Flaws and All

"I neglect you when I'm working When I need attention I tend to nag I'm a host of imperfection And you see past all that"

Y'all know the rest of the song and if you don't you can thank me later for dropping this gem on you. I'm not a member of the Beyhive but I truly love that song because it speaks to everyone. We all have a Samsonite suitcase worth of flaws but there is at least one person in our lives that has the capability to see past all of that.

Hopefully today you will be my one person because I have some flaws to confess in the name of the Writers Write Journaling Plan for Week Two. Last week was all about careers and dreams, but this week Ashley decided to flip the script by requesting us to go deeper into evaluating our personal growth.

August 10th Prompt: We often see the flaws in others so much more clearly than in ourselves. What could you use work on? What will you do to make steps to improve it?

What could you use work on?

1. Communication:

It's pretty ironic that I listed this first because my undergraduate degree is in Communications, Broadcast Journalism to be exact but communicating can still be a struggle for me. I don't mean verbally communicating, I can successfully get my points across and connect with people that is why I am an aspiring motivational speaker. What I'm talking about is the means of communication. For example, I'll read a text message because I hate the notification count but then I'll forget to respond because I was too busy in that moment and now days have gone passed. Let's not even talk about my jungle inbox, I'm ashamed to even tell you how many unread messages I have (mostly automated subscriptions from stores but still). I even have a running list of people I need to contact within the next week (but do I ever really cross their names off?).

2. Time management: This contributes to my communication problem mentioned above because I never schedule time to sit down and thoroughly go through my inbox. I also allow distractions to win the best of me when I need to focus on writing a paper, blog post, homework, or whatever the task may be.

3. Speaking up for myself: If I am treated unfairly whether it is a waiter getting my order wrong or a co-worker saying something slick to me, I rarely tell the person how I feel. Instead I will internalize it or complain to Mr. Fearless.

4. Believing & Sharing my Talents: Since my addiction with Periscope, I've been introduced to a lot of coaches and infopreneurs that help bloggers take their brands and business to the next level. They are constantly talking about ways to use your skills and knowledge to monetize. Little ol' me sat there thinking, "I can't sell coaching, consulting, or a banging e-course/workbook." Then I thought about photography. Did y'all know that I'm a photographer? I've shot weddings, hair events, parties, business openings, restaurants, and I love shooting nature. No, you probably didn't know that because it is nowhere to be found on my site.

What will you do to make steps to improve it?

1. Communication:

☆ Give myself two hours each night to purge over 2,000 unread emails I have and unsubscribe to unnecessary subscriptions.

☆ Implement the "In 24 Hours Action" rule that says for each new e-mail I get I have to either delete or respond to it within 24 hours. Do the same with text messages.

2. Time Management:

☆ I always have a schedule created daily, but now I just have to make sure I don't entertain any distractions. I'll also adhere to the guidelines from The Nectar Collective .

3. Speaking Up For Myself:

☆ My excuse for always letting things slide is that I don't want to disturb the peace. I don't want the waiter to be mad or a co-worker to feel uncomfortable. I constantly think about the other person in the situation. However, I need to realize, the other person did something wrong and speaking up won't be the end of the world. How do I expect to be the voice of those who are living in fear if I can't even use mine? Come on now, Ash.

4. Believing In & Sharing My Talents:

☆ I plan on installing a new theme soon and with that update, I will also add a gallery of photos I've taken.

☆ I'll make a social media schedule that promotes my portfolio.

☆ I'll work on building my portfolio up and seeking mentors so I can become better at my craft.