Be brave enough to start again

In 1943 Abraham Maslow created the hierarchy of human needs, according to his theory we have five different levels of needs : physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs. The order of the last three types of needs has been discussed over the years, and it may differ for some people, however the prioritization of physiological needs is indisputable. Proper nutrition, hydration and a healthy sleeping schedule will help you build a strong foundation when creating your new and improved self,  so start by finding ways to better those three aspects of your life before starting anything else. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect, because that’s a one way street to failure. Learning a few healthy, budget friendly recipes that you can repeat every week is a great starting point. Make sure you include a few vegetables and fruits, healthy sources of proteins, fat and fiber and everything else will slowly fall into place. Water consumption is often overlooked, as simple as it sounds, drinking the right amount of water daily may help you get rid of headaches, will make your skin look better and will improve your overall health. You can check online how much water to consume depending on how much you weigh. Last but not least a good sleeping schedule is sometimes the missing piece for a lot of us. Not being able to concentrate, bad moods, and even weight gain are only a few signs that you are not getting a good night sleep. Try sticking to a certain hour when going to sleep (preferably before 12 pm) and set an alarm for every morning, even on your days off. If you find it hard to fall asleep try making a few changes in order to find out what is wrong. For instance a good quality mattress is key, so consider investing in a new one or try a topper for your old one.  Don’t make drastic changes, just stick to what works for you.

 

 

 

Make an effort to get to know yourself! What are your preferences? What do you like to eat? What are your hobbies? What are you good at? If you find it hard to answer these question I got a fun solution for you. Think of yourself like someone (cute) who asked you on a date, what would you like to know about them? Ask yourself the questions that you would like to ask them, you can even choose fun activities to do by yourself. Like going to movies, to the restaurant or for walk, discover new things to do that may become you hobbies.
Nurture the relationship that you have with yourself,  you can’t love yourself if you don’t spend time building character and experimenting. Pay attention to your feelings, be patient and you will soon discover how wonderful it is to trust and put value in how you really are.

 

 

Most of us think that people who reach their goals are really motivated, so then we say “that’s what I lack in, motivation”. In reality most people (if not all of them) are successful because they are disciplined not motivated. Sure, when we first think of something we want, we visualize it and we feel motivated to act accordingly, we start spreading the good news “I am eating healthier, starting tomorrow”, ” I am starting a new business” or ” I’ll study 6 hours every day “.  That’s the easy part that’s the one fueled by motivation, you are motivated so you create the “perfect plan”, the “perfect 10 steps strategy” and all you are left with once the first stage is complete is to start acting on it. When we rely on motivation for the next stage is when we fail, is way to hard to remain positive and excited for something new when harder aspects of it make it to the surface, now is time for discipline to play its part. If you don’t consider yourself disciplined start creating routines and respect them. Let’s say you want to start investing, work on your knowledge and skills everyday for the same amount of time, around the same hour, depending on your work program, put away your phone or any other distraction and consider using the Pomodoro technique. Stick to the plan especially in the days you feel is useless or to hard, or you feel like you earned a day off, that’ s exactly when you build discipline.

 

 

 

Once you discover you path, and learn how to stay on it is important to turn your focus on education. Chances are someone else wanted to do the same thing as you, and did it successfully so learn from their mistakes before making you own, this may help you save valuable time and money. Always check multiple sources, the internet is flooded by information and of the most import skills that you need to develop is learning to differentiate reliable sources from scams. Reading at least 10-20 pages every day will not only enrich your vocabulary but it will also help you build strong  opinions and character. A lot of people found guidance, clarity and peace in reading Tao Te Ching by Lao Tze, a book I read several times  and that I strongly recommend. So do your research and continue it, so you can always keep up with the rapid changes.

 

 

 

Often we let other’s people opinions to became part of who we are. How we are being seen through others people lenses is not who we really are, or should be. We unconsciously mold ourselves to meet expectations. Let’ s say people constantly tell you that you are a calm person, being calm is great don’t get me wrong but maybe you are just really energetic and you thrive in chaos but now you feel pressured to maintain calm so you start acting against your instincts, altering who you are and keeping yourself from reaching your full potential.  Start paying attention to how people see you and speak to you and tell them when they are in the wrong.

 

 

 

When we feel sad, unmotivated and we no longer enjoy things we used to enjoy it is best to see a specialist. Don’t feel bad to choose to see a therapist even if it feels like you might exaggerate at first, you don’t need to wait for the problem to became bigger to take action. Furthermore is ideal to prevent things from getting out of control. Once you step in the therapist office they will know what questions to ask you, you don’t need to be prepared, so all you need to do is to make the appointment and show up, everything else will fall into place. So don’t put too much taught into it,  just go for it.

 

 

 

Start making a list of things you want to achieve, and then ask yourself what is the first step you can take in order to come closer to them, take that step and then start thinking  about the next one. Continue until you reach your goals. Make sure to make your goals realistic and create steps you can take in the near future. Once you start ticking things off your list you will fell motivated to continue.

 

 

 

Don’t wait for the “right time”, it never comes. When it comes  to your dreams jump in head first , you wont regret it.