Easy Steps towards the Life of Your Dreams

When growing up, most people visualize the life that they would like to live when they grow up. Then they find themselves just getting by, working to pay bills. They settle for mundane jobs just to make ends meet and stay in unhappy relationships hoping that it will get better someday. Some are afraid of taking risks opting to play it safe while their dream life passes them by.

If you have ever asked yourself if there is more to life than what you are doing currently, you are not alone. The good thing is that it is never too late to start chasing the life of your dream. You can still face your fears and take your life in your hands to live a fulfilled life. Here are easy steps to help you start living your best life now.

 

1.      Define your dream life

The best place to start visualizing your dream life is by assessing the life you are living at the moment. How do you feel about your job? How are your relationships with your family, friends, and significant other? How do you find your home or the area where you live? How is your financial situation? How are you feeling about yourself?

As you ask yourself these questions, gauge whether you are happy and satisfied with your life in every aspect that it entails. Next, engage all your senses and let your imagination loose in visualizing how you would like your life to be and feel like. Compare this with what your life looks like currently to see the gap that you need to start working on.

 

2.      Set goals

Once you have established the gap between your current and the life of your dream, it is time to decide what you need to do to bridge this gap. Start setting up systems and processes that will lead you in the right direction. Set goals that you need to start working on, but make sure to break them down into small actionable steps.

For instance, you probably would love yourself more if you lost some weight, or if you cut down some relationships that are toxic and draining. Your financial status would be better if you cut down on some expenses. In your goal to lose weight, some actionable steps would be to jog one kilometer every morning, start eating healthy and work out 3 days a week. If you want to cut down some relationships, you can decide to avoid going where these people frequent. For cutting down expenses, you might decide to start cooking at home more and save money that you use in restaurants and takeaways.

 

3.      Take action

Taking action towards your goals isn’t always easy. Sometimes you might have to fight fear and uncertainty in order to be able to take the first step. To conquer this,  you need to start cultivating a positive and growth mindset. Turn your thoughts away from limitations and towards possibilities and opportunities that are available for you. Quit looking for excuses and start doing something meaningful towards achieving your dream life.

For instance, if you envision your dream life to be in New York City, let go of whatever is holding you back and set off to this great city. Work with an NYC property management company  such as MD2 Property Group to find a home in the neighborhood of your dream. This company works with tenants and brokers in ensuring timely and accurate lease application processing. You can even use an online platform to enjoy a personalized application.

 

4.      Consistently live your dream life

You probably have met people who abandon their New Year’s resolutions even before the end of January. The reason this happens is that the willpower and self-discipline that are so strong at the beginning vanish over time. Don’t be tricked into relying on these two. Otherwise, you will find yourself back to your previous life. Rather than counting on the initial excitement, make it a habit to consistently live by your actionable steps set above.

Of course, you will meet challenges along the way. The secret is to persist on the journey through those obstacles and to remain focused on the bigger picture. It won’t be long till you start realizing that you are actually living the life of your dream.

 

Conclusion

Life is an adventure, and the most exciting part is chasing your dreams to live the best life aligned with your purpose and passion. Refuse to settle on anything less and find the courage to take action towards your dream life. Go through the above steps and take up the courage of turning your life around today.

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About The Author

Freya is a Math teacher, Yoga enthusiast, and a beloved mother of three lovely daughters. She is always looking for ways to grow and help others around her thrive through self-learning, meditation, and physical fitness. When she is not teaching or spending time with her family, Freya regularly writes on topics related to self-improvement and women empowerment.

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How Women Can Become Software Engineers

 

From buildings and bridges, to ultramodern products, websitesand applications, engineering touches almost every facet of human life – changing the world for the better. Usually, SMBs and enterprises hire dedicated development team to create a new product or implement technical tasks they lack experience in.

But, did you know that even now women make up only 13% percent of the engineering workforce?

Despite all the talk around gender diversity, inclusivity, and women empowerment, the technology landscape still has space to accommodates many more female engineers – there aren’t that many yet. Ever wondered why? 

Perhaps because of deeprooted, but a bit misplaced, ideas about gender roles in our society, upbringing, and ideologies. The pink aisle in the toy store is dedicated to little girls who are expected to spend their childhood playing with princesses and dollhouses, while the boys’ toys are way more diverse and technologically driven (think drones, remote-operated cars, Lego, and video games). 

Believe it or not, around age 6, kids begin to develop or lose interest in science and technology. This, in turn, may dictate career choices in the future.

The fact that women continue to be a minority in the software engineering space is down to the conventional notions around this field of work. 

 

Common Misconceptions and Challenges

Boring, intimidating, tedious, monotonous, and male-dominated are some of the terms that are generally associated with software engineering. However, except for the last one, the rest of the words are far from the truth. Unlike conventional opinion, engineering isn’t boring. It is, in fact, quite the opposite. 

The misconception that this domain is tailored for male engineers, and there is no place for women here has been defied by several female software engineers. Breaking free from toxic notions and practices, many women have successfully shattered the proverbial glass ceiling. The first female engineer at Google, Marissa Mayer, for example, was at the forefront of successful projects and products like Gmail and Google Maps. She eventually went on to spearhead Yahoo!.

Mayer, Julia Liuson, Natalia Burina, Jade Raymond, Kimberly Bryant, Leah Culver, Saron Yitbarek, and Jessica McKellar are just a few examples of women who are software engineering stalwarts.

If anything, the scope and involvement of women has only increased in this area in the recent past. Ask people in the industry, and they will vouch for the fact that having the female perspective makes things better. 

How can women become software engineers? 

The United States’ Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted a 13% growth in the employment of software developers and a 19% increase in the demand for app developers in the 2019 to 2024 period. 

This spells good news for girls who aspire to make a long-term career in software engineering and app development. 

These golden tips from women who have broken that glass ceiling in the software arena can ensure that you carve a niche for yourself in this domain: 

 

1. Get the right education

Any career you choose begins with acquiring the right set of skills. Formal training is extremely important when it comes to an intensive field of work, like software engineering. As mentioned above, the minority aspect of the industry reflects in the education system, too (or vice versa). However, now, a lot of young women are opting for a career in the software field, getting a head start with top-notch courses like NEIT’s degrees in software engineering, bachelor’s, or associate’s.

2. Work hard

Software engineering is one field that requires a lot of hard work and dedication. While some people are naturally gifted and good at some subjects, ultimately, it all depends on how much hard work you put in during your engineering program and even after you enter the industry as a professional. 

3. Be fearless

The apprehensions around male dominance and the complex nature of work might make you feel like you don’t belong here, but the only way to rise above this challenge is by facing your fears. Don’t be afraid of challenging the status quo, taking risks, or getting out of your comfort zone. 

4. Keep evolving 

The world around is constantly evolving and the only way to survive and thrive in the software engineering sector is by striving to upskill and learn continuously. Keep that curious streak inside you alive and burning – at no point of time should you feel like you know it all.  

 

5. Put your hat in the ring

The field has endless opportunities for both men and women; all it takes for you is to believe in yourself. It is also important to understand the various avenues and roles in the tech industry and find out which specialization excites you. 

 

6. Network

Talk to like-minded professionals in the industry and attend as many events and seminars as you can in order to build your network. Did you know that there are events and workshops for coding enthusiasts where you get to learn and work on practical projects simultaneously? You can also have meaningful conversations with other people (especially like-minded women) in the software engineering domain, share your ideas, thoughts, and struggles, and learn from their experiences. 

 

7. Never lose your creative voice

The last thing you want to do is fall prey to the notion that software engineering and coding are dull and uninteresting things. Make sure you find your creative voice and sustain it by being innovative and artistic with everything you do!After all, one little thing you do as a software engineer ultimately makes a difference to someone’s life – apply your artistic skills to your job and you will never have a boring day at work. 

 

And now for the last piece of advice – have fun!

With business organizations, big and small – Fortune500 companies and start-ups – acknowledging the place of women in the tech space, it is a fantastic time to enter this industry. Be the change you want to see. All it needs is a mountain of confidence and leap of faith.

The term “Software Engineering” was coined by a strong woman  mathematiciancomputer scientist and engineering legend, Margret Hamilton.

About The Author

Carrie Weisman is an experienced journalist and content creator. She has worked across different business verticals, and specializes in creating well-researched, in-depth articles for Fortune 5000 companies.
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