“It’s crazy, but a few words can absolutely transform your way of thinking.”

I’m a HUGE lover of quotes. I think that they’re a great tool to have at our disposal.

It’s crazy, but a few words can absolutely transform your way of thinking.

Quotes show us that other people experience the same things in life that you do. They show that you’re not alone. And many of them offer advice from someone else who’s been in your situation.

I started jotting down my favorite “quotes to live by” in a notebook about a year ago. I’d be reading a book and suddenly feel struck by a particular line I wanted to keep track of. Likewise, I’d hear a great line in an audio book and instantly think, “I don’t want to lose that!”

I’ve shared this before, but I also used quotes to get me through a tough year at a job I didn’t like. I’d read a quote or two from a book called Brave Enough, right before dashing out the door in the morning. Reading those quotes made me feel motivated. They gave me a sort of focus for the day and made me feel more present.

“There is something out there that you’ll like and make money doing.“

It’s getting late on Sunday night. You keep looking at the clock. 8:00…8:30…9:00…you should probably get ready for bed soon. But the sooner you go to bed, the sooner you have to get up. And that means going to work. At a job you hate. The thought completely depresses you.

Not all of us have the ability to get out of a job we don’t like. We got into it for various well-intentioned reasons, whether helping people, following our major, flexible hours, the paycheck, the benefits, etc. But sometimes the day-to-day surprises us: extreme stress, excess paperwork, restricting rules/regulations, tough bosses, and unkind coworkers (fortunately, I’ve been very lucky in the coworker department). And many of us can’t leave due to finances or contracts. If, for whatever reason, you find yourself struggling to get out of the door every day, here are my tips – from someone who’s been there!

“Once I got up, I noticed a HUGE change.”

I’ve never woken up at the same time every day. Never.

Growing up I would sleep in on the weekends. In college my first class started at different times each day. My first job involved working 12 hour night shifts 3 days/week. And I had to flex my hours at my last job, meaning on Tuesdays and Thursdays I had to come in a bit later – and getting up around 5-6 AM, you know I slept in on the weekends.

Do at least some of these circumstances sound pretty similar to you? I’m willing to bet they do.

So when I switched to self-employment about a month ago, I made myself a promise. I would try waking up at 7 AM every single day. Yes, that includes weekends.