This post is about grabbing life by the balls.
The other day I was driving on the freeway, thinking about success & happiness.
Obviously I’m not Oprah or Bill Gates so I most certainly don’t have all the answers, but any success or happiness that’s transpired in my life has happened because of one important practice.
It’s something I’ve done since day one:
I’ve chosen to cultivate the habit of success.
Everyday I chip away to create the life I’ve envisioned for myself ( << VISUALIZATION at its finest!! ).
One of my favorite quotes is by Eddie Cantor:
As this article states, “The Apple iPod instantly turned the MP3 player market upside down, right? Amazon changed the book selling business like a shot, didn’t it? Well, in fact they didn’t. No matter how it may seem from the outside. The fact is that it takes many years to be an overnight success even for Internet entrepreneurs. Years of hard work, endurance, learning, experimenting, and many failures along the way.”
YESSSS. So true. This shit doesn’t just fall out of the sky randomly. All of these companies/people have busted ass to get where they are now.
The myth of overnight success is super cute though; it’s a real knee-slapper, huh?
Examples?
Twitter? No big deal. The creator says it took “timing, perseverance, & eight years.”
Apple iPod? Three years for anything to happen.
Gmail? Many people said it won’t work & that they should “kill the project.” Whelp, they didn’t & years later look where they are now. Cha-ching.
Amazon? Oh, that old thing? It launched in 1994 but only incorporated book reviews in 1996, CD’s came in 1998. Oh, & they weren’t profitable in the first seven years. NBD.
Angry Birds? It almost went bankrupt.
The Beatles? Heard of ’em? The band played in small clubs for YEARS before an exciting appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
You get my drift.
That so-called ‘overnight success?’ Apparently it actually takes a real long time.
I’m a firm, firm believer in if you want something, make it happen…& to make it happen, cultivate the habit of success.
So WTF exactly does this mean?
♡ It means relying on yourself.
♡ It means practicing small habits everyday that lead to a much bigger picture.
♡ It means patience.
♡ It means nurturing the right habits, not the wrong ones.
♡ It means thinking ahead & envisioning what you want your life to look like in the future AKA visualization.
A lot of people say “don’t live in the future! Live in the present!!”
Hmmm. I disagree.
Personally I’m trying to build certain things in my life & make pieces of a puzzle fit together, so envisioning where I want to be in a month, a year, or ten years allows me to do what I need to do to make my visions happen. In the end preparation & habits, actually make that come to life.
Does that make sense?
Basically today was mapped out five years ago. That sounds weird but I planned out where I’d be in five years & fucking figured out a way to make it happen. Visualization has been such a strong tool in building TSC & Blog-Doo, moving out on my own, fitness/health goals, & maintaining healthy relationships/friendships…ultimately creating a happy life.
And while imagining what success feels like is great, ya gotta bring it into the present. Prioritize what needs to come first & take real action.
This article by Forbes really got to me. It states: “you’d be shocked by how easy it is to work your ass off for much of your life and still end up with nothing to show for it. This only further proves the point that achieving success requires more than just hard work. Being successful is more than just a particular set of skills or talent in a field. Being successful is a lifestyle.
When I say success, I don’t mean through quantitative measures like money, but rather, being the best version of myself that I can possibly be. It means living the exact life I want to live every single day I wake up and get out of bed. My benchmark for accomplishment has always been a vivid, idyllic scene in which I have not only achieved everything I sought to do, but have done so while maintaining sanity and happiness.”
Working towards something everyday, even if it’s just a little bit, can create an amazing end result.
When I sat down to write The Skinny Confidential Book, I wrote everyday for eight months. Just a little a day ( think four pages ). Eventually it turned in to a full book. So my daily habits created the vision I mapped out.
( BTW, this post is completely fitness/health related too. Eating healthy each day & creating a habit of working out is cultivating successful habits. This whole post can totally be applied to fitness/health/wellness goals! ; ) ).
Obviously life throws you some curveballs ( trust me, I’ve had A LOT of curveballs. Just because I don’t share each & every bad situation doesn’t mean I don’t have bumps in the road. I mean…I have a scroll of things that didn’t go my way…!!! ), so try to dodge the curveballs & focus on cultivating successful habits that get to you to the end goal.
Think of it as a maze. Map your maze out & create priorities a long the way so you can get to the end.
I’m no where NEAR my end of my maze. I have a long-ass way to go but I enjoy sharing my personal experiences with you guys. Because who knows? Maybe it will help one person.
Have you guys seen this cartoon? It’s my favorite:
Everyone has the same 24 hours in the day. What are you doing with your 24 hours? Are you cultivaiting successful habits? What’s your tip for success & happiness? I would love to hear!
At the end of the day, being the best version of yourself is way to go.
& obviously, you guys all inspire/motivate me BIG TIME!
xx, Lauryn
Love this post! And I 100% agree with everything you said. While I do try to live in the moment, I also try to live for my future; ie developing little kickass everyday habits that will eventually get me to my goals. One thing I always try to do that I’ve heard works well for people is to create a habit of doing whatever is you do, first thing in the morning no matter what!
xx
Great post! I agree with you on so much; I get so annoyed when people look at what people such as Beyonce or Lebron James have accomplished without taking into consideration the hard work they put in to get there. Nothing happens overnight, hard work and consistency will get everybody a long way.
Love Beyonce! She’s such an inspiration.
Great inspirational post you’ve got going right here, Lauryn! It even made me pause and really REALLY read every word and take it into account with where I’m at in my life. My tip for working towards success and happiness? Don’t compare yourself with others. Always take the best of yourself where you’re at in this present moment, be grateful for what you do have, and push even harder to get more of what you want to achieve.
I love YOUR tip!! GREAT advice. I love this!!! Thanks for sharing, Kaylin!
This post comes at an awesome time for me, as I look at my career and my path through a few different endeavors in the corporate world and now in the fitness world. It’s taken some turns, but I feel like I finally know where I want my career to go. So I just need to start doing it. You’re an inspiration. Thanks for this!
Woo-hoo! I am so glad you liked it! x.
So true! Working hard to be successful is a habit, not just luck. 🙂
Agreed! x.
Thanks for this post! More like this please 🙂
I truly admire your entrepreneurial spirit!
Xx
Thank you Erika!
Wow, thank you for the inspiration, I need this. It’s very true that sometimes you have to live in the future for your goals, and it’s easy to forget that just for the pleasure of now. I’m super motivated to plan out who I will be in 5 years now!
http://mindfullyaudrina.blogspot.com/
Yay!!!
This post was EXACTLY what I needed to read tonight! I was just hit with a major “what I want to do with my life” epiphany this afternoon and reading this could not have been more spot on and in line with what I needed to hear to get started in the right direction.
Great post! I just recently started my blog this year but I hope to one day be as successful as TSC. This is definitely a well written post. Success doesn’t happen overnight and there is so much work that goes on to make our vision and dreams a reality. Thank you so much for sharing this 🙂
Thank you so much for this post! I really needed to read this. I have been struggling for the last year with getting a permanent teaching job. Nobody wants to interview me let alone hire me. A huge bump came in the road and I have been brought to tears because of it and have considered giving up and maybe start looking for a new profession. Your words mean so much to me, I feel as though you’re a friend who gives great advice, but I haven’t actually had the pleasure of meeting. I don’t know what I would do without your blog. XOXO
Don’t give up Stefana, the world needs good and motivated teachers! You are essential in building our planets future!
Hi Lauryn! Just wondering… Is blogging your full time gig currently or do you still teach Pilates/ model? Do you still want to be a nutritionalist? I was just reading an old post about your fitness story and am curious. It sounds like you have so much going on!! Idk how you do it. Thanks! Xo Rachel
Hi Rachel! Yes, blogging is my full time job. Occasionally I teach private Pilates too. I hope that answers your question! xx.
This is exactly what I needed to read today – thank you.
I’ve just taken the ideal job…however, the wage is way less than I would have hoped. I know it will benefit my future and if I work hard, the experience will be amazing and get me the job AND the money I can see myself on.
So thank you, these words have left me feeling a little more optimistic.
xo
I find that “working on myself” is one of my favorite things to do. I love sitting down at the end of the day and visualizing how I can be better, do better, achieve better. It’s like a high. I’ll spend hours just visualizing my “end game” then breaking it down into small manageable pieces until I’m left with something I can do in that very moment to ensure what I want years from now.
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Thanks for an inspirational read!! I love articles like these, knowing that others think like I do [[to live in the moment but constantly strive for being a better person tomorrow than I was today and always working hard for what you want]] keeps me motivated to move onward and upward .
Loving your blog all the way from South Africa.
Thanks for the great little kick in the *** this morning. It really is easy to get bummed when things don’t happen as fast as you like them to. I just finish reading “The Secret” again and could not agree with you more about the power of visualization. Thanks for the motivation.
http://palsywalsyblog.blogspot.ca/
Lauryn this is such a great post!!! It’s so refreshing to see a relatable example of someone who is so driven to be successful. I work in a corporate role where I have seen ambitious, driven and goal-oriented women STILL be perceived the wrong way – so it can be frustrating to observe! I just think it’s great that you have embraced your own style of working for what you want and are encouraging others to do the same. Congratulations on all that you’ve worked so hard for!
Jessica
http://www.thebellevoyage.com
LOVE THIS! so true that it’s easy to look at someone’s success and write it off, saying that they must have gotten lucky or something– but you never know what went into it in the background! You are def an inspiration, Lauryn! And please keep writing stuff like this, I love it 🙂
OMG! This post seriously came at the right time for me. Thank you for reminding me not to throw putty parties for myself. In the end you can be a success story or a sob story.. and I choose success all the way. You da bomb Lauryn!
we’re totally on the same wavelength, lady. i just read #girlboss over the weekend and posted a blog post this morning on the lessons i learned and how to apply it to my life. this is so perfect.
This is the most inspirational blog post I have read in a while. I’m starting my full time freelance life on Monday and I know that in order to succeed I need to live a successful life everyday, take action and be consistent with them. Thank you I absolutely love reading your blog x
Lauryn, You MUST read this book, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell if you haven’t already. It’s a fascinating look at what circumstances eventually make people successful (there’s a section on the Beatles). I think you’d love it. Perfectly timed post since I’m about half way through the book right now! Thank you! (book- http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017930)
This post really resonated with me. I’ve been in a bit of a slump trying to figure out my next steps and what I really want for my life. Call it my mid 20’s crisis (even though I’m a tad past mid 20’s 😉 ) This just hits home and makes me realize that to be successful I need to start acting the part. Thanks for really inspiring me this morning. I needed it! 🙂
This was exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you so much for posting this. This was great advice.
Thank you Tricia! Happy you liked it!
ugh. you are such an inspiration. Thank you for this today…totally needed it.
xox
This post is totally spot on. It takes work, dedication, and lots of practice to get where you want to go. Starting with baby steps results in leaps and bounds.
Thanks!
– Carly
http://www.PlayingForEats.com
: )
Hi, Lauren this article couldn’t have come at a better time. I recently started my own blog ( read 1 week ago) and this article has reminded me that no matter what I have to work my ass off and visualize where I want to be for me to get there and not wait for luck.
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks so much for this post! It was just what I needed today! I’m back in school and feeling very overwhelmed, especially by all of my goals I want to achieve!
xo, Laura
Great post! I love this! Sometimes it can be hard to take that initial step forward without feeling overwhelmed. I have to learn to look at my big goals and break them down into bite size pieces so I can make some progress. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
Thanks for reading, Amber!
You are seriously my bible. Thank you for being so inspiring and honest! I recently found my absolute love and passion of interior design and refinishing furniture. I’m slowly but surely getting together enough pieces for a website account and it can get tough when I start to get impatient. This absolutely brings me back to earth about the reality of becoming successful.
: ) xoxo
Looooove this post, lady!! This is so how I try to live my life and how the girls and I are trying to create a path for our blog, and I have to say that it’s so helpful. It’s clearly working for you as you take over the world too, lol!! Xo, Sarah
Yay! Looks like your guys are killing it. xx
I LOVE this! As someone who just graduated from SDSU, who is absolutely in love with San Diego and have found so much happiness here, I’ve felt a little lost as to how I can make a life here after college and afford to live in such an incredible place like this on my own. It’s difficult juggling paying the bills, staying healthy and fit, and all the while trying to find a good first “big girl” job. But you and a couple of people you went to school with that I know such as Annie Lawless and Brittany Barbos have motivated me so incredibly much. Knowing you three girls were all in my shoes at one point, and all found your paths and are continuing toward such great things, that inspires me each and every day to “shoot for the moon because if I miss, at least I’ll land on a star.”
Cheesy but inspirational. #dreamingbig
Thanks Lauryn! Would love to run into you some day in SD and hopefully have a success story of my own to share! xo ~Katelyn
Love it! I hope to run into you too, Katelyn! x
I agree with you 100%!! Great post, very inspiring!
Sara
http://www.506miles.com
Thanks Sara!
Really solid advice in this post, which I definitely plan on reading through again. The Forbes excerpt really hit home. I think for me, the way to reaching success is staying true to yourself, and really believing that you have something unique to offer the world. Find whatever that is about you, and let that fire guide you as you reach each milestone that leads to your ultimate vision.
Fantastic post!
P.S. I would love to know how you handle those curveballs:)
Stephanie
http://ishowedupinboots.com
I will definitely blog about that : ) that’s a LONG post! Hahah.
So true, I used to make vision boards for years and this post reminded me I need to do it again! I created my own fitness method and just these last few years I have been able to share it with people and create group classes but it took a LONG time lots of patience practice and passion! I always say you really know what you are passionate about when you can work on something day after day with little result working towards the big result! You go girl, you inspire me! xo C
Ahh! We are totally on the same wavelength…I’m make a vision board this week. Thanks for reading babe! x
Thanks for this post, Lauryn! I went back and read your associated posts, too, which I loved.
I love your story about the embroidery biz. I was a “weird” kid with an inborn entrepreneurial streak too: I would set up “businesses” in my house, like writing up a menu and charging my siblings pocket change to make lunch for them (thankfully, I had a lot of siblings, so it worked). I also remember being like 7 and rolling a wagon full of marigolds around the neighborhood and selling them for a quarter. The list goes on.
Anyway, I’m at a weird crossroads in my life right now and have been hustling every day for a few months–growing my blog, finding side gigs, networking, everything. It’s a damn hard fight. I’m about to embark on an even bigger roller coaster by starting my own e-commerce business. Holy crap, so many emotions! I need reminders like this to help guide me and not let me get bogged down by the fear. Thanks again for writing.
Sounds like you’re going to kill it!! Keep on your path : ) x
I think you are dead on! I love this post and it is just what I need to get me going today. The weather is very overcast here in Cleveland today and it’s chilly out so all I want to do is be at home and not at work. I needed this motivation to get me going, thanks girl!
Just what I needed! Thanks so much Lauryn!
What a great post! “Overnight” success doesn’t really happen to anyone, except maybe winners of the lottery. But in all reality, they’ve been playing for years and years so really that wasn’t overnight, either. Success in every realm takes hard work, focus, and an unwillingness to accept failure as final. You gave some great examples and these are wonderful reminders that to achieve something great, you must work at it every day. Needed this reminder big time today! Thank you!
Love Love Love this post. It came at the perfect time for me, and reminded me to KEEP working on my goals, there’s going to be obstacles but concentrate on the small habits! Thank you!
I really like this post, because it is in tune to what I experienced earlier this week, which is about making choices that will benefit you. I’m always trying to achieve happiness and success but always failed, because I wasn’t making the right choices, and it is so hard to do that. Until Wednesday this thought just took over my mind and body, and it was “I’m tired of this, I’m going to change”. And this time it was serious, even though it’s only been three days I feel and live better.
I love this. Thank you so much for the uplifting words. I am turning 25 in a month and I feel more lost than ever. I decided to change my career path because I knew what I was attending school for was not my lifelong dream. I have just been working ever since as a server and have become more and more unmotivated since it seems like my goal to move to the west coast from lil ‘ol Georgia is becoming more and more unlikely. Thank you for this post and giving me the thoughts that it isn’t too late. 🙂
Great post! 🙂 I love reading about your entrepreneurial lifestyle ! xo
I think you hit the nail riiiiiight on the head. All of it is so true!
PS – Thank you for writing such an inspiring blog and never omitting or editing out your personality. One of my favorite things about your blog (besides the killer content) is hearing your voice come through in each of the posts and feeling like you’re my friend and we’re having this discussion over a mani/pedi or something, haha! Anyways, great job!
Cannot wait to read your book.
Needed that post today – thanks!
I just stumbled upon this and found it to be great! Definitely inspirational! And encouraging. Thanks for the words and thoughts.