2017 is looking like a blank white wall filled with so many opportunities, chances, and exciting moments. As we start the New Year, we all think about what we want to accomplish this year. But it happens all too often that we get off track from these goals before January ends. This normally happens because we do not have the right mindset. We get to ahead of ourselves, forgetting that we need to be mentally strong in order to accomplish our goals. And now, that white blank wall, looks like a cluttered mess with no direction.

These are a few ideas that I remind myself to live by to navigate through the clutter:

1. Don’t compare yourself to others, only compare yourself to your past self! Analyze what you did last year. Then figure out what worked for you & what didn’t. Did you find yourself feeling better when you took a spin class? Keep it up in 2017 then. Did you spend too much money getting coffee on the go? Buy a coffee that you love to make at home for half the cost. No one will ever know you as well as you know yourself, so do not compare, just push forward.
2. Take risks, but always have a plan of action. Taking a risk is simply going outside your comfort zone. Doing something to stay on your toes and to keep you moving. This past year I bought a house and I am renovating it to resell (something I have never done before). This scared me at first because I was taking on a whole new responsibility, but I had a plan of action and I knew how to at least get started. It helped watching my dad build my whole life! I remember going with him to job sites and stopping on the way home at 7-Eleven for a Slurpee and candy bar, but we were supposed to let mom know… until the sugar hit us and no need to tell it was obvious!
3. Work off commitment, not emotions. Just because you are struggling, does not mean that you are failing. Every great success requires struggle to get there. Emotions are sometimes your worst enemy. We allow our emotions to get in the way of what we should be doing. Just because you are having a bad day, doesn’t mean that you should change your course of action. Power through, and make the day great regardless of how you may feel.
4. Don’t take things so seriously. As we all know, life can get difficult. If we take every moment seriously, it can become unenjoyable. So laugh at something dumb that you did, call a friend & reminisce on old times, do something that puts you out of your comfort zone.

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always try just one more time. ” -Thomas Edison

So as you go out to set some goals for the new year, make sure to utilize these mindsets. You will succeed in anything that you do if you have the confidence and the drive to motivate yourself. Last year I bought myself a brick house to renovate, and this year I want to be one! Yes, you heard that right, I want to be a BRICK HOUSE. No, no, no, not like the one in the song! But I want to be a strong woman built on a strong foundation. I know that there are many small qualities that make me who I am, & I don’t want to hide those, I want them to show!

So who is with me? Leave comparison and guilt aside, and be proud of the way God designed you to be. Live by His truth instead of someone else’s!