The Golden Standard: Advice Column #4
Welcome to The Gold Standard - Here at the blog team, we’re here to answer your questions, work through your problems, and give you a place to spill your tea.
Advice for getting started on a big scary dream/how to gain experience if you don’t have any.
I love this question! The important part is to remember you have that dream for a reason, and if you’re willing to pursue it, starting with little things can help. Whatever your dream is, it can be beneficial to start practicing what you’d like to do for your dream. For example, creating your own work will help you in showing future companies what you are capable of! Whether your dream is being artistic and creative, or moving to another state or country, trying modeling, or becoming the best athlete in your field, it is always best to just start!
Everyone has their own talents and passions, but once you find what that means to you, you can (in your own way) build on that and begin taking action. Another tip I have for you is to find people with similar interests, or if you can’t seem to find anyone, look at who your role models are for the dream you are pursuing. Find out the steps they took to get to where they are and make time in your routine to pursue your passions.
If you’ve already begun practicing your passions/talents and are looking for experience, I suggest taking a peek at what jobs are available on LinkedIn or Indeed. Many places are hiring right now and oftentimes you can work from home/remotely. Be creative in what you’re interested in, you’ll feel better if what you are doing is authentic to you.
Most importantly, not everyone has to understand why you are pursuing big dreams. As long as it makes you happy, you’re doing the right thing for yourself. Pat yourself on the back for the little things that you accomplish, big dreams take time! Lastly, don’t give up on yourself, even if setbacks come your way. I hope this helps.
How do I stop feeling like my life is on pause… like nothing feels fulfilling, I think it really started during the pandemic and I haven’t gotten out of it since.
I feel that a lot of people can understand where you are coming from in this question. You are definitely not alone. The pandemic has taken its toll on all of us in many ways. The good news — it is possible to begin feeling fulfilled again. It may take time, and you may have to start with small steps, but happiness is found within and it’s important to not be hard on yourself during the process.
To begin, my suggestion is to make a list of things that make you feel good. The list can be made of absolutely anything, big or small. For example, it could be activities like listening to music, taking a hot bath, reading a book, going for a walk, exercising, or talking to a friend or family member. Once you make this list, you can look back on it whenever you’re feeling unfulfilled or down and take the time for yourself to reset by doing something that makes you feel good.
Another suggestion I have for you is to take up journaling. When you write what you’re feeling in a journal or what has been going on in your day to day life, you can physically see your thought process and begin to have a better understanding of it. It is also allows you to process your feelings, which can be a form of healing for many.
Or, you can write a list of small goals that you have for yourself, whether they be physical or mental goals. Once you achieve a goal, you can cross it off and create a new goal for yourself. The goals can be as small as taking a shower that day and wearing something you love to feel good about yourself, or it could be reorganizing/cleaning your room. Or, it could be taking up a new creative hobby like making art or blogging.
You can also take a look at our other Golden blog posts that feature small actions you can take to relieve stress, practice mindfulness and live a more fulfilling life.
Oftentimes, I feel that starting with small things leads to better health, and the more you do for yourself, the more self-love will come with it! However, it’s important to know that not everyday will be easy and it all takes time to build on feeling fulfilled. Don’t be hard on yourself, no one is perfect and we’re all figuring ourselves out a day at a time. Lastly, know you are never alone in how you are feeling. Everyone faces their own struggles, but it helps to look for the positives in life and doing small things to make yourself feel happy.
Golden is here for you, you got this!
That’s it for this week! If you’d like to submit a submission for our blog team, drop it in this google form below:
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Best of luck,
The Gold Standard