Always Achieving

A blog dedicated to authenticity, adventure and acknowledging achievements. 

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Hello Quarantine!

My county is currently under a shelter in place order. Everyone should be in self quarantine at this point. Has this been easy on anyone? Hell no! But the point is that this is our current reality and we need to make the best of it. I can’t sit here and say that I haven’t had my fair share of breakdowns, moments of lashing out at my husband and lotsa tears. I totally have. The fact is we are a social society. I’ve bragged many times about being introverted but this current situation has tested me. I want to go stroll through Hobby Lobby, meet face to face with my customers and go out to our favorite restaurant. 

During this time, it’s important for you to carve out some time for yourself. Do something that brings you joy. Listen to music, meditate, discover a new hobby, take an online class, learn to cook a new cuisine, go for a walk, read a book. I’ve had more than my fair share of questions about whether I’ll have the sanity to survive the COVID-19 scare. But you know what, I will. And you will too. 

Take care of yourself; mentally, physically, emotionally. You are going to get through this and then you’ll be able to look back and see how strong you are and that maybe it was a blessing in disguise. You wouldn’t have had forced down time to accomplish something special. And who knows through this you may be able to develop a new normal. Knowing that you can in fact entertain yourself, survive on your own cooking or that you’re not an old dog that can’t learn new tricks. Until next time....keep hanging in there. 

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Always push yourself to be better

If you’re the smartest person in the room, you need to find a new place to be. The people that you spend time with should push you to do better and be better. If they don’t, you need to find a new circle. 

People will always have an influence on you. Debbie downers will drag you down to their level. You know the saying, “Misery loves company.” Well, it couldn’t be further from the truth. When you are consistently hearing negative words, you can easily tend to develop that mentality and begin saying them as well. But you can spin it. If you are around happy, positive people that try to see the good in others and in situations, you will start developing that mindset as well. 

It’s easier said than done but if you have toxic friends, family, coworkers, the number one thing you can do for yourself is limit your time with them. The world is negative enough and we all have plenty of hardships that we will experience so we don’t need to add to the mix. Surround yourself with people that you can learn from and that will push you to be better. It will make a huge difference in your mindset. Promise! 

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What side of the drive-thru do you want to be on?

I always hear people say they need extra money and that they are thinking of applying at a local fast food joint just as a quick fix. Why is that the go-to? I’m not saying those aren’t worthy jobs, but if you are looking for a side gig, why would you want to be tied down to long hours in the food industry? I’m looking for the freedom to work on my terms. I sure don’t want to work at a fast food drive-thru at 10pm when I could be doing other things with my time.

You have to focus on your self worth. What does your time mean to you versus the income that a side gig could bring in? There are so many options out there: virtual assistants, direct sales, freelance gigs, and so much more. So at the end of the day, you just have to ask yourself what side of the drive-thru do you want to be on?

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What does opportunity look like to you?

Opportunity is such a broad topic and can encompass so many things. 

Jobs. 

Relationships.

Freedom.

We throw around the phrase, “when opportunity knocks” quite a bit. But when you really break that phrase down, what does it mean to you? Do you have to seek an opportunity out in order for it to knock? Or can opportunities present themselves to you in unique ways?

If a friend were to casually mention an opportunity to you, how apt would you be to seek it out and investigate? Do you ask more questions or do you just blow it off? Opportunities are all around us. Opportunites to make additional income. A path to financial freedom. Maybe you’ve been single and have been questioning if “the one” would ever come along. But are you seeking him or her out? You can’t just stay home 99% of the time but hope to meet Mr. Right. He’s not just going to have psychic powers and be drawn to your front door one day. It’s the same with jobs and our willingness to put ourselves out there to seek another way. 

If you are unhappy in your current circumstances, then it’s up to you to make the change. I can’t tell you how many jobs I’ve had that have made me miserable. But I stayed there and wallowed in my own self-pity then nothing would change. You are in the driver's seat of your life and you have to determine when you’re ready to seek out opportunities and what they look like to you. 

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💜💜💜

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Everyone is replaceable...in the workforce.

I’ve had my own business for almost ten years. I love it. It’s rewarding but it takes work, focus, and diligence. 

Over the course of those years, I’ve lost count as to how many people have said, “I don’t want to work as hard as you do.” My reaction: STUNNED! And I think even that is an understatement. 

I’m in charge of my success and I don’t answer to anyone about it. I don’t have anyone dangling anything over my head. I don’t have to wait for annual reviews or raises and I will for sure never have to fear anyone telling me I’m no longer needed in my position. Those freedoms alone are worth fighting for. I wake up every day knowing that I am in control of my own destiny. If I don’t work, I don’t grow. If I don’t grow, my business gets stale. I am in control. 

I love what I do so it honestly doesn’t feel like work. I have the opportunity to help people grow and realize their potential. Yes, it takes work and dedication but the reward is so sweet. Maybe you should crave those things too. Maybe you’ve gotten too comfortable in your 9-5 grind. Maybe you don’t think you’ll ever be let go. Think again. Everyone is replaceable. You can keep showing up and giving it 100% but at the end of the day, you could still be let go at any given moment. I refuse to put myself in that situation any longer. So when people tell me, “I don’t want to work as hard as you do,” I can just smile because I know I’m right where I need to be. 

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Chase those dreams, y’all!

Dreams are exciting. Yes, they can seem daunting but if they were super easy to achieve then they wouldn’t be dreams, right?

Once you fix your mindset to chase your dream, then you need to set actions into place. If your dream is a new house, for example, no one is just going to throw a set of keys at you and wish you a nice life. You have to save for the dream house. You have to look and make sure it’s got all of the features you dream about. You’ve got to make offers, sign paperwork and then the big day comes when it will be yours. It’s the same scenario with any other dream you may have. They don’t just become a reality in the blink of an eye. 

Achieving dreams takes work, dedication, and hustle to make them a reality. When your dreams are worth fighting for, you’ll do just about anything right? Then why is it so easy to lose steam? To lose courage? The process of reaching the pinnacle point of achieving your dream may not be easy, quick or flattering but I promise the end result is worth it. And the feeling of looking back and being able to have the incredible sense of pride to know that you achieved it makes the entire thing that much sweeter. So get out there and chase your dreams!

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Show up for yourself!

Do you ever feel like you’re just schlepping through life? You know, just going through the motions. I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned it before I have major contentment issues. And it’s nobody’s responsibility to make me happy, entertain me, take care of me or anything like that. But I tend to get bored and complacent. I love routine but every now and then I slip into a major funk and feel like there’s got to be more to life than paying bills and gauging the week by when I need to take the trash to the curb.

Have I lost you? Well, if you’re still with me then maybe it’s because you struggle with these things too. I was raised by a father that worked at the same place for 35 years. He didn’t necessarily love it, but he worked his way up the chain and was too close to retirement age to start over. Since I saw this my entire life, I just assumed I needed to follow in his footsteps and land a great job with a secure and reputable company because I’d be there for life. Boy, was I wrong? My first job out of college...ended in termination. Yep, I felt like a complete failure and slipped into a major depression. I felt like my dreams of reaching achievement and following in my dad’s footsteps had already been dashed. 

I went through the motions. I found another job and enrolled in graduate school. I felt like that might open up more doors for me. Well, then my husband dropped a bombshell on me. He went on a men’s trip to build a retreat for couples. When he came back home, his eyes were so bright and he said he wished we could get away frequently and go to that retreat. I was stunned. All I could think is we’ve got work and responsibilities and we’d never be able to just drop what we’re doing and get away. Put that idea to bed real quick. 

But those thoughts kept creeping back in. The desire to just get away and not live a monotonous lifestyle. That was a major turning point in my life. I no longer felt an extreme obligation to have the mindset that my dad had. Just because it worked for him didn’t mean I had to abide by it as well. I am so proud and grateful that I have developed a new sense of self confidence and self worth to know that I need to show up for myself. At the end of the day, y’all, that’s all that matters. You need to show up for yourself. Make your happiness, self worth and contentment a priority. You are worth it!!

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You have the power to make things different. Choose a new path. Change your mindset. Stop looking back and basing your future on your past! 💜

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🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

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What do dog sitters and Lyft drivers have in common? What about Airbnb and Fiverr?

They’re part of the Gig community! People are craving more flexibility and are burnt out from the 9-5 grind. 😴The joys of ‘gigs’ is that they’re flexible and you can work when you want. People need extra cash and can totally make it through gigs they can pick up and put down whenever they want! 🤯

Check out the staggering statistics! 30% of Americans currently gig and 40% more will be adding a gig in the near future. Whoa! But you know Scentsy can offer these same things.🥰 Working on your terms, on your lunch break at work or in the kids pickup line at school. It can all be done from your phone! 💃🏻 Let me show you the ways! Info is free. Lemme know when you wanna chat! http://autumnh.scentsy.us

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If you aren’t willing to turn over the rocks then you won’t find your diamonds.

You have to be willing to put the work in to reach your goals. You have to talk to people. If you aren’t willing to go the extra mile then big things aren’t going to happen. You have to be willing to look high and low, in places you wouldn’t think of, and yes, even under those rocks to reach the diamonds. 💜

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You can’t just hope that you’ll land where you want. You have to make a plan, write out your goals and hustle! 🙌🏻

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We are a week in to a new year. And let’s face it, some people have already given up on their resolutions. Why? Because they don’t believe in themselves! They don’t believe that they are worth new beginnings.

If you have been struggling, I challenge you to pull up your big girl panties, and do the thing! Do the dang thing already! You are worth putting down that cookie and winning at your diet. Get in the car, drive yourself to the gym, and work out. Start the small business. Start writing the book. Apply for your dream job. You are in the driver seat of your life. This is your chance to make this year the best it can be. If you already feel like you failed, then suck it up and move on! You haven’t failed at anything but believing in yourself. So you had a setback, so what?!? The comeback is bigger than the setback, right?! Let’s do this!! I believe in you! 💜

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Gah this couldn’t be further from the truth. Who you surround yourself with is such a big deal! Are your friends whiners or winners? Pay attention to your circle because they can bring you down in the blink of an eye!

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Confession post: Contentment is my biggest struggle.

I’ve always struggled with contentment. Not to be confused with envy. I didn’t necessarily want what others had; I just wasn’t content with what I had. The feeling of working hard just to pay bills left me feeling gutted. Car problems left me feeling resentful that we couldn’t afford a new car. The desire to travel, just to be able to hop in the car and just go but not being able to left me feeling sad. Everything came back to contentment.

How did I get past it? I started living!! No, I don’t get or have everything I want. We still don’t travel a whole lot, but we do more than we used to. But I changed my mindset! I work hard at my business to be able to afford things that used to be impossible. I know that my hard work determines what we can do and that’s made all the difference in the world for me. I’m in control. I don’t have to answer to a ‘boss’ that determines my pay scale or my allotted hours per pay period. I don’t slave from 9-5 for 365 just to sit back and see if I’ll get a raise. Nope, not anymore. I am in control of my destiny and that has offered a lot in the way of contentment for me. 💜

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Inspiration is everywhere. Even on planners at Office Max.

If you’re not inspired, then you have your head in the sand and you need to change that! 💜