Monday Motivation: Getting Back On Track

I love my friends. They know how to keep me on track. So, when I get texts and emails saying, "Where the hell are my Pumps and Lipstick posts?", I get the picture-- crystal clear. I can blame not having enough time during grueling and demanding, yet eye-opening grad school sessions at FIDM or training for a half-marathon or traveling here and there to be my reasons for not blogging as frequently, but I'm not. It's clearly poor time management on my part. And this can relate to many other practices and goals as well such as working out, spending more time with friends and family, reading more books, studying for the GRE, GMAT, EMT or any other lengthy tests out there in the world with long-ass acronyms. Instead of procrastinating and lying to myself by saying, "I'll do it later", I say, "No, bitch. Get it done now and figure out a plan to get it done more efficiently in the future." Be firm with yourself because you're the only person who can control your life and what you want to do with it. If you aren't, who will? Once you start doing what you're supposed to be doing, you'll be done and feel great about yourself for accomplishing it and crossing it off your 'To-Do' list-- just like how I feel right now :)

Happy Monday!

I thought this was so appropriate for this post and all my blogger friends.

Images via heartifb.com, vintagelawrence.com and justjule.blogspot.com

Monday Motivation: Perception of Obstacles

Obstacles: those bumps in the road, the scary monster in our way and the bully that's trying to stop us from getting to where we want to be. With everything we try to do, there is going to be an obstacle-- guaranteed. What may hinder us from winning is our perception of how we view these barriers. Are they small? Kinda big? Ginormous? Scary? Puny? Do they scare you away from your dream? Make you reconsider whether it's worth all the trouble of blasting through the great wall of fear? Or do you want to achieve your goal so bad that you don't give a you-know-what and will stop at nothing to get there? All in all, the choice is yours and you have the power and choice to change your perception of these obstacles from the size of Mount Everest to the size of an ant hill. Believe that you can do it and that you're strong enough. Trust that there is an end to the hurdles before you cross the finish line! Know that the reason why there are obstacles on each course is to test how badly you want your goals! If there weren't any barriers, would it even be worth your time? Absolutely not.

So, take a look at some of the things you want to do in your life and envision your path to your dreams. Do you mostly see the obstacles or your goals?

Happy Monday, everyone!

Monday Motivation: Keep Yourself Going Forward

Keep it going!

In the beginning of setting a personal goal, I'm always super psyched outta-my mind and ready to take on the world [insert Rocky theme song here]. Whether its training for a half-marathon, eating extra healthy, or heck, even cutting down the number of reality shows I watch, I feel like the world is on my side, the birds are singing, the sun is shining and I'm more than excited to start said goal.

And then two weeks pass and I start to get tired. The flame has died down. I'd rather stay in bed. 'Getting over the hump' is what I call it.

It's not as hard as we think it is to keep the wheels on moving-- just a little procrastination mixed with laziness topped with a dollop of lack of encouragement. I find it easy to use tools to push through the 'motivation mud' and get back on track. Training your mind to keep the train moving by yourself is possible, but easier with something or someone to help you. One of the tools/tricks I use is reading motivating articles online. This time around I ended up at PicktheBrain.com. Take a peek at this straightforward article to get over the hump: How To Motivate Yourself. Hope you enjoy!

Have a wonderful Monday!


Photo via arcticcompass.blogspot.com

Monday Motivation: Success

Want to know why most goals are not usually met by the majority of people? Because they believe that success is a straight, upward road. It's not. You're going to be tested by the universe to figure out how badly you really want that goal. It is guaranteed that you'll hit some bumps in the road, experience setbacks, and hear negative opinions of others that may make you question your quest. 

The key to success? From what I've learned from my extremely successful personal and business mentors: perseverance. Many, many, many individuals simply give up at the first sight of an obstacle. "Oh, it's too hard. I can't do it. I'm tired. Blah, blah, blah." I call bull shit. The real answer to quitters' reasons is that they don't want it bad enough and can live without it. 

So tell me-- how bad to you want success in your life?

Happy Monday y'all! 

2013 Beauty Goals

I'm ready for some change this year. No, really! I mean it! I love many areas/categories of my life, but want to take it up a notch and stay out of the safe zone. More specifically, beauty. Here's what I mean:

1. Try new, bold eyeshadow shades. I feel like a Boring Betty.
2. Master winged eyeliner. I can't tell you how many times I've f@#ked up repeatedly.
3. Quit playing it safe when it comes to nail art and polish. I'm a huge fan of nail art, textures, designs and all, but I'm not the type to go all out.
4. One shade in particular that I've never tried is nude! I know, right?!
5. After growing out my hair for several years, I think it's time for a little shake up. Layers and peek-a-boo highlights!


Want to shake things up in your beauty life? What are some of your goals? Let me know in the comment box!

Monday Motivation: New Year's Resolutions

Oh-Em-Gee! 2013 is just around the corner, so you know what that means...New Year's Resolutions! The beginning of a new year always gets everyone pumped up and ready to take on our goals and dreams in full force.

There are a few of my goals that didn't even get touched in 2012, so I need to figure out how to fix what I didn't do to make my goal achievable and attainable this year in 2013. My issue comes down to consistency. I always start out hard in January, semi-consistent in March and then the dumbbells start to collect around May.

So what am I going to do for 2013? Make a plan! It's one thing to make a list of things to accomplish, but how are you going to get from A to B? Your ass needs a plan! So make that list and draft a reasonable, logical plan to go along with it. You won't achieve your goals without one. Like Nike says, "Just do it!"

Make 2013 your best year ever!
  

Never Give Up

A reminder that I must reflect on daily:

The cost of giving up is much, much, greater than the cost of pursuing your dream. What's a little hard work? Sweat? The occasional and guaranteed bump in the road? What's one more day of putting in the extra effort compared to the greatest moment of realization that you've completed and attained the goal or dream you've wanted with all of your heart?

Yes, it may be hard and we'll all have days where we contemplate, "Is it really worth it? Are the rejections, the hurdles, the pain, really worth what I've set to achieve?" The answer is yes. Anything that you really want and is worth the time and effort involves what I like to call, 'The Process'. It makes us stronger, wiser, and ready to beat the next thing that comes at us with ease. I'm learning to embrace it more and more each day. (Keyword: embrace)

I mean really, Regret sucks and the 'What If?' questions suck even more. Do we really want to deal with those two for the rest of our lives if we quit our pursuit of whatever it is that we want? Let's not.

The end is sweet and pure bliss so, keep going! Keep pushing! Big dreams, small dreams, lose weight, get fit, job promotion, world travel, home ownership, business venture, published novel, who cares! Quit thinking too much and let's go! Sooner or later you'll look up and already be there— where you want to be.

Embrace every moment of every day. Enjoy.