When was the last time you said you’d do something tomorrow?
Like going to the gym for a proper workout, quitting smoking or spring cleaning your house. Thing is, tomorrow comes and you’re still saying the exact same thing: I’ll do it tomorrow; one more day won’t make a difference; I don’t have the time now, but I will tomorrow.
Sound familiar? We understand, because starting tomorrow means avoiding change today. And change can be scary. It requires effort. It asks you to break routine. But, when you keep putting things off until tomorrow, you miss out on what you really want now.
That's why:
Starting Now is so important!
The turn of a new decade is the perfect time to start making real changes. Changes that broaden your horizons and take you to better places. Changes that impact your life in amazing ways. They bring opportunity, impress employers and boost your earning potential. You've just got to silence the voice in your head that tells you it’s not possible, because it is, and you’re ruling the roost now!
Last year at Oxbridge was all about determination. We encouraged our students to say 'I can, I will' to help them reach their goals. This year, we’re exploring the power of Starting Now.
#IcanIwill was about making a positive affirmation for self-belief. #StartingNow is about taking that one step further: taking action. This year, we want to help even more people get started on their goals and dreams. It all starts with learning. And it starts now. You just have to say YES!
Stick with us over the coming months to see how Starting Now will make a difference to your life in 2020...
What Does It Mean To Start Now?
Starting Now is about having the courage to say YES to more things more often. It's switching things up in your life and saying goodbye to regrets. No more putting things on the back burner until you have more time, funds or can be bothered. It means finally joining the netball team or learning to speak Spanish!
It might mean cutting ties. If something isn’t working for you, don't wallow – you have the power to change it. Most importantly, Starting Now is all about reinventing yourself! The best part is figuring out what that looks like and then making it happen without looking back.
Anytime, anywhere, anyhow, we're making personal development easier than ever for people like you.
Avoiding Resistance to Change
To get to where you want to be, you need to let go of resistance to change. We know that it’s easy to be a creature of habit. That’s why only one in nine of people take the leap when given free reigns to better their lives. It seems the remaining 89% prefer the comfort zone. It’s cosy, safe, and permits a sense of control.
It’s nice maintaining stable lifestyles. Familiarity is key. It's ingrained into every fibre of our being. Even when change presents us with value or luxury, we still deny it. Why is that? Because we've built mindsets around fear and expectation - our daily routines. And it all starts with a bowl of Shreddies in the morning.
But how do we break the cycle? Easy - baby steps. It's what Susan Jeffers calls 're-education' - the unteaching of habit and teaching yourself to 'feel the fear and do it anyway.' But, once you develop a Starting Now mindset, and realise that you can create your own destiny, everything falls into place.
Oxbridge can teach you how to break down resistance in your life and start building a can-do attitude that you can use to make your mark in the world - and you can learn it all from the comfort of home.
Anyone Can Do It
What's so great about Oxbridge’s Starting Now movement is that anyone can get involved.
Whether you're 16 years old or 65. Whether you're a stay-at-home mum or a high-flying executive. Or whether you've been working the same role for 17 years or you’ve been skipping between roles because you're still deciding on where to settle.
Start Now!
Just think for a moment. What do you desire? What do you want to overcome? It could be as simple as learning a new skill to work more efficiently or to change career entirely. It could be pursuing a lifelong dream, like becoming a make-up artist, personal trainer or published author...
Start Now!
Perhaps you know what you want but you need help getting there. You're ready to tackle resistance, learn new skills, and show the world what you’re capable of.
Starting Now: Tips & Advice
Everybody has their own personal goals and dreams, drawbacks and fears that drive or halt their pursuit for success. Deep down, a lot of people just know they could be happier. They know they want more meaning in their lives and they're tired of standing still.
You may not know what you want right now, and that's okay. What's important is acknowledging that something needs changing, and then take the first step to change it.
So, to get you heading in the right direction, here are our tips for Starting Now:
1. Know What You Want
It's not a trick question. Before you can take action, you need to figure out who you are and what you want. Having a purpose or something to push towards is the first step and motivating factor in your future success. So, think about what the outcome would be of learning a skill, and let that thought drive you.
“When people are ready to, they change. They never do it before then, and sometimes they die before they get around to it. You can’t make them change if they don’t want to, just like when they do want to, you can’t stop them”
2. Take A Risk
Stepping out of your comfort zone sounds like risky business to the inexperienced risk-taker. Why break the cycle? It's been a breeze so far, right? Sure, but playing it safe is just as dangerous as taking a risk. Why? Because you're not moving forward.
You get stuck in one place and stagnate, which isn't great for your future. After all, what employer wants to hire a dinosaur with skills from the Jurassic period? Just think about it!
A good risk is calm and calculated. Planned. With you in complete control. A risk can be taking that first step or making a decision, such as choosing to learn a new skill and enrolling on the course. You're simply opening the door to opportunities you’d otherwise risk losing forever by standing still.
That's the power of Starting Now. Starting now, there's no time for regret, only reaping rewards.
3. Don't Make Excuses
One of the biggest mistakes you can do right after Starting Now is to make excuses. Here are some of the most common:
- "It's too hard."
- "I can’t because I might fail."
- "I’m too busy with the children."
- "It’s too much time and effort."
- "I'm comfortable right now, why change?"
- "I can't afford it (meaning I’m not willing to save for it)."
Excuses, excuses, excuses. They’re just elaborate stories as to why we can't do something, convincing ourselves that we can't do/afford/get/enjoy something we know will undoubtedly benefit our lives in meaningful ways.
So, our final tip is to stop lying to yourself or making excuses. You're only hurting yourself when you deny an opportunity. Starting Now, be honest with what you want. As a result, you'll be happier in the long run.
Starting Now: What to expect
Instead of the future being a distant dream, we want 2020 to be the year you create something tangible and real. Make real changes to become the kind of person you want to be and create the lifestyle you really want.
Starting Now is about seizing the day. No more excuses. It’s about learning and gaining the knowledge needed to help you grow into the person you want to be. It’s about putting your personal development first, Starting Now.
We're bringing the human back to learning and making affirmations for you to stick to. We'll be offering you more guidance, more tips, and advice. Furthermore, we'll be pushing you harder, asking you to challenge yourself in ways you've been avoiding. With tasks, games, blogs, videos and so much more, you'll want to see what we've got in store!
Keep your eyes peeled over the next few months. Why? Because Starting Now, we're even more committed to helping you battle your fear of change and reach your true potential. All you have to do is take the first step.
Finally, speak to our friendly course advisers on live chat if you have any questions 🙂