Jessica Williams's Blog, page 9

3 Ways to Make 2016 Ridiculously Amazing

Happy 2016!! It’s time for starting over and getting things done. A fresh coat of paint. A brand new planner.

A fresh start.

The year you start your blog. The year you start a side hustle. The year you will get fit finally.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you make this your most amazing year yet!

Pick projects and not resolutions

My friend Shenee introduced this concept on our last Secret Society of Done call.  This is the time of the year where resolutions are super popular.  Or the word of the year.  Shenee challenged us to do projects instead.

The way that projects work is you pick the things you want to work on, find time for them, create rules (to make sure you stick to those things) and choose a reward (something to look forward to when you accomplish your plans).

I think this approach is awesome and I plan to try it myself.  As I think about things I really want to accomplish this year both business and personal:

#Read24 Book Project

I want to read 24 books this year.  I set it up on Goodreads and I’m already on my second book.  My first one was Girl on the Train (read it if you haven’t…very reminiscent of the feelings I had when I read Gone Girl – thrilling, suspenseful, crazyyyyy).

#Blog24 Blog Project

I want to get on a consistent blog schedule that makes sense for me.  Over the years, I’ve had short phases of time where I’d be really good at blogging and then LIFE WOULD HAPPEN and I would get behind.  My plan for 2016 is to commit to writing at least 2 blog posts a month.

I’m working on some rules for these: like making time before I go to bed to actually read and making time in the mornings to create a content calendar and do my writing.

Anything you’ve been wanting to do for awhile that you’ve been putting off?  Try to think of it as a project.

Get moving

I know that everyone probably has some sort of resolution or goal around getting fit this year.  I think the trick is to get moving.

Whatever that is for you.  For me, I’ve set a goal in my Fitbit app to walk 7500 steps a day – it’s something that I do as part of my day.  Often without thinking about it.

Think of ways you can sprinkle exercise through your day – like walking up the stairs instead of taking the escalator or elevator. Doing squats while your brushing your teeth. Having standing meetings instead of ones where you sit down for an hour.

The key here is to find what works for you.  For example, I tried doing the Couch to 5K program for about 5 weeks last year and while it felt good to do it and get the endorphins going, it was so jarring to my body. My knees and shins especially. Which made it hard for me to be excited about that particular workout.

If you love to run, by all means go for it. But if not, find something that you can actually look forward to, even if it’s dance parties with your kids.  Dancing while cleaning.  Roller blading. Ice skating.

Whatever it is that gets you moving, go do it.

Find your wind-down activity

I am in the third month of my new job and the thing about starting something new besides all of the beginner feelings, is that you need to find some sort of routine that works for you.

Morning routines and evening routines are super popular.  But they are also personal.  No one knows what you need on any given day to be your best self.

One thing I’m starting this year is making a point of being off the computer by about 9pm (latest 9:30pm) on weeknights and then grabbing a book or doing some coloring before I go to sleep. These activities help me relax, get my eyes off the computer and phone screen and then my body is ready to go to sleep about an hour later.

The more you get yourself and your body in a routine, the easier it is to get ready for whatever it is you are trying to do next. Especially in the evening, it’s good to be able to “wind down” from the day and get ready for a good night’s sleep.

Here are some other ideas for night time activities:

Have your favorite cup of tea or hot cocoa
Watch one of your favorite shows
Go for a walk
Take a nice hot bath or shower
Meditate
Try some stretching exercises

What are some ways you plan to make 2016 ridiculously amazing?
Would love to hear about your projects, ways that YOU get moving and how you wind down at the end of the night.

The post 3 Ways to Make 2016 Ridiculously Amazing appeared first on Tech Biz Gurl.

4 Things to Remember When You’re Starting Something New

So I just started a new job!! I am now Co-Facilitator of the WiSTEM program at 1871. I am in a press release too which I consider pretty cool.

What changed you may ask? Well, this job represents everything I’ve been trying to do with techbizgurl from the beginning. I want to help women start their companies. Their passion projects. I want to help women with tech. I want to help women start businesses.

So now I have a role where I can help women do just that. My role is all about helping women tech entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. DREAM JOB, amirite? But it’s also a new beginning.

Here are a few things I’ve learned since starting my job this week:

1. There’s a difference between being tired and being “good tired”.

My first day I worked almost 12 hours. Ok more like 11. But I went home and I felt good. Like exhausted but good. You ever have days like that?

Even though you may be ready to fall into bed when you get home, you do it with a smile on your face because your heart is full.

These are the moments where you know you’ve made the right decision. You’re going towards your passions. You’re going towards your dreams. You’re on to something more aligned with YOU. Good tired.

2. Being the new girl is scary.

I started on Monday and I was really stressed. I had the whole OMG they are totally gonna figure out I’m a fraud moment. I had the “will they like me” moment every hour. I had the whole OMG this is overwhelming and I can’t do this moment. Let me let you in on a little secret:

This is normal.

When we step into something new, it’s not fun (#uncomfy). But this is good stuff. This means that you are doing something new. You’re growing. You’re improving. You’re changing. You’re LEARNING. So it may feel super duper scary but it’s good stuff. Promise.

3. Your tribe has your back.

It was so awesome that my friends, family and tribe had my back. They sent me good luck messages. They listened to all of my uncertainties and nerves and they sent me funny stickers and gifs and cheered me on along the way.

My friend and co-facilitator, Nicole, reminded me that we have to jump as part of this entrepreneurial journey and sometimes you will fail when you do that. But the great thing is that you can look at the woman beside you, grab her hand and do it TOGETHER.

And isn’t that what it’s all about at the end of the day? Helping each other dream build? Absolutely. Goosebumps.

4. You WILL figure it out.

I’m in a new role in a new place with a new team. And am I scared? Absolutely. But I’m more excited and happy that this is what I’m meant to be doing.

And I might make mistakes along the way, but you know what? I WILL FIGURE IT OUT. And so will you. If you start anything new, you’ll probably feel a lot of the same feelings, but here’s the thing:

You’ve been the new girl before.
You made friends.
You did great work.
You overcame the challenges.
You figured it out.
You learned.
You rocked it.

And you will do it again.

So if you are worrying about starting something new or jumping into the unknown, keep these things in mind. And remember that sometimes you need to step out on faith and see where it takes you. You can do this.

And I have your back.

Some Days Just Suck…and That’s OK

I’ve been feeling pretty good lately. I’ve been writing and coming up with new directions and ideas for techbizgurl.com. I’ve been feeling good.

And then this past week, bad vibes. Bad juju. In a word: resistance.

And I don’t want to do anything. I just want to crawl under my blanket and eat grilled cheese sandwiches and some Haagen Dazs Butter Pecan and forget all of my troubles.

While that’s probably not a very adult and businesswoman-like thing to do, some days it’s OK.

You get burned out.

You get bad news.

You get sick.

Your family member gets sick.

Your day job gets nuts.

You just don’t feel it.

I think those are the times especially when we need to be gentle with ourselves.

Because we are human.

We get sick. We can’t keep going, going, going all the time.  Especially if you’re trying to build a business along with the other 12 commitments you have in your life.

We need time to relax and recover. We need those blanket fort days.

We need time to figure out what’s really going on.

Is it resistance? Is it that we think that we can’t be happier? Or is it plain tiredness?

And let me tell you…mental exhaustion is sooo much worse than being tired physically.

Remember that you are working to build a life that you love. But also remember that you don’t want to kill yourself to do it.

You want to find things you love along the way. You want to enjoy the process. You want to believe that you can be more than you are today.

And sometimes even the process needs to be put on hold. And that’s OK.

Take the time to rest. To heal. To get a mani/pedi. To buy that purse you’ve been eyeing for weeks.

To write that blog post that might be a little different (see what I did there?).

Take the time that you need.  Take the time to get back to the things you love about what you are doing. Take that pause.

It’s OK. I give you permission.
Do you have days like this? What do you do to take a break?

Photo Credit: Charlotte90T via Compfight cc

The post Some Days Just Suck…and That’s OK appeared first on Tech Biz Gurl.

How to Find Your Purpose in Life

Most of us want to do something more than we are doing right now. And if you are already doing the dream thing, GO YOU! You’re a rockstar (get the show on, get paid).

But most of us are trying to get there, or thinking about getting there, or are not even sure what “there” actually means. It’s ultimately that whole “What do I want to do when I grow up”?” question that so many of us probably can’t answer. (I’m still figuring this one out too)

There is a HUGE focus on knowing what you want in business and life and that is the path to getting what you want. But what if you don’t KNOW what you want? What if that isn’t clear?

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Figure out three things you’ve always wanted to do, try or experience.

And find a way to do them. In other words, get out of your proverbial comfort zone. I know. This is super duper scary. But something awesome happens when you do something different from your daily routine. It opens you up. It makes you think differently. It gets your brain thinking in new directions. And it gets you comfortable with being open to new things. The great thing about this too is that you learn more about yourself.

I took a mixology class last year and while it was cool to learn how drinks are made, I figured out that I loved drinking the drinks a bit more than making them. Which is good to know right? That means I probably don’t have a future as a bartender. And that’s ok because new experiences are all about learning more about what you like and what you don’t.

Get comfy with being uncomfy.

I know, I know. No one wants to be uncomfortable. It’s not fun. Sweaty palms. Fast heart rate. Knees shaking. Yep, that’s what I’m talking about. But doing uncomfortable things make you grow as a person. It may will suck at the time, but once it’s done you’ll either say, “OMG I’m glad that’s done but at least I did it. Time for wine”, or “Hey, that wasn’t so bad. Time for ice cream”.  And then if you have to do it again in the future, I bet you’ll feel a little less uncomfortable.

This is goooood.  You grow. You get stronger. And you get more confident in being able to handle things. As a manager in my day job, I have to have uncomfortable conversations quite a bit when I have to address issues with my staff. I still get nervous doing them, but not as nervous as I was that very first time.

Take a personality test.

I’m not talking about those Buzzfeed ones which are actually pretty awesome (Is Prince Charming your Disney prince too?), but try this one to learn more about yourself or this one to learn more about your business.  Most times there is a LOT we don’t actually realize about ourselves. And when I used both of those tests they’ve helped me know myself better. Most recently from the 16 Personalities test, I learned that whatever my career ends up being, I have to be able to “create order from chaos” for me to be happy. Reading through the rest of my ISFJ report, I was like “OMG THAT’S SO ME”.  With the Brand Chemistry quiz, I learned that I’m both a Thoughtleader and a Lifestyle brand which has changed my approach to my business.

These tests have helped put words to things that I may have felt at one time or another but could not really explain. This has been huge and game changing. Because now I’m looking for experiences that let me do more of the things that fit me and my personality.

These ideas are all about trying new things and being aware of how they make you feel. This way you learn more about yourself so that you can get clearer on your dreams, your purpose and ultimately what you want your life to look like.

Have you found your purpose yet? Any ideas? Have you done any of these activities? Please share in the comments!

Featured Image Credit: latestthoughts via Compfight cc

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