The Benefits of Taking a Break From Your Ambitious Goals

Let's be honest, ladies, holding down a full time job & caring for your family & keeping up a household is enough work for one person but many of us make the conscious decision to, in our (very limited) free time, go after a gigantic and highly ambitious goal.

Whether it's starting a side-hustle, creating a blog, or becoming more fit, we push ourselves to reach new heights in the wee hours of the morning or late at night when you should be sleeping, catching up on the latest Netflix series or FINALLY "putting your self out there" and going on a date.

(I added that one for my sweet grandma who's been wondering when I'm getting married for the last three years. Side note: I have no prospects. #MinorDetails)

We, the fearless goal getters, are up staring at the blinding back light of our computer frantically googling up the best resources and tools to make our dreams come true.

It begins as a labor of love, you just want to pour your energy and time into it, with the realization that you are planting seeds. One day you'll get to the point where your hard work will be rewarded, and even though you don't actually know when that time will come, you still work. You still dedicate your time. You dedicate your energy - and you do it with a smile. This is your baby. 

As a parent, you can't actually take a break from your baby, but as a budding entrepreneur, pageant queen or marathon runner (you get my drift), you are in a unique position to ignore "your baby" and actually take a vacation when you need it. 

Even though you may feel like you have tons of to-do's piling up (because there's always something else you COULD be doing) you should build in time to take a break, and here's why:

That Refreshed Feeling

The beautiful thing about taking a break from fierce goal-getting is that taking your mind away from work, even for a limited time, will give you an opportunity to explore other things in your life. You won't feel like you're drowning or overwhelmed (at least not all the time). Instead you'll be creating more time to build relationships with your friends, pursue your hobbies and passions and spend time with family - all things that energize you and put you in a positive mood. You'll be able to bring that positive energy right back to your big goal when you get back to the grind. 

Renewed Outlook

Have you ever felt like you've been staring at a screen for too long and all the words kind of blend together?

When you have a limited time to work on your goal and you can often feel like want to get things done NOW. Sometimes, the best thing you can do to get that website copy (or blog post, or product description, etc.) just right is to step away from it and come back to it a few days later.

By giving your brain some time to breathe (and think about other things) you'll have the ability to see the mistakes and tiny edits you missed before. (In the coding world, where missing one semi-colon could throw off your entire project, taking a step back is necessary!)

The Long Distance Boyfriend Effect

Having a significant other that lives around the corner is fun because you can see them more whenever you want and surprise easily surprise them with spontaneous lunch or dinner plans. But let's be honest, sometimes you get tired of their little quirks.

The same thing happens with your goals.

The long distance boyfriend effect is, that feeling you get when you don’t see that hot guy you’ve been dating for an entire week. You miss him and can't wait to see him again.

Working nonstop on your goals can be rewarding, it can also be draining if that's all you're doing. Your side project that was fun and exciting can become routine and dry over time. When you take a nice break from your goals, you'll definitely miss it and be excited to get back to it. 

Don't be afraid to take a break. You owe it to yourself to relax your mind, pursue your hobbies, enjoy your family and friends and, quite simply, treat yo'self sometimes! Breaks can be the best thing for your goals, giving you a chance to detach so you can come back with renewed energy and focus. 

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

Why Your Dreams Need A Home (and How to Create It)

A few weeks ago I met with a friend who has been stuck in a bit of a rut. Her rut, however, is more of a #firstworldproblems kind of rut. It's not the "OMG! My life is falling apart right before my eyes" kind of rut. In short, she envisions a massive future for herself BUT (there's always a but, right?) she doesn't have any motivation to change what she's doing right now.

She works at a job that pays her well, she does have a management role and she gets to do work she enjoys. (Not the worst thing in the world, right?) The problem is that in her free time, she daydreams about this story forming in her head - a brilliant story of war, heartache, triumph and family values. Each day the story becomes more complex. It's poking at her, begging to be shared with the world. 

Over peppermint tea, she shares with me her struggle with complacency. Her life is nothing short of enjoyable. That book (or screenplay - she hasn't decided) would add another layer of complexity to her life and she's not sure she's ready for it. Through her internal struggle, her vision is growing, each chapter of the story is now screaming at her, letting her know it's time to let it fly. 

Whether she pursued this book or not, it was time to give her dreams a place to live. Her dreams are currently occupying her brain space making it difficult to fully enjoy her life as it is because she feels like she's missing something. She feels like she needs to do this. There's a subtle feeling of disappointment in herself for not bringing her dreams to life. (... and we've all felt this at some point, right?)

What she didn't realize is that she didn't need to quit her job to sit down and pen this body of work over the next year. Instead she can start a small process of making her dream tangible by giving it a place to live. Right now, she could start the process of writing down the names of each chapter as they came to her. She could start with a small summary of what would happen in each of those chapters. She could develop the names of the characters and pen the details of their personality and appearance. She could write down the conflicts they went through and how they got through them. The possibilities are endless...

Creating a home for your dreams is simple, you can: 

• Start a blog

• Write down your ideas in a journal

• Use Word Documents, Google Docs or Evernote

In doing this, you start making your dream tangible so, in small tiny pieces, it does become a reality. You also create a habit of taking steps towards your goal so that it's easier to keep the momentum going. (It won't be overnight, but within a few years, she will have that book.) Also, you stop feeling disappointed in yourself. Instead, you can feel proud that you've become that person that is making their dreams come true. In turn, you can fully enjoy the life you're currently living. 

Finding a home for your dreams is your opportunity to simply START. You don't have to share it with anyone. Every time you have an idea, you now have a place where you can write it down and hold on to it until you're ready to take the leap. Your idea is not lost to you and it's no longer in abstract. It exists and you, with minimal effort, are taking the first steps to bringing your dreams to fruition. 

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

Why You Need A Vision Board JUST For Your Side Hustle... And How To Create One

I'm convinced that all serious side hustlers (myself included) love punishment. It's either that, or me and my over-achieving, avocado-toast-eating millennial friends really enjoy getting in from a long + exhausting day at work, plopping down on the couch... and pulling out our computers to continue building a business in our spare time. (Netflix, Hulu, FREE TIME? What's that?) 

Over the past year, I've been working as a Marketing Intelligence Analyst at the most amazing company ever (seriously, I LOVE my job) and when I get home, I find it difficult to switch from corporate mode (where I have to think about what I say BEFORE I SAY IT) to the #ThriveTribe goal-setting guru you know and love (where my goal is to show up as my most authentic self). I usually need a glass of wine somewhere in between to help my brain switch gears. 

One thing that's helped me immensely is creating a mission + vision board for ONLY Thrive Lounge to keep in my side-hustle work space. When I sit down to work on Thrive Lounge, I can immediately see what my short terms goals are and (because of the unique way I've created my side hustle vision board) I have my mission and vision readily available while I'm creating content for my #ThriveTribe. This guarantees that, no matter what I've been subject to (or influenced by) during my day, I will have a constant reminder of my purpose to guide me while creating content and events.

Creating a vision board for your side gig will only increase your productivity and help you stay on track no matter what life throws your way. Here's what you need to include: 

 

Mission

In short, your mission is what your company does for it's users. I love having this by my side at all times because I love listening to entrepreneurship podcasts and often get side-tracked when I hear a new tactic that worked for someone else to grow their business. Keeping my mission close by ensures I don't lose site of what I do - and why you lovely ladies are here. :)

 

Vision

Your vision is one sentence that describes the future of your company. What do you want your company to be 10 years from now? Knowing what your vision is will also ensure that you always know what you're working towards and what your big, hairy, audacious goal is for your side gig.

Target Audience

Your target audience is, in short, who you are serving with your products, services, and content. For example, our target audience is the savvy & smart millennial women looking for a community to help her crush her goals. Being able to see a clear description of my target audience allows me to visually see who I'm talking to at all times. I recommend grabbing a magazine and cutting out pictures that remind you of your target audience. That way, while you're in the middle of content or product creation, you can always keep your audience top of mind and ensure you're serving them at every opportunity. 

Biggest 3 Goals You Are Working Towards Right Now

Every side hustler knows that there is a difference between being productive and being busy. Keeping your goals in plain sight on your side hustle vision board will make sure you are making good use of the few hours between your full-time job and your bedtime. Trust me, your side hustle will thank you! 

After you've created your side-hustle vision board, place it in the area where you're most likely to work. This will give you a constant reminder of who you serve, why you do it and what you're working towards. Happy Hustling! 

xoxo

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

10 Girlfriends You Must Invite To Your Vision Board Party

As a self-proclaimed vision board guru, I've been to my fair share of vision board parties and events (I even hosted my own vision board conference). One thing I've gained the most insight from - just as much as actually creating the board - is the mix of ladies in the room.

Having the right group of girlfriends at your vision board party makes ALL the difference in the energy you have surrounding you during your creation process.

It's literally the difference between creating within a room of unlimited brilliance & ideas or trying to create in an endless pit of "that won't work" and "neither will that" and "ummmmm..." 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying to skip out on inviting your struggling friend (in fact, I'm saying the opposite) BUT, you do need a good mix of energies, experiences, life goals, routines, and backgrounds to inspire you from all angles while you create your big vision.

Here are the 10 girlfriends you MUST invite to your next vision board party.

The One Who "Has It All"

Everyone has at least one friend who appears to "have it all." Often, this is also the friend that you want to choke because everything appears to run so smoothly for her.

Your friend who has it all will benefit the room because she will have ambitious goals that will inspire others.

She will also have insight into the things you're struggling with from her past experiences. In short, don't re-invent the wheel, ask her how she created it to start the year with a roadmap.

The Entrepreneur

Your entrepreneur friend will add a different vibe to the room, inspiring others to work harder (because I guarantee you, your entrepreneur friend is the hardest working person in the room #handsdown).

No matter how hard your friends on a salary are working, they can take a day off anytime they want and not worry about their paycheck. But your entrepreneur friend is responsible for every dollar she earns.

She will bring with her a go-getter energy that will inspire your inner goal savage. 

The One "In Transition"

I know your friend "in transition" can be a Debbie Downer sometimes because they won't always be sharing good news. They'll be sharing how they're moving their money around to get out of debt or struggling to go back to school to earn another degree.

If you catch them on the wrong day, they could even be crying their heart out because life is #Astruggle right now.

You always need this person in your group because, in addition to taking positive energy from your friends who are winning (right now), it's also your job to pour into your friends who are not.

Remember that life is a winding road and your friends who are winning today could just as easily be in need tomorrow and your friends who are struggling today could have huge success tomorrow. Don't count them out - lift them up. #truth

The Money Mogul

Everyone has one friend that is AMAZING with their money.

They are huge advocates for saving money, investing, spending their money wisely and cutting costs where they can.

They will make sure as you're posting cute outfits for your future swag that you're also thinking about your budget and other ways you can use that money to benefit you in the future. 

The Hopeless Romantic

Over the years, I had become a bit of a love skeptic, but I can always count on my friends who are building miraculous relationships to give me something to aspire to.

When you're building a vision board, being around this type of energy will lift your love spirits and might even inspire you to create some #RelationshipGoals of your own.

Related content: How To Manifest Real Love With A Boyfriend Vision Board 

The World Traveler

This friend moves so fast, you usually have to catch up with her on Instagram.

Every time you turn around, she's enjoying the scenes in a different country and embracing new cultures, foods, and customs.

She will give you a different perspective, one that is not restricted by daily routines and familiarity. This friend will inspire you to explore more. #travelbucketlist

The Creative

Creatives are notorious for doing their own thing.

They really don't care what's going on around them, they just want to create. They even are famous for turning their pain from life struggles into a book, painting, poem or top 40's hit song (like our fav break-up queen Taylor Swift).

Creatives bring a spontaneous energy to the room, inspiring you to peel back your insecurities and create your dreams.

The Corporate Queen

She is doing well at her company, working hard, and rising through the ranks.

She enjoys networking events, aligning herself with people of power, and even appears to enjoy office politics (because she's pretty darn good at it).

She's obviously a force to be reckoned with and will inspire you to crush your own corporate career goals. 

The Preacher's Daughter

Now by this one, I don't actually mean the preacher's daughter, but your friend who is always inviting you to church or praying for you.

This friend is crucial to your spiritual growth and will inspire others to take a second look at their spiritual walk.

Faith is something that often gets left off of vision boards but this friend will get it back on the map.

The Minimalist

Maybe millennials don't have to worry as much about keeping up with the Jones, but we do suffer serious FOMO (fear of missing out) from the Instagram stars that are somehow always living the life we want.

They have the latest clothes and gadgets. They’re traveling to the best venues, staying in the most lavish hotels and spas, viewing top Broadway shows - they even went to see Beyonce in person while you only got the few glimpses of the show they put on their IG stories. #Tear.

Your minimalist friend will help keep you grounded in what's really important in life. They seem to flow freely through life, not worrying about the cost of things because they don't suffer from lifestyle inflation... ever.

They pride themselves on shopping at a thrift store (and brag about how cheap something was, rather than how expensive.)

This friend is a quick reminder of how simple life can be.

Vision boards are a great way to create and remain consistent with your goals throughout the year. Having the right people surrounding you while you create your big vision, will only further ensure your success. 

Which friend do you find the most inspiring? Comment below.

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!