Tag: goals

A Fresh Idea for 2023: Your Time is Not a Democracy

On By Alice StrathernIn Beginnings, Mindset

As a new year unfolds, here’s an idea that I think it’s worth reflecting on: your time is not a democracy.

A few weeks ago, I listened to a podcast episode on The Chase Jarvis Live Show entitled “Your Life is Not a Democracy“. I thought about the same idea, but applied to time and how it’s our responsibility to make the most of it to live a fulfilling life.

Time can be tricky. Time can be a blur. There isn’t enough time for everything at once.

Some days, you wish you had more hours to work on as many projects as possible; however, other days, everything just seems to be moving slowly, and momentum fades away. Regardless of what any given day brings, it’s you the one deciding where your focus is.

Then again, your time is not a democracy.

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Creating Habits: Ask Yourself Questions to Move Forward

On By Alice StrathernIn Mindset

If you’re looking for ways to create new habits, especially as we’re getting closer to the end of the year, it’s worth reframing the way we look at this specific action.

You will find a ton of information on the Internet on how to do it. The advice will be useful, without a doubt. You can get information from a variety of sources and make your own plan to proceed and improve your life.

My suggestion: ask yourself questions that require a mindful answer.

This idea comes from James Clear when he was interviewed for The Chase Jarvis Live Show. When Chase asked him about creating habits, James proposed going inwards to develop what you need.

This makes a lot of sense. You are the expert of your life; therefore, you are the only one who can tailor your habits to advance your career, improve your craft or your life quality.

I came up with a list of questions to help you get started.

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On Patience

On By Alice StrathernIn Inspiration, Personal, ThoughtsLeave a comment

I love the quotes that I find on Twitter. I’ve shared a few here before, and today, it’s not going to be the exception.

This is the first time that I think of patience as a form of action. To me, it has always meant sitting still while waiting for life to happen. When I read that quote, my perception suddenly changed. It didn’t take long to convince myself that patience is motion.

In my student years in journalism school, I remember interviewing a young lady about entrepreneurship and making a living out of art. One idea that stood out for me in that conversation was taking “baby steps” when working on any creative craft. Great accomplishments are the sum of all efforts made one day at a time. It’s the repetition of small actions on a daily basis.

I also thought of the time I took swimming lessons. The instructor quickly sensed how frustrated I got when I tried different strokes and my body didn’t respond the way I wanted it to. His words still resonate even today: “you have to be patient with yourself.” It’s a matter of changing a mindset or breaking a habit, and these actions need constant repetition; one day at a time.

So when someone says “be patient”, that actually means “work on something and go step by step. You’ll get there.”

How do you view patience?

New Year: Planning your progress

On By Alice StrathernIn Beginnings, Writing2 Comments

The beginning of a new year is one of my favourite seasons. Everybody is genuinely trying to be a better version of themselves. I think this is a noble cause. We can affect our environment a little bit by bringing some positives vibes.

At the same time, we wonder how long we’ll be able to maintain our goals and turn them into a reality. While it’s a long journey that requires a lot of energy, I recommend focusing on solutions rather than resolutions to obtain realistic results.

Here’s a few more thoughts and my list of personal objectives for 2020.

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Working one day at a time, and writing one word at a time

On By Alice StrathernIn Thoughts, WritingLeave a comment

Some people are able to write 10,000 words a day. I’ve always thought that’s impressive, and I’m really happy they can reach a high word count. At the same time, I also think it’s fair to say that this goal is not for everyone. That’s okay.

Each writer sets different standards and, therefore, different goals.

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What mom taught me about writing

On By Alice StrathernIn Personal, WritingLeave a comment

Today my mom is coming to visit me. She’s staying for three weeks, and I’m writing these lines as she’s making her way through the airport in Vancouver. Then, she will fly to Calgary.

I’m getting married next month. Her presence, support and guidance means the world to me. There’s a lot of things going on in my life right now. Big and exciting changes are coming my way, and I wouldn’t be able to get through them without her.

I’m thinking this is also the case for writing. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be motivated to be a writer. Here’s four tips she gave me to get started.

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New Year: Focus on solutions rather than resolutions

On By Alice StrathernIn Beginnings3 Comments

A recurring theme for this month is new year’s resolutions. Your own social media feeds will be showing you articles that will motivate you to follow your dream or passion and make 2019 more successful than 2018.

I like that motivating vibe, and I’d like to share a few thoughts on yearly goals.

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