Jessica PingJuly Book of the Month
Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan For Embracing and Achieving Your Goals
*Disclosure: There are affiliate links in the following article, meaning that, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links, I will receive a small commission.
Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals
TRUTH TIME
If you have followed me on Instagram for a while and diligently remember all of the things I post, you know that I actually started reading Girl, Stop Apologizing back in February/March.
So, now you’re wondering why on EARTH it has taken me almost 4+ months to finish.
Is it long? Complicated? Boring?
No. It is a relatable read full of amazing tips and tricks to help you live an intentional life.
The book is split into 3 sections.
- EXCUSES TO LET GO OF
- BEHAVIORS TO ADOPT
- SKILLS TO ACQUIRE
I stopped reading when I got to the “Behaviors” section because I realized something very important.
I wasn’t ready.
I was NOT ready to change anything about my life.
When I put the book down, I was going through it.
My plans to move overseas to live with my new husband were ruined thanks to Covid-19 and London’s lack of accessible housing. I was sick with an undiagnosed stomach problem (still waiting for answers). And, I was unemployed, fully relying on my parents, once again.
Emotions were high and motivation was low. On days where I could muster up enough strength to go outside and take a wheelchair walk with my dad, I couldn’t focus on anything long enough to be productive.
I was anxious and depressed. Yes, I was physically ill, but my pain was leading me into a mental fog, too, creating a Netflix binging Zombie.
So, while I wish I could tell you that this book was magic and brought me back to life after months of Grey’s Anatomy marathons, I cant. Before I could pick this book up again, I had to do some hard work on myself.
Once my meds began kicking in and cancer was ruled out, things changed, or rather, I changed, for the better.
I began working out again (when my stomach wasn’t in distress) and started investigating remote work opportunities online.
It was time. I could now revisit Girl, Stop Apologizing because I was back in the right headspace.
Since finishing Girl, Stop Apologizing a few weeks ago, here is how my life has changed:
- I’ve had 5 interviews and am hoping to hear back with an offer soon
- My blog numbers have exploded, surpassing my monthly goal in a matter of days
- I am healthier, more organized, and more productive with my time
So, you think you’re ready to go after your dream but aren’t sure if this book is a good investment?
Read on to find out exactly why it is!
1. YOU DESERVE TO FEEL EMPOWERED
Let’s face it, we are living through some overwhelming times with no horizon of normalcy in sight.
I let the state of our world get to me in the beginning. Somedays, it still wins out.
But, it doesn’t have to be that way.
Every day, we choose the energy we let into our lives. Now, I am not saying that you should completely block out the news because you need to be informed. But, maybe it’s time to let something else in.
Girl, Stop Apologizing didn’t just help me with my goals, it helped me with my confidence.
Your potential for improvement is exponential.
Girl, Stop Apologizing, by Rachel Hollis, p. 61
The first and longest section of the book goes through many common excuses women make as they are working toward a goal. Some of these include, “I’m not enough to succeed,” and “What will they think?”.
Once the excuse is listed out, Rachel spends the next handful of pages negating the fear. In doing so, she lifts the reader up and reminds them of their uniqueness and their value.
Having thought at least 5 of the 9 excuses listed myself, I found this section to be super empowering. So much so, that when I returned to the book last month, I read through it all again!
As a woman, it never hurts to be lifted up and reminded of our worth. Soak it up, enjoy it, and use it to do something great!
2. IT’S FULL OF ACTIONABLE AND TRULY HELPFUL TIPS TO GET YOU MOVING TOWARDS YOUR GOAL
To be truly successful, we all need 2 things that may seem contradictory at first, but stay with me:
- Focus
- Balance
Focus
You can’t learn how to cook healthier meals for your family, start an online fashion boutique, and be the next American Idol all at once. You must choose one and go all in.
I know. I know. That’s not what you want to hear, but it’s true.
You’re probably wondering, but how do you know which one to start with?
The Behaviors to Adopt section of Girl, Stop Apologizing provides a strategy that can help you make that decision.
Not only is it fun to work through, but it really does help you decipher what is important and what can be pushed to the side, for now.
Balance
You can be the most motivated person in the world, but without a proper foundation, you’ll quickly burn yourself out.
Setting yourself up for the hustle could potentially be just as challenging as the hustle itself, but it is a very necessary step.
To be successful, you need energy and you need consistency.
I know how daunting the phrases “getting healthy,” and “getting organized” can sound. Whenever I tell myself, “this week, you are eating healthy,” I almost always break down the next day. Why? Because healthy is too broad.
Once again, you need focus.
Rachel isn’t going to tell you to completely get rid of your old diet and start anew. What she is going to have you do is commit to small changes.
In beginning the process slowly, the idea is that you develop long-term habits that become vital to your daily routine. That way, when going after your goal gets overwhelming, you’re not sacrificing your health or your sanity. You must make yourself a priority to do anything successfully.
3. LEARN HOW TO STOP APOLOGIZING FOR GOING AFTER WHAT YOU WANT
Hi, this one hit me over the head with a dumbbell, I swear.
We need to start having a very real conversation about why we accept truths about ourselves as women that we would never consider for men.
Girl, Stop Apologizing, by Rachel Hollis, p.109
As a disabled, young woman, I am often infantilized by those around me.
It’s come to be an expectation over the years, and, in some ways, it provides extra motivation for me to prove others I am capable of achieving greatness. Other times, though, it is incredibly draining.
I’ve played by the rules and done things by the book because, in my experience, that’s the only way I have ever been taken seriously. Even this blog began because a mentor told me it would boost my resume.
Of course, now, it has fully become my passion project, but at the start, all I cared about was its ability to help me stand out as a job applicant.
I’d wanted to start a serious blog for years, but I didn’t think anyone would take it or me seriously. Every time I had started something for myself in the past, it seemed that people looked at me differently, but not in a good way.
Be the kind of woman who never asks permission to be herself.
Girl, Stop Apologizing, by Rachel Hollis, p. 94
As I am now diving headfirst into building The Rolling Explorer, I am still very anxious. It’s terrifying to put yourself out there for something that could flop in the most gigantic, public of ways.
But, this is for me. This is something I am doing for myself. And at the end of the day, that is what I am holding on to.
June Book of the Month
Read my take on the newest addition to The Hunger Games Series HERE
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel)
4. THERE IS LITERALLY NEVER GOING TO BE A BETTER TIME
I keep seeing memes on Facebook and videos on TikTok asking if we can just jump to 2021 and forget 2020 ever existed.
THAT IS THE WRONG ATTITUDE, FRIENDS.
Yeah, life sucks right now. I get it, trust me.
But this is not the time to be complacent, this is the time to GROW.
Not having the knowledge just makes you teachable, not stupid. Not being in shape just makes you moldable, not lazy. Not having the experience just makes you eager, not ignorant. Flip the script and force yourself to see the positive where you’ve only seen negative.
Girl, Stop Apologizing, by Rachel Hollis, p. 35
I’ve never in my lifetime had as much time to sit around my house as I do right now.
Granted, being unemployed probably helps with that a bit. Regardless of whether you have a job or not, though, you most likely still have more time on your hands than you’re used to.
Why aren’t you using it to your advantage???
This is the time, no matter what age you are or where you’re at in life, to do the thing you want to do. Or, at the very least, begin preparing for it while you have all of this excess time.
If your goal is to ….
- run a 10k
- go back to school and get your degree
- write a hit song and hear it on the radio
- Literally anything else
… NOW is the time to do something about it. Not 2021, not when the pandemic is over.
Now.
BUY THE BOOK
If you couldn’t tell already, I love this book and 100% recommend it for all of my female goal-getters out there.
Want to check it out for yourself? Do so using my Amazon affiliate link below!
