LIFESTYLE | October 27, 2020

If something didn't work, people are always quick to analyze. Namely in the sense that the reasons can be found pretty much everywhere in this world - but definitely not in you. (Incidentally, this is always very funny to observe when interviewing football professionals after a lost game: it was the referee's fault!). Sometimes it seems to me as if there is a mechanism built into the brain that makes us immediately look for reasons when something doesn't work out - and the simplest and most obvious explanation is often the explanation that is not our fault.

The boss who always overlooks me
The bank that doesn't want to give me a loan
The children, who are of course wonderful, but demand so much time that I can't implement my business idea

Sound familiar? Hey, that's completely normal! Pretty much everyone has excuses like that in their head. But the bottom line is: don't let them get too big - and recognize them for what they are: exactly, excuses!
Successful people, on the other hand, have one thing in common: they take responsibility and don't look for blame elsewhere. “Only when you start taking responsibility will you discover how much power you have,” she says Author and coach Allanah Hunt. And that's exactly what I advise you: Take responsibility! You decide what happens in the next twelve months with your actions - and not other people or forces. Believe me: This is also an incredibly liberating feeling because it means you are not dependent on others. It's all about you!

People we admire can be a wonderful source of inspiration. Why? Because we can learn from them how they look at life, tackle things or deal with setbacks (which brings us back to the first point, taking responsibility…).
And it's not about being or wanting to achieve exactly like your role model. Because that can be quite intimidating, for example with a sports star. It is therefore better to think about exactly what qualities you admire in your role model. What exactly sets him or her apart? Is it the willingness to learn and grow? The love and attention she gives to the children? The determination with which she pursues her goals? Do a little cherry picking and ask yourself: Which characteristics do I really like - and what can I implement from them for myself?

You can also discover something else interesting with your role models: Many of these doers, thinkers and implementers have built so-called rituals into their everyday lives. A ritual is something that we know is good for us and helps us move forward: It can be regular exchanges with great women who inspire you. Or the ten-minute meditation in the evening. Or the fifteen minutes you dedicate every day to a good book. And this is where your role models can be great inspiration. Many successful people talk openly about what helps them in life and how they spend their days. For example, I always lie down on my famous fluffy bathroom rug (insiders know this ritual from my book „How dreams learn to fly”) and dream about how my day could go.
However, a ritual can only have its effect if we use it regularly. Remember: It has no impact on your health whether you drink a cola or a bottle of mineral water at your next lunch. But if you regularly replace the cola with water, your body will feel it and you will feel better.

Many women (but of course also one or two men) hear a sentence from their parents or grandparents in their childhood that I find absolutely terrible. It reads: „Be realistic!” Children usually hear this when they start dreaming - for example, about what they could become later. Of course, not everyone can become an astronaut or chancellor. But not everyone should just become what those around them think they are „“appropriate”.
Of course, goals that are unrealistic wear you down. We don't all have to want to run the New York Marathon when we start jogging. But take part in the 10-kilometer race in your hometown in the summer...why not? The more specifically you formulate your goals, the easier it is to implement them. So not: „More sport and preparation for independence.” Be more specific! „Tai Chi in the gym twice a week” and „Write down the business plan by the end of April”. Write down your goals in a nice little book and look at them again and again. Then you will keep them in mind and will automatically start working on them.

We now know that we ourselves (and not the nagging work colleagues or the know-it-all uncle) determine our own fate (take responsibility...) and that rituals and clear goals pave the way for us. Now I'll tell you something that personally helped me enormously to build my own company based on my love for cosmetics. You have to imagine your future! Because it feels so good to close your eyes and think: Where is my soul or my gut feeling taking me? What do I want to achieve professionally or privately? When I started my cosmetics line, I recorded my goals, dreams and beliefs on a vision board in a kind of collage. This works wonders!