Throughout my life, I have tried many things. Therefore it goes without saying that I have failed at many things too. I have been very lucky, in that I have an incredible support group. My parents and siblings have always believed in me. Often more than I believed in myself. I was lucky enough to marry one heck of a supportive husband who let me try new things even when he didn’t understand them. I’ve had supportive people in my life from a young age, but even so, there have been times that I’ve had to deal with unsupportive behaviour from others around me. It made me think about those of you reading, and if perhaps you fall into any one of these ‘maybe’s’. I wanted to share what I’ve observed over the years, and how I push through, no matter who isn’t cheering for me.

Maybe you have that one family member who makes jokes about what you do. That business you want to start, the fitness routine you are on or the healthy eating lifestyle you are committing to. They poke fun at it or make sarcastic comments here and there. All in all, they make you feel shitty about whatever it is you have set your mind to do.

DO NOT. I repeat, do not let them get to you. I’ve had this happen to me, and what I can say is that it’s hard at first. You want to defend everything you’re doing, you want to show them all the facts about why this is a good idea, you want them to be on your side. Because, you know, they’re family. Aren’t they all supposed to support you? Truth is, no, not all of them will. In my case, it was one, in your case, it might be many who stand against you. No matter what, fighting back is exactly what this person wants. They may secretly want to see you fail so that they can feel better about never giving it a shot themselves.

“Look, I knew she wasn’t going to finish that workout program, that’s why I didn’t start, I knew it wouldn’t work” Do you see how sad this person’s life must be, that THIS is the monolog in their heads?

Nowadays I choose to focus on the support and love I receive from the rest of my family. And it’s a big family! Because they are louder. It just depends on who you choose to listen to! If you do fail, because we all know failure goes hand in hand with trying new things, they’ll be the ones saying “I know you’ll succeed next time, I believe in you,” rather than “I told you so.” They are the people that matter, they are your support group. Don’t let their voices be drowned out by the negativity of one sad human being.

Maybe you have that close group of girlfriends, and in your mind, they should be your biggest supporters! They know all your secrets, they know what you’re like at your best and worst times. Why then, when you tell them you’re starting a home business do they refrain from cheering you on, or even supporting your business if they’re in the market for something you offer/carry.

Home Businesses have grown dramatically over the last few years. It seems like everyone you know is making or selling something now, and guess what, this isn’t a bad thing at all. There are these large movements to support local shops, to stay away from big box stores and support those mom and pop shops because we’ll be helping our local community’s economy. Well, guess what, your friend’s business is just that. It’s a place where your dollars go towards their little girl’s ballet class fees or their next family vacation.

It still shocks me when I tell someone about how amazing I think (blank) is because of what it’s done in my own life and have them blow me off when they hear they can get it through me. But then turn around and buy it from Walmart or Amazon. (WHAT?) When one of your closest friends does this, I’ll admit it, it hurts. If you take it personally it can seem like a clear statement that they don’t believe in what you do. That they don’t support you as much as you originally thought, and that at the end of the day, they don’t want to see you win.

Don’t let this negative train of thought ruin the plans you have for your business or service this month. Don’t waste your precious energy on trying to figure out WHY they did it, just take it as a learning moment. Were they clearly aware they could have bought this product from you? Did they just see it at the store and were reminded of your recommendation and picked it up without any malice in their actions?

You see, it isn’t all about you. It’s about the end result. If your friend is now eating healthier because of something you recommended, or they are getting a better night’s sleep because of an essential oil mixture you endorsed, just be happy for them. Yes, it hurts sometimes. But when we focus on why we do what we do, all of this negativity goes away. When you focus on helping people and making their lives better, no matter what goods or services you provide, you will feel more fulfilled with all you accomplish.

You can’t control what other people do, but you can control how you react to it. And this is by far the best way to let icky moments pass and prepare yourself for all the goodness that is to come!

Here are some tips to help you stay motivated no matter what unsupportive behaviour comes your way:

I wrote a post about dealing with unsupportive people in general. In it I break down many of the reasons people choose to be unsupportive. I wrote it after receiving some messages from women in my wellness online group about their family or friends playing these unsupportive roles in their lives. If you liked this post you may find some more insight in this ither one too. Check it here: Dealing with unsupportive people.

Remind yourself of your Why.

Why are you doing what you’re doing? Focus on that and only that. With a strong enough why you can achieve anything no matter what life throws your way.

Write down your goals and don’t let anything or anyone sidetrack you.

Push that negative family member’s comment aside. Brush off the fact that your friends don’t support your business and keep going. A goal that is not written down is just a dream. Read up on how to make the most out of your month and crush those goals!

Read personal development.

I recommend Personal Development often.. Show me a person that is not succeeding and I will show you a person that isn’t reading personal development.

Connect with others doing what you’re doing.

Find other entrepreneurs, bakers, business women. Whatever your field, there is a group out there waiting to be found. If you really can’t find one, then make one, you may be what other’s have been waiting for.

Believe in yourself.

Because at the end of the day, this whole thing depends on you and how much you care about it. Believe, be positive, be efficient with your time, work hard, and work from a good place in your heart. The rest will come as it must. I wrote this post about moving on from failure. It may help you learn to believe in yourself again.

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make the most out of january

January is the beginning of many things. For one, the year itself, but on another note, it’s the beginning of this ‘New You’. You’ve thought up your resolutions, you’re ready to start eating healthy and workout, and then, before you know it you’ve fallen off the bandwagon, again. Here are some tips on how to make the most of January and start the New Year off in the best way possible:

1. Take a big goal and break it up.

Sometimes, big resolutions can seem overwhelming or like you don’t know where to start. Think, how can I push forward on this goal this month? What about next month? Set smaller goals for each month to ensure you stay on track all year!

Recap your successes from last year!

Take note of all the things you are most proud of from last year. When making resolutions for the new year, we tend to focus on things we want to change. There’s something to be said for bringing in more positivity and taking the time to feel great for all the things you accomplished and improved last year!

2. Set a focus word for the year.

This is a trending idea that works on the idea that instead of making hard set resolutions, you come up with your FOCUS WORD of the year. I’ve been thinking for a few weeks now on what I wanted my word to be. Where I wanted to put my focus and set my intention and I’ve been pulled towards the word Kindness. Twoards others and towards myself. I want to wake up every day and ask myself,  “how can I be kinder today?”. It’s hard to track a goal like “Be kinder”, or “Don’t get upset so quickly”, but setting my focus of the year on kindness will allow me to be mindful of what I do that day and how I can work on being kinder every day.

3. Finish what needs finishing.

Do you have some projects left behind from last year that you can check off quickly? If so, do it as soon as you can. Dragging around projects we need to finish makes us heavy and weighs down our creativity and spontaneity. Don’t get trapped in last year’s to-do list, get out of it quickly so you can tackle our new goals for the year!

4. Put yourself first.

This January, focus on your health, on your body, on your mind and on your sanity. You’re being pulled in many directions at the start of the year. Work has new goals for the year, your children have birthdays coming up and you said you’d volunteer at the next bake sale. Whatever it is you’ve got on your plate already, take the time to take care of you. Your future calmer you will thank you for it.

5. Figure out your WHY.

Why are you doing this? Why will you not do this? Why are you working towards this goal? Why that other goal? It’s easy to get in the mindset of picking a goal and figuring out how you’ll achieve it, but if I learned one thing from last year it is that knowing WHY you are doing something is a much more powerful motivator than simply knowing how you’ll do it.

If you have any other tips, send them my way.

I hope these will help in making sure you get all you can out of the first month of the year to start the new year off in the best way possible.

Love,

Mariangelica

 

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