Hello everyone, I hope you're well.
Its been a while since I've actually sat down to write a blogpost. It would be easy for me to just say I was busy but the truth is, I haven't been inspired at all to write, and its something I began to fall out of love with. Doing my makeup was becoming a chore. I would wear the same makeup everyday and never had a beauty post to write. My life has been kind of crazy lately and I've been more focused on my career, so lifestyle blogs would have been extremely forced and boring. Today's post however is somewhat linked to everything I have just mentioned, and the idea come to me whilst I'm laid in bed recovering from a migraine - which seems weird because I never would have expected to feel inspired whilst dealing with the aftermath of one of my worst enemies!
Success is a word that I both love and hate. It has made me the happiest person and at times the most miserable. Now this is definitely not a blogpost of me sharing my success or saying that I'm this extremely successful person, but it is about my thoughts on success and what I think is important when becoming a 'success'.
An issue that I have always had to deal with is this idea of making everyone proud, and pushing myself to make decisions based on this. Its so normal to want to make family members and friends proud because hearing those words "I'm so proud of you" makes you feel good right? But if it means you have to make yourself unhappy, then is it really worth it? I finally started to understand this, and thats when I started to think about what it actually means to be successful and how we define that success.
Success is measured in a number of different ways and means something very different to each and every person. For some this could be having the biggest and happiest family and for others it could be getting a certain job you've been wanting years, or passing that exam you've been stressed about. Everyone is successful in one way or another and I was thinking long and hard on a number of aspects I believe help to achieve your own idea of success, without being compared to everyone else.
1. Do things for yourself-
I recently touched on this above but I feel like this needs a bit more attention. This doesn't mean being selfish and not caring about others, but it does mean not letting others put you down and question the decisions you are making. Surround yourself with positive people who push you towards where you want to be. Family and friends are there to give advice not to criticise, and its important to know the difference between the two because I often see people make decisions based on the people surrounding them, and then being unhappy that they aren't where they wanted to be.
2. Set goals and aim high-
There is some kind of stigma around having big ambitions and people are often criticised for this, but I believe there is a difference between aiming high and having unrealistic expectations. Why is it a bad thing to be aiming for the best? Whether you get there or not you know you have tried your hardest and haven't given up at every obstacle, and have learnt a lesson along the way. I always found it so easy doing something I didn't like if I knew there was a big reward at the end. You don't go to uni and set the goal of just getting to the end, you set the goal of getting a second or first in your degree. For some people a big goal could be getting a promotion and for others it could be moving your whole family abroad, so whilst both may require different time frames or input from others, they can both be considered big goals. We need to not criticise those with big ambitions but also be aware that everyones idea of a big aim is different.
3. Work hard-
I feel like this is the most obvious step but perhaps the most overlooked at too. Its obvious that the idea of a successful person is someone who has worked extremely hard their whole life and has been able to achieve a lot, but some people seem to expect everything to just fall into place. Im a big believer in 'you get out what you put in. If you do the bare minimum your likely to get the bare minimum in return, but if you really focus on what you want then you're likely to make it happen and receive the benefits.
4. The present is just as important as the future-
Often when we are thinking about success we think about what is going to happen in the future and what you want to achieve but it is just as important to take a minute, sit back, and think about what is being done or what should be done to ensure that you get to that place later on. Often you can get so caught up in your goals that you forget that something needs to be done today, rather then just planning what the next step is going to be. Planning in advance is important, but not if you don't allow yourself to live in the moment.
5. Take risks-
This is my last step but I could honestly go on and on about this topic because this is something I feel so passionate about, but the blogpost would become too long haha. I saved this for last because I feel like it is one of the most important points, because I believe its a learning experience no matter what the outcome is. How can you know you don't like something unless you try it? This was drilled into me at a young age when my parents were trying to force a carrot down me, but its something that Is still relevant to me to this day. I believe in saying yes to most opportunities because how would you know that it may not be the best decision you have ever made until you just go for it.
I never expected to write a blogpost like this but it is something I feel very passionate about. If reading this was to help even just 1 person I would be very happy. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic but please remember these are just my thoughts and feelings and are not necessarily the right ones.
Thank you so much for reading and sorry again for leaving it so long!
Lots of Love
Lydia <3
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