Focus

I often find myself overwhelmed by the many things that demand my attention. So much so that I end up making little progress because I haven't given any one thing the time and energy it deserves. And over the years, I've also found that prioritizing those things lend well to my successes throughout those areas in my life.

So, why is it that when the burdens are high that I forget to prioritize, subsequently becoming overwhelmed?

Surely there are numerous reasons why. However, it's most likely that I attempt to quickly put out (what I feel are) fires, only to discover that the process in doing so cannot be done quickly. This compounds my feeling of being overwhelmed and again, I make little progress.

My solution to this is to create a routine by which I outline my commitments/projects/responsibilities on a daily basis. In theory, it's a no-brainer, however, I believe the key to success in this area is consistency (as consistency creates habits). If you struggle in this area of your life as well, I encourage you to adopt a beneficial solution. And as we build our new productive habits, let's remember to be bold, beautiful, kind, courageous and focused along the way.

Love & Peace

Niki B.

Time: The Disease of Procrastination

I began taking public transportation to work last month, after having semi-relocated. Prior to this transition, I spent many hours processing the upcoming changes and what they meant for my life. Earlier mornings, longer days, extended commute, more interaction with strangers and less time at home. This ultimately boiled down to one thing - I would have less time to procrastinate. Less. Time. To. Procrastinate. A more productive life was one positive thing out of all the changes I had been preparing myself to accept. For several years, I've been saying that a more productive life is what desired. And the thought made me excited but as soon as I'd become excited, I'd remember - earlier mornings, longer days, extended commute, more interaction with strangers and less time at home. =)

I've always praised myself on having been so productive when I was a student. I maintained a decent GPA while working full-time and taking care of my other responsibilities. I even managed to have something resembling a social life. I made things happen and I got things done. Efficient and effective. But once I graduated, I began putting things off. And the time I spent procrastinating multiplied exponentially.

It's been years since I was a student. Years since my life was a finely tuned time efficiency machine. And just so we're clear, I procrastinated as a student as well, however, the time I spent doing so was far less. 

And while some things will take a lot longer to get used to than others, I'm excited with the challenge. I'm excited to see how much my productivity will rise. I look forward to tracking my progress in attaining certain goals that I've been putting off. 

So, if you're like me and need a reason to buckle down and get productive, I challenge you to find that reason. Together, we can take back control of our lives (as much as any one person can take control of their life). And whatever we do, let's remember to be bold, beautiful, encouraging, uplifting, empowering, present living, future focused, productive, efficient, effective and well. 

Love & Peace

Niki B.

Authenticity Required

For many years I struggled with wanting to please people. Fearful that if I didn't make every effort possible to be the person that others wanted me to be, they wouldn't accept me. However, what I have come to realize is having that type of mentality is poisonous to my life. No matter how may people talk about us for not living and/or acting a certain way, we must remain committed to being our authentic selves.

Now, please don't get me wrong - being authentic doesn't mean that we shouldn't be adaptable. Additionally, I'm not saying that we should never concern ourselves with what other people think. After all, people's impressions of us play a huge part in our lives, specifically in how we network and progress in the world (both socially and professionally). Adaptability is one of the best qualities we can possess. Whether we are hanging out with friends or conversing with colleagues, having the ability to modify our behavior and the way in which we communicate effectively in any environment is a must. However, we mustn't compromise who we are (fundamentally) in an effort to please others.

Life truly becomes increasingly joyful when we stop pretending to be someone else. When we are no longer fearful of what other people think about the person we used to be, the person we are and the person we are becoming, we have the courage to be our authentic selves. So I challenge you, as I have challenged myself, to be authentically you. And while we are being our authentic selves, it is imperative that we remember to be bold, beautiful, kind, encouraged, courageous, genuine, conscious and well!

Love & Peace

Niki B.

Are you chasing seasons?

Chasing Seasons
An observation by Nichol Blair
 

I caught a glimpse of her. She had been away so long. Lost. Abducted by depression and consumed by fear. She had been attacked by time and suffocated by doubt. Empty without motivation or inspiration; the disappointing truths remained. Exhausted. She still ran.
 

See, she had been chasing seasons.

Once her passions were so strong; igniting wildfires. But it seemed as though her dreams had been extinguished. She could reappoint the fabrications that she once fed herself but she told me she didn’t have an appetite for them these days.

The seasons came and went, all leaving their mark on her heart. She had changed. Resuscitated by faith - still - she felt defeated. It seemed as though she didn’t know how to live without the pain. One could argue that she brought it on herself but, she would surely deny it. Misguided. She still ran.

Searching for answers, she pressed on. She emerged every time missing pieces of her heart, pieces of her mind, and pieces of her spirit. Discouraged. One could surmise that her self-esteem was low having put herself through those seasons but again, she would deny it. Broken. She wept.

Our seasons are simply our life experiences; some good and some not. Challenges and relationships that have burdened us. Dreams that we put on hold because life happened. Arguably, everyone experiences one or more of these observations throughout their lifetime. So my question to you is, are you chasing seasons? Because if you are, I'm here to tell you that it's okay. Life happens. Sometimes it's good and sometimes it's not. But when it's not, be sure to take time to recover. Recuperate from those negative experiences. Take time to heal and grow, and take what you've learned from those challenges and apply it in the future. Allow yourself to process your feelings as you move forward. Try your best not to let your negative experiences make you angry, bitter or mean. Proceed in life with kindness and an open mind, allowing your experiences to make you a better person. Evaluate the consequences - both positive and negative - of your decisions. Make them consciously.  And we can't always decide what happens to us in this life, but we can most certainly be mindful of how we react to it. So be bold, be beautiful, be courageous, be encouraged, be honest, be mindful, be kind and be well!

Love & Peace

Niki B.

An unapologetic journey.

For the first time in a really long time, I don't feel like I'm wasting my time. I sincerely believe that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. And this past year and a half has been incredibly challenging...for lack of a better phrase, in seemingly every area of my life. So I spent a great deal of time rewriting the vision and the journey brought about a rediscovery of self. And from this rediscovery of self, I have made conscious decisions about my life, the vision and my future...and for none am I apologetic.

The one thing that really stands out to me about this journey is that sometimes you have to walk away from poisonous relationships, regardless to whether they are friendships or partnerships. Sometimes, you have to remove angry and negative people from your every day life...even if they're family. Why? Because you are worth it! You are worthy of all good things and you deserve to have everything your heart desires!

Work hard, stay focused and if you believe in a higher power - trust in it. Understand that some people don't know how to be encouraging and/or supportive. And understand that ultimately, that isn't your problem. Live with purpose, set goals/milestones for yourself and keep moving forward. Life shouldn't be a race unless you want it to be. And progress is still progress no matter how slow it moves. So be beautiful, be bold, be encouraged, be inspired, be kind, be courageous, be encouraging, be supportive, be conscious and be well!

Love & Peace

Niki B.

How critical are you?

Sometimes, we can be so critical of others. So much so that what we say to people affects their self-esteem...but that's a blog post for another day. Today, I'd like to address the importance of being self-critical and how it can both positively and negatively affect our own self-esteem.  The word self means: by, to, with, for, or toward yourself or itself (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary). The word critical means: using or involving careful judgment about the good and bad parts of something  (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary). Therefore, to be self-critical means that you are using careful judgment about the good and bad parts of yourself. The ability to be self-critical allows us to improve ourselves.

Now, I don't know anyone that is more critical of my words, thoughts and actions as much as I am. This is a good thing because it allows me to acknowledge my strengths and weaknesses. However, what isn't a good thing, is that I can be so self-critical that it starts  to hinder my growth and progress in certain areas of my life. Take this blog for example. I've wanted to start a blog for over three years. The excuses that I used to delay starting a blog? Here, I'll list a few of them:  

1. No one will care what you have to say…and why should they? 
2. You aren't a good speller. 
3. Your grammar isn't always perfect. 
4. You don't have anything to talk about. 
5. Your life isn't picture perfect.

The list goes on and on. And it took a long time for me to step out of my box because I kept feeding the self-doubt that lived inside of me. Now, one blog at a time, I'm actualizing a dream. However small it may seem to you, it's my progress…and progress is still progress no matter how slow it moves. So remember this, you are capable of making progress in all of the areas of your life that you wish to make progress in. So be bold, be beautiful, be courageous, be [moderately] self-critical and be well!

Love & Peace

Niki B.