You Have to Be Willing to Bet On Yourself

Or live your life in quiet desperation

Enough was enough.

I was tired of working 12 h days, completing all the work assigned to me, and never getting a break. No weekends off. No holidays for two years. And little to show for it.

It was not that I was bad at my job — quite the opposite.

The company’s management team I worked with praised my work ethic and had hard data to back up how much value I delivered.

Yet something wasn’t quite right.

Not only was the workload I had to complete enough for two employees, but I also didn’t get any extra days off for working overtime, and neither did I get paid more.

After complaining for months to myself and anyone willing to listen, I realized that the problem was not “them” but me.

I was the one who always said yes, I was the one who didn’t ask for a raise, and I was the one who put my dream life on hold for an illusion of security that working a job would provide.

It was time to get back to working on my dream of being an athlete and a writer. It was time to enjoy sunrises and sunsets without time pressure again. It was time to run through the forests again, for as long as I wanted.

It was time to bet on myself.

What It Means To Bet On Yourself

What does it mean to bet on yourself?

It means standing up for yourself and your values. It means putting faith in your abilities to accomplish your goals and that you can learn any skill you need to succeed.

It also means honoring your opinions and ideas and trusting your intuition.

Most importantly, it means you act with courage and strive to fulfill your dreams and reach the goals you set for yourself, instead of letting others dictate how to live your life.

“As you start to trust yourself, you discover that you no longer need others to validate you, your choices and your life. In fact, you never needed their validation and approval. Your trust was always enough!” ~ Luminita D. Saviuc

For me, betting on myself meant that I trusted my intuition. I was afraid of failing and making a terrible mistake going after my dream.

But I often reminded myself that I excelled in my studies and the two companies I have since worked for while not even being passionate about my studies or jobs.

Why should I not succeed in doing something that I was utterly in love with?

Daily Habits Show If You Bet On Yourself Or Against Yourself

Every action you take is either a bet for or against yourself.

Are you hitting the snooze button instead of working on your most important task first? You are betting against yourself.

Are you giving in to your employer’s request to work overtime instead of going home on time and working on your side-hustle? You are betting against yourself.

Salad or pizza for lunch?

Are you going to bed early or watching another season of your favorite Netflix show?

Do you like chit-chatting with co-workers during your lunch break or hitting the gym?

Do you feel pressured to work overtime, or do you choose to attend your son’s soccer game?

Every decision you make is a bet for or against the life you want to live and the person you want to become.

The Need For Self-Discipline And Self-Confidence

If you want to start living the life of your dreams, you need to have two things: self-discipline and self-belief.

Without self-discipline, you won’t take consistent action day after day and keep going when success still eludes you. Self-discipline is what keeps you going when motivation is low.

You will do the work necessary to achieve your goals, whether you feel like it or not.

And self-confidence is what keeps your spirit up when people tell you that you are crazy for following your dreams. Self-confidence is what you need to promote yourself and your services effectively.

You need to become your biggest fan.

Having self-confidence will also allow you to learn the necessary skills to succeed. You know that you can rely on yourself to get stuff done and figure things out.

This doesn’t mean that you can not ask for help — quite the opposite. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. But instead of looking to others for security — your boss, the government, your spouse — you look within yourself.

The Promise You Need To Give To Yourself

I didn’t write any New Year’s resolutions for 2022. I also didn’t choose a theme this time.

Instead, I made a simple promise to myself.

This year is the year I am fully committing to myself.

I have reached the criteria I laid out a few years ago for when I would be ready to leave my job and strike out on my own.

I paid off my student loans by living frugally. I earned various certifications to work in my dream career, I have put aside a nice chunk of safety money.

Still, I have been afraid to go one step further. Instead, I kept designing new criteria for when I would be “ready.” Fear and a massive imposter are riding alongside hope and enthusiasm.

So I promised to bet on myself this year.

With every decision, no matter how small or big, I will act in my own best interest.

I vowed to commit to myself and the life I wanted to lead. I invite you to do the same.

Promise yourself you will take risks, trust your intuition and take action every day to live the life of your dreams.

The world is waiting for you.