The Dream Inspo.

The Life You Deserve

SUNDAY RESET: journaling, prepping and relaxing

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why is Sunday the best day to reset?” There are a few reasons, but the primary one is that it begins a new week. This means it doesn’t matter if the week prior was good or bad; it’s a chance to start over completely.

Of course, if it was a good week, that will motivate you to keep the streak going. However, if it was terrible, you could move on and let go.

That’s the mindset I had to get myself into this year, specifically. A lot can impede growth, and being unable to let things go is one of them. Sundays are the PERFECT time (at least for me) to prepare for the new week ahead.

So, how do I reset on Sundays? Easy. I journal, prep and relax.

Journaling (Oh, how I love to write.)

It’s something about hearing ink glide across a nice crisp sheet of paper in a journal. I usually write the date at the top of the page, so when I re-read my journal, seeing how far I’ve come will be more satisfying.

I write about how I feel, my weekly goals and more. Reminder: Refrain from cramming a lot into your journal. Take it week by week, you’ll accomplish goals faster, and life will be less stressful.

Prepping (Let’s put the action to the word.)

Prepping can be a lot of different things. You can prepare your food for the week, outfits, social content, etc… For me, it’s getting organized. I prep specific content ideas (personal and work-related) and more.

Relaxing (The most vital of the three.)

Weekends are for fun and relaxation. You work the entire week and only have two days to get your energy back. I like to watch a movie, binge my favorite comfort shows, cook, bake, etc… Relaxing is excellent for your mind and body.

What do you do to reset on Sundays?

How To Improve Your Time Management Skills

If you want to start prospering, you must improve your time management skills. This might seem like an annoying topic, but I promise, managing your time will increase productivity.

Have you ever felt highly stressed? So, noted that you sit and decide not to do anything on your to-do list because the thought stresses you even more? Then, you wait until the last minute to start. Now, you’re rushing to finish everything. I’m here to tell you that we’ve all been there.

You need to find a process that works for you. One that allows you to get everything done in a timely matter. Some people might say:

What is time management?

“The process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity”

There are many ways to improve this skill, but here is a method that works for me.

What You Need To Improve Your Time Management Skills

How To Improve Your Time Management Skills

Improve Your Effectiveness

  • Write down a list of things you need to do. (It’s always best to see, in order, everything that needs to be done.)
  • Write a due date next to the item. Starting with the closest date to furthest. (It’s always best to do things in whatever order makes sense to you, but if there’s a due date, start with the activity that’s closer to being due.)
  • Pick the first two to three things on your list to get started with.
  • Figure out how much time you want to spend on each. 30 mins to an hour works best for me. (Of course, it depends on how big the project is, but always map out how much time needs to be spent on one project.)
  • Do this daily or weekly, and you’ll feel less overwhelmed. (Not only that, but you’ll also have more energy to finish your entire list and put more effort into completing each item successfully.

Try out this process, and let me know if it works!

Dwell On The Past? Here’s Why I Choose Not To

We all have times when we sit and overthink things we can no longer change. I’m choosing not to dwell on the past.

It’s a new day, which means another chance to make better decisions. Recently, I decided not to dwell on the past–not just for my mental health–but also for those around me. Maybe it’s just me, but I become overwhelmed with many emotions when I overthink. From angry to sad, these emotions prevent me from being productive, which interferes with improving my life. Of course, sometimes the past motivates us to do better, but it can also break us down mentally.

There are many reasons to let the past stay behind, but here are three reasons why I’m letting go.

3 Reasons Not To Dwell On The Past

Dwell on the Past

I can’t go back in time.

There’s no way I can go back to the past and change the decisions I’ve made. So why am I putting myself in a pit of depression, constantly thinking about it? What happened is done. I can’t go back in time and tell my younger self what I’ve learned today. I can only take this new knowledge and use it to make my life better than before.

It causes a lot of overthinking.

Overthinking does nothing but damage to a mind trying to heal. When I overthink, my brain starts to hurt, and it causes damage to the strength I built to get over all of those past events and situations.

If I want to grow, I have to let go of things.

The best part of growing is that we see a new light. We can laugh at the hurt and weakness we once felt before because we’re so secure and happy that it doesn’t bother us. But, you can’t expect to grow if you continue to hold on to things that once broke you.

Please, let’s all go and be great. Make your past self jealous.

I Took a Social Media Detox, Here’s What I Learned

There’s a lot we can gain by being on social media. However, there are a lot of social media detox benefits.

Recently, I took a few days away from social media. What exactly does this mean? Well, I didn’t open the apps of Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, which are my usual go-to instant social platforms. Instead, I used the time I would spend on each app working on my brand, resting, and finding out what needs to go in my life.

Why did I take a social media detox?

If you have an iPhone, there’s a recent feature added that gives you a phone usage report. I noticed a massive increase in my time on my device, and the leading apps I spent my time on was social media platforms. Honestly, the percentage of time spent on each app was embarrassing. Yes, since my career is in media, I spend a lot of time on social media looking for news stories, engaging in content discussion, etc. And, I could’ve used this as an excuse for the amount of time spent. But, being honest with yourself is a part of growing. So, I knew I had a real issue.

Since I intend on improving my life this year, I was aware that this detox was imperative, and I was ready to make a change.

social media detox
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Here’s what I learned during my social media detox

I regained the urge to go out and have fun.

In just those few days, I felt the urge to go out into the real world and enjoy the beautiful streets of my city. Social media took up a lot of my time, which eventually made me lazy. I didn’t want to go anywhere after finishing my homework or articles, but somehow I found the strength to tweet an unhealthy amount of times.

I love baking as a hobby.

My sister and I went to the grocery store with my new spare time and purchased every ingredient we needed for making cookies from scratch. We even ordered custom aprons with our names on them. It was a breath of fresh air and an excellent way to bond with my sister. We’re planning to bake often!

I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes.

As a graduate student and journalist, the most accessible food option is fast food or something quickly put in the microwave. But, since I had some time to spare, I found myself on tasty searching up dinner recipes and cooking with my family.

This social media detox was well needed, and I plan on taking one often to enjoy real life more. What are your thoughts on social media detoxes?

Hey, you made it this far. Check out 5 Things To Do Instead of Being on Your Device

You should follow Lashaunta Shanese on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram.

Here’s How I Plan to Improve My life in 2022

It’s the second month of the new year, and I still want nothing more than to improve my life in 2022.

Before the year started, I promised myself that 2022 was going to be MY year. Yes, everyone says this. Yes, I said the same thing about 2021. But, you know that feeling of elevation? I’ve been experiencing this since the year started. It might be my determination to make this year better than the last, or I could be in the process of elevating.

Whatever’s the case, it has me even more pumped to see what I can accomplish. Since I’m excited about the future, I’ve decided to share three ways I plan to improve my life in 2022. I hope this can help my readers or people just visiting prepare themselves to spread their wings and soar.

My 3 Way Journey to Improvement

Ways to improve your life in 2022
Photo by Bruno Bueno on Pexels.com

No more sleepless, burnout nights

Nothing prevented me from accomplishing my goals more than sleepless, burnout nights. We’ve all watched success stories of individuals who do nothing but work, work, and work. They preach about how they’ve gone days without sleep to perfect a launch or create content. To improve my life, I choose not to glamourize the ‘all work, no play’ mindset. I’m human, and I need sleep–of course. But, I also need time to relax and have fun. I don’t want to overwork myself and not enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Write/Plan… Organization Matters

This is a very imperative way to improve your life. In 2021, I did not write and plan out my content, organize homework assignments or digital content. This is a significant reason I did not accomplish a lot of my goals last year. Since I started mapping things out–from articles to content– I’ve seen an increase in my consistency. When I write something down, it’s easier for me to complete it and check off my list when I can see it… crazy. Sidenote: I’m currently writing this post at 11 pm. 2021 Lashaunta would’ve never done this!

Morning Affirmations? Yes, please.

Okay, I started getting into affirmations in 2021, but I’ve been deep into it this year. If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you’ll know that I’d talk negatively about myself when I was younger. And, of course, this is far from a confidence booster. However, now that I’m in my 20’s, I want to love myself more than anyone. Because if I love myself, I can love others properly. Writing and saying morning affirmations set the tone for the day. I always feel like I’m important in this world because I am– and you are too.

How are you improving your life in 2022? We have so much time to get things started.

Hey, you made it this far! Check out. So, you failed? Here’s How To Recharge

You should follow Lashaunta Shanese on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram

Feature image courtesy of Canva Pro

So, you failed? Here’s How To Recharge

So, you failed. But, guess what? There’s only one way to go once you hit the bottom, and that’s to the top!

We need to get into the habit of turning failure into knowledge. We can not win every game, but we’re winning in life if we try and learn from our mistakes. This is easier said than done, and of course, you’re going to feel some way if you take a loss. However, it’s the way you react to the loss that dictates whether you’re going to bounce back or let it control you. If you consistently blame others for not winning, you have a long route ahead of you.

So, you failed?
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Take accountability for your failure.

When you take a loss, always take accountability. This is your life, and you’re the main character. Everyone else has supporting roles or are extras. You’re the only person with the power to allow yourself to take chances. When you take a chance, you’re making yourself vulnerable to losing. Do not lash out and make a social media post whenever that happens.

Don’t blame your family and friends for not helping you, even if it’s true. Just take accountability, turn it into a lesson and prepare for your win with the knowledge you just gained. Sometimes we don’t give things our all. Life can be wild, and we tend to handle a plethora of things at once with no structure. Sometimes we do everything we can, and we still lose. This is the universe telling you that it’s not your time, or this is not the route for you. Again, take accountability and turn it into a lesson. Most importantly, cut yourself some slack.

Always make your past self jealous.

You allowed yourself to take a chance, and you deserve to be proud of that no matter the outcome. Your determination to succeed proves that you’ve grown and are a better person than your past self. You lost, so what! At least you put effort into improving and took on the challenge. Compare your mindset now to how it was five years ago. Your past self wishes they had the confidence you have now.

So, you failed? Okay. Victory feels so much better when you’ve bounced back from failure.

To learn more about Lashaunta Shanese, visit her website.

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What To Do In The First Days Of 2022

Happy New Year, everyone! It’s day 1 of 365, and we’ve already accomplished one of the biggest goals— we lived to see another year! Everyone expects the New Year to be completely different than the last. We want our lives to change for the better, but sometimes we don’t know how to get to that point. We start to stress ourselves out the first few days of the year. Let’s not do that— here’s what to do in the first days of 2022.

What to do in the first days of 2022

Don’t stress about New Year’s resolutions.

I get it. Every time the New Year comes around, we force ourselves to create one goal that we want to achieve in the year. Yes, New Year’s resolutions were made to challenge yourself, but they can be done in a fun, non-stressful way. It also doesn’t have to be something extremely challenging. Don’t create a goal that you genuinely don’t want to achieve. That’s how you end up putting yourself down. Also, New Year’s resolutions do not have to be completed within the first two or six months of the new year. Please don’t put a time limit on it. You have the entire year to meet this goal. It’s also not a crime to not have a resolution at all.

What To Do In The First Days Of 2022

Relax your body and mind.


This is something I had to learn. You do not need to go into the New Year pushing yourself. Use this time to relax or write in your planner/journal in the first few days. Give yourself time to breathe before you go hard; you don’t want to burn yourself out before the year even settles in.

New Year, New Growth

Leave the past in the past.


Try not to think about negativity from the past year. Think of this year as a fresh start and allow yourself to bring in good energy. For you to grow this year, you must not let the past hold you back.

Speak highly of yourself and make it a habit.


In the first days of the new year, get used to speaking positivity into your life. This year is yours, and you’re going to achieve everything you have planned. Speak that into existence so you can get used to doing it every day of the year.

I’m excited for the New Year, and I know you all will achieve so many goals. Please don’t be hard on yourself. Move at your own pace, and everything will run smoothly. What to do in the first days of 2022? Relax and prepare for greatness! Happy New Year, everyone.

If you like this post, you’ll love 6 Affirmations To Start Off Your Day
To learn more about Lashaunta Shanese, visit her website
Please read my latest article for Sheen Magazine

These 4 Things Can Prevent Your Growth

As the new year approaches, the last thing we need is growth prevention. So let’s get into how these 4 things can prevent your growth.

Growth can be stimulating— especially when you’re having a hard time figuring out what’s taking the process so long. For one, we can’t rush it. Growth is something that transpires when you permit yourself to change. It’s when your mind becomes more assorted and willing to step out of your comfort zone. Honestly, the process is dissimilar for everyone. For some of us, we can easily adapt to this new form of thinking which allows growth to overtake our lives. And for others, it’s not a walk in the park.

Either way, there are 4 things that can prevent your growth— whether you can easily adapt to changes or not. Let’s Talk!

These 4 Things Can Prevent Your Growth

These 4 things Can Prevent Your growth
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Low Self-Esteem

If you’ve never experienced low self-esteem, you’re an icon—seriously. It’s when someone lacks confidence about themselves and what they can achieve. They often think of themselves as failures before they even begin. Low self-esteem is one of the main problems that prevents growth— because in their mind, they already loss.

Environment

Yes, your environment can prevent growth. Sometimes we get too attached to the areas we grew up around and become scared of the thought of leaving. It is possible to grow in the same environment, but not much. We need to experience new surroundings and people from different cultures. We need to experience the world. It’s much bigger than the neighborhood or city you’re used to.

Overly Procrastination

It’s no secret that everyone procrastinates. Even the most successful people talk about how there are times when they ‘put off’ doing something until the last minute. However, overly procrastination can prevent growth. What is overly procrastination? It’s when your motivation is erased by consistently waiting until the last minute to do something. You eventually choose to not finish the project— for example— at all. And we all know, if you don’t finish what you start, you’ll still be in the same position.

Negative Nancy’s (Naysayers)

The people you choose to be around can affect your growth. If you surround yourself with unsupportive people, that energy affects you mentally. You start to second guess yourself and your talent, which can create low self-esteem. If people are always negative around you, distance yourself. Nothing positive comes from that negative energy.

You know you have what it takes to take the world by storm. Grow and allow yourself to stay away from those 4 things. You got this.

If you like this post, you’ll love 6 Affirmations To Start Off Your Day

To learn more about Lashaunta Shanese visit my website.

Read my latest article for Sheen Magazine.

6 Affirmations To Start Off Your Day

With these 6 affirmations to start off your day, you’ll feel happy and calm.

As women continue to dominate in every industry, it’s crucial to avoid exhaustion and adverse energy. Affirmations are known to boost the power and mindset of an individual. It’s the exercise of optimistic thinking and self-improvement that many believe helps achieve success and good mental health. Every day we are confronted with challenges that regularly make us question our abilities to succeed. We interrogate ourselves so severely that it eventually halts our growth. It’s time to start uplifting ourselves every day and making sure we comprehend how deserving we are of love, success, and much more. Here are six affirmations to start your day.

6 Affirmations

6 Affirmations To Start Off Your Day
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Today will be wonderful.

Wake up with the mindset of having a great day. Never think about past upsetting events or revenge. Today will be good because your mind is allowing good energy to flow right through.

I am a magnificent piece of art.

You are a walking Van Gogh painting. Pay no attention to societal ‘beauty standards.’ You are one of a kind, and your features are showstopping.

I choose peace and happiness.

Protect your peace and happiness today— and every day. Adverse energy cannot get close to you.

I am worthy of love.

You are worthy of the love you’ve always wanted. You do not have to lower your standards and accept scraps. Give yourself that love until the right person comes along.

I deserve to buy myself something nice.

That new car? You deserved it. That new purse? You deserved it. Always know that you deserve to have nice things, and it’s even more imperative that it was a gift to yourself. You worked hard for your money, and there’s nothing wrong with showering yourself with the best things in life.

I am deserving of career growth and opportunities.

You deserve that new job title and raise. You deserve that six-figure business. Your name deserves to be in rooms where the opportunities will be endless. 

Of course, these 6 affirmations to start off your day can be used by men as well. Let’s uplift ourselves and embrace who we are.

If you love this post, you’ll love My Self-Care Plans For 2022

Read my latest Interview in Sheen Magazine!

To learn more about Lashaunta Shanese visit my about page.

Protect Your Energy: Life 101

Let’s learn ways to protect your energy in this crazy world.

One of my favorite topics to write about is protecting your energy. I’ve witnessed some crazy things in my life, and so far, I can comprehend how imperative it is to put a protective barrier around your energy.

Let’s be honest.

As much as we wish the world were a better place, we have to admit that people often push out negative agendas. They always find something hateful to share or say, and they never see anything wrong with their actions. These are the type of individuals that we should plan on staying far away.

These people find joy in seeing others sad and hurt, so the best way to deal with it is to keep your distance.

But, what if we have to be around these people? Let’s get started! That’s when you use these three different ways to protect your energy.

3 Ways To Protect Your Energy

Protect your Energy
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Try to avoid conflict

I know, I know. Sometimes conflict comes around and we have to defend ourselves. However, please try to avoid it as much as possible. It’s one of the quickest ways to take in bad energy. As I said, there are people who will purposely target you and try to bring you down. Most of the time walking away or agreeing to disagree works. Don’t let them win!

photo of a sign and eyeglasses on table
Photo by Binti Malu on Pexels.com

Choose positivity, always

Of course, this is better said than done. We all have bad days even when we try to think positive. It’s a part of life. However, as long as you’re choosing to think positive thoughts, you’re fighting against the negative energy in this world. Also, just because you have a bad day doesn’t mean you’re a negative person. Don’t worry, we all have those moments, even the most positive people in the world do.

woman doing cobra pose
Photo by Marcus Aurelius on Pexels.com

Clear your mind with meditation

When I feel overwhelmed by negative energy, I take a moment to breathe. I usually use the mone minute breathe concentration on my apple watch to help calm my nerves. This is a part of meditation, and there are many other ways you can clear your mind and body of toxic thoughts. Although I still have a lot to learn about meditation, this method works for me.

Now go out there and protect your peace!

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