Challenging times can give us unexpected gifts of critical clarity that help us learn, give, grow and love life in ways that we couldn’t ever imagine. The key to is not to lose your AIM:
Affirmation
Affirmation is about asserting facts strongly, to yourself, and to others. The first thing I did when this crisis emerged was make powerful declarations. I vowed to be a strong leader. I promised myself that I would use this time to finally get things done like finishing my second book and growing my women’s retreats. While we cannot control a lot of things, we can choose to control our choices and actions. Affirmations help us stay focused.
Examples of affirmations include:
“I’m rising up and owning my expertise”
“I attract clients who value my worth.”
“I’m learning and growing every day.”
“I’m going to finish my book.”
The word affirmation comes from the Latin affirmare, originally meaning “to make steady, strengthen.” Perhaps you strengthen your value proposition, what you are offering and how you can be of ultimate service to clients in tough times. Maybe you reevaluate the work you are doing. Or, if you are in the middle of a career shift, use this time to affirm or re-affirm your goals.
On the flip side, look at how you can help provide affirmation (emotional support or encouragement) to others. One of the best things you can do to lift yourself up is to help lift others up.
Take time to journal affirmations for yourself and also to make affirmations to help others. Small steps make a big difference.
Inspiration
One of the most valuable things you can do right now is to stay inspired. Don’t cut what fuels you, especially now. Yes, museums were off limits, yoga studios are closed, vacations are being cancelled and IRL times with our fave friends aren’t happening. But success comes in “cans”, not “cant’s”. What can you do to stay inspired? Do things and create moments for yourself that keep you mentally stimulated, inspired and creative.
Inspiration is also about offering emotional support or encouragement to others.
“The women I am working with are not wilting in these wild times, they are growing into their amazing, authentic selves and in that, are becoming amazingly inspiring to others.”
— Lorrie Thomas Ross
Make a list of things that inspire you. It’s your list, so be really honest. Next, write down ways that you can inspire others. This can be as easy as taking time every day to be supportive in online communities, writing helpful social media posts or making a more concentrated effort to live by example.
Creativity is everything. In good times and in bad, still be inspired and live inspired.
Motivation
Be motivated to grow and know that that growth often means change. I don’t know about you, but I feel more motivated than ever to work hard to not just survive, but to thrive in these times.
This is a time to be motivated to work hard, but for some of us, motivation might come by optimizing foundations. This can be a time to separate what works and what doesn’t. I’m spring cleaning my house, improving systems in my business and personal life and my tolerance for things (especially things I pay for) that are just so-so are getting cut.
Doors have to close for new ones to open…
While I can’t predict what the future holds, I do believe wholeheartedly that we are paid equally to how much we are willing to think. While it’s hard to keep a clear head these days, keep your AIM!
Lorrie Thomas Ross is the CEO of Web Marketing Therapy®, a marketing optimization agency and the founder of Wild Web Women®, a training company that helps wildly wonderful women root, sow and grow web-based businesses that support the beautiful lives they want and deserve! She wrote The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course to Online Marketing.
