Be Your Own Motivational Valentine This Year!
This was the year that you decided to set your goals and stick to them… Right?
So let’s keep the ball rolling through February!
Here’s some motivation to keep this year THE YEAR where you reach your goals you always TALK about doing but never ACTUALLY accomplish! Why? Because you’re going to be your own motivational Valentine this year! I’m going to give you some exercises for Valentines to really get you up and moving this February! Feel free to share the love and send the notes to anyone you know who needs a motivational boost!
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- HOW TO BE YOUR OWN VALENTINE!
For this exercise, I’m going to focus on every day life and then get specific for travel as well – so that you can make this the year you reach your personal goals as well as TAKE THAT DREAM VACATION!
- V - ision
- A - daptation
- L - essons
- E - ntertainment
- N - egotiate
- T- eammate
- I - nspiration
- N - avigate
- E - arn
V- Vision
Create a clear Vision!
A lot of times we just kind of go with the flow. We reach for our goal but we don’t climb towards it.
Today, create that clear Vision. Where do you want to go in life? Where do you want to be a year from now? Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Then break it all down backwards.
Here’s a simple example…
A year from now you want to be able to be a better cook. Six months from now you want to be able to cook without reading a recipe. Three months from now you want to be able to eye ball your measurements. A month from now you want to have the proper equipment you need to cook with. This week you are planning to research recipes and make meal plans for the week!
Whatever your goals are, break them down into small attainable goals. This way you won’t get overwhelmed thinking about the big picture the whole time. Small attainable goals will encourage you to continue to climb towards your Vision for Valentines Day!
Travel Tip – Envision yourself where you want to go. Maybe it’s Hawaii. Do your research! Where do you want to go? What do you want to see? How much do you have to save for your ideal experience? When are the best discounted deals? When is the best time of year for you to go? Now work backwards! How much do you need to save per month, per week, per day, to attain that vacation? Is it cheaper if you break up the flight and say fly to Vegas for a day? Give yourself the gift of that dream trip this year for Valentines day!
A – Adaptation
How do you need to adapt in order to reach your Vision?
Adaptation is what differentiates success from failure! Keep adapting until you find the right fit!
Similar to how we created our Valentine’s Day Vision, make a list of ways you can adapt! Maybe it’s waking up 15 minutes earlier than usual or staying in the office 15 minutes later to stay ahead. Maybe it’s going to the gym after work instead of trying to wake up at 5am to go in the morning.
How can you adapt your habits to create a new habit that will help you reach your goal?
Change your habits, change your life!
Travel Tip –The easiest way to adapt to saving money is to stop spending the money you already have! Do you really need Hulu, and Netflix, AND Disney +, AND Discovery +, etc etc? Think of the money you will save just by cutting back on subscription services! Think of how much you will save by eating at home instead of going out three days a week! Think of how much you can save by not spending your money on a $7 coffee every day, but instead spending $7 to get you a weeks worth of coffee by making it at home!
L – Lessons
In my book, Comfort Zone Correction: Unfiltered True Stories In Successful Selling, Mr. Brown lost $34,000 in just one deal gone wrong, and this was decades ago so imagine how much that was in today’s market!
It always pays to learn from a mentor! Don’t let history repeat itself!
The hope is by learning from someone who has been through it already, we will not make the same mistakes they have made in the past. In fact, they give us shortcuts to get where we are trying to go even faster!
Travel Tip – Do your research and really learn how you will be able to get where you want to get. If it’s a luxury resort, there are ways to get those vacations without paying the “luxury” price. There’s ways to get a good deal on your flight. It’s all about doing the research but not falling into traps that are too good to be true, they probably are!
Here’s a chance to learn from me with a link to Common Mistakes Women Make On Vacation you should make sure you don’t make!
E – Entertainment
Storytelling is an art!
What has happened to you that you can re-tell? What’s a good joke you’ve heard? What’s a good story you’ve heard?
This is a talent that will always be handy!
You can use this art in your friendships, your social media, at work, at weddings or functions, basically everywhere!
Everyone loves to smile and everyone loves a good laugh!
Travel Tip – This is the best way to make new friends on vacation! While at the pool, ask where someone got their swimsuit. While at the disco, ask what the dance is that someone is doing. While at the bar, ask what the person next to you is drinking. Then, keep the conversation going with jokes or other fun experiences you’ve had that you can share.
N – Negotiating
Patience and Persistence will never fail you!
Do not get desperate!
Negotiating is never easy whether it be for that raise, for that shopping deal, or even who get’s the front seat on a car trip! But, it’s time to step to the forefront and fight for what you want and deserve! Do some research and learn new techniques.
Then, make a set of rules for yourself to follow while negotiating. It’s easy in the heat of the moment to get distracted while your eye is on the prize. Become a better negotiator this year!
Travel Tip – Negotiate with your airlines and hotels! Are you a “valued” rewards member? You can use these kinds of loyalty cards to your advantage. You can negotiate your points so that they do not expire with all of the Covid drama going on. Negotiate it all!
T – Team
We all want to be heroes, but we really don’t need to be!
Ask for help!
The days of stoic-ness are gone! It’s all about the teamwork to make your dream work!
If you don’t already have a team, make your own! You can make a local meet up group, or start a league, or even just host a game night between friends.
This will also help you un-stress and take some of the responsibility off of your shoulders! What better gift could you give yourself for Valentine’s Day?
Teamwork really does make the dream work!
Travel Tip – If you are someone who can never afford to travel, ask your friends and family! ( Not every week! ) But, if there is somewhere you’ve always dreamed to go, make a go fund me for your birthday wish, or instead of asking a friend if you can borrow $100, ask 5 friends for $20 with an IOU! Or, for a special occasion have a change collector or say no gifts, just dream trip donations!
I – Inspiration
What is it that inspires you?
Could it be long walks on the beach? Could it be reading books? Could it be scrolling through the gram? Maybe it’s someone you know in real life.
Think about where you can pull inspiration from. What will get you up out of your seat if you look at it while you are feeling lazy? Which Youtube motivational speech will get you really chasing your dream while you brush your teeth?
Take a moment and write down everything that inspires you and think about how you can add more OF THAT to your daily routine!
Travel Tip – What kinds of things will really inspire you to travel more? Maybe it’s thinking about what you can do with your paid sick days that have accumulated. Maybe it’s looking through a travel magazine. Take a moment today to dig deeper into that inspiration and see how others are using it to travel more. For example, with me I am all about budget travel. I sign up for all kinds of vacation emails knowing that one day inspiration and a budget sale price will hit at the same time and I’ll make it to that bucket list vacation that’s still only in my inbox!
Here’s some ways that I can afford to travel once a month!
N – Navigation
Alright, this challenge is going to be tough but it’s Valentine’s Day so don’t break my heart! Just power through it!
You’ve done all this work so far, now is getting down to the nitty gritty and deciding what’s going to work and what’s just wishful thinking.
You’ve done all the brainstorming and now you’ve narrowed in on, for example, starting a different career. If only it was that easy! Does it require another college course or degree? Do they offer such a thing in your state? It’s time to really start navigating your next few weeks, then months, then 6 months out, then a year out. Maybe your dream isn’t something that is going to happen in by the end of this year AND THAT’S OK!
Think about it, you may have to get a new job to be able to afford to chase your dream. You may have to change states to get to where you want to be. Sit down and really map it out.
What matters is that this year you are deciding your next step forward. This year you are getting out of the hamster wheel your life has become and stepping towards what you really want to do!
Travel Tip – Now that you really know where you want to go and what you want to do, it’s time to make adjustments. You may not be able to afford a solo trip this year, but you found a group trip that will take you where you want to go. Is the solo trip idea more important or is the location more important? If you take the group trip now, you will know where to go when you are solo. Also, you can ask locals for advice while you are there or possibly others on the trip who take solo trips there all the time ( but maybe this time they took a group trip for safety with Covid ). You never know where a vacation will navigate you!
E – Earn
Of course, everything costs money. That’s just the world we live in!
Have you used any of those credit card points that you have wracked up? Have any of your investments grown? How much change have you collected over the years?
Sure, you can start a side hustle, OR you could just get a seasonal job. Retailers are always looking for seasonal help and a lot of times it’s only a couple days a week. Companies like snow plows or festivals only work for a few months of the year.
Do you have a lot of stuff laying around? Sell it online!
This Valentine’s day, really think about what your basic needs are and live off of them.
Do you really need 3 old iphones laying around the house? Someone will buy them online. Same with your old computer. ( Just make sure you set it back to it’s factory setting etc. You’ll have to goggle that i’m no professional, but you get what I’m saying. ) Would you rather keep that thing that’s collecting dust? Or keep your wallet collecting dust?
You’re going to have to put in some work to get some earnings! Money will never just fall in your lap!
Travel Tip – Did you know that you can earn money while on vacation? I went to Australia on a work visa and worked at a gym, a cafe, and did cleaning at a hostel while I was there. When I went, I knew I had a chunk of change, but I also wanted to make sure I didnt spend it all just on one vacation! Look for different programs that operate in places you want to go and pick up odd jobs while you are there. They are usually under the table and pay in cash. The one I went to Australia on was called Bunac.org! They even helped take care of the work visa, as well as, helped find me work.
What will You Implement First?
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Want to continue to stay motivated? Check out our New Year’s Challenge to start the New Year of on the right foot! Get out of that Comfort Zone!
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