4 Ways To Keep Moving Forward

Last week, I posted about the campaign I got involved in called "I Am Amazing Because..."  The purpose and goal of this campaign is to promote confidence and positivity by recognizing the talents and abilities and characteristics of those around us that we find amazing and unique and then telling them.  We, as individuals, should be included in this recognition and often I think we forget or downplay what is amazing about ourselves.  When I shared my post last week, I wrote that one of the qualities in myself that I find amazing is my ability to keep moving forward.

I received this shirt in exchange for my review and promotion but all thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

As I've gotten older and reflected on who I am as a person, I've realized that when I'm not growing in some area of my life, or I'm not working towards a goal or purpose, I start to get grumpy and restless.  When life starts getting too routine or I notice myself getting complacent, that's my internal nudge to make a change.

Growing up, my situation at home presented some challenges.  I found myself placed in circumstances that were not of my choosing, nor did I have a way to remove them from my life.  But one thing that kept me going, quite literally, was the knowledge that I could keep moving forward in different areas of my life.  At some point I knew that things had to get better. That what things I did have control over, I could make the best of them and focus on that.

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Photo Credit: Kendra Leigh Photography & Video

There is a quote that says, "If you're not moving forward, you are moving backward."  In today's world, it is impossible to stand still.  So what stops us from moving forward?

• Fear
• Uncertainty
• Past Mistakes
• Unclear Goals
• Allowing Yesterday to Define Today
• Unrealistic Expectations

You could probably add to this list, but that's not what I want you to focus on.  What I want you to take away from this post today is how to keep moving forward.

Recognize Progress
Sometimes we aren't necessarily faced with being unable to move forward, but rather that we don't feel we're moving forward fast enough.  We have a goal in mind and we're just not reaching it as quickly as we'd like.  This can turn into frustration, disappointment or any number of negative emotions.  Those emotions can cause us to lose focus which can slow us down even more.  It's important to recognize progress, no matter how small it is.  Each step forward is a step towards your goal.  Each step is essential to our growth and progress as a person, not only in our quest to accomplish something.

Ask for Help and Support
Having a network of people to rely on when things get hard is a great tool to help you keep moving forward.  Your network might include your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors or even a support group.  The people I ask for support from varies depending on what my goal is or the challenge I'm facing. We must surround ourselves with people who want to see us succeed and will help us along the way, especially when we stumble, fall or want to give up.  

Adopt a Mantra
By definition, a mantra is simply a statement or slogan that is repeated frequently.  I've seen a lot of posts from people who have chosen a word or phrase that embodies what they want to focus on for the day/week/month/quarter/year.  You could have a different mantra for different aspects of your life, or have the same one that encompasses all aspects of your life.  You can change your mantra if you feel it isn't working for you.  There are no rules when it comes to mantras.  You simply choose one and then make that your focus and the thing that brings you back when you start veering off course.

Speak Positively About Yourself
I've talked about this concept of positivity and self care a few different times, such as here and here, but that's because it's so important!  We can be our own worst critic or our greatest cheerleader.  In order to continue moving forward in life, we have to believe that we can.  When fear or uncertainty tries to push it's way in between the cracks, we have to push it back out and remind ourselves that we can do this!  If you find this idea difficult, another way to approach it is to think about those who depend on you and how what you do affects them.  For me, that's my kids and my husband.  If I speak badly about myself, what does that teach my children?  How are they going to start talking about themselves?  If I tell my husband that I don't know why he married me, or list off all the things I'm horrible at, is that going to help grow and nurture our relationship?  Your life has an impact on other people whether you want it to or not, so why not make it a positive one?

Photo Credit: Kendra Leigh Photography & Video

In an effort to encourage this attitude of positivity, Cents of Style is running a deal on all of their inspirational t-shirts.  I chose "Keep Moving Forward", but if that doesn't quite resonate with you, check out their selection.  You can find 30+ options to choose from and maybe you'll find the one that hits home for you.

To take advantage of this deal, click HERE to view all the t-shirts.  Select the one you want and at checkout, enter the code INSPIRE17 and it will take 50% off the lowest marked price plus get FREE SHIPPING!  This sale will run from 1/20/17 thru 1/22/17.  Don't miss out on this awesome deal and use it to buy something that will inspire you, make you smile and help your day be a little brighter.

I encourage you to keep moving forward.  Whether that means leaps and bounds or inch by inch, keep moving.  Keep growing.  I know you can do this.  Because you can do hard things.