Lately there has been this anxiety stirring within me. This feeling of “I can’t do this, I’m not smart enough” and “Dig your heels in, nothing has stopped you from chasing a dream before.” There are these two voices constantly combating one another and lately I’ve been listening to the darker voice. The voice telling me “I can’t” and since then my drive has disappeared. I know I need to be in the library studying, I know I need to practice physics problems over and over and over until I want to beat my head against the table. I know I need to focus on myself but all I am able to do is focus on other people and what they “are going to do with their life” and it makes it hard to focus on me and my needs.
I’ve started {well trying} to get back to my focal points and to do that I had a little Pinterest help {Also, I’m currently in the library writing this instead of doing physics practice problems… opps}. So here are some tricks that have helped me rediscover my drive and helped me worry about me instead of everyone around me!
Get up 2 hrs earlier
Y’all … this was the hardest thing I changed. I felt like a zombie for about a week but slowly and surely my body snapped into this state of waking up 2 hrs earlier and by the second week I already felt better. I had time to go workout in the morning and eat a GREAT breakfast that gave me power to take on my day… also coffee… lots and lots of coffee.
Stop Complaining about not having enough time
Seriously? You mean if I stop complaining about time I will have more time? Yeah honey… you just wasted 30 seconds or more talking about how you don’t have enough time for anything. If you’re like me, this happens at least 10 times a day and that adds up! Stop thinking about it and just do it! Think positive and say “yeah I have just enough time for this one thing” do it and move on! Once This was implemented into my life the dark voice became smaller because I was taking negative thoughts out of my day.
Focus on your Progress NOT the Outcome
This for me is the hardest thing to adjust. Especially when I am working out. I do 4 sit ups and pull my shirt up to see if I have abs yet and they aren’t there… come on, you know you have done it too. In life and especially in college the outcome isn’t clear, its not going to slap you in the face and say HERE I AM DON’T YOU SEE WHAT YOUR’E WORKING TOWARDS, THIS IS YOUR FUTURE! If it did then I would be one happy girl because I’m all about instant gratification. Instead we need to learn how to trust the process, grow and slowly the outcome will because clear. Except for physics… theres no positive or clear outcome.
LET GO of your Imperfections and Allow them to become apart of You
Imperfections, we all have them and I am about to be all bark and no bite like a chihuahua. I have Hyperhidrosis which means I have over active sweat glands in my hands and feet and anytime I get nervous/excited/anxious or I lie they begin to sweat, it doesn’t smell but I mean I create a dang puddle. This is one of the hardest things I have had to over come because growing up people would call me “sweaty Betty” or think it was gross to hold my hand in youth group. I would get embarrassed because when I took a test I would soak the paper and my teachers wouldn’t be able to read the writing on the paper and the paper would rip because it was so saturated. One teacher in elementary school would collect mine separately and let it air dry by itself… now I look back and laugh but it is still something I have to learn to deal with. Slowly I have learned to accept it and now I’m never embarrassed of it because I’m basically a water bender/ water superhero.
Set time aside for YOU
I can not stress this enough! During the day make time for you to do something you love! Go to the gym, watch one episode of TV, go for a run outside, color, listen to music, just do something that will make you happy! We can’t get stuck in this cycle of work, home,eat,sleep,wake up. When we allow this to happen we take the joy out of life and suddenly we loose our drive and determination and we become this mold of what society wants us to be.
Stop being a mold, stop thinking negatively,stop worrying about other people, and stop letting people take your drive away…
worry about YOU and invest in YOU.
Much Love,
Grace Madeline Dirig