Whether you’re starting a new business or taking the leap and getting an online degree, having confidence in yourself is vitally important. We all find our inspiration in different places, but here are five tips to help with almost any endeavor – and even just life in general:

1. Ignore Everyone. Whether you have a new idea or are simply starting a new phase of your life, the more original the thought, the less good advice you will be able to receive. You won’t know if your decision to go back to school is a wise one until you’ve attended classes, and you won’t know at the moment of creation if your business proposal or novel idea is any good, but neither will anyone else. Don’t ask friends for their advice, because they don’t know the inside of your brain the way you do. Don’t ask colleagues either, as they’re likely to see anything you do as competition. Listen to yourself, and make yourself your top priority.
2. Put In the Hours. Anything worthwhile takes what sometimes seems like forever, but 90% of what separates the successful people from the unsuccessful people is time and effort. If someone you work with is more successful than you are, they’re probably putting in a lot more time. If you have to balance an online course and work, or writing a novel and work, carve the time that you need out of the rest of your life, but don’t quit your day job. Just allot a couple of hours a night to writing or studying or creating art, and keep your appointment with yourself faithfully.
3. Everyone Has Their Own Mountain. Everyone has their own metaphoric mountain to climb. For the student, returning to classes after years away, it may be the concept of homework, or it may be simple fear of math. For the writer or artist, it’s the fear that whatever they create isn’t “good.”  It’s important to remember that every mountain has more than one route to the summit. You may never actually make it to the top, but that’s okay, as long as you try. Learning and creating share one truth: they are about the journey, not the destination. This does not mean you shouldn’t have a goal – it just means you have to find your own path toward it. Just by deciding to enroll in a class, start a new business, or paint a masterpiece, you’ve taken the first step.
4. Passion Can’t Be Bought. We all have a tiny piece of our psyches that make us restless and ambitious, no matter how successful we may appear to be. That spark is passion, and you can’t buy it. It doesn’t matter what your passion is for: education, language, art, business, saving the world, what does matter is that you feed your passion, challenge yourself, and keep striving for more. Never settle.
5. Do It For Yourself. The class you’re taking might lead to a better job. The art you create might lead to fame and fortune. Both are great, but anything you do should be for your own satisfaction and happiness first, and any benefit should just be a bonus. If you do anything with money, or other people, as the motivation, you may reach your goal, but you won’t be content.

Business, art, writing and education are all wonderful things, but success only comes from hard work, confidence and motivation. Put in the hours necessary, stay passionate, and never listen to naysayers, and you’ll achieve every task you set out to complete.

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Posted under Education, Motivation, Success