VforVanity

It’s time to make a change….

I’ve been MIA for a while now. I’m going to be honest with you: I have problems with consistency. When life becomes overwhelming, as it has been of late, the first things to leave my life are the things I enjoy—the things that promote my growth. I know I’m not alone in this; the reality is that it’s hard. It doesn’t have to be this way. Sometimes the habits that need to be built are not physical habits but emotional ones. Let’s be open about what gets in the way of being consistent in life.

Firstly, excuses. Let’s be honest: we’re all guilty of using excuses to justify our poor decisions. So far today, I have told myself I can’t type this out because my hands are cold or that I have too many other things to do. I’m not in the mood (this one requires some work). I’ve had a five-day migraine and am now finally clear of it. I feel I should give myself time to rest after all that, especially since I did nothing for those five days. Why am I bothering? I’m no good at this anyway. Who am I to advise anyone? What do I know?

While consciously I know that these are nothing more than excuses, subconsciously I have a constant battle with these nonsensical reasons for lacking in my life. For example, while typing, my keyboard lost charge, two phone calls from people venting, and a needy cat reduced my motivation quite a bit. It felt like the last thing I wanted to do was complete this; I wanted to delete it and tell myself, “Why bother?” It’s so easy to slip away from even the things you enjoy or know are good for you.

While excuses prevent us from doing what we need or want to do, our moods affect us as well. It’s easy to engage in activities when you’re in the mood for them, but it requires a lot of self-discipline to perform tasks when we’re not feeling motivated. This is different when at work or when doing things for your family, but when it’s for yourself and independent of others, it becomes tough. Remembering to be motivated by your values and not just your moods or emotions is key to breaking through this barrier. For some, this is easy and not worth discussing, but for others, particularly those who are neurodivergent, it can be quite challenging.

On YouTube and through Google searches, there is an abundance of information—advice on how to overcome obstacles, how to heal, how to grow, and how to beat the odds. It’s hard to know where to start. I don’t want to be just another voice in the already loud internet. So here, I plan to document my internal glow-up. I’ll share my wins and failures, what’s worked and what hasn’t, and most importantly, I’ll be honest about my shortcomings. It’s okay to have them, and I imagine I’ll have many.

I aim to use social media in a more constructive way rather than just consuming reels. I’ll share books, recipes, workouts—absolutely everything—as this is a challenge for me. I tend to shy away from others and stay in my safe space. However, if I can help even one person start on a personal improvement journey, then it’ll be worth it. A lot of the online community is designed to separate and judge, but I believe we should create a community that encourages one another to be better. The happier and healthier we all are, the better we can be for ourselves and each other. I would like to be present in the best way possible, and I hope you do too.

This journey for me is not new. I have spent my whole adult life reading nonfiction, self-help, and scientific books. I see a lot of mental health struggles while at work, and I have noticed the increasing despair in recent years. I’ve become increasingly aware of how helpless people feel and the excessively high rate of anxiety. It’s time for me to put together what I’ve learned from my many hours of reading and my experiences in different areas of society to create a platform for solutions. The secret to happiness lies in activating your passion and purpose. This is how I will contribute. Head to my insta if you want to come along on this journey with me. I will be posting there and updating here.