Tag: motivation

7 Helpful Hacks for Holding Yourself Accountable

Q'Zion2 Comments

Have you ever set a goal for yourself, and then bailed on it at the last minute? The hard truth is, most people have done just that at least once in their life. And while sometimes things come up in our lives that are out of our control, other times there is simply a lack in accountability.

Today I have made a go-to guide specifically for anyone who is looking to hold themselves more accountable. Even if we do consider ourselves responsible people, there is always room to grow in terms of following through with those tasks on our to-do lists that we’ve set aside for the future.

What are we waiting for? Let’s get started! ♡

1. Keep an “I can do it” mindset.

Before we get into the real work to reach our goal, we need to make sure that we have the correct mindset. Procrastination can come from a lack of willpower or a fear of the unknown. In order to face the fear of failure, try to maintain the mental belief that you can and will achieve your goal. When we are mentally in check, we are setting ourselves up for success on our journey.

2. Tell someone who you trust about your goals.

Okay, so maybe you want to loose 10 pounds in a month. But if nobody knows about it, it’s perfectly fine if you don’t hit it? Right? While whether or not others are aware of our goal should not hinder our drive to succeed, it’s a lot harder to bail on an aspiration when someone who we trust knows exactly what we want to do and our deadline to do so. Not only is a good support system motivation, but they also are a source for people who are willing to hold you accountable for your actions.

3. Write down your goals.

Through the process of reaching our goals, it can be easy to forget exactly what we wanted to accomplish, in the first place. As your affirmation to yourself of what you will achieve, write each of your goals down and store the note in a place where you spend the majority of your time.

4. Review your progress

While some goals may be reachable within a day or even a week, others can be more long-term. In these scenarios, it is a good idea to review what you have been doing to reach your goal once a week. A technique such as this can help prevent you from becoming discouraged as you notice yourself inching towards your goal between each review.

5. Constantly remind yourself your “why”

Just as we should keep in mind what our goals are, we also want to remember why we want to achieve them. Every productive goal should be set for a reason; a desire to grow, change, or do something new. Whatever the purpose is behind your goal needs to stay consistent as you work to accomplish it in order to serve as your drive towards success. During the planning process, make sure that your “why” is a point that you address to avoid any confusion later on.

6. Remember; progress is a process

The truth is, there are some goals that simply cannot be reached overnight. Sometimes there are little things in life that force us to take a break. And others times, the goals that we set require months or even years of work to achieve. As long as we never stop working towards where we want to go in life, we are still making progress; and that’s what matters most.

7. Celebrate every victory–the large and small.

One of the largest mistakes that many people make is that they are too hard on themselves. While we should be accountable towards reaching our goals, we mustn’t forget to give ourselves a pat on the back as we take small steps to victory. After all, a journey isn’t complete without its destinations.

Accountability is a superpower that we can all obtain; all we need is use appropriate planning, determination, faith, and confidence, and we can do whatever we set our minds to. So never forget to keep that winning positive mindset. Because the truth is, sometimes the only one who stops us from reaching our goals is our “me, myself, and I.”

LET’S CHAT~What are some of the methods you use to hold yourself accountable?

Have a fantabulous rest of your day or night! See you later! ♡

Go-to gospel songs that are always on my playlist ♡

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Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the rights to ANY of these songs, nor to I have any permissions to them. They belong to their rightful owners.

Hello, beautiful people! Happy fantabulous Friday!

Earlier this afternoon, me and Goodmommy completed a lot of household errands together. And while in our SUV, we played some of our favorite gospel songs. To me no genre compares to how I feel when I listen to music of my Heavenly Father.

Gospel music makes me feel optimistic, light, and increases my faith in God. And the feeling is different from that of any other musical experience. It’s almost like a weight off of my chest–especially when I’ve had a really busy day.

After our gospel binge, I was inspired to share some of my favorite songs on my ‘Gospel 💜’ playlist–as well as an explanation for what they are about and what I enjoy about them. Hopefully, this beautiful music will reside with you just as much as it did me. Enjoy!

You’re Bigger by Jekalyn Carr

As far as I’m concerned, Jekalyn Carr is an example of a young, talented, yet underrated artist in the gospel industry. This song of hers is about how God is bigger than the size of the universe, all of life’s problems, the disasters of the world, and what the world has to offer us. The theme of this song hits me so hard, as it helps me remember that no matter what I face in life, God is bigger than that. And He has already won the battle for me and ALL people love Him.

Close to You by BeBe and CeCe Winans

Happy. That’s the only feeling that I can describe when I listen to this song; pure bliss. Exactly as the title states, it’s about how amazing of a father God truly is, and how that makes us—followers of Christ—want to know Him, spend more time with Him, and get closer to Him. I have played this song on repeat for over 100 times in my lifetime. And do I regret it? Not one bit! Brother and sister duo CeCe and BeBe Winans sound super good together, and really help bring this cheery song to life.

I never lost my praise by Tramaine Hawkins

The truth is, life is not always easy. There are a number of bumps in the road, and many of them are completely out of our control. At times like this, we need to praise the Lord just as much as we would when everything is good, fine, and peachy. This song is a much-needed reminder of just that. Even when we loose family, friends, blessings, opportunities, and other materialistic things, we should never loose our ability to pray and praise the Lord. When we trust in Him, anything is possible.

Put it on the Altar by Jessica Reedy

I feel like this is also a song that anyone could put on a workout or positive vibe playlist, because its so upbeat that me and Goodmommy can’t help but dance every time we listen to it. When we put things on the altar, or pray to God to deliver us from a situation, He always has an answer to our prayer. We are never alone, thanks to Him. If you are looking for an inspirational song that you can dance to, then this is a great option for you.

Something Out of Nothing by Jessica Reedy

One of the qualities that I love most about the Lord is that He sees the best in us, even when we can’t see the good in ourselves. Despite what we do–and the mistakes that we all make–He always looks at our hearts. This is a second song by amazing artist Jessica Reedy about how God sees a masterpiece in us. This song is super emotional and has gotten close to bringing me to tears. The message is so powerful that it can minister to anyone, regardless of their current circumstance, and I appreciate that greatly. God can deliver us from ourselves when we maintain our faith, even when we can’t understand why. He’s just good like that.

I can only imagine by Tamela Mann

Those of us who have salvation in Jesus Christ can only imagine what Heaven will be like when our time comes. The Bible is one of our only sources of description of the true Promised Land. But how will we feel? What will we do? Will we cry happy tears or stand silently in awe? There are so many unknowns for how amazing the moment that we enter the Kingdom of God will be, and this gorgeous melody covers many of them. Tamela Mann truly has such a unique, powerful voice. For years, this has been one of my favorite songs of all time–and it still is to this day.

Mercy Said No by CeCe Winans

Life is full of tight spots; those times where we are super close to hitting rock bottom. ‘Mercy Said No’ explains that it’s at these moments that God’s mercy says no, and He helps us rise again. CeCe Winans truly has an anointed tone, and that has made her one of my favorite gospel artists for as long as I can remember. This being one of my first gospel songs, it will always be super close to my heart.

What we feed our spirits and minds on a daily basis are extremely important, not just as followers of Christ, but also as human beings. And one of the best ways that I get closer to God is by listening to gospel music. I truly hope that you all enjoyed reading about and listening to each of these songs. It truly was a pleasure to share them with you guys.

LET’S CHAT~Have you ever listened to any of these songs before today? If not, do you have any song recommendations for me?–they can be gospel and/or clean motivational songs. Thanks, y’all! ♡

Have a blessed day, everybody! See you later! ✨

The Best Advice for ALL BLOGGERS (Wannabes, New, and Veterans)

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While being a blogger is an excellent hobby, skill, and for some, job, it can be a little overwhelming for others. About 8 and 1/2 months ago, I remember being very excited to start my new blog…but also slightly nervous. Monitoring your own blog is like a new adventure that can be a little challenging to start, just because most of us don’t know what outcome to expect.

However, just because it’s a challenge doesn’t mean that it isn’t worthwhile. Here is some of the BEST ADVICE for any blogger, whether you’re contemplating whether you want to be one, you just became a blogger, or you’ve been one for years. I bet that in no time, you’ll be blogging like a pro!

Keep a Positive Mindset — The truth is, we can’t do anything to the best of our ability if our mindsets are not positive. Keep in mind that blogging is a good source of income, but it is also a source for you to improve on your writing, spread the word about a topic that matters to you, inspire others, and simply BE YOU! If we start blogging with a negative perspective, then how can we expect to grow?

Don’t Procrastinate–Do It Right Now– If you know you want to do a blog or that you want to be more active on your blog but you keep putting it aside, let me tell you that procrastination is never going to get anyone anywhere different. Obviously, it can be hard to try something new, but if you feel that it would be beneficial to you, what’s stopping you from doing it? If we procrastinate, we are simply saying in the same spot. And sometimes progress requires us to move.

Think about the Journey and the Destination — You may set a goal that you want to earn 100 followers or make $10 a week from blogging. Small goals like this are a great way to think about your future and the progress that you want to make with your blog. That being said, don’t get too caught up in getting so many followers or so much money from it (unless it’s your job, of course.) Instead, think of the smaller forms of progress that you are making. For example, you may be getting more views or comments then you were 1 year ago–that’s progress!

Even if They Don’t Say Anything, People Are Watching– I think one of the main reasons for inconsistency among bloggers is that they aren’t getting the amount of response from their audience as they would like or anticipated. Gaining an audience who will comment on EVERY post can take time to build. Besides, many times people will just read your posts to see if you will be consistent before following you. Just because they don’t like or comment, doesn’t mean they don’t like your content. We just have to KEEP PRESSING!!!

Be Authentic — In all honesty, the blogs that are written by someone who isn’t trying to be like every other blogger are some of my favorites. When I look for quality content, I want to read about someone who I can relate to, learn from and be inspired by. Those are the blogs that are real, funny, and fun to read. What I’m trying to say is, just be your authentic self in your blog–trust me, it makes a big difference.

Posts where I get to inspire others are the most fun to write. As bloggers, we have more fun when we are writing and posting about what we love. We begin to think more about the meaning behind each post and less about statistics. In everything, just remember to appreciate every victory–both the large and small. Each one will help us reach our final destination.

Thanks so much for reading and I’ll see you next time! God bless y’all! ✨

5 Ways to Find Inspiration as an Artist

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Don’t you just love that feeling that you get when you look at a finished project that you gave your all? As artists, we feel a sense of accomplishment and pure happiness when we know that we just created another masterpiece.

But the truth is, no matter how much we love art, finding an original idea for a new creation can be a challenge; especially while we balance our hobby with the other areas of our life. As a fellow artist, I can say that just about all of us have been through this at one point or another. But the truth is, inspiration is inevitable–sometimes, we just need to switch things up a little.

Here are some ways that I’ve learned to find inspiration as an artist.

1) Don’t Procrastinate and Show Up — No art is going to get made if we procrastinate and avoid making anything. Inspiration can be as simple as sitting at your creative space and brainstorming ideas. Art doesn’t need to be perfect or super technical. What matters most is that it stays true to what we believe and who we are. We can spark our creative sides when we simply show up and remain present.

2) Just Doodle — Letting go of trying to make everything perfect and just going with the flow can be a big help in the art department. If you’re a perfectionist like me, it’s only natural to want to plan everything to a T. And while planning your art can be a good thing, if you’ve run out of ideas, why not just get inspiration as you go? The process can be more fun when your in the moment (and present) using your creativity to create something beautiful.

3) Make Art Inspired by What and Who You Love — I can tell you from experience that some of my favorite art is the works that are inspired by important aspects of my life. Whether you want to use your faith, family, other hobbies, or the work of another artist that you look up to, make art based on what’s familiar. Just remember that when finding inspiration from other creators (which is always a great idea) please don’t copy their work, but instead use it as a source of creativity.

4) Take an Art Class — You want to be inspired? Consider finding opportunities to be around other artists. When we put ourselves in classes that allow us to interact with other creators (safely, of course) we are gaining ideas from each other, and learning new techniques to incorporate into our art.

5) Try a Different Platform or Medium– Some people prefer traditional art. Others prefer virtual. And the last section enjoys both. If you are used to one platform to create, I would recommend branching out and trying a different medium or a different way to make your art. This change doesn’t need to be permanent. Instead, it could be a way for you to try something different.

Art comes in many different forms, and inspiration is always present. Being in the moment and constantly trying new things are amazing ways to improve as an artist. I hope that with these tips, you will find yourself flourishing with creativity.

Have a beautiful and blessed day everyone! Thanks for reading! 🎨

5 Ways to Stay Motivated (Reblog)

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Hey everyone! I hope that you are having an amazing day, night, afternoon, or morning! You know, whether we are trying to do our best at school, get healthier, or just go through life and thrive, we all need to stay motivated. I mean, motivation is what pushes you to keep going, and not give up, even when things get tough. Without motivation (whether it’s from others or yourself), as well as determination, then I’m sure that we would have all given up on at least one or two things, in the past. ✨

This is exactly why I thought that it would be a great idea to discuss 5 Ways to Stay Motivated with you guys! 

So, are you ready to get/stay motivated? Let’s get started! 

  1. Surround yourself with a good support system. ✨

It’s easy to give up when you have a goal if you don’t have anyone to support you. Usually, there is at least one or two people, even if it is God, that will be able to push you to reach your goals. If you do have a person or people like this in your life, then those are the people that you want to stick around. It can make some people feel more secure and confident when they have people that support them to the fullest, even if the group isn’t very large.

2. Put up motivational messages in your room or as your screensaver. ✨

Perhaps you are the type of person that prefers to stay to themselves (which I personally think is a good thing). Then sometimes it’s best to just give yourself a little bit of motivation! Something that I enjoy doing is putting up motivational posters and decorations in my room. I also might add an inspirational quote or message to my screensaver! These are just little every day reminders that can help remind you how capable you are. And, let’s be real, a lot of us could use that reminder, sometimes!

3. Make the journey to your goal fun! ✨

If you often aren’t motivated to do something, and you still have plenty of time to do it, this could be because you simply don’t enjoy it. Whatever your goal is, make sure that you try to make it fun. And sure, I know that doing homework or being on a diet probably aren’t the most enjoyable task. However, making games to help you practice your algebra problems, working with a friend, or giving yourself a sweet reward after you eat your vegetables can make the experience at least a little more enjoyable.

4. Separate your goals into small sections. ✨

It’s a lot harder to be motivated to reach your goals when they are impossible to reach. It is a great idea to separate your goals into small sections or steps. Therefore, they will be easier to hit, and less likely to cause you to give up. For example, while writing my current novel, I try to set a do-able goal for myself (such as 100-250 words per day). This way, I don’t get discouraged, and I can hit my goal without it taking 1,000 years! It’s a win-win!

5. Celebrate your successes and achievements. ✨

Did you just reach one of your goals? Well, celebrate that! You know, a lot of times, we can actually forget that we need to reward ourselves when we actually set a goal for ourselves, then achieve it! Besides, after the hard work that you likely did, you really do deserve it!

…Lol. ✨

Alrighty, everyone! I really hope that you enjoyed these 5 Ways to Stay Motivated! Never forget that whenever you set a goal, try to stay motivated. It will help you push through and reach your goals, even when it’s a struggle! Trust me, you will be happy that you did, in the end! 

Have a happy, healthy, and amazing day, everyone! ✨