Wow, we’ve made it to 101 blog post! Can you believe it? When I first got started I knew that I wanted to build a community of like-minded goal-getters who were serious about turning their goals into reality, but I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to do it. I also knew that I wanted this space to be a place where you could come and get practical personal and business advice, solutions, and resources even if your idea was still in seed form and hasn’t been planted yet.
This is my 102nd blog post and let me tell you, I feel super grateful! With over 13,000 visitors in the past 18 months, I thought it would be fun to share 5 of the biggest lessons I’ve learned since hitting publish on my very first blog. Here we go!
LESSON #1: DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve written, and then rewritten a blog only to come up with a new idea and have that replace the old one! Lol, am I the only one? Maybe for you it wasn’t a blog post, but I’m sure you probably had a moment last week where you got all dressed up, slipped into your favorite shoes and as you were about to head out the door you took one final look at yourself and decided that your cute little outfit didn’t look as cute as it did in your bedroom so you quickly changed into something a little more suitable. Am I right?! Yeah! You know what I’m talking about!
It’s called perfectionism!! We all have it to some degree and let’s be honest, if we really got to the root of it we would see that it is based in fear.
After hitting publish over 100 times I’ve learned that as the book of Ecclesiastes says “finishing is better than starting” and done is better than perfect.
LESSON #2: IT’S OKAY TO LEARN AS YOU GO
When I first started out in my personal development journey I was eager to learn everything there was to know about leadership, influence, and people so I studied psychology. I devoted my time to learn from leaders like John Maxwell, Brian Tracy, and Zig Ziglar. They not only inspired me to make a difference in the world, but they taught me the principles to get it done.
Whether or not to start my blog wasn’t a decision that I had to sit and think about for months. The idea came to me one night, I mentioned it to my husband, and within a few days I was writing and I had published my first blog. I didn’t do any research about how to blog, what to blog about, which website I should host my blog on, how to launch a blog, and so on. I just had an idea, followed through on the idea, and turned it into something real, something tangible, something that could benefit my community.
You don’t need all of the pieces of the puzzle before you start putting it together. Sometimes you just have to start and the pieces will begin to appear. Martin Luther King Jr said it best, “take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
It’s 100% okay to learn as you go. You will discover things about yourself that you won’t be able to see by simply reading a personal development book or talking to a mentor. You develop a stronger voice when you practice your gift of speaking. You find your writing style once you make time to sit down and start writing. You will only experience your full strength in anything when you don’t get stuck in the planning phase and decide that it’s your time to start.
LESSON #3: MY RESULTS ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO MY LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY
This is good news! This means that if you like what you see, continue to do what you’re already doing. However, if you’re frustrated, disappointed, or fed up you need to change what you’re doing and develop consistency doing things that will benefit you.
You see when I started my blog I wanted to post consistently, but I was busy, disorganized, and full of good ideas which means my brain was scattered! I wanted to do this project, and then work on that big opportunity, and then collaborate with other bloggers. My hands were in too many things and this caused me to feel overwhelmed which often led to burnout which meant I would skip writing and no blog would be posted.
Over time as I became more focused and intentional about my mission with the blog, building a relationship with you, and serving you the best goal achievement practices I noticed something magical. The more committed and consistent I was to post every week resulted in more commitment and consistency from you to show up and read them. Not only did you show up and read them but you enjoyed it so much that you would also sign up to receive weekly notifications when they were ready!
This was a game changer for me because it proved the principle that what I sow is what I reap. What I give is what I get. What I put out into the world is what will come back to me. This is not only true for blogging, but it also applies to everything we do in every area of our life. If you don’t like what you see, then change what you’re doing. Be consistent and eventually a healthier tree will grow and you will get to enjoy its fruits!
LESSON #4: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE YOUR POTENTIAL
Say this with me, “I am capable of more than I think”. Say it again, “I am capable of more than I think”. How did that feel? Take a moment and think about it. If you have a journal write it down.
When I first started this blog 18 months ago I envisioned it being a small, reliable, community filled with people who were excited about life, their purpose, their future, and their potential impact on the world. I wanted to inspire big dreamers to stop putting their goals on hold and to begin pursuing them now. I wanted to remind people stuck in procrastination that their current struggles don’t have to follow them into the future. I wanted this to be a place where goal-getters could come together, feel understood, approved, and alive! As a result of this goal, this is what happened…
18 months later I’ve been able to develop a real, friendship with you! This is GOLD! I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot because now I feel a real sense of community around empowering others to do what some would label impossible, to live a life that is aligned with your purpose, and to aspire to heal the world one life at a time!
This is powerful! To see it in full effect is shocking and inspiring because I didn’t think that I could build this in such a short amount of time, and if I’m honest, I didn’t know if I would actually do it.
I underestimated my potential and glorified my flaws and weaknesses. In the beginning, I focused on what I thought I could and couldn’t do and what I should or shouldn’t say. Inside I was a mess. Struggling with self-doubt and insecurity while at the same time knowing and believing with all my heart that this is something I was made to do.
Is this where you are?
If this is you my message is simple, you are capable of more than you think!
LESSON #5: AUTHENTICITY IS THE SECRET SAUCE TO INFLUENCE
Over the past 18 months of blogging my influence has shot through the roof! Why? Is it because I am uniquely gifted in writing? Is it because people are inspired by my work? Is it because God destined for me to do this? Well, all of the above could be true or it could have nothing to do with it. What I do know for sure is that being myself, sharing my heart, my life, and my goals with you have been the secret sauce to my ever-growing influence.
“Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
People are attracted to real people. We live in a social media crazed generation where we attempt to fill our need for connection by following people we admire which is okay, but we tend to forget that on social media we only see other people’s highlights. We only see what their life looks like when things are going well. We only get to see them through a filter. It’s not the whole picture.
Here, on my blog (as well as on social media) I try to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. In this post on Instagram I opened up about having a bad day, being sad and allowing a warm smile to melt my heart. In this blog post Face Your Challenges I talk about how much junk I discovered while doing the self-awareness challenge with you and how I plan on working through my personal junk.
These posts were intentional.
I don’t want you to only be inspired by my good days and my growing family. I want you to see my real life. I want you to be able to see yourself in me. I want you to know that if I could create such a beautiful story with my life after becoming an orphan at the age of 15 then you can too. I want you to see that if I can clean up my debt and work through a financial plan that will help me to build generational wealth then you can too!
Authencity and sharing your life with others is the secret sauce to your influence. Maybe we can talk about this in another blog. Comment below and tell me if this is something you want to hear more about!
HERE’S THE TRUTH:
After hitting publish on 101 blogs here’s one thing that I definitely know for sure: I would not have this platform if it wasn’t for you!
Thank you for supporting me. Whether it’s on social media (Instagram or Twitter), in a Facebook group, or by subscribing to my email list. I want you to know that I see you, I read your emails and comments, and I appreciate you.
All of my late nights writing and creating resources and worksheets for you to create realistic goals is because I truly believe in you. I know that you would not be a fan of this blog if you weren’t a goal-getter so I do my best to bring you the most practical solutions for your struggles.
You are my inspiration and I’m blessed to be your friend, mentor, and coach. Cheers to the next 18 months of personal and business growth, expansion, and breakthroughs! Until next time, your girl
