The Myth of Instant Results

Picture a growing child…”Wow, when did you get so big?! It seems like just yesterday you were a baby!” That experience is growth in its purest, most basic form. The incremental changes that are happening every minute, every day are so hard to see! But, give a kid a year, even just a few months or weeks, and the changes can be drastic, right?

Now, think of your own journey and challenges in this way. Are you beating yourself up over goals you haven’t reached yet? Successes you haven’t realized? This is your reminder to STOP. Give yourself a little break. Because change is rarely apparent overnight.The idea of that is sure seductive, though, right? Ask anyone who’s been on a weight-loss journey, attempted a fitness challenge, or started a new business venture. There are a lot of very enticing “see results NOW”, “make $$$ in 30 days!”, “feel better than ever in less than a week” promises out there. And, we’re not questioning the appeal. It’s so easy to buy into the instant gratification mentality and start judging ourselves with unrealistic expectations.

As we can attest through personal experience, those promises rarely pan out. If you’re undertaking a new challenge or endeavor – that’s your “child”. Would you expect it to grow up overnight? Probably not. Because, you know that’s not how life works. Changes happen like a child’s growth. Real, lasting changes in your personal journey will happen over time, typically as a result of constant and continued efforts.

If you’re building your business, of course you’re celebrating the big milestones. Frustration when profits aren’t rolling in just yet is normal; but tweak your approach and move on. Use the hurdles you encounter as lessons to help you grow as opposed to evidence of failure. If anything is true, it’s that giving up is the surest way to fail.

Which is why we encourage people to take the time to celebrate the small victories. If you’re on a weight loss journey, focusing on the end goal can feel intimidating, especially if you have a large amount to lose. If you’re working on bettering your fitness habits, celebrate your personal records. Taking note of every time you make a choice to treat your body better is a victory. Each half pound loss is a step in the right direction.

Instant results are rarely (if ever!) instant, so we challenge you to do this: reframe your idea of success. Results really mean change, so start celebrating the small changes as success in your journey, instead of waiting for the END result and being disappointed in yourself and your efforts along the way. What if you could view your progress as success? Every step forward is an improvement from where you once were, and improvement (or progress) IS success!

Don’t believe us? Consider the most “successful” people you know, or know of. Are they wealthy? Well-traveled and highly-educated? Healthy? In seemingly “perfect” relationships? They likely all share something in common BEYOND their success. That common factor? Their journey is on-going!

Wealthy people typically don’t STOP making money; they always want more money. Travelers are always seeking new experiences and exploring new places. Relationships are constantly growing deeper and stronger. The educated are always eager to learn more and expand their knowledge. In essence, the bar is raised and the journey continues. In their efforts to keep growing, successful people stay focused on the daily steps needed to help them grow. They just happen to be further along on their journey than others!

Success isn’t a fixed end-point. It’s a series of goals or milestones reached over time. In reframing the way you view success, you can allow yourself the grace to stumble and learn along the way without succumbing to false and unproductive feelings of failure. You’ll also be able to see just how successful you already are – and that’s worth a lot.

With Sisterly Love,

Cathy & Lan

P.S. We’d love to hear from you; what journey are you focusing your efforts on today? Share with us in the comments below and let us celebrate your milestones with you!

Want MORE on this topic? Check out Episode 16 of the podcast; we talk about reframing success and how we apply this concept in our own lives as well!

With Eyes & Arms Wide Open…

It’s only January, and we’re finding ourselves in complete awe of how much has already transpired in 2019, how much we have ahead of us, and how much we WANT to do. Life is like that, sometimes, right? You can be in a routine for so many months, weeks, even years… and then, like the weather, everything changes in an instant.

The question is: how do you handle change? Both of us have experienced major shifts in our lives over the past several months, and the new year has brought with it a wave of changes. Some were expected and planned for, some not so much. But, with incredible support from our loved ones (and plenty of self-reflection), both Lan and I have made similar decisions – to welcome these changes and embrace them on our own terms.  

See, that’s the thing. MOST changes we encounter on a day to day basis will present themselves in the form of a CHOICE. It’s all about perspective. And your perspective can make all the difference in the world. Some choices are easy – Do I stay in bed and cuddle the baby for 5 more minutes, or get up now and have more time to get ready? (CLEARLY, stay in bed! ? ) Some choices are harder – Do I invest money to further my education or save the money to buy my first home? (Depends on your long-term goals!).

Some situations can lead to downright “analysis paralysis”. You know, that phenomenon of getting so caught up in weighing out every detail, pro & con, potential outcome, etc. that you end up unable to make a decision at all! We’ve all been there, right? The struggle is real and while we’d never want to diminish that for you, we want to offer you a little insight to make your next tough choice JUST a little easier to make.

It’s as simple as this: Even when it doesn’t feel like it, YOU’RE IN CONTROL. It’s true! Please understand that we’re not implying all life situations are controllable. What we mean is – in every scenario where you get to make a choice – you have some control. That knowledge, sisters, is empowering! It means you have the chance to determine the direction of your life. Just as you have the ability to decide between coffee or tea in the morning, you have the ability to make the tough choices with as much confidence. And when you embrace that fact, you realize your strength.

We’ve decided to face recent changes and choices in our lives with our arms and eyes wide open – because we know we’re strong enough to think things through and, when necessary, come up with our own solutions. We’re smart, capable, strong women who are not going to let a few unexpected changes rile us up. We’re going to view them for the opportunities they are: opportunities to be strong, opportunities to be brave, opportunities to learn and grow. We hope you’ll join us in recognizing your strength and trusting in your ability to choose how your life unfolds. You’ve got this.

With Sisterly Love,

Cathy & Lan

P.S. We’d love to hear from you; what life-changing choices have you had to make? What helped you reach your decision? Share with us in the comments below.