It's time to look back.
Today I saw a quote on Twitter that really resonated with me.
"Sometimes we are so focused & worried about the next move, that we don't look back & appreciate how far we've come & how much we've achieved"
It was tweeted by Michael Buck Maris (@buckotb) and retweeted by Remel London (@Remel_London) which is how it ended up on my own timeline. At first I scrolled past it, not too bothered, and then I looked back and re read it, letting the words sink in properly. And I realised it is so true. I spend so much of my time focusing on what's happening next for me- the next big career move I'm going to make, the next article I will write for a magazine, the next move I'm going to make for my magazine and so on. I do this all the time, getting overly stressed out and getting really worked up. Something I never do is take the time to sit back and look at the things I have achieved, especially achievements that look so 'small' at the time.
I worry that my blogs aren't good enough. When I installed Google Analytic's, I felt really put out by my statistics compared to what Blogger had been telling me. However, whilst this made me stressed out, I didn't take the time to think about how ambitious it is of me to write a blog post every single day or how my blog has opened doors to me I never imagined I could even knock on, let alone walk through. My views might not be as incredible as I had hoped but there are other achievements that have come with my blog that I should be focusing on!
My stress regarding my magazine is never ending. How will I make money from a free magazine, who will stock it, who wants to advertise, who should be on the cover next and so on. I forget to appreciate that it's not even been one year yet (nearly though!), that I jumped straight into making a magazine with no real plan, structure or even an idea on how to make a magazine and that I have reached more pre orders with the up coming issue than ever before. I have managed to build a team of writers, grow a following on social media and have some loyal readers too. For a years work with almost no experience of the magazine industry, I'd say that's not bad going.
My worry about the future is also a consistent one. Will I move forwards, will I keep doing incredible things, when will I move out, when will I get married, will I be able to have children? The list of worries grows all the time! Yet I don't take the time to step back and look on how much of a future I've made for myself in the last two years, meeting amazing people, doing incredible things and creating brilliant opportunities for myself and, hopefully, my future family too.
It is okay to worry and stress about your life- everyone does it and you're definitely not alone. However, it's not okay to completely disregard and/or forget about all the hard work you've done so far that's got you to where you are today. Think about all the advances you've made in terms of mental health, physical health, relationships, work,general life. Really look back on all you've achieved, even if it's something you think seems incredibly small. It doesn't matter, because if it's important to you then it's important enough and that's what counts. Always celebrate your achievements, even small ones!
Let me know in the comments below something you're proud to have achieved yet seem to disregard in the comments below!
Love from,
Florence Grace
I know the feeling. It's so hard sometimes because I put a lot of pressure on myself and I stress myself out, but then I remember that I need to be proud of myself! I have come so far, I have overcome adversity, I've had to work against all odds, and I have achieved big things, such as starting my blog and studying for my degree. I sometimes feel as though I am not good enough but I need to have confidence in my abilities.
ReplyDeleteChichi
chichi-writes.blogspot.co.uk