#MotivationalMonday – shemakescents

Why Yearly Power Words Are Important for Goal-Setters

Published on February 3, 2020March 18, 2020 by Danielle YB Vason3 Comments

A power word is like a New Year’s resolution but so much better. When used correctly, it guides the intentions and goals that one sets for oneself. Since 2013, I have asked She Makes Cents readers to share one word to reflect their personal goals/resolutions/vision for the year ahead and the response every year is inspiring. I love doing this because with every 365 days that go by, we evolve and our needs, wants, and aspirations change. Looking back at my earlier power words, I remember where I was in my life, what was important, and what I needed to work on. In 2013 my word was balance. Then came focus (2014), passion (2015), bravery (2016), intention (2017), declutter (2018) and bloom (2019). Fun fact, my daughter was born in 2019 and her name, Chloe, means “to bloom”.

My power word for 2020 is DISCIPLINED. By definition, being disciplined is being trained to develop through self-control. The word “disciplined” is one that I will apply to every area of my life in a mental, physical, and spiritual sense. I will take this year as an opportunity to take a disciplined approach to complete the money challenge, hitting my milestones for my long term goals, and setting time aside for self-care. I was inspired by this quote, “You will never ALWAYS be motivated, so you must learn to be DISCIPLINED”. Truth be told, it is easy to be great when you are energized and motivated. The true value of a disciplined mindset reveals itself when you are too tired to keep pushing, when temptation is in the midst, and when distractions are everywhere but you’re strict with your goals and prevail anyway.

I’m so excited to apply a power word to my year and this one is all-encompassing to several areas of my life. I know many people do not do resolutions anymore, but I still do. Now that I have my word of the year, I can clarify my money, career, and lifestyle goals.

Talk to me in the comments below, what one word to reflect their personal goals/resolutions/vision for the year ahead?

MLK Quote to Inspire You to Keep Moving Forward Through Any Situation

Published on January 15, 2018January 14, 2018 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Sometimes unexpected things happen…the past two years have been proof of that. The thing is, we cannot give anything the power to paralyze us in a state of anger, fear, grief, complacency, etc. Today I wanted to share one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I like this quote because it reminds us that there will be things in life that will attempt to block your path to greatness. Sometimes we can even block our own blessings. Instead of giving up when there is a roadblock find another way to get to your goals.

If you can’t fly then don’t shrug your shoulders and throw in the towel. It’s so much easier to give up after the first roadblock (See “How To Come Back from A Setback”). Lace up your favorite pair of sneakers and get to running, girlfriend. You might not get to your greatness quickly, but as long as you keep moving forward you are taking the necessary moves to get you one step closer than you were when you realized that flying was not an option.

Monday Motivation | Measure Your Progress Not Your To Do List

Published on August 28, 2017August 28, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason2 Comments

The other day I was thinking about all the things I still want to do this year and started to get a little overwhelmed. As someone who is always looking forward and setting new goals, it is easy to get lost in what is left on the rolling to do list. Raise your hand if you can relate. By spending energy constantly thinking about how much we still have to do, we lose focus on what we have done already. One of my personal goals at the beginning of the year was to celebrate my successes, big and small, which to be frank; I have not really kept up with.

So today, I am encouraging everyone, myself especially, to review how we measure success and progress. Instead of focusing on how much you have left to do on a goal or project, measure your progress by much you have done already. Success Magazine backs up this paradigm with research. According to an article by Mel Robbins, a motivational speaker and entrepreneur, “research proves that seeing your progress and how much you have completed will inspire you to keep pushing”. I will celebrate the fact that I hit my money milestone with my student loans and not on the fact that I have a way to go before I can eliminate my student loan debt altogether. Reaching that milestone was not easy so I have to take a moment and appreciate how far I have come on that path to financial freedom. In addition to keeping a rolling to do list, start a “did it” list that you can go back and refer to when you need a motivational push to keep going. As I said, it is easy to get overwhelmed and forget all the great things you have accomplished. Measuring your progress by what you have accomplished and keeping a rolling list of things that you have completed so far will help each action, big so small, feel more impactful.

{Monday Motivation} Do What Makes You Happy!

Published on August 15, 2016February 15, 2017 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Happiness

Happy Monday Lovelies. As you get started in your week….have your morning latte and go through your Snap feed, I want you to take a moment and really think about what makes you happy. If you are not happy with your financial situation…change it. Make time to up your financial literacy game (you can start here), create a plan to get you closer to your goal, and put the plan into action. If your career is not where you want it, step back and examine what it is about your job/profession that makes you happy and what doesn’t. If your relationship has many benefits, but you are not happy, it’s okay to start that conversation with your partner about what will make you happier. Life is too short to waste time doing something that has a negative impact on your happiness. My birthday last week marked my new beginning. I will prioritize happiness in my life the way I see fit and I encourage you to do the same. Remember, nothing is worth it if it doesn’t make you happy.

{Monday Motivation} Rich vs. Broke

Published on May 2, 2016February 27, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

Rich People Stay Rich By Acting.png

Today’s #MondayMotivation will hopefully inspire your thought process. It is so hard to get caught in stuff….consuming “stuff”, showing off “stuff”, and being wasteful with “stuff”. If you spend like you are wealthy, you will never be wealthy because you spent it all. Instead of “acting” rich, why don’t you make positive changes to actually get to that status? Like the word freedom, the word rich has so definitions. Remember, rich doesn’t always have to describe someone’s financial state. I motivate you to act broke with your spending and be rich in the things that really matter…like people and experiences that….FEED-THE-SOUL. Take this week and do things that make you feel like your best you. Wishing you a great start to your week!

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{Motivational Monday} You Can Handle ANYTHING!

Published on February 22, 2016February 22, 2016 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Happy Monday Lovelies! I’ve noticed that past few Mondays’that the hashtag #motivationalmonday has been trending. That tells me that I am not the only one who benefits from the extra push of positivity to start the week out. I hope today’s quote puts a smile on your face. The realization is, everyone experiences storms but the beautiful thing is that the storm always passes. If you a struggling in your finances, career, or relationships, grab your umbrella of perseverance and stay strong as you ride your personal storm out. I’m mean really, if Britney Spears survived 2007, you can handle ANYTHING!