It’s crazy how many of us look at people we admire and secretly wish we could accomplish what they did. But we totally can. I’m currently writing to you from underneath my blankets, with pimple cream on my face, while wearing a pancake onesie. Living your dreams doesn’t always look as picture-perfect as it may appear on Instagram! Going after your goals doesn’t have to be scary. Here are my tips for not letting anything stand in the way of your dreams:
- If you’re not living the dream, courageously make it happen for yourself
The first step towards achieving your dreams is being brave enough to acknowledge what they are, which isn’t always easy. Chasing dreams and embracing change can definitely be scary, but you have to decide if you’re going to let fear stand in the way of your potential. That doesn’t mean you should ignore fear, though! Sometimes feeling afraid is valid and it may be a sign to prepare more. Other times it’s just a warning to proceed with caution. Ultimately, taking time to process will help you manage fear so you can courageously go after your goals.
Back when my husband and I were living in Oklahoma while he finished grad school, we felt a ton of pressure to find a consistent paycheck. There were times when we didn’t have money for food. It was literally one of the scariest times of my life. Despite having very little and needing a job, I realized I wanted to open an online shop and Sal was fully supportive. I remember reflecting on my fears and realizing that even if my shop was a total failure I’d be in the same situation as before and I could always apply for a job later. Acknowledging my fear helped me to deal with so I could be brave when times were scary. And ultimately I just went with my instincts and decided to make a decision based in optimism instead of fear and I’ve never worked a regular job since.
- Embrace your uniqueness
I’ve wanted colorful hair ever since I was a kid, but for most of my life I never had the courage to commit. I was afraid of not being accepted by my friends and family, and that I wouldn’t be taken seriously in my business. Of course, I soon realized that my customers didn’t care about my hair at all. They were only worried about having a good experience with my business. My business does prioritize customer experience, so it’s important that we make the customer feel valued. By doing that, most people don’t even notice my hair color. Many of my early hairstyles were me trying to fit in and I was always disappointed as a result. It wasn’t until I truly accepted myself and acted on the truth that I was able to embrace the hairstyles I actually wanted. Once I did that, I had more confidence to be myself and almost everyone noticed. In fact, my colorful yarn braids became my signature, which really helped my career.
Your strongest asset is your uniqueness. I had to learn the difference between being inspired and trying to be someone who I wasn’t. Anyone can learn a skill or improve their talents, but nobody else can be YOU. If you want to achieve your individual dreams, you have to celebrate all many lovely things that make you, you.
- Make time to actually dream
No, seriously. I’ve found it’s impossible to chase my dreams if I don’t get enough sleep. My ideal bedtime is 8pm so I can get a jump on the day by waking up at 5am. If my sleep suffers, I’m a total train wreck the next day. Having a routine is key to being able to get to bed on time.
One thing I never let get in the way of my literal dreams is my period. Life doesn’t just stop when it’s that time of the month. I don’t want to be concerned about leaks when I’m trying to sleep, especially when I have a heavy flow. Enter U by Kotex® AllNighter® Extra Heavy Overnight pads. They are designed for sleep without worry with 2X the coverage (versus U by Kotex® Security® Regular Ultra Thin Pads). Learn where to score some for yourself here.
- Learn from your failures
Failure isn’t fun. But it is a valuable part of the growth process. We’ve all been there, myself included (I can’t lie)! Remember my Instagram-famous rainbow wall? It did not start off that way… My vision was to make this amazing rainbow statement wall in my apartment. As I painted, the wall started giving off major circus vibes, which wasn’t what I was going for. At that point, I was SO frustrated. I spent a ton of time, energy, and passion on the project and felt I had ruined my home. I almost scrapped the whole thing, but instead thought “what if I really did splatter paint on the wall?” The result was something I was truly proud of, especially once I started to feel the love on social. I loved that my wall made others feel happy, too.
- Keep on dreaming
People don’t just have one dream their entire lives. Our dreams are constantly evolving and multiplying over time. And that’s a good thing! You really can’t plan for everything. I didn’t have a master plan to become all the things I am today on day one. Becoming a unicorn entrepreneur/creator/partner/positivity-spreader only happened because I’ve chased multiple, shifting dreams throughout my life. The only way you can achieve all of your changing goals is by allowing yourself to keep on dreaming. If you don’t dream about it, you definitely won’t achieve it. I have met so many people who want to start a business but are too afraid to go ahead with it. If you’re really passionate about it, you should follow your dreams and start a company. It will be difficult, but you should be determined enough to make it work. Keep dreaming whilst running your business to keep increasing success. For those wanting their business to grow, you could always consider using some seo services to help your business get more leads and potential customers. Hopefully, this will get your dream started a lot quicker. If running a business is your dream, make sure to follow it!
I hope you never give up on your dreams, no matter how big or small. Keep reaching for those stars!
Love,
Amina
This post was sponsored by U by Kotex® and its NEW AllNighter® Ultra Thin Pads. Opinions are my own, but based on our shared belief that you don’t put your dreams on hold during your period.