Sunday Stories on Achievement

 

This week was my birthday. I turned another year older going around the sun. This photo I took at the fair last Thursday reminds me of how life keeps revolving around and around. I keep reaching higher and higher in life and somehow I am always amazed when I hit my goal, but why? I set out to reach it. I did the work. I invested the time, but for some reason, it seems to be a miracle when the outcome I wanted to reach, well is reached. 

When we set goals, we set steps to achieve them. We put ourselves, our minds, our path out and then we walk it one step at a time. We set out to achieve something. I have been upping my game at work. I have been stepping up more. I have been testing the waters. My coworkers and boss have noticed. I have felt more confident. I have done the work, the research and set myself off, but once I achieved what I set out to do, again, I was still thinking well what a great miracle that way instead of, well this is so earned, I worked my butt off for it.

I feel we do not give ourselves enough credit number one, but number two society has told us to just keep moving. Keep moving and have a cupcake. hahahah The world just tells us to take a step, but what id you do not know which step. Do I look for a job I'll love or do I pay student debt? Sometimes what we want to achieve and what we do in life do not match up. Planning your way is key. It is not a miracle that you achieved your dream job, the promotion you earned, or something else you set out to tackle. Why are we so quick to not take credit for our own hard work? Well, society tells us we didn't earn the achievement, that we must have done something to suck up, to sweet-talk someone into giving us our dream.

I entered this year's fair photography contest. I took home a check and three ribbons. I set out to have my photos seen by many people. Thousands saw my photos hanging there. I set out to shoot great photos. If someone asks about the ribbons I won this year and years past, they tend to discount me and say well the other photos this year were not that good. No that is not it. I set out years ago to learn photography. I joined clubs, I listened to anyone who would talk to me about photography. I did the leg work. I worked on non-profit walks, Komen, Heart Association, and others. I did the leg work. I shot weddings. I learned to use photoshop and make my work even better in the editing process. When I say I won three ribbons this year it is not to boost. It is to say I did the research. I set my path in motion. I did research on so many things. Still photos, action photos, I offered my services for free for so long, until I started getting paid for weddings. It turns out shooting weddings do not bring me joy. The family drama get thrown at me as the photographer and I stopped. I started offering moms pre-pregnancy photos. Baby photos after they were delivered. I did the work. I put in the time. I wrote out my steps, I did everything I could, and talked to anyone who would listen who knew photography.

This Sunday story may seem like it is about me, and it partly is, but I want you all to see if you are struggling to achieve your thing, start asking people ahead of you on the path about their path. Ask who you need to talk to that you are not currently talking to. Ask about where you can find information on the subject and put your butt in the chair and do the research. If you need help being motived, I have a few books you may want to reach. 

Breandon Burchard High Performance Habits

Jay Shetty's book Think Like A Monk Jay Shetty

Jon Acuff's Soundtracks or really any of his books

Dave Hollis Dave Hollis Get out of your own way. 

These four men! Phew they have a lot to say about performing the way you need to in order to get to your goals. I have read their books and let me say, follow them on Instagram, on their sites, they will inspire you to pursue more than you think was possible.

Dream big, you deserve to achieve your Joy!

Happy Reading and Happy Sunday to you all.