If you would have asked me 4 years ago what I wanted to do with my career I would have told you “I want to work for myself.” I’ve always been a person who finds it hard to work for other companies or the corporate world unless I’m extremely passinate about the company or their mission. That’s hard to find in the corporate world. Trust me.. I’ve tried many times.

Job after job, year after year I found myself overworked, underpaid and basically miserable. About 4 years ago I decided to start a blog. I saw that my sister Lee Anne was starting to do well with hers and I thought “Well maybe I can too..” Heres the thing though.. 4 years ago I wasn’t in a headspace to take my blog full time. I was in a relationship that wasn’t a very healthy one, I wasn’t confident in myselt and I didn’t fully believe I could do it to be totally honest. It was like there was an angel on one shoulder saying ” You can do this!” and a devil on the other saying ” You will never be able to do this, you’ll never be good enough.” I was listening to that devil for way too long.

Fast forward to 3 years later ( which is 11 months ago today) I was and still am now in a healthy supportive relationship, I believe in myself and I truly felt I was ready. The biggest difference from the day I started my blog and 11 months ago was that I finally started listening to the angel on my shoulder more than the devil. So here is what I did the past 11 months to make it happen:

Made a Schedule and Stuck with It

This one is huge. When I started to get serious about my blog 11 months ago I made a schedule for Instagram and my blog. I made sure to post 1-2 times a day on Instagram, to post 1-2 blog post per week and to get on my Instagram stories daily. I also made sure to check sales daily and to post the best deals on my Liketoknowit app every single day.

Yes, it was a lot of work- especially with a full time job but I stuck with it. I would go to work and then go home and work again. Some days were harder than others but every time I would get in my car and sit in traffic on the way to work I was reminded why I was working so hard. My last job wasn’t a bad one at all. It actually was with a great real estate company and I worked with a lot of kind people. It’s just that my heart wasn’t in it. I realized a year ago my heart would never be in any position where I’m working for someone elses dream. I needed to work for myself… for my own dreams.

Manifestation

Manifestation is basically something that is put into your physical word from your thoughts, feelings and beliefs. I remember 11 months ago on March 1st 2019 I looked in the mirror and told myself “I will be blogging full time by this time next year March 2020.” I believed it for the first time. I didn’t just tell myselt this in the mirror almost every day but I told everyone around me. My boyfriend, friends, family and even other bloggers at blogging events. I would say “2020 is my year!” The daily positive affirmations helpd me to turn my feelings and thoughts into my reality. It also helped get rid of my negative thought and started to replace them with positve ones. What we say to ourselves is super powerful. I started to be kind to myself.

Affiliate Programs + Paid Sponsorships

I signed up with an affiliate program with Reward Style ( The Liketoknowit app) plus I became an Amazon Influencer where I have my own Amazon Storefront. Reward Style is an affiliate marketing company that teams up with several brands so influencers can share their affiliate links and make comission off of what their followers buy. I also started reaching out to companies to gain paid sponsorships and eventually they even started reaching out to me! There’s a TON that goes into this part of blogging and if you guys want I may do a series all about blogging tips and tricks. Let me know in the comments below if that would be helpful to you.

Networking with Other Bloggers & Stopped Comparing Myself to Them

This was a tough one for me 4 years ago. I went to a blogging event in Austin, TX and felt so insecure and awkward that I left about 30 minutes after I arrived. I remember I cried in my Uber on the way back to my aparment thinking I will never be good enugh. I truly felt that way at the time. I was really at rock bottom. I remember thinking all of the bloggers seemed stuck up or closed off but looking back that was my own insecurities and the devil on my shoulder speaking. I remember scrolling on Instagram for hours thinking ” I will never be tan enough, skinny enough, pretty enough, have a big enough house, have the picture perfect family” …. the list goes on and on.

Fast forward to 11 months ago when I shifted my mindset I started to love blogging events. I went to an Amarylis event in Dallas with some top bloggers who I’ve followed for years. Instead of walking in feeling insecure and less than I walked in knowing everyone there is human. We’re all in this together ( like High School Musical says) and I told myself that I was worthy. I had SO much fun. I met so many wonderful hard working boss babes who truly inspired me and motivated me to keep going. It was during that trip I realied this entire time I was the ONY thing that was holdng me back this entire time.

I Shifted My Mindset

This sums it up. I simply shifted my mindset from listening to the devil on my shoulder and telling myself I couln’t and started listening to the angel and told my self I COULD.  It’s crazy how much self doubt can mess with you.

If there is something you truly want to do, what are you waiting for? Tell that little devil to buzz off and tell yourself you CAN and if you keep telling yourself this and you truly believe it.. you WILL! Afterall you’re the only one in your way.

Thanks for reading and your support means the world to me!

**I also want to give a huge shout out to my boyfriend, Layne who has been my biggest supporter. He has never judged me for what I do like guys I’ve dated in the past. He is encouraging, kind and always keeps me calm. Also my sister, Lee Anne is my biggest inspiration. She guides me every day and helps lead me to success. I’m so thankful for her and wouldn’t be where I was without her. Also my mom is soo encouraging and basically my blogging business partner! We talk on the phone every day encouraging each other. She also has a blog, Coastal Cheryl and I love how she’s always there for me when I need her support on the good and the bad days.. because trust me some days are tough and having this wonderful support system means the world to me.**

Love you guys!

XOXO,

Scarlett