Happy Friday!

I am still riding on that “Top 20 Millennial Business Blogs to Read in 2019” high.  It’s truly surreal.  If you didn’t see my posts earlier this week, I found out that I was picked as one of the Top 20 Millennial Business Blogs to Read in 2019 by Feedspot.  Just typing that out gave me butterflies.

When starting this blog my intention was to differentiate myself in the workforce, and, since I am a millennial and all about self-improvement, I decided to focus my writing on that.  As I started writing more often I realized how much I really enjoyed it.  I never thought of myself as a “writer” growing up.  I was always in the higher level classes for Math and Science, but never English or Reading.  My husband, who edits all my blogs before I post them, can attest to this.  The amount of times he has had to explain to me where you place a comma or that I am making up words is straight up humiliating.  

Therefore, yesterday when I saw that I made the Top 20 list, I was truly blown away.  I DID NOT see this coming. Mostly because when I would Google “Emily Rose Blog” I legitimately wouldn’t find it in a 45 page google search… How do you “get noticed” when you can’t even find yourself on the internet?!

I didn’t know if I would actually make ANY list of top bloggers, ever, let alone the TOP 20 in 2019!!! 

IMG_6733Now, when I say I DIDN’T KNOW  if I would ever make any kind of top blogger list, it doesn’t mean I have never WANTED it and never BELIEVED it could happen.  Every morning during my routine, I write down all my major goals and one of them has consistently been to be a #1 blogger in Work, Life and Health.

Everyday I put it out there that my goal is to be a top blogger, and most days I think I’m a joke, but other days I allow myself to really dream and feel into the feels of what it would be like if I actually got there.  And look where we are today.

Granted, that was one rating and I was a the bottom of the list, BUT I STILL GOT THERE… I still put out good enough quality content so that I did indeed “get noticed”.  

Today, I want to talk about WHY I think that I got there and how you can apply this in every area of your life as well.  Work, relationships, your health, becoming the best Chess or Scrabble player, whatever it is that floats your boat and you want to improve on this WILL help.

I truly think the magic ingredient was consistency and discipline.  

In general, my blog has evolved tremendously over the past couple of years and to be honest it still has a LONG way to go.  But, one thing I made my goal and have gotten better with after my wedding has been to be more consistent and disciplined with my blogs.

When I first started, I tried to write a blog every two weeks which really became like once a month.  Today, I am getting blogs out weekly. Just one a week, but it’s something I can personally commit too.  I have stuck with it and that consistency has helped my blog enormously.

About a year ago I was listening to a podcast by Tim Ferris and he said that when you are writing a book, or just writing in general, it’s better to put down two terrible pages of writing a day rather than to not write at all.   He really stressed that you have to get into the habit of writing on a regular basis, regardless of the outcome, because that’s how you will get better and get through it.

NO ONE, in the history of mankind, has been new to a skilled activity and crushed it right off the bat, has been in peak form. Life does not work that way. Ask anyone that has ever built anything themselves or become the greatest in their field, nothing just happens. Success requires consistency and discipline, there are no shortcuts. You must put in the work. Period.

Listening to that, you might think, “Duh Emily, everything takes time and practice.” And you are totally right because it does take time. But, when you are at the beginning, you want it now.  When you are starting out with any new goal, new job, new fitness routine, you want to be the best and to have accomplished that goal and to have become the best, yesterday. You want it bad, but more often than not, people don’t want to go through the weeks, months, or years of work for that goal at the same time.

Reaching for a goal with no real guarantee that you will actually get there can be gruesome to overcome. When that initial boost / adrenaline from setting that goal starts to diminish and the grind from the process starts to become very real, things change. The focus shifts to the work, “This is so freaking hard...”, “How long will this take?“, “I want to realize this goal already!“.  That’s exactly how I felt when I was starting out my blog and beginning the grind, and even today when I think about where I want to go with it.

The trick is that staying consistent and keeping at it is what WILL guarantee that you DO get to that goal.  

Let’s take this thought and apply it to our own lives.  Right now, I want to do a quick exercise, think about one thing that you accomplished in your life.  One thing that you achieved. It could be graduating college, doing a handstand in your yoga class, reading the entire series of Harry Potter (a personal goal of mine #millennial), or getting promoted at work.  Any goal that you have achieved in your life, I would bet money that it didn’t happen right away.

53-brandon-day-2007-fsPlay this out in your mind. If you were a football player, I bet that Freshman year in high school you didn’t show up to football tryouts and were immediately the all star quarterback or linebacker.  You had to endure the first “hell week”, a week of running plays and sprints in the mid-August heat, sweating more than you imagined you could while trying not to die. Then, you had to try out every position. You were tackled, sacked and laid out flat on your back. Beat up and left in the dirt by kids that were bigger, stronger, faster, more experienced than you. Turns out this being an all star things isn’t all that easy. Then, once that week was over you were 2nd or 3rd string (maybe) because the upperclassmen were better and bigger than you or even the kids in your grade. You may have even had to wait years, go through that torture every day and week until it finally came to your senior year for your moment. Even leading up to that season you’re praying you don’t tear your ACL during camp so you can have your season of spotlight.

Consistently showing up and giving it your all everyday and every practice is what got you in that position. This hard work and grind is applicable in every area of life. Even when you grind, the opportunity may not come when you expect it to or be what you expected it to be. But, if you never showed up, if you never were disciplined, if never were consistent, then guess what, there is no chance at all that your goal will become a reality.

Consistency is key.  Being consistent with your workout and diet is what will get you the best body of your life.  Being consistently kind and compassionate is what will produce the best relationships you have ever had.  Being consistent at work and always giving it your best is what will get you that promotion.

It’s so simple, yet so easily forgotten.  How many times do we “fall off the wagon” or have given ourselves an excuse to NOT be consistent or take a break.  My guess is way more than any of us would like to admit. I personally do it AT LEAST once a week in some way shape or form (and ironically I am the one writing this blog).

But what if you didn’t give yourself the out?  

What would happen if you ACTUALLY stayed consistent with your goals and didn’t give in or give up on yourself?  

You would move mountains.  You would be blown away about what you are capable of achieving in this life.

Before we leave today, take a look back at your goals for 2019.  Personal and professional goals. Where have you NOT been consistent and where HAVE you been consistent? What results have you seen, or not seen, so far?

Today, right now, make a commitment to be more consistent in one of those goals you set out for yourself.  Then, for the next 90 days get after it and keep after it. You’d be surprised what miracles will happen.

You’ve got this.

Love Always,

Em

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