3 Non-Negotiable Habits I Developed Through My WA Experience
Hello, WA family,
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are ready to wrap up the year on a high note!
For me, every end of the year means reflection, reevaluation, adjustment, and accounting in all aspects of life. Although I have been a member of the WA platform for 5 years, my activity was sporadically, without being a front-and-center member.
But always, in the background, I was reading, observing, analyzing, learning from experiences, and adjusting my strategies.
With this in mind, I realized that over time, I developed three habits that have helped me stay consistent as a member while providing the direction needed to evolve and grow my online business.
BEING A SPONGE and soaking up knowledge like it was my job. When I first joined WA, I was a newbie at building an online business. I was already familiar with offline business, but online was a different story.
I was excited about the new adventure but overwhelmed by terms, information, tools, and technical aspects.
It is pointless to have everything at your disposal if you do not understand what to do with it and how to make the most of it.
Instead of shutting down or feeling lost, I made it a point to be a sponge, soaking up everything I could, content training, chat discussions, community threads, answers to questions, and article comments.
Even the advice did not make sense at first. I trusted that it would click later on. And guess what? It always did. You never know when those little gems of knowledge can be the missing piece.
This habit developed my curiosity to explore and ask the right questions and to diversify the range of tools, strategies, and approaches I use in my online business.
So, if you are new or struggling to connect the dots, feeling lost or confused right now, do not stress about understanding everything at once. Step-by-step, open every door of knowledge you can and let it all come together with time.
Remember, you are here to build your business. Every bit of information counts!
TAKING IT PROFESSIONALLY, NOT PERSONALLY, was the hard one. When running a business, you put yourself out there, exposing your ideas, efforts, and sometimes even your vulnerabilities to the world.
And, in many cases, people do not get your vision. So, be ready to face criticism. That applies to the online business world as well. It is inevitable.
The internet means different opinions. If someone criticizes your work or style, it does not reflect on you.
At first, when I did not receive glowing feedback as I expected, I felt slightly offended. I did not understand what was wrong because, in my eyes, everything seemed right.
Sometimes, straightforward and cold feedback felt like it undermined my work. However, over time, I realized that business is all about professional growth, not personal validation.
I learned to look at things from a professional perspective and use the feedback no matter how harsh it seemed, as an opportunity to grow and improve what I was doing.
If you can do that, you will grow faster than you think. Keep it professional, take what is beneficial, and leave the rest.
This mindset will help you keep moving forward without getting bogged down by negativity.
HAVING A THICK SKIN. I will never please everyone, and that is perfectly fine. There will always be people who disagree, criticize, or do not connect with what we put out there, whether it is our business, ideas, or personal beliefs.
Even when we handle the situation professionally it is important to protect our emotional balance and maintain confidence in our work.
No matter how professional we strive to be, as humans we remain inherently sensitive to the opinions and reactions of people around us.
At first, I struggled with this. I wanted everyone to like what I created and to resonate with my vision.
But the reality was different. It stung.
I questioned my skills, direction, and even my decision to build an online business.
Now, I smile and keep moving forward. I know that trying to please everyone is impossible and also counterproductive.
Having a thick skin does not mean ignoring feedback or criticism. It means learning to filter it, take in what is valuable, and let go of the rest.
My business is not for everyone, and that is a good thing. It means I am being true to myself and focusing on my vision to keep it intact.
The naysayers will fade into the background as long as I do my best to serve my audience.
Remember, your business reflects your unique approach and values. Not everyone will see your vision the way you do.
You are not here to please everyone. Your business is to serve the right audience, the people who genuinely connect with your message. Those are the ones who matter!
It is your turn now. As we head into the new year, take a moment to reflect on the habits that will help you grow and stay focused in 2025. Challenges are always there, but it is the actions we engage in that make the difference!
Wishing you a New Year filled with progress, growth, and the confidence to move forward with your business.
Cheers! 🥂🍾 Here's to making 2025 count!
Diana.
Recent Comments
16
Wishing you a wonderful and exciting new year Diana and continue to learn and most of all, enjoy it all.
Andre :)
Thank you, Andre. I'm glad I had little time to write here on the platform because of the holidays. On this occasion, I also took the opportunity to send everyone my best wishes for the new year. 😊
Wonderful to hear Diana
Enjoy the rest of the week and time to enjoy another wonderful new year
Happy New Year and wishing you much success going forward.
Andre
Thank you Diana for this beautiful encouragement and so true to everyday life.
We have the choice to act or react, quite a difference two little letters can make :-)
Wish you all the very Best for 2025.
Regards
Christine
Thank you for stopping by, Christine. I wish you a Happy New Year and much success in your personal and professional life.
Greetings,
Diana.
Wonderful lessons, Dian, and thanks for sharing them here.
Let's see what 2025 holds in store for us. Plan. Execute.
John
Hi John,
Thank you for your appreciation. The New Year 2025 will be shaped by what you build. Start with a vision, then follow with a plan and execution.
Happy New Year!
Best Regards,
Diana.
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I share these habits with you, Diana. I'm sure those hanging in there and making a go of this also do.
Regarding point number one, when I started, I was so excited that I thought I should have something to say about everything when I wasn't even familiar with the jargon. I should have shut up and listened instead! Haha, it's all good.
Two. It took a while to open up to criticism. Now, criticism is my friend.
Three. Having thick skin doesn't make one a brute. It makes them strong. I'm not offended by naysayers. I feel sorry for them because they have stopped dreaming or become so cynical that they can't appreciate that we still can.
Good read. Thanks.
Hi Dave,
Thank you for stopping by. You made a great point about naysayers. Most often, their cynicism comes from a place of their disappointments or lost dreams. That’s why it’s important, when dealing with them, to remember that their negativity reflects where they are, not where we are headed.
Wishing you a Happy New Year filled with success and lasting inner peace!
Best Regards,
Diana.