helped me in my personal and professional life. I’m very thankful to everyone who continues to support me. I wanted to make an effort to let them know by sending out personalized emails and texts, letting them know how they’ve made a difference in my life.
If you haven’t already, I recommend doing so as well. It reminds us of how the people who have made a connection in our lives go out of their way to help us, to share their stories and to lend their support.
With that, thank you for everyone that’s been a part of my life. You’ve done so much, and they have not gone unnoticed.
Finally, I’m wishing you nothing but the best! Here’s to another great year!
There’s 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week, and 8,760 in a year.
If we think about it, we spend most of our time either sleeping or working, with the rest of it spent on frivolous things like video games or watching tv. Not much productivity there.
After my backpacking trip in 2017, I wanted to be more intentional with my time, specifically around accomplishing goals. And not just any goals, but goals I’ve had for years (as far as back as college even).
So what did that mean?
I needed a system, something to hold me accountable, and something I could measure with data.
There’s two tools I use today and everyday to track my goals and tasks. They help me measure whether or not I’m doing the things I need to do to get to my goals, to live the life I want to and to be extremely intentional with my time.
They are: Clickup and Toggl.
With Clickup, I set up my goals under the goals tab in addition to creating a folder like this:
This system has allowed me to constantly review and track what I’m doing to ensure I’m getting a) the most out of my time and b) getting me closer to the life I want.
With Toggl, I’m able to integrate time tracking directly with Clickup and measure how long each tasks takes. Take a look below:
So to wrap it up, being intentional with your time is extremely crucial in being able to accomplish your goals, being more productive, and living the life you want.
Tools like Clickup and Toggl help us to hold us accountable and measure our progress.
We’re in 2019, and it’s already October. Still time left to set out your goals and accomplish them. ?
Left was me in 2010 where I let myself go, gained nearly 20 lbs and was at my highest weight ever. Right is when I decided to make a change and work out.
What is motivation?
So how do you be motivated to workout? What is motivation?
Motivation is derived from the word motive which is defined as a need that requires satisfaction – Wikipedia.
Motivation is something I’ve always struggled with, and I know many others around the world has well. When life hits with you with so many blows, its extremely hard to stay motivated and keep doing the things you’re supposed to do, such as chores, going to work, working out, etc.
An area that we all struggle with regardless of age is the motivation to workout.
Why is working out so hard
So why is working out so hard for so many of us, yet we know its important for our longevity?
Simply, it’s due to motivation.
It’s extremely hard to be and stay motivated to work out when you’ve worked a 9+ hour work shift. It’s hard to stay motivated after you’ve been at a job you hate for years. It’s hard to stay motivated when you’ve tried all the workouts out there and have stayed the same weight. And it’s really hard to stay motivated when you’ve tried diets and the stubborn belly fat remains.
Here are some ways to be motivated to workout
Similar to many out there, I’ve struggled with motivation and my image for a very long time. When I was in middle school, a girl I liked said, “Eww he’s fat”. That’s a sure way to kill your self-image!
Nevertheless, I made a vow I would take control of the situation and keep my health in check. Here are just the few of the ways I do it and still do it today:
Measure everything – quite simply, open up a google sheet doc or Excel and track your weight, your workouts, length of workouts, and mood. This has made a huge difference for me as I can personally see the progress.
Workouts don’t have to be an hour long – we get caught in thinking that if a workout isn’t at least an hour long, we aren’t burning anything. False! You can do a simple HIIT workout in less than 30 minutes that can burn more than an hour jog.
Music is huge! – I personally listen to uplifting music and speeches to keep me motivated. For example, I love the song “Born Ready” by Zayde Wolf. Talk about motivating!
Find a workout you love that doesn’t feel like a workout – if you’re anything like me, I HATE jogging. Absolutely hate, but it’s also probably due to me having shin splints. I get around this by doing simple HIIT workouts like shadowboxing in conjunction with burpees and sprawls. As an MMA fighter, I love these workouts because not only do you work on your skills, but you’re also burning calories. Double win!
Don’t beat yourself up
If you miss a workout here and there, please don’t beat yourself up. We’re only human, and we need breaks.
Back when I was still competing in mixed martial arts, I would go to the gym almost six days a week and train upwards of 20-24 hours per week.
I absolutely loved it!
However, my body was a literal mess. And because I was in pain, the workouts became demotivating.
Rather than continue pushing through the pain, I gave myself a chance to take a break. I even bought a spa day to relax (recommend!).
If you find yourself feeling demotivated, it could be that you’ve put your body through so much and is time to take a break. Seriously, take a week off and enjoy some food.
Stay motivated, workout, and be happy
Above all else, in order to be motivated to workout you have to be happy. And we know that can be tough.
Remember to pat yourself on the back from time to time. You’ve done something you may have put off in the past, and you deserve credit for it.
And try your best not to compare yourself to others. The only thing you can do is compare yourself against your version yesterday. If you’re making progress, then awesome!
And remember, be happy. That’ll ultimately be the key to staying and being motivated to workout. ?
**Note: When I made this originally, it was made using Clickup 1.0. So much has changed since, and for the better. I’ve updated the images below based on 2.0. Enjoy!
With today’s standards of getting more done, it’s become crazy in this day and age of staying organized and completing everything that needs be completed.
Get work done, clean the dishes, take care of the kids, meet with friends, call the plumber…the list goes on and on and on.
So what is the best way to manage everything that goes on?
An organization tool, that’s how.
Using ClickUp to manage tasks, goals and projects
I use a tool called ClickUp, a productivity platform that can virtually handle everything related to projects, tasks, productivity, etc.
I love this tool in how it’s made a huge difference in both my life and productivity. The saying goes, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure”.
By using ClickUp and using the GTD (getting things done) framework, I can see everything that needs to get done in my personal, professional and family life.
This is hugely important to me because I don’t want to ever slip the ball on my goals (e.g. learning Chinese!)
How I use Clickup today
Let me first add, there is no right or wrong way to use ClickUp or any productivity tool — it comes down to your own system and habits.
No tool can overcome those, so if you’re facing issues of staying consistent, try to start with a habit and doing that habit for at least one month.
Okay, so how do I have my ClickUp software set up?
Spaces
First, I set up my spaces, which are individual pieces of my life: personal, professional, family.
I keep each of them as separate as possible, otherwise, it becomes overwhelming. See below:
Clickup 2.0’s Spaces
As you can see, here are my spaces as they’re set up today. I prefer this set up as I can laser focus in on areas that require my attention.
Projects & Lists
Next, once the spaces are created its time to create projects and lists specific to your spaces. Think of them as very specific goals within your space, e.g. your job.
Here is an example of how I set up my personal space:
Clickup’s Projects and Lists Hierarchy
As you can see, I have a project labeled “Yarty GTD”. It encompasses all the stuff I need to get done, some of which are personal and goal-oriented.
This helps me to stay focused so that I never (or least try to never) forget the important stuff (e.g. my wife ?).
Tasks
Like any project management system, you’ll need actual tasks to complete.
For many, we use the traditional pen and paper method. I personally love leveraging software like ClickUp because I can always access my projects and tasks via their web app and mobile app.
Essentially, it’s always with me. ?
So, what do tasks look like? Here’s a few of mine below:
Tasks I’ve created in my Clickup
Its super simple to add a task as well. You can create tasks through the large green button in the upper right corner or you can create within your lists.
Another awesome feature of ClickUp’s is being able to see which tasks are coming due, what’s on hold, etc.
This is great because you can quickly decide which tasks require your immediate attention and which can maybe be pushed off till a later date.
ClickUp’s filters function comes in handy for these purposes. I use them every day. Sample below:
My filters created in ClickUp
Other awesome features Clickup includes such as goals, reporting, box views
Personally, this is what makes ClickUp so amazing compared to other alternatives I’ve tried.
The goals, reporting and box views are just simply awesome.
Want to hold yourself accountable to those New Year’s goals? Want to ensure never missing an anniversary?
ClickUp’s the answer. ?
Here’s an example of each below:
Create your own goalsReporting viewsBox viewsCalendar views (I love this view!)
The possibilities are endless, and I use these functions every day to stay on track with my goals, projects and more.
Use ClickUp to accomplish goals and stay organized
With ClickUp, I found myself accomplishing so much more than I ever have prior to using the software.
Being able to capture all my projects, tasks, goals in one place is hugely valuable.
Because everything is sync’d with their web app and phone apps, I have my tasks with me wherever I go.
There are a lot of things I want to accomplish, and by having a system in place like ClickUp, I don’t feel anxious or frazzled that I might let something slip.
I’ve used a number of systems over the years like Trello, Excel, Google Sheets, pen and paper. But none of them come close to ClickUp and their functionality / ease of use.
To anyone looking for a tool to manage their lives or to stay better organized, I highly recommend ClickUp. Because there’s a forever free plan, there’s no risk in trying it out either.
Feel free to use this link to sign up today. If you have any questions on setting your board up, feel free to reach out to me as well.
“The framework I found, which made the decision incredibly easy, was what I called — which only a nerd would call — a “regret minimization framework.” So I wanted to project myself forward to age 80 and say, “Okay, now I’m looking back on my life. I want to have minimized the number of regrets I have.” I knew that when I was 80 I was not going to regret having tried this. I was not going to regret trying to participate in this thing called the Internet that I thought was going to be a really big deal. I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not ever having tried. I knew that that would haunt me every day, and so, when I thought about it that way it was an incredibly easy decision.” – Jeff Bezos, Amazon
Where the regret minimization framework came from
In 2017, while backpacking through Southeast Asia and wondering what I wanted to do next in my career, I came across a book called “The Everything Store”.
My wife and I perched at the top of one of the islands next to Komodo Island
The book details Jeff Bezos’ story and how Amazon became what it is today. And there was a line said by Jeff that completely changed my life.
Regret minimization framework.
In a nutshell, he explains that he would regret this decision, or any decision, in 80 years if he had not taken it.
For most of us, we can’t imagine what 80 years feels like–let alone 10. But imagine that for a second.
Close your eyes for one minute, and ask yourself, “What things do I regret not having tried, and would I be willing to try them today?”
How I applied the regret minimization framework
For myself, there were so many things I wanted to try but just never got around to do. Some reasons were timing, work schedule, and sadly, pure laziness on my behalf.
But that was just it.
When I realized it was up to me and only me, and that if I didn’t take any action to live up to my goals and dreams, nothing would change. No action = no change = regret.
So in 2017, with both my wife and I, we decided to take a huge risk and set off to go backpacking.
We had some savings, but backpacking meant taking time off work, making no income and not building up the resume.
But when we thought about the flip side, “What if in 80 years we look back and hadn’t backpacked…Would we regret it?”
And so off we went.
Everything packed and ready to go for 4 months!
What its been like since 2017 and using the framework
It’s now 2019, a near two years since we trekked through Vietnam, visited the Angkor Wat temples, almost got run down in Indonesia (that’s a story for another time ?), and relaxed by the most beautiful Asian beaches.
Most of us tell ourselves, “Well, I can’t just leave my job” or “I don’t know, I’m unsure”.
Trust me, we said the same.
But it always goes back to Jeff’s regret minimization framework. In 80 years, will you regret this?
This line is the backbone to every decision I make now because without it, every decision is an indecisive one. I’ll constantly worry, regret, fret; but by asking myself if I would regret it in 80 years, the decision is much more clear.
So what are the things you want to try?
So I ask you, what are some of the things you’ve always wanted to do but just haven’t yet? Want to learn to code, try a side hustle, start a blog, go try your hand at mixed martial arts (ok, ok…maybe not this)?
Because every day that passes is another day that slips by, another day filled with regret.
So jump out there, have fun and make the best decisions for yourself.
“Life is struggle.” I believe that within that quote lies the most important lesson in entrepreneurship: Embrace the struggle.” ― Ben Horowitz, The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
I read this book while I was backpacking through Southeast Asia in the scorching heat, mosquitoes poking me in all directions, trying to figure out the next steps in my career.
Up until this point, I had been working through my career in Corporate Finance, not entirely sure where I was aiming to go.
Did I want to become a CFO? No…. Did I want to run financial reports and analysis for the next 20 years? Nope….. So what was it?
The hardest things about these things is we don’t know until we try things and take those first steps. Simple, right?
But after nearly a decade in this field, I wanted to try something different. When I woke up, I wasn’t feeling excited like I did when I went to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) or listen to “How I built this” podcasts. Then I discovered entrepreneurship.
In 2018, I decided to strike out on my own. I didn’t have much experience (if any) and wasn’t sure where to even begin. But I knew I was good at research, so away I went in reading everything. I mean…everything. Blogs, content, attending meetups, books, you name it.
Slowly, but surely, I was feeling more confident, that maybe this was possible. Don’t get me wrong, there were (and still are) days where I think, “This is just too hard.” But I remember that such a small percentage will ever take their hand at entrepreneurship, and even smaller who persevere and stay persistent.
As someone who wrestled, does BJJ and even competed in mixed martial arts, the hardest part is just taking those first steps. We’re ingrained to be afraid of the unknown. I know I was.
But this journey has taught me more than in my 10 years have in Corporate Finance. Its taught me to truly bootstrap, take on my challenges head on, and control my destiny. Because being afraid won’t take us far. Just like my first MMA competition, I was scared of what could happen physically to me — but I feared not competing at all even more.
Building confidence is a long, arduous process. It literally sometimes takes blood, sweat and tears. I’ve seen friends and family struggle through the process, questioning themselves whether the fight is worth it.
But in the end, I see them succeed in their goals. They embraced the struggle.
There are no shortcuts. Hard work is hard work, and confidence stems from that.
Embrace the struggle, and we’ll build confidence from there.
One day you wake up in the morning (or at night) prior to sunrise, peak around and notice everything is exactly the same. The bed, the desk, those socks you’ve worn for a week straight lying on the floor…all the same.
This was me.
The wake up call
In 2012, I had somewhat of a mental breakdown yet at the same time an epiphany. I realized it was 2012, and I had graduated from college in 2009. Up until this point, my life revolved around the same things: wake up, go to work, leave work, maybe workout, and then chill outside the porch deck in the apartment I was renting. Day by day, week by week.
Although I was in my mid-20’s, I thought my life was this. That I had hit my ceiling. Everything I dreamed of accomplishing I hadn’t. First, the MMA career, then the potential MBA that I so long dreamed for back in college, and, of course, maybe one day having a family.
It just felt like I was doing nothing. And guess what, I was doing nothing.
So I decided in December of 2012, I would get my proverbial sh*t together.
Time to start fresh
I decided 2013 would be a new year, a new start, and no more excuses for myself. I made a decision that I would take great care of myself, make the hard choices, and actually take action. I decided, it was up to me.
On January 4th, 2013, I joined an MMA gym (finally). I couldn’t believe–I actually joined. It was happening. And know what? I never looked back. It was the best decision because that laid the groundwork for all decisions to come.
Thereafter, I started traveling more with my now-wife throughout Asia and Europe. And eventually in 2014, I decided to propose. I realized that she was the one, that she stood by me through my worst moments and yet never left me. It actually teared me up inside because I didn’t believe I deserved it. I didn’t believe I deserved anyone’s love. But here was this wonderful person who took me in and gave me heart.
Making a decision to change yourself
Ever since that frigid December night on that bare porch desk, things have changed so dramatically–and for the better.
I’ll be a father this year. I ended up realizing my dream of fighting inside the cage. I found my love for martial arts. I founded my own business. And I’m volunteering and giving back to the community.
It hasn’t been easy–it never will be. But I believe in this wholeheartedly, that we are all responsible for our own actions and future. If we choose to want something (a goal, a purpose), we need to act and execute. No excuses, no crying.
Make a choice today
For all those out there who are contemplating next steps and are constantly worried about change, know that these feelings are normal. I still endure these today. But understand that for every day that goes by with no action is another day with no change.
So I challenge you to make a change today. Make a choice, and follow that path. Stick to the path, no matter how difficult things get. Because you will be better for it.
“When doubt seeps in you got two roads you can take either road. You can go to the left or you can go to the right and believe me, they’ll tell you failure is not an option. That is ridiculous. Failure is always an option. Failure is the most readily available option at all times, but it’s a choice. You can choose to fail or you can choose to succeed. And if we can plant seeds and let him know, ‘Move your feet, keep your hands up, stay off the bottom.’ That is the road to victory, or self-doubt and negative talk, and that is the road to failure. But failure is always there, and it’s okay to recognize that. If I can leave you with anything today, in my long journey through this is, one, it’s okay. Two, it’s normal. And as athletes and especially as men, as male athletes we hate to admit weakness to ourselves, and when you’re dealing with something and you got some kind of a hiccup, yeah, first thing is acknowledge it.” – Chael Sonnen
One of my favorite quotes said by one of the best MMA fighters, and what he says is true. We do have an option to either fail or succeed.
What is failure?
Now, the argument could be made what is failure and what and success. I am of the opinion that failure and success is determined by our own objectives, goals and measures. By that I mean, what do we want for ourselves and not what others want? And are we willing to sacrifice what’s required to accomplish those goals?
For example, a long-term goal and dream of mine was to compete in mixed martial arts. It was a dream I long had dating back to high school where I watched my very first UFC fight, which featured Tito Ortiz against Ken Shamrock. I was mesmerized by it all–the fighting, the martial arts, the dedication and determination, and above all, the fearlessness conveyed by the fighters themselves. Because it really does take a certain kind of person to willingly jump in a cage and get knocked senseless.
Nevertheless, it was something I had to do. I felt it in my heart. But like most things, life hit and that dream was on hiatus. But fast forward to December 2012, I had an epiphany. If I were ever going to accomplish this dream, this goal, it was either now or never.
So I took the plunge. I trained day in, day out for years; sparred hundreds of hours and learning a variety of martial arts. When the day finally came that I would be fighting, I was both eagerly excited and frightened.
Why fear can be motivating
But that fear is what drove me. Fear can be a good thing. The fear of failing drove me to train hard, training anywhere from 18 to 24 hours per week on top of a full time job. I knew this is what it would take for me to achieve success.
I ended up winning that fight. But the win wasn’t what got me excited; it was the countless amount of hours training, sparring and weight cutting that showed me who I am. It made me realize I could do this. That if I could do this, everything else is possible.
Those looking to realize their dreams and goals
So for anyone who’s looking to set out new goals and are worried about failure, put every dedication into your goal. Create a game plan, track every step, and you’ll be proud of what you’ve accomplished.
Because nothing is worse than doing nothing at all.
TL;DR – when you love yourself, others will love you too.
You might ask, “What does that even mean?”.
I know, in some peculiar sense it doesn’t make sense. Why would we love ourselves if others don’t. Why me? Why should I care?
Because when we love ourselves, we find purpose. We understand how to help others, how to love others, how to care for others. We find reason.
It’s human nature – and in some sense part of life – to face difficult challenges in our lives. There are (too many) times where we’re faced with life’s problems, and we don’t have direction. What if I don’t achieve my goals? What if I fail? What if….
And I agree. There are no simple answers. All that we can do is put our best foot forward, wear one shoe at a time, and gear up to face our fears and challenges.
This is what allows us to overcome our demons, our battles and our fears. We realize after facing these these challenges that nothing else could be worse.
For those who may have lost loved ones or who battled extreme trauma in their lives understand this. And if you haven’t, you may have experienced in other ways (e.g. volunteering).
It’s at these moments we manifest ourselves, our characters. We find out that we want to take care of others, and that means first taking care of ourselves.
We must love ourselves.
When we begin to love ourselves, and we tell ourselves that we matter, life finds meaning.
It’s the long game though. One day at a time.
Rather than feeling sad about the things we haven’t done, be happy and fortunate for the things you have accomplished. There’s always something.
Remember you were scared of attending that workshop because of your fear of meeting new people? What’s to lose? Give it a shot :).
It’s calming to know others have been through our suffering
We’re not alone. It may feel like it at times, but be assured there’s someone out there we can speak with, to both sympathize and empathize with.
So love yourself, and others will too. We’re right there with you.
Nervous about being able to pay down your credit card debt? Perhaps living paycheck to paycheck?
So many of us deal with the daily troubles of life – family, career, money. But money, of all things, tends to drive us towards insanity.
Makes sense though. Without money, we can’t afford to take trips, buy gifts and treat ourselves.
Therefore we need a plan.
Simple steps to setting up a budget
Setting up a budget tends to be the scary, hairy monster that we all try to avoid. Makes sense – who wants to face the reality of how much we truly spend. Here is a simple guide to setting up a budget below:
Create a new account in Mint.com, which takes less than 5 minutes
Connect your existing financial accounts to Mint
Mint will do its best to categorize expenses, however, you will need to check to ensure they’re categorized correctly
Create tags and labels if you wish to view income and expenses as part of projects or events, e.g. I want to see all expenses related to vacations
Once all transactions have been categorized, review your income and expenses for the year or periods that have been aggregated
*Important* – this is your baseline. This is what you actually earned and spent. This is your truth, so review closely.
Once you feel comfortable with those numbers, decide how you want your next budget year to look – do you want save more to put money down on a house, pay down loans, save up for a vacation?
Now budget your numbers you wish to achieve for the year AND month into Mint
Finally, periodically review your transactions (recommend 2x per month) and review your entire month against your budget in the first of the new month – did you meet your budget? how well did you do? any surprises? any area you could cut?
Savings opportunities
The reality is, when it comes to our budgets, it is under our control. Because every time we make a purchase, we’re consciously making a decision. The only way to stop this is to start building in good habits. Here are a few areas to look into to start saving:
Dining out / restaurants – each meal averages about $10. Now assume you go out at least 3 times per week. That’s $30 per week or $1,560 annually. That’s a lot!
Buying out lunch – assume again you’re eating out 5 times per week at work. That’s $50 per week or $2,600 annually!
Internet – lot of us never think about negotiating on fixed costs such as internet, phone, etc. However, with so many options out there these days, lot of these companies are willing to negotiate to keep you around. I’ve personally shaved off $50 or more on a monthly basis by just speaking with the reps. Give it a try!
Gym memberships – an important expense for most of us! Try to see if you might be able to switch to a lower cost gym, e.g. do you really need all the bells and whistles? Additionally, don’t forget to use your medical benefits when it comes to gym memberships. Most will offer reimbursements, so take advantage of those.
Budgeting is a skill that needs to be practiced
Budgeting is like any skill and requires attention, constant practice and focus. Like a sport, in the beginning it’s a very tough process because it unveils a lot of our insecurities.
But just like in life, we have to confront those fears head on. If not, debt piles on, credit gets destroyed, and we’re one paycheck away from being homeless.
So I hope these tips can help you guide to better budgeting. Enjoy!
If you wish to learn more, feel free to reach me at me@yartykim.com
What does it mean to take full responsibility for all your actions and the things you do everyday?
It means being fully conscious in the moment and taking calculated steps to accomplish and complete one’s goals/objectives/tasks.
It doesn’t mean brushing off important things for another day, hoping they will complete themselves.
It doesn’t mean preparing a basket of excuses when things go awry or the outcomes doesn’t turn out in our favor.
It doesn’t mean blaming the circumstances, the people, the environment around us because we haven’t taken the steps to better ourselves.
It means taking full control and responsibility for everything you do.
Because in order for us to set out and fulfill our dreams and aspirations, we need to make a plan. We need to check off the items from our checklist, despite the frustration, anxiety or stress.
It means we are present in the moment.
We only have so many days in the year. Days go by, then weeks and then years.
And when we finally realize it, a decade has past. Our hair has turned grey. Our backs ache when we wake up.
Then it hits us, “You never took that chance, that opportunity, to live out your goals and/or dreams”.
We’re all mortal, and we all have vulnerabilities. And because of this, taking full responsibility of our actions is incredibly important.
Only we can do it, no one else. Take full responsibility, live a complete life.
Sometimes, things don’t go your way. Sometimes, they end in another direction than the one you anticipated. But hey, that’s life and the trajectory towards happiness and fulfillment has never been linear.
You chase towards your goals, you have lofty expectations, and you plan to land that huge client who will bring in the revenues.
And then you don’t.
But it’s okay. Sometimes you just bite the bullet. Sometimes, sh*t happens and you have to just move forward.
It’s not easy – it never has been. But letting those things simmer inside your head isn’t healthy for you. You know what will happen if you do; you end up loafing around. And then you realize, a week or more has passed and you end up in the same spot.
So yeah, sometimes it doesn’t go your way. But that’s okay. Take the opportunity to think through what matters to you, what makes you happy and what kind of life you want to live.
You’ve experienced many things in your life, you’ve endured things you hope no one else will have to, yet you’re here still. Yes, you are still here, breathing and soaking in the sun and the chilled breeze.
Remember those times growing up as a kid wondering, “Is this normal? Do all families go through this”? Remember those times when you thought you couldn’t amount to anything because, well, no one believed in you. All you were taught was to get good grades, but there was never a goal in it.
As you sit here, typing out this post, you reflect on your life and picture those dreadful days. “Did I think I would be here today”? Of course not, you didn’t have any reason to believe.
But here you are, standing strong and proud, weathering all that life has thrown at you. You were kicked on the ground constantly, begging for life to stop. But as the kicks came coming, somewhere deep down, you realized those kicks would never stop coming. So you decided in that moment – it’s time to take charge of my life.
You decided in that pivotal moment in your life that you – and only you – could make a difference in your life. That the only person who would care the most about you would be you. So you took the time to reflect and ask, “Who am I, where am I going, am I happy, what life do I want for myself, and what will my future kids and family see in me”?
In that reflection, you wrote everything down, both good and bad. You saw that you had many flaws, but also that you had many things to be proud of. But seeing everything on paper made you realize something – you had a choice. That you could right the ship, that you could be someone different, that you could make an impact on those world. That you didn’t have to be that scared kid growing up wondering, “Is this it”?
So stand tall, stand proud you told yourself. The future is unknown, but that is what makes it so beautiful. Make that future your own. Be happy and never stop pushing.
