How to succeed in life

At the beginning of each year, I like to set goals and an overall theme for the upcoming year. Setting realistic goals will help you determine the best strategy to achieve those goals.

Some people also put together a vision board to stay motivated and hang it somewhere to see this board every day. If you have never heard of a vision board, it's a collage of magazine cutouts, motivational quotes, or photos of things you want to accomplish. 

Especially the past couple of years have shifted our mindsets and ways of working. Working from home, zoom meetings, and learning to adapt to the new norm are just a few things. 

If you are debating how to run your business as a solopreneur, starting a side hustle to generate extra income, or learning a new skill to position yourself more valuable on the job market, now is the time to take control and make these things happen. 

Self-reflection:

So start with self-reflection. The beginning of the year is the perfect time for self-reflection. Don't just sit there and let your life pass you by, and whatever happens, happens. Instead, take a step back and look at where you are now versus defining where you want to. 

What are your core values? Identify your strength and weaknesses to know who you are today and who you want to be tomorrow. 

Maybe you are stuck at a 9 to 5 job that you don't like, but you are too afraid to start something new. If this is you, think about what you are scared of and how you can overcome this feeling. 

Trust me; I know how you feel. I know what it's like to browse job sites and apply for a job that you feel you are not qualified for, although that's total BS. When you are invited for the first in-person interview, your palms are sweaty, you need to use the restroom for the 10th time, and you awkwardly smile at everyone passing by. Honestly, Just thinking about it gives me anxiety. 

But even though the "getting a new job" progress makes me nervous, If you look at my resume, especially at the beginning of my career, my resume looks like Swiss cheese. I switched jobs after a year or whenever I felt like I hit the ceiling. At the moment, it was scary to leave a comfortable job, but in retrospect, it was the best decision I made because otherwise, I wouldn't be where I am today, which goes back to self-reflection and looking at where you are now versus where you want to be. 

Maybe you want to switch careers and shift towards digital marketing because you've witnessed what has changed since the pandemic started. Start by educating yourself. Listen to podcasts, and since you are listening to me, you already took the first step. But also Enroll in online courses and read books. 

Or maybe you finally want to start your own business but have no idea where to start. Follow like-minded people online, consume content, and start your own business as a side hustle before committing to it full time.

Maybe you thought about becoming an influencer because you hear everyone talking about it. What type of influencer do you want to be? Take the steps that are necessary to get started. 

Whatever it is you want to achieve, I can help you with that! I have been in your shoes before. About seven years ago, I decided I wanted to be a fashion and beauty blogger and just recently launched my own business. I know what it's like to do all of these things on your own, and I promise you can do it too. 

Now that you know where you want to be, it's time to set up goals.

So Why should you set goals?

You need to set goals not only for your professional life but also for your personal life. If you are unhappy, it will spread through all areas of your life, so you have to identify what brings you joy. 

Your personal life is important; your relationships are important, and your hobbies are important because they all impact your purpose.

Setting short and long-term goals will help you stay motivated and give purpose to your life. For example, if your goal is to be the best social media manager by the end of this year, what do you have to do to get there? Number one, understand how to create content that connects with your audience. Number two, understand the major social networks, and number three compile a list of tools that help you daily. 

If you want to understand how to connect with your audience in 2022 and become the best Social Media Manager, I encourage you to check out my online course on how to gain credibility online and turn passion into profit with content marketing. My online course contains a step-by-step roadmap on creating high-quality content your audience will love, even if you think you are not a creative person. You will dive into content strategy, content creation, and content distribution including paid media.

How can you stick with your goals?

We all have goals, whether these are career or personal goals. One of my goals is to purchase a home with my husband, and A goal like this is a long-term one, so I have to admit that's sometimes it's challenging, but I have a great tip. 

Think about your goals every single day. I think about my goals right before I go to bed and close my eyes. Innvision yourself achieving that goal and start painting a picture in your mind. The more you remind yourself of your goal, the more likely you will follow through with it because you remind yourself why you are saving money, reading one book a month, working out three times a week, or working on the weekends for your side hustle. Since a goal is something intangible, thinking about it almost makes it tangible. 

Track your progress:

Another great way to stay on track with your goals is by implementing a tracking system. Before you start tracking your goal, you must separate your goals into short and long-term goals. To do that, I recommend the smart goal approach. SMART is an acronym, and I am going to explain each letter and how you can utilize the SMART method:

S stands for specific. Be as clear as you can when defining your goal. Use the five W's - Who, What, Where, When, and Why as a guideline to defining your goal.

For example, I want to increase my email subscribers by 10% by the end of March to promote my new offer.

M stands for measurable. Define how you want to measure your progress and think about if you have all the necessary tools to do that. Also, ask yourself, how will I know when the goal has been accomplished?

A stands for Attainable. Whatever goal you are setting for yourself, it needs to be possible, meaning you should be able to reach the goal. Do not make the mistake of setting unrealistic goals that are almost impossible to achieve because it will result in demotivation. You want to challenge yourself, but you don't want to make it impossible. Ask yourself Do I have the skills to achieve the goal? Do I have access to resources if I need to? 

R stands for relevant. Choose a goal that is relevant to your business or personal life. Ask yourself the question, why is the goal important to me? Is this the right time for my goal? 

T stands for timely. Choose a timeline that makes sense for your goal. Define a start and end date. This will help you to keep track of your goal. Ask yourself when will I achieve my goal?

Keep in mind. I'm not saying only because you put a label such as a goal on something, it will become a reality. With everything in life, you have to work towards it. But it all starts with yourself and your mindset. 

If you want to position yourself as an expert in your niche and turn passion into profit with content marketing, be sure to take a look at The Social Wisdom Academy to learn more about my online course. Until next time Goodbye or how we say in Germany Auf Wiedersehen!