The Guide to Embracing Change and Developing Positive Habits: Blog Featured Author: Kevin Ogle

 

Change is an unavoidable aspect of life, and it can be overwhelming, particularly when attempting to establish new behaviors. Feeling intimidated or disheartened is natural when faced with a fresh or distinct challenge. However, change is vital for personal and professional growth. This article will examine methods for welcoming change and positioning yourself for triumph with constructive routines. By using these recommendations shared below by Brown Girl From Boston, you'll be able to cultivate the appropriate mentality, foster beneficial connections, and sustain your motivation on the journey to achievement.

Embrace the Power of Small Actions

Change doesn’t happen overnight, so take small steps to start. Break your goals into smaller, achievable tasks, and don’t expect perfection. Consistency is key, so commit to your daily routine and keep pushing yourself forward.

Form and Market a Business

Starting your own business can be an exciting and rewarding change in your life. However, taking the necessary steps to protect yourself and your business is important. One popular way to do this is by forming a limited liability company (LLC). An LLC provides personal liability protection for the business owners while allowing for more flexible management than a corporation.

Next, it’s time to start marketing. Spreading the word via social media is a great place to start, but supplement this with some time-tested approaches like business cards. If you aren’t sure where to start, some tools provide plenty of templates for business card designs that you can customize. From there, share business cards with potential customers and leave some at coffee shops and restaurants.

Why Having a Mentor is Crucial for Success

A mentor can offer guidance and support when you’re facing new challenges. Look for someone who has expertise in your field or has been through a similar experience to yours. A mentor can provide valuable insights and help you avoid common pitfalls, putting you on a faster track to success.

Head Back to School

Returning to school can be pivotal, opening doors to personal growth, new opportunities, and a renewed sense of purpose. Whether formal or informal, education often contributes to a more positive outlook on life by broadening horizons and instilling confidence. With the advancements in digital education, going back to school online has become an accessible and flexible option for many. For instance, pursuing an online business bachelor's degree provides a well-rounded understanding of principles, economics, finance, marketing, and operations, equipping individuals with comprehensive knowledge to excel in the modern business landscape.

Practicing Self-Talk Can Boost Your Confidence

Your mindset plays a crucial role in change and personal growth. Speak kindly and positively to yourself, and visualize success. Take time to reflect and focus on the good things that come with progress and goals achieved.

The Importance of Establishing Supportive Relationships

A strong support system can make all the difference when dealing with change. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, encourage you, and inspire you to grow. Avoid people who bring negativity, discouragement, or cause distractions.

Seek Healthier Friendships

Seeking healthier friendships is important in cultivating a supportive and positive social circle. Reconnecting can be a great way to rekindle those relationships if you've drifted apart from old friends and acquaintances over the years. One effective way to do this is by using a search engine to find fellow high school graduates from your hometown.

You can quickly access a list of potential contacts by simply typing in the necessary name, graduation date, and school. These search results often provide options to reach out and reconnect with long-ago friends, allowing you to revive old friendships that may have once played a significant role in your life. Re-establishing these connections can bring back fond memories and offer opportunities to build healthier, more fulfilling friendships.

Be Kind and Patient with Yourself

Change takes time and effort, so be gentle and patient with yourself. Understand that setbacks are normal, but don’t give up. Take time to rest, recharge, and celebrate small victories. Self-care habits like exercise, relaxation, or meditation can help you stay motivated and focused.

Celebrate Achievements

Tracking your progress can help you stay motivated and celebrate small achievements. Keep a journal or use an app to record your daily activities, goals achieved, progress, and setbacks. Celebrate your progress with a reward like a treat or a fun activity, and use the satisfaction to drive you onward.

It takes a lot of courage, discipline, and determination to embrace change and create positive habits. It’s not always easy, but being adaptable, persistent, and patient will help you navigate challenging times and stay on track. By following these tips, you’ll be better equipped to create the right environment for yourself and achieve your goals.

 

Please visit Kevin's amazing website at www.anxious.biz!

Day 2 of The Holistic FLYness Challenge: Positive Self-Talk

Day 2: Self-Talk 🗣
Affirmation: I am becoming the best version of myself. I trust, respect, and love myself.

Healing Activity: It is time to unlearn and reprogram your negative self-talk into positive self-talk. Sit down and write 8 positive things about yourself. Take these 8 positive things you wrote about yourself, go to your nearest mirror, and recite these 8 things! Recite them every day to start reprogramming and unlearning these negative self-talk.

Introspective Questions:
✔️ Where did you learn how to speak to yourself so negatively?
✔️ Are you willing to re-record your inner self-talk?
✔️Would you allow a stranger to speak to you negatively? Why or why not?

Master-Class: Overcoming the Inner Critic & Use Your Willpower to Take Back Control of Your Career & Life

We are going to rerecord the inner messaging we speak to ourselves. We are going to stand in our power and fulfill our inner dreams.

About this Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/master-class-overcoming-the-inner-critic-use-your-willpower-to-take-back-tickets-89319806947

Master-Class: Overcoming the Inner Critic & Use Your Willpower to Take Back Control of Your Career & Life

“I am not qualified for this position/promotion”?

“I never had enough to invest in myself.

“Nothing ever goes according to my plans and goals.”

“I am not good enough.”

“I can’t move forward with anything unless it is right.

If you are ever spoken these statements above, it is time to silence your inner critic. Many times we allow social media, people, situations, and our inner critic to destroy who we were meant to become. We usually allow our inner critic to diminish and forgo our goals, dreams, and aspirations and stunt our internal growth. We usually mask our insecurities and inner criticism by only working on our external growth while neglecting the inner self.

For 2020, we are going to rerecord the inner messaging we speak to ourselves. We are going to stand in our power and fulfill our innermost dreams.

During this masterclass, we are to explore and identify what is the cause of the inner critic and the lack of inner growth. We are going to identify our trigger points such as social media comparison, life milestones, and situations that led us to self-sabotaging, self-limiting, and self-imposed behaviors, and start healing.

Join us The Careerist Project Master-Class: Overcoming the Inner Critic & Use Your Willpower to Take Back Control of Your Career & Life on Wednesday, February 5th, 2020 at 7:00pm EST/6:00pm CST.

Register in advance by Monday, February 3: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/master-class-overcoming-the-inner-critic-use-your-willpower-to-take-back-tickets-89319806947

About The Careerist Project:

Andrea Imafidon, MSW and Shemika L. Moore, MBA are collaborating on The Careerist Project Virtual Career and Life Group Coaching Program. Join a support system of like mind-individuals who are looking to enhance their personal and professional skills and development. We are here to help those transfer their skills to pay the bills, establish a stable and secure life.

The Careerist Project also redefines the meaning of gaining life and career success by any means necessary, by developing individuals' skills and knowledge to transition them into pathways they truly enjoy.

Featured Blog Post: A Survival Guide for the Unemployed Spouse

This blog post was featured on Black and Married With Kids ( http://blackandmarriedwithkids.com/2014/09/how-to-help-an-unemployed-spouse-not-give-up/)

Whether you relocated for love, got laid off, or got a pink slip, this article is just for you. At one point in my life, I was one of 9.8 million people who were unemployed and married. I took the risk of giving up my career, comfortable living, and a steady paycheck for love and marriage. In relationships, you take the risk to be with the one you love and have faith that they have your best interest at heart. Relocating to the state of Rhode Island where the unemployment rate is at an all-time high of 12% in the United States was a daunting experience but we made it through. 

Tips for the Unemployed Spouse

1. Don’t beat yourself up about being unemployed. Forgive, love, and care about yourself. It is so easy to focus on the negatives because the negatives are constantly staring us in the face. 
2. Take care of yourself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Pray, eat healthily, give yourself positive self-talk, get 8 hours of sleep, exercise, and take life one day at a time. Avoid consuming alcohol, substance abuse, and negativity.
3. Indulge in your passion; whether it is reading, writing, dancing, or running. All these things are great outlets to deal with the hurt, shame, or guilt of being unemployed. You have the time to act on it now.
4. If you are interested in entrepreneurship, being unemployed is the best time to start your business. Whether you have a passion for event planning, organizing, and other innovative ideas; indulge in your passion. What do you have to lose by starting a business?
5. Volunteering is a great way to perform an act of kindness by freely giving your time, effort, and talents for fulfilling duties in the community. Volunteering should be selfless, help build contacts, and help you gain rewarding experiences and blessings.

Tips for the Employed Spouse 

1. When your spouse loses their job, cheer them up by doing something special for him or her. Take them out for a night on the town and enjoy each other’s company. Distractions are key to show your support and love for your spouse. Make sure that you both live, love, and laugh!
2. Check your emotions and feelings. Do not chastise your spouse about their unemployment. Do not put extra pressure on your spouse to go back and search for employment immediately. Your spouse is putting tremendous pressure on him/her self to find employment.
3. Encourage your spouse during this adjustment period. Bring out the positive and unspoken skills, talents, and qualities your spouse possesses. For example, if your spouse is phenomenal at organizing, encourage your spouse to seek employment or start a small professional organizing business. 
4. Do not expect your spouse to become a domesticated housewife/husband, especially if they are used to being in the workforce. If your unemployed spouse did not cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner before being unemployed, why would you expect those services now? Your spouse is busy spending their time seeking employment, revamping resumes and cover letters.
5. If you are an entrepreneur, encourage your spouse to start a business based on their special talents, skills, or strengths. You know what it takes to start a business so assist and encourage your spouse to do the same.

Being unemployed can lower your self-esteem and confidence level due to society defining us by our jobs and the ability to bring home a steady paycheck. Remember, being unemployed is temporary. 

Thanks for reading!

Coaching Question: Have you ever lost your job? If so, how did you bounce from the lost? Comment below. 

Creating Your Vision Board: Get Your Mind Right, Get Your Vision Tight!

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22

On August 2, 2014, two of my dear sister-friends hosted a powerful and visual event entitled, " Dream Awake, Create Your Vision" in Providence, RI. This event transformed my life and vision. Not only did I provided heartfelt laser coaching sessions, but I also met positive, beautiful women in which we encouraged and empowered one another to live their best life.  Lastly, I was able to work on a vision board. At first, I was working on my vision board in between the laser coaching sessions in which I honestly put in only 40% of the work into my vision board which left me dissatisfied because I want to visualize and achieve much more. I put my feelings of lack of completion to the side because I was able to inspire, awake and discover the greatness within the women who I was coaching during the event. After the event, I decided to go home and complete my vision board. When I completed my vision board, I didn't realize how that beautiful creation would transform and elevate my life, my purpose and bring my vision to life. 

People host vision board parties for fun, but not fully understanding the powerfulness of creating their vision. When you create a vision board not only is it bringing your vision to life, but it is also manifested the law of attraction. Don't ask or visualize something and refuse to affirm the nature of it. You asked for it, whether it was verbally, in your thoughts and within your heart. When you ask and visualize something, you need to be ready to receive whatever you ask for it wholeheartedly because it's something that you desired and longed for. When you create your vision board, you just can't wish for it and remain stagnant, you have to actually be fearless and be active in obtaining it. You have to transition your mindset and be ready to attract it in your life. In other words, you have to be ready at all times to receive it. Your thoughts, your life, and you must be in alignment with the goodness you are going to receive. Remember, you attract what you are and you want to attract endless positive possibilities. 

What is a Vision Board?

A vision board is a powerful visualization tool that activates the law of attraction. Law of attraction is a universal law which it states that we create our own reality. We are like magnets, we attract the people in our lives (good or bad), we attract experiences, money, homes and whatever your mind, energy, and heart attract. Basically, we attract what we are. If we are positive people who enjoy life, peace and prosperity we will attract those people within our lives while the chaotic, negative and doubtful people will exit out of our life. I am currently going through a life transformation of attracting a healthy, prosperous, drama free, loving, caring, strong, and intelligent sister-friends within my life. 

A vision board is a collage of cut out pictures, word, and quotes which are colorful which activate and stimulate excitement and awakening within our brains to become happy. This collage is something you want to be, do, or obtain in life. You take your colorful cutouts and you post them on a poster board. Remember, when you are cutting out your pictures, words, and quotes, you want it to be specific since you are truly asking for your heart desires. For example, a week before I attended the event, I decided to send in a proposal to speak at Heal a Woman, Heal a Nation 12th annual conference in 2015. I was struggling with the proposal because I overanalyze my greatness and got in the way of making the proposal more complicated than it should have been. Therefore, I eventually submitted the proposal, put the conference logo on my vision board and a few weeks later I was notified that I was selected to speak at the conference. I asked I received, I believed, I visualized, and I attracted that speaking engagement within my life. I was frightened at first because I wasn't expecting the response to appear so soon. Was I ready for the response? Most definitely!

Are you interested in getting your mind right and vision tight? Here are four ways you can achieve your vision:

1. Visualize Yourself Being and Doing: Did you know that 65% of people are visual learners? By being a visual learner, you are able to obtain the information by visualizing the material which is an amazing and creative skill to have. Why not visualize yourself doing and achieving something amazing? When you create your vision board, post your board everywhere and visualize yourself doing, being and achieving everything on your vision board. Post the board somewhere visible, in which you frequently that specific area daily such as your closet or your fridge, take a picture of your vision board and use it as your phone's screensaver, tablet/iPad's screensaver, or laptop screensaver and post your vision board as your Facebook/Twitter cover photo. 
2. It's Your Creation: Your vision board is meant for you. Your vision board is your masterpiece and no one else's . It's your vision, your creation and your life. Remember everyone is not going to understand and agree with your vision and that's perfectly fine because your vision was given to you by the Creator/Most High and that's who receives all the credit. For instance, If you want to become married to a specific person, put that on your vision board and get in alignment with your vision.
3. Overcome your limited self-imposed thoughts and self-sabotaging self-talk. When you create your vision board, you want to take the top of your dreams. You don't want to limit your dreams, nor your vision. When you create your vision board, you want to put things that you may think are unrealistic but realistically you can achieve such things. Stop telling yourself that you can't invest in Apple stocks, you can't become a CEO of a Fortune 500 or you can't make the Forbes list.  Stop limiting yourself, your dreams and your vision. In order to achieve that vision, you have to stop with the negative self-talk, limiting yourself and greatness to something punitive when you were created to be fearless, bold, and amazing. Start your vision board on a positive, upbeat and bold note. If you find yourself cutting out things that may appear unrealistic and that self-doubt creeps into your heart, continue to cut it out and post it because now is the time for you to start moving from your comfort zone to a "challenging and anything is possible" zone. As long as you have the attitude of anything is possible if I ask, believe and receive, you will achieve your vision.
4. Stop Overanalyzing and Creating Drama. Did you know when you over-analyze something you are creating unnecessary drama and unnecessary reality for yourself? I tell myself, my clients and other people get out of your head and get into your heart. Think less and feel more. Many times in life, we think so much that our heads figuratively exploded, which keeps us stuck, frustrated and bitter. We need to feel more and get more intuitive with ourselves. Whenever we create a vision board, we often over-analyze the things we put on our vision board. We start to question ourselves and our abilities to actually achieve and visualize our greatness. For example, when I created my vision board, I put one of my favorite vacation destinations, St. Thomas, USVI because I am going to take my coaching services there along with having retreats there. You see the keyword "I am" I did not say "I might". I didn't over-analyze what I said because I dug deep into my feelings and affirmed my vision. You have to affirm what you want without overanalyzing it. Once you over-analyze your vision, you already limited yourself and affirmed fear. Affirm what you want.

There are various ways that you can create your vision board. You can create your vision board by gathering old magazines, printing out pictures, quotes, and word from the internet and posting them on your poster board. Whatever pictures, quotes, words, and things ignite your excitement and passion, choose that one and post away. Secondly, Oprah.com has an amazing free online dream/vision board tool. Check it out here dream/vision board. Here are some handy questions that will help you to create your best vision board:

What would you do differently when you realize your goal?

Where would you travel?
Where would you live?
What would you wear?
What things would you own?
What kind of vehicle would you drive?
What would you do for work?... Or would you work?
Who would you help?

Coaching question: Have you created a vision/dream board before? If so, what are three things have you achieved from your vision/dream board? How often did you look at your dream/vision board? Make sure you comment on the post.

P.S. These two vision boards that I've posted on the blog are examples of my own vision boards that I created. I have one for my vision and I have one that represents positive Black women and the love and light we share!

Thank you for reading Brown Girl From Boston

XOXO,

Drea