by Kiara Rose Wade
If you are anything like me I am in a constant battle with myself. The battle I am forever fighting against is second guessing my work. Whether that is standing in front of a crowd to speak to pitching a story for my blog, I am my biggest critic. I tend to pick at every detail possible before I end up stepping away to have a break. It is a habit that over the years I’ve wanted to work on but never really sat down to evaluate a solution. Then one day, I decided that enough was enough. I had come too far to get myself so worked up over the smallest of things. So I began writing down all the negative things I use to fuss about and created a constructive solution for myself. The truth is our biggest competition is within ourselves. In fact, we are so caught up on whether we meet the expectation of others that we forget about our own. Which has led me to construct 7 helpful tools that will steer you in the right direction for success.
Over the years I have learned that if we can be the best version of who we are as a person, and focus on being better today than yesterday – who we compete against shouldn’t matter. In order to achieve this, you must predict greatness for yourself. That is, speak positive affirmations that will create a mental fortress for yourself. The same applies to positive visualization. I know for me this was so important during my time as a student-athlete. But with that being said, you cannot solely rely on positive thoughts to get you over this hump, you must translate words into actions to see an improvement. Everything that you do to achieve greatness has a purpose.
As I transitioned from a University student to a career woman, I had to find my niche. Did it take me a while to figure it out even though I have a degree? Yes. But I wouldn’t change anything because I LOVE what I do now – which brings me to my second point, passion is the best motivator. Do you love what you do? Does it make you happy? Do you wake up every day willing to get better? I ask you these questions because passion is what drove me to be successful in the classroom, on the basketball, and as a woman. You cannot be successful if you have no passion for what you do. In order to overcome your biggest obstacle which is yourself, you must find what it is you love and stick with it. It may take some time and this is where you become patient, but you will be surprised at how far you go doing something that you love.
With passion there comes motivation, with motivation there comes a high standard of work ethic. This is where you set an unrivaled work rate. When you feel like relaxing always persist through the temptation – there is always room for improvement! I say this because you must always be willing to be in a continuous state of training. There is nothing wrong with being a bit of a perfectionist but you must allow yourself to grow. That means, you never want something to be so perfect that you don’t improve on what you do.
In today’s world, we have ongoing access to information that allows us to compare ourselves to others. It could be as simple as the latest fashion trend to the number of Instagram followers we may have. Everything that we see translates to how we perceive ourselves and it often leads to losing focus on our goals. We must focus on what matters. If you focus all your attention on others it may steer you away from really reaching your final destination. It is all about building momentum.
In order to build momentum, you must aim to be the best. When you are at your best and overcome self-doubt there is never any pressure. In addition, be prepared for every possible situation. That means, thrive against the pressure. I know that I had to overcome this ongoing battle of self-doubt in order to achieve my goals. You can too! Set your expectations of victory. You, yourself know what you are capable of so avoid complacency. If you remain stagnant you will never reach what you have set out to achieve.
Lastly, you must appreciate ALL success. That is everything that comes into your life be thankful for it. This could simply mean from a business standpoint of view or a personal matter. You never want to take anything for granted because you have worked so hard to get to where you are today. Build on yourself as a person, appreciate the people around you but remain focused during the process.
You can do it.
Read more from Kiara Rose Wade here.
Kiara Rose Wade Sociologist and the brains behind blushpinkrose.wordpress.com
Kiara is a 24-year-old former division 1 athlete and has recently completed her Bachelor degree in Sociology. Originally from Melbourne, Australia Kiara has played over 15 years of top-level basketball. She has a beautiful heart and peaceful spirit that is often illustrated in her work. Mrs Wade, a self-motivated woman designed Blush Pink Rose as an outlet to support young adults through life.
A chocolate lover and shopaholic, Kiara is a hardworking woman who seeks to inspire young adults like herself to be successful. Though she is incredibly focused on her goals, Kiara is always willing to lend a helping hand. In her free time, Kiara enjoys the beach, traveling and spending time with family.
