Under Pressure

We all know what pressure is. Pressure from family, friends, our jobs, even ourselves can cause us to fail at any goals we undertake.

Sometimes family members think putting you down is the best way to make you angry enough to change a bad habit. Having people close to you criticize you may not be helpful at all. Instead it may cause you to give up on your desired outcomes altogether.

There are, however, some ways that pressure can be good for you.

It is important to know which kind of pressure inspires you and which kind hinders you.

Deadlines: For me, I work best when I have a specific date and/or time when something must be completed. Whether I'm taking a college course or must turn in my latest article to an editor, having a deadline inspires me to get my work done.

Accountability: Having to allow others to view my work, makes me work that much harder to ensure that it is as near perfect as possible. Anyone seeing my work as half-done, or lazy is embarrassing to me. Just knowing that someone else will see and judge my work motivates me.

Growth: "If you're the smartest one in the room, you're in the wrong room." Richard Tirendi.

This quote fully illustrates the type of pressure that motivates me most. I love to be surrounded by, and held to the same standard as people who are smarter and more experienced than I am. It forces me to stretch and learn in ways I could not have imagined.

It is important to recognize when the pressure you feel is positive, and utilize it.

Leverage positive pressure to achieve your goals in 2014!

What kind of pressure motivates you?

Change, Even When You Don't Feel Like It

We all have goals that we would like to accomplish. At this time of the year, people believe they want to change. Everywhere you turn there are books,  magazine articles, and television specials about improving your life. It's a very inspiring time really.

What happens, however, when all of the hoopla is over and you are left with all of the actual work you must do to change. For many people the goals they first created for themselves begin to fade. They lack the motivation or "will" to do what must be done.

A person once told me, "You keep waiting for something big to happen. You keep thinking that you're going to have this aha moment. No book, or tv show, or person has the answer you are looking for. Change happens when you simply take action."

This advice stuck with me for a long time. I ran the words over and over in my mind before I ever decided to make any changes. Really, change is that simple. If you want to change something, you take action. Then you repeat the action consistently.

I usually don't feel like doing the work involved in making my lasting changes, but over time I've learned to do the work anyway.

I heard a quote once that says, "You will never regret a good workout." I think this could apply to anything a person wants to accomplish in life. Often just thinking about something you have to do too much causes you to lose your energy.

Every excuse in the world pops into your mind to keep you from doing the work. I've learned that once you just get up and do the thing you are avoiding, you will never regret it. Instead you will feel accomplished and good about doing the necessary work to achieve your goals.

Every step you take brings you closer to realizing your dreams.

I came across these two articles in the Huffington Post which I believe have tips to help us all stay on track at any point in the year.

My goal for this year is to: Follow Through, and Finish What I Start.

What are some of your goals, not just for the new year, but for your life?

Free

I came across this picture while visiting a friend's Facebook page. It inspired me so much that I cried. To me this picture represents all that I am working to accomplish.

The sculpture, Freedom Sculpture, by Zenos Frudakis is located at 16th and Vine street in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the first frame of the sculpture the woman is trapped in what I identify as unhappiness, defeat, failure, etc. She uses her faith and her will to begin to break out of her circumstances. In the third frame she appears to fight her way out of her current position with every ounce of strength she has.  Which leads to the fourth frame, which is a stance of freedom. She never gave up.

Click here, to read about the artist's motivation in creating this piece, and to see more of his inspiring work.

What mold do you need to break out of? What are you fighting for? I hope that this picture inspires you while you are on your journey towards freedom, as it has me.

Harriet and Me

I love the movie Harriet the Spy and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Based on the children's novel of the same name by Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy has been a source of inspiration for me for many years.

If you are not familiar with the story, Harriet is a self-proclaimed spy. She travels around her neighborhood spying on her neighbors, classmates, and friends. She writes down everything she sees in her notebook.

 There are so many parallels between Harriet and me. Growing up I always had a composition notebook-like the kind that Harriet writes in- with me. My journaling was seen by some as obsessive. I wrote down my every thought, every dream, every observation in my notebook, much like Harriet.  In the movie Harriet's parents demand that she stops writing as a punishment and it is obvious that she is lost without her notebook. When sent to see a therapist she lights up when he allows her to write again. He tells her parents in the end that Harriet will make a great writer one day.

I found out today that my favorite professor Deesha Philyaw signed a book deal! I was so excited and inspired as a writer to work harder. I immediately wanted to watch Harriet the Spy to get in touch with that side of myself that absolutely loves writing and doesn't worry about anything else.

What books or movies inspire you career wise? Are there any characters you see yourself, your dreams or aspirations in? Please share them.