Today I’m celebrating 5 years of blogging, so I thought I would share 5 things I’ve learned along the way. I hope this is helpful for anyone wants to go for their dreams no matter how scary that leap may be.
QUICK BACKGROUND…
I began my blog in 2012 when I was a college student. I worked out with my girlfriends and I was in charge of putting our workouts together. When we all went home for summer break, I would text out the workout of the day. A blog seemed to be a better way of organizing the daily workouts and I thought it would be fun to document to hold myself accountable.
I literally googled “how to start a blog.” I had no clue what I was doing. I invested nothing but my time. I never had any intention of sharing it with anyone but my friends or turning it into a brand and my career. At the time I was a biology/pre-med major and working tirelessly to get into dental school.
3 years ago this week, I withdrew from dental school to pursue my passion of turning this blog into a health, fitness and happiness brand. A place where women could come together to get stronger and use each other as supporters throughout the journey.
Today, I couldn’t be more proud of my blog, myself and this community. I look to the future with bigger and brighter eyes than ever before.
I cannot say thank you enough to you for reading my blog and supporting me as a person. There are many of you who have been with me from the beginning. It literally brings tears to my eyes thinking about you ladies letting me into your lives. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Happy 6 years to US!
Here are 6 things I’ve learned these past 5 years…
1. THERE IS NEVER A PERFECT TIME
This one is a little cliche because you hear this phrase a lot but as it relates to going for your dreams, it’s something I have to remind myself of daily. When my blog began getting viewership outside of my circle of friends, there were a few times that I thought, “could I really be a ‘blogger'” LOL. At that time, blogs weren’t popular and I had no clue of how I could even turn that a career. I constantly used the excuse that it wasn’t the right time.
That excuse still pops up today in different forms. Too often we find ourselves in positions we aren’t enjoying whether that’s a career, a relationship, a location, or anything else. What’s funny is that most of the time we aren’t “hating” this place but we aren’t “loving” it. I could have been happy as a dentist but it didn’t make me want to jump out of bed in the morning. I learned there will never be a perfect time to go for your dreams. You will feel like you’re making a mistake. You will not be able to fall asleep at night. Your stomach will turn upside down (many times!). You just have to go for what you want!
If you’re reading this thinking “yeah it worked for you but it’s really not the right time for me,” believe me when I say I’ve been there! You’re going to have to take one leap of faith… likely one of the biggest of your life but please do it! I’m telling you, your happiness is worth it! You are worth it!
How true is this one?! I look back on my first blog layout, my posts, the original versions of my products and I want to cringe. BUT, that’s all part of the growth. It kind of reminds me of how we look back at our middle school pictures and go, “what was I thinking?!” As the saying goes, you don’t have to be great to start but you have to start to be great. I’ve learned this to be true
3. TIMES CAN SUCK AND MOMENTS WILL BE TOUGH
As much as I know that going for your dreams is the most fulfilling, best decision you can make… I also learned that there will be really difficult moments. Failure is part of the path to success. Doubt creeps in regularly. Mistakes are made. And, I won’t underplay the struggles. Some of the lows are really low.
Over the past 6 years, I experienced plenty of difficulties but it never stopped me. I’ve learned that you have to accept that it’s part of the process. If you want to live your best life, you’ve got to embrace that lows come with highs. At first, I had a really difficult time when I met obstacles; like one failure lead to the most awful train of negative thoughts. I learned to lean into difficulties and know they will pass. The best thing I can do during the struggles is to learn some kind of lesson and keep pushing.
4. PASSION > PRESTIGE
“But, don’t you want to be a doctor?!” That was one of the first reactions I experienced when I told people that I was leaving dental school to go for my dreams. So many of us are stuck in societal norms. We strive for those job titles that look really fancy on a business card. We are impressed by salaries, fancy cars and material possessions. This stereotypical “prestige” is something I’ve learned to let go of.
Nothing, and I repeat, NOTHING beats being happy. Discover what you’re passionate about. Find a way to turn it into a career. It’s so much more enjoyable than going for what the rest of the world considers prestigious.
5. NOT EVERYONE IS A CHEERLEADER; CHERISH THOSE WHO ARE
As my blog readership grew beyond my circle of girlfriends, my confidence also grew. I believed more in what I was doing. I saw it as something greater than myself… sharing my journey was somehow able to inspire others. I thought it was the coolest thing. Yet, I’ll never forget the moment someone very close to me completely embarrassed me in front of a larger group of friends/friendly acquaintances. That person poked fun at my blog, my social media posts and workout selfies. I was humiliated. This was the first experience (but certainly not the last) I had with someone knocking my blog.
That taught me that not everyone around you will be a cheerleader. Even those you’re close with – friends and family members – may not support what you’re doing. Initially, I allowed those people to drain my happiness. I learned that those types of people aren’t worth your energy; cherish your cheerleaders. I’m so grateful for those who do believe in me and support me. That’s all I focus on now!
6. IT’S ALL A MATTER OF TIME… CONSISTENCY & DEDICATION!
This is a lesson I learned for myself but one thing that I really want to share with you. Whatever it is you want… a relationship/marriage, a new career, your dream house… you’ll get it! It’s only a matter of time. If you dedicate yourself to what you want. If you’re consistently working on getting there. You will! Time is the only thing standing between us and our goals.
I learned to not allow time to scare me. Things happen at the most perfect time. One of the highlights of my career was being asked to appear on The Doctors. It was actually the sweet daughter-in-law of Dr. Phil, Erica (someone I’ve grown to adore) who emailed me as a reader of my blog/social media and a believer in what I was doing. She asked me to do a segment and at the time, I felt like “what would I share. I’m not ready.” A year later, I shot my segment for The Doctors and the timing was so perfect as I felt much more confident in myself and my message.
To conclude, I just want to encourage you to go for whatever it is that is in your heart. Dedicate yourself to this dream. Don’t stop working towards it. You’ll get there! I did and I’m no one special. I’m just your average American woman who went for her dreams and I totally believe you can too!
THANK YOU
I have to say it again… thank you! You support me not only in my fitness journey but also in every area of my life. It means the world to me and I cannot thank you enough!
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