Striving For Felicity

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6 Steps To Prepare For A Job Interview Like A Pro

Blog, Success

In today’s competitive job market, acing an interview requires more than just showing up. Whether you’re gearing up for a virtual interview or preparing for an in-person interview, making a positive first impression can go a long way. From mastering common interview questions to understanding the company’s culture, there are various key strategies to ensure you put your best foot forward. This guide will provide you with some of the best interview tips so that you can walk into your dream job interview feeling confident and ready. By the end, you’ll know how to make the right impression, ask thoughtful questions, and present yourself as the ideal candidate for the role. 

1. Research, Research, Research

First things first: research. You need to gather as much information as possible about the company, the position you’re applying for, and the interviewer to optimally prepare for the job interview. Here are a few places to find useful information:

  • Company Website
  • Google News
  • Interviewer’s LinkedIn
  • Reviews from former employees
  • People you know

The goal isn’t to give a presentation about the history of the company, but you should have a rough idea of what they do, especially any current projects and how they relate to your position. Spend about an hour on a short research binge before moving on to the next step.

2. Collect questions that you could be asked

In a job interview, you will inevitably be confronted with questions. The best way to prepare is by stepping into the interviewer’s shoes and coming up with possible questions. Here are some tips:

  • No question is too simple – During my last job interview, I was asked exactly the one question I had deemed too simple and irrelevant (“Why did you decide to study law?”). Luckily, I resisted the temptation to skip over this question when I practiced, so I had a good answer ready. Think twice before dismissing any question as ‘too simple.’
  • The questions you hate most are the most important – Focus on the questions you hate answering the most. These are the ones that could make you falter in an interview. Trying to come up with a satisfactory answer on the spot might make you look worse than you’d hoped. So dig deep into those uncomfortable questions.
  • Use ChatGPT for ideas! – This is one of those tasks where AI can be helpful. Instead of asking for random interview questions, use this prompt:

   “I need to prepare for a job interview with (company name) for (position). Please act as the interviewer and give me a list of questions on the following topics: career path, personal motivation, expectations for the position, etc. Here’s an excerpt from the company’s website/job description: …”

3. Come up with 3-5 questions to ask at the end of the interview

At the end of every interview, you will be given the chance to ask some questions of your own. Many people hate this part, especially if the job you’re applying for isn’t exactly your dream offer. If you do have questions, they might just be about salary, bonuses, or vacation days—tricky topics to ask about in the right way.

The only truly wrong answer at the end of the interview is: “No, I don’t have any questions. You’ve covered it all.” Asking questions shows genuine interest in the position beyond just receiving a paycheck. It makes the interviewer feel like they’re gaining an engaged and motivated employee.

Here’s how to come up with 3-5 questions: Yes, you need that many because some might get answered during the interview. You don’t want to pull a new question out of thin air while stressed.

  • Look through the company’s website, job description, or articles to find areas that are unclear or that you’re genuinely curious about. For example, if the job description mentions workshops for employees, ask for examples or recommendations. If they boast about flexible or hybrid work schedules, ask what an average week looks like.
  • You can also find inspiration from YouTube, blogs, and ChatGPT, but make sure the questions apply to the role you’re applying for, especially if you’re using foreign sources. What’s appropriate can vary between industries and countries, so think them through carefully.

4. Go through the entire list of questions at least 3 times before the interview

Now comes the actual practice. After creating your lists of questions to answer and ask, go through them multiple times to ensure you present yourself smoothly during the interview.

Take your list and say every answer and question aloud, either to yourself in front of a mirror or to a friend/family member. Be sure to visualize the interview as you do so.

5. Prepare your outfit, navigation, and technology days in advance

Job interviews are stressful enough, so don’t add any unnecessary stress. Prepare your outfit, map out your route to the interview location, or set up your video call app well in advance to help keep calm when it counts.

By the way, don’t overthink your outfit. Unless you’re applying for a position in fashion, you can follow these two simple rules:

  • Dress slightly better than you would need to for the job.
  • When in doubt, stick with the “standard” outfit. There’s nothing wrong with a blue blazer and white blouse. Your clothes don’t need to make a lasting impression—unless you dress awfully, they probably won’t even remember what you wore.

6. Mindset

Last but not least, your mindset.

All the preparation in the world won’t help if you walk into the interview with a mindset of doom. Remember, you’re not the only one who wants something out of this interview.

The company needs someone, and the shorter their search for a good employee, the better. They’re looking for reasons to hire you, not reject you. This is a partnership. You’re testing them as much as they’re testing you.

Preparing for a job interview may feel overwhelming, but with adequate preparation and ample time, you’ll be able to handle even the most tricky questions with confidence. Whether it’s maintaining good posture in a remote job interview, or practicing your eye contact in mock interviews, each step will bring you closer to landing the job. The best way to succeed is to be the best version of yourself—engaged, informed, and positive. Keep these best practices in mind as you move forward in the hiring process, and good luck as you take the next step toward securing your new job!

5 Decisions You Haven’t Thought Through

Blog, Mindset, Personal Development

Making decisions is an unavoidable part of life. From small, everyday choices to major decisions that shape our entire future, the decisions we make can have lasting effects. However, not every decision we make is the right one. Sometimes, what seems like a good decision in the moment may turn out to be a poor choice in the long run. The decision-making process can be complex, and it’s easy to fall into traps that lead to bad outcomes. In this blog post, we’ll explore some common decisions that people often make without thinking them through—and the potential consequences that come with them. By understanding the risks and considering all possible outcomes, you can avoid making the same mistakes and move toward better decision-making.

1. Getting a pet (especially a dog)  

There are a few benefits to getting a pet that should not be underestimated:  

  • Feeling happier because you have someone uncomplicated who loves you unconditionally, and you love them in return (therapy animals are a thing).  
  • Feeling less lonely (especially helpful if you’re single during a pandemic).  
  • If it’s a dog, being forced to go outside and walk more.  

However, getting a pet comes with many downsides that may seem insignificant in the moment but add up over time:  

  • The costs: the cost of purchasing the animal, food, hygiene products, toys, veterinary bills, taxes, burial costs, insurance.  
  • The time: caring for a living being requires consistent effort and attention.  
  • Loss of freedom: going on vacation or even just a day trip can’t happen without planning for the pet you’re leaving behind; You’ll need to check if restaurants accept dogs; you need to take your dog for a walk even if you’re sick or the weather is bad, and ensure your apartment allows pets.  

2. Getting a better car than necessary  

We all know someone who drives a car far more expensive than they can reasonably afford. Today, it’s easier than ever to get a car without paying the full price (through leasing, financing, renting, or buying used). But many people don’t fully consider the long-term costs they’re committing to when opting for a pricier car. Let’s break it down:  

  • The cost of the car itself: This one is obvious but worth mentioning. Have you ever calculated the yearly cost of that new car you want and compared it to how that money could grow if saved or invested? For example, if your monthly lease is €200, that’s €2,400 a year. If you put that money in a savings account earning 3% interest for 10 years, you’d have an additional €825. If you invested the money and earned 7%, you’d have an additional €2,321. Waiting just one more year before upgrading can seriously pay off in the long term.  
  • Fuel costs: Faster cars tend to use more fuel, which results in higher ongoing costs. Additionally, the type of fuel makes a significant difference.  
  • Insurance costs: A sports car will likely have a much higher insurance rate than, say, a VW Polo.  
  • Tire costs: The bigger the car, the larger and more expensive the tires.  
  • Inspection costs: Fancier cars tend to have higher inspection and maintenance costs.  
  • Exotic brands: If you go for an exotic brand, chances are their dealership might not be close by, meaning extra time and money spent on maintenance trips.  

Not all of these apply to every car, but it’s important to consider these hidden costs before making a purchase decision.

3. Developing a caffeine addiction  

Far too many people rely on caffeine to get through the day. Not only is this an unhealthy habit, but it’s also an expensive one.  

I encourage any avid coffee drinker to tally up their weekly, monthly, and yearly coffee costs and then think about what else they could do with that money. Looking at it from a compounding perspective is especially painful.

What starts as a quick fix for energy can turn into a long-term problem, so it’s important to take a step back and assess your choices.

4. Ignoring your bedtime  

Modern society suffers from chronic sleep deprivation. While most of us know that getting enough sleep is crucial for our health and for performing well at work or school, very few people dive deeper into the alarming scientific findings about the impact of sleep deprivation.

5. Multitasking  

If you’re multitasking between two or more tasks that require active thought (so not just muscle memory tasks), you’re essentially half-assing both tasks. Not only that, but you’re also training your mind to be distracted. The more often we multitask, the more it becomes a habit. In other words, every minute of every day, we’re training ourselves to develop habits—whether we’re aware of it or not.  

Multitasking trains your brain to switch your attention rapidly between tasks. The more time you spend doing this, the harder it becomes to focus on a single task. Is that really something you want to encourage?

At the end of the day, every decision we make—whether big or small—plays a role in shaping our future. While it’s impossible to avoid all mistakes, taking a more conscious approach to decision-making can help you make better choices.

Whether it’s a complex decision about finances or a simple question about how you spend your time, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons carefully. The best thing you can do is stay informed, trust your instincts, and be aware of the possible outcomes.

By learning from past decisions and being more mindful in the present, you’ll be better equipped to navigate life’s difficult choices. So, next time you’re faced with a decision, take a little time to think it through—it could be the difference between a good decision and a bad one.

You Don’t Have Any Useful Ideas? Try This! | 5 Tips

Blog, Personal Development

Ever feel like you’re out of ideas and can’t seem to come up with anything useful? You’re not alone! Even the most intelligent people and successful creators struggle with this from time to time. The good news is, new ideas don’t need to come out of nowhere—there are ways to cultivate them. In fact, coming up with a great idea often involves setting yourself up for inspiration and giving your brain the right starting points. This blog post will guide you through simple, actionable steps to kickstart your creativity, so you’re never left without a good idea again.

What You Can Use Ideas For in Life

In life, ideas are the starting point for so many exciting things. Whether you’re in business, creativity, or just day-to-day problem-solving, fresh ideas are key.

If you’re an entrepreneur, good business ideas can lead to new products, innovative solutions, or even side projects that evolve into something bigger. In creative work, such as writing, painting, or even game design, the first idea might not always be brilliant, but it can lead to a flow of better ideas over time.

Even small things, like a fresh perspective on how to solve a distinct problem, can make a big impact. The best part? You don’t need a ready-made idea right away—sometimes, all it takes is an open mind and the willingness to start.

No matter the field, ideas help you tackle difficult problems, come up with solutions, and ultimately, lead to great opportunities.

5 Tips To Keep Having Useful Ideas?

1. Make it your job to be constantly inspired.  

Most people treat inspiration as a fleeting emotion that strikes once in a while and then disappears for an unknown period.

In reality, it’s very easy to be inspired in the 21st century, considering there are countless podcasts, blog posts, YouTube videos, social media posts, series, movies, books, poems, songs, pictures, art, etc. to find inspiration from.  

If you find that you are lacking useful ideas, whether for creative or business endeavors, you need to make it your job to stay inspired. You must intentionally expose yourself to new things, whether digitally or out in the real world. Set an actual goal to try one new thing a week or even a day.

This can be as simple as watching a new movie or even taking a different route when walking your dog. Inspiration is everywhere. Most of the time, we’re just too stuck in our routines to come across it.

2. Be ready to record your ideas at any time.

As soon as you come across something inspiring, new ideas will pop into your mind at random moments. It could be during a museum visit, in the shower, or while you’re falling asleep.

The key is to record these ideas as soon as they hit you. Don’t wait and overthink whether the idea is good or not. Don’t wonder where it suddenly came from. And most importantly, don’t think you can write it down later!  

Ideas are slippery, and as quickly as they appear, they might just leave you again. So, write your idea down or leave yourself a voice memo. Record as much of the idea as you can in the moment.

Sometimes it may just be a couple of words. Other times, as soon as you start writing, the whole idea unfolds and leads you down a tangent, one you may return from an hour later. These moments can’t be planned, so be as prepared for them as possible.

3. Stop trying to force an idea into existence.

While you need to be ready for the sudden ideas that strike, you must also be prepared to wait for an idea to come at all. Keep looking for inspiration, but don’t try to drag it out of hiding.  

Imagine it’s lunchtime, and you’re walking through a city, slowly searching for restaurants. There’s no rush because there’s still time, and lunch has barely started.

That’s how you should treat the wait for a new idea—with patience and faith. It will come eventually. It always does, but sometimes it might take a while. That’s life.

The waiting and unpredictability of ideas is the price you pay for the privilege of using them. It’s a pretty fair trade, don’t you think?

4. You need to act on the ideas that you get.

We all get inspired occasionally, which results in ideas. But sadly, most ideas are never realized. Just think about how many ideas for a story or a business people have, and how few of them are ever put into action. Maybe you’ve had a few of your own, now lying forgotten in some dusty corner of your memory.  

Of course, you don’t need to act on every idea or pursue them all at once. But if fear, limiting beliefs, or staying in your comfort zone are your only reasons for discarding an idea, then you should see it through.

The more you act on your ideas, the more will come to you. As Elizabeth Gilbert beautifully describes in her book *Big Magic*, you need to put in the work. Ideas aren’t meant to stay ideas—they’re meant to be turned into reality.

5. Stop having such high expectations for ideas.

The question that naturally arises is, of course, how do we know which ideas to pursue?  

As a general rule, an idea doesn’t need to be a glittering unicorn to be worth pursuing. Plenty of seemingly ordinary ideas have turned into great, if not outstanding, work.  

Take your favorite painting, book, or movie—imagine what its creator’s original idea might have been like:  

  • -The core idea behind *Star Wars* was simply a young hero thrust into a galactic conflict with space battles and mystical elements. It doesn’t sound nearly as exciting as the franchise it became.  
  • The *Mona Lisa* likely started as a commissioned portrait of a wealthy merchant’s wife. A simple idea became an extraordinary masterpiece through da Vinci’s attention to detail.  
  • J.K. Rowling’s initial idea for *Harry Potter* came on a train ride—what if a seemingly ordinary child finds out he’s a wizard? That doesn’t sound like a magical unicorn of an idea, does it?  
  • Ed Sheeran’s *Shape of You* started with a simple, relatable concept—physical attraction. Yet, the song turned into a global hit.  

As you can see, we tend to place far too much importance on the “quality” of an idea. Great work doesn’t require a groundbreaking idea. It requires *any* idea—and action.

At the end of the day, the only way to come up with plenty of ideas is to be open to new experiences and keep your mind in motion. Don’t let the search for the “perfect” idea stop you from exploring all the potential ideas you already have. The first step is often the hardest, but once you’re in the flow, you’ll realize that inspiration is everywhere.

Remember, a simple idea can turn into something extraordinary with hard work and time. So, good luck! Keep working through the process, and soon enough, you’ll have tons of ideas to pursue for the long haul.

Stuck At A Plateau? 6 Tips To Finally Break Through 

Blog, Mindset, Personal Development

Hitting a plateau can be one of the most frustrating experiences, especially when you’ve been putting in the hard work and following your daily routine with dedication. Whether it’s in your career, personal growth, or learning a new skill, everyone encounters moments when progress seems to stall. The best way to push past this stagnant phase is to first understand what a plateau is and how to recognize when you’re stuck in one. Once you’re aware of these signs, you can take actionable steps to overcome the challenges and continue moving forward.

What Is a Plateau?

A plateau is a phase where progress comes to a halt despite your continuous efforts. It’s that frustrating moment when, no matter how much work you put in, you don’t see any improvement or change.

This happens because your body, mind, or skill level has adapted to the current level of challenge, making it difficult to advance further without making significant changes.

Plateaus can occur in various areas of life, including your career, personal development, or when learning something new. The key to overcoming a plateau lies in recognizing it early and making adjustments to break through to the next level.

How Do You Know You Are Stuck at a Plateau?

Recognizing that you’re stuck at a plateau is crucial for making the necessary changes to move forward. Some common signs include a lack of noticeable progress, feeling unmotivated or burnt out, and performing the same tasks on a regular basis without seeing improvement.

You may also notice that tasks that once felt challenging are now too easy, or that you’re no longer excited about your daily routine.

If you find yourself facing these symptoms, it’s time to take a closer look at your habits and strategies to identify what needs to change. Paying close attention to these signs will help you address the plateau before it becomes a long-term obstacle.

How to Finally Push Past the Plateau You’ve Been Stuck At

1. Analysis of What You Are Doing Well and What Is Going Poorly 

You have gotten this far, so there are obviously things you are doing well. Find them and write them down. Next, we need to look for the opposite: the things that are going poorly.

Analyze your past performance and find the weaknesses, especially those that keep repeating themselves. Overcoming these weaknesses is going to be the key to getting over the plateau.

2. Ask for Outside Advice  

Often, it can be hard to see what we are doing wrong or how we should do better. We need an objective outsider’s perspective to give us a clearer idea of what is going on.

So don’t shy away from asking for advice. This can be in the form of coaches, teachers, colleagues, bosses, etc.

3. Basically, Anyone Who Has Skills in the Topic You Are Trying to Improve Can Be a Great Sounding Board for You  

Do NOT take the advice of well-meaning but unskilled family, friends, or strangers. Following the advice of people who have never achieved what you are trying to achieve can seriously mess things up for you.

After all, who would you rather ask for a haircut? A hairstylist or a mechanic? I’m sure the answer is obvious.

4. Compare Yourself with People Who Are Slightly Ahead of You  

Comparisons can be crippling when you let them rule everything you do. It can make you feel like you are never good enough and that everyone else is so much better than you. That’s why, most of the time, you should NOT compare yourself to others and their journey.

However, if you find yourself stuck at a plateau, it can be helpful to take a look at someone who is just slightly better than you and analyze what they are doing differently. Refrain from looking at people who are miles ahead of you in their journey. Their advice is often better suited to overcoming higher-level problems.

What you need is advice for the kind of problems you are facing, and you can get that from people who have just crossed that hurdle themselves.

5. Do the Mindset Work

Sometimes, we are so focused on the technicalities of what we are doing, always looking for a better strategy, that we don’t realize it’s our mind that’s holding us back. There are plenty of quotes that tell us how mindset is 90% of the work and strategy only 10%.

Whether or not the percentages are true, the message definitely is. You can have the best strategy, but it won’t get you where you want to be until your mindset is up to speed as well. That means you need to clear your mind of any blocks you have accumulated throughout your life.

And yes, there are blockages. We all have them, and we will keep gaining new ones in the future. The key is to develop a routine that cleanses your mind of limiting beliefs, traumas, regrets, bad memories, and all the unwanted junk that keeps impacting your present.

You can hire coaches or therapists to help you with that, or you can do the work on your own through trial and error. Either way, you need to get it done.

6. Stop Using the Search for a Magic Solution as an Excuse 

While mindset is undeniably important, you need to realize that there is no magic solution that will float you above your plateau. Thinking nice thoughts will only get you so far, but eventually, you will have to take action to move forward.

You need to recognize the moment you start using self-help advice as a tool to procrastinate on doing the work. If there are still some points on your list of weaknesses and you have some ideas of what it would take to fix them, then that’s your sign that it’s time to do so.

There will be no magic solution for you that can save you from doing the actual work. So be honest with yourself and stop wasting your time.

Breaking through a plateau requires a combination of self-awareness, willingness to seek new challenges, and the determination to keep going even when progress seems slow.

By analyzing your strengths and weaknesses, seeking outside advice, and making necessary mindset shifts, you can overcome the stagnation and get back on track toward your goals.

Remember, every plateau is an opportunity for growth and a chance to refine your strategies. With the right approach, you can turn this temporary setback into a powerful springboard for future success.

How To Not Let The Past Ruin Your Present | 8 Steps Technique

Blog, Personal Development

We’ve all had moments where the past seems to cling to us like a shadow, influencing our thoughts, emotions, and even our present relationships. Whether it’s past relationships, painful events, or unresolved emotions, these lingering memories can have a significant impact on our current life. The good news is that it’s possible to let go of the past and move forward into a healthier, more fulfilling future. This blog post will guide you through an 8-step process to help you release the emotional baggage from past experiences and embrace the present moment with peace of mind. By letting go of past mistakes and negative thoughts, you can create space for personal growth and a beautiful future.

1. Find the root cause

If the blockage you want to clear is an uncomfortable memory you regret ever happening, then this will be very easy for you. Obviously, the root cause of the blockage is that very memory that keeps popping into your mind at the most random times.

However, if you want to clear a blockage in the form of a limiting belief or something you can’t even properly define, then this step might just be the most difficult one for you.

You need to dig deep and try to follow the bad feeling back to its root cause. What is the earliest memory you associate with this feeling? For example, let’s say you have the belief that money should only come from hard work and not through easy or unexpected streams of income.

That limiting belief might be traced back to you as a child overhearing your parents talking badly about ‘lazy’ influencers who don’t deserve to earn that amount of money without any ‘real’ work.

Or let’s say you keep putting in a lot of work over a long time but have disproportionately little to show for it. In this case, the blockage that’s keeping you from more success might be traced back to some memories from school or sports competitions where you scored less than others, even though you had put in so much more practice time.

Really take your time with this part of the clearing. When you come across the right memory that is the root cause of your blockage, it should feel right to you.

Should you not be able to find a memory that truly resonates with you as the source of the block you are dealing with, then simply use this memory for now. Over the next few days or even weeks, as you make it a habit to search for the underlying cause of every blockage you experience, you might just have the Aha moment you’ve been waiting for. But for now, do what you can with what you have. Every cleansing has its worth.

2. Visualize the memory and relive it in first-person view 

Now comes the uncomfortable part. Instead of trying to repress the memory as you usually do, you need to let it play out from beginning to end. Don’t look at the memory as if you are a spectator.

You need to truly feel all the emotions that this memory evoked in you originally, and for that, you need to relive it in first-person view.

Yes, this is uncomfortable, but you can’t rush this process. The more you repress something, the more it preserves. 

To truly let go of a memory, you need to finish dealing with it. And reliving it is the first step for that.

3. Tell the people involved you forgive them

Once the memory has finished playing out and you’ve felt the corresponding emotions, it’s time to deviate from the original events.

As the next step, I want you to visualize yourself speaking to the people involved in this memory and tell them that you forgive them. Forgive them for their rude words, whether they were intentional or not. Forgive them for having laughed at you or for not having aided you. Whatever role they played in your memory, forgive them for that.

If you truly resent them for what they did, you might balk at the idea of bestowing them with forgiveness, even in thought. To truly bring up the emotions of forgiving someone, you might want to imagine all the ways they might have been hurt before that led them to behave like this. Or you could imagine them as a little child who doesn’t know any better.

4. Project your current self into the memory and watch it as a bystander

Next, I want you to switch perspectives and watch the memory again as a bystander. By now, the memory should already feel less uncomfortable to watch.

5. Tell your younger self you forgive them.

Once the memory finishes playing out a second time, you get to forgive your younger self for their part in the memory.

While some people hold grudges against others, other people keep blaming themselves for every little misstep. For this latter group, this step in the cleansing process is especially important.

Forgive yourself for not knowing any better back then. Forgive yourself for having made a mistake and acknowledge that you’ll do better in the future.

6. Tell them what you would have wished somebody had told you back then and give them a hug

As you forgive your younger self, you should also say all the things you wish someone had told you back then.

Things like: you are not the only one to make this mistake or have this happen to them, their words don’t impact who you are, you can always do better, mistakes are how we learn, this trauma has made you stronger than you ever were before, you are so brave for persevering the best way you can.

If you want, you can end the speech with a hug or a forehead kiss for your younger self.

7. Imagine your younger self dealing with the same situation with the knowledge they have now—in other words, turn it into an ideal version of the memory 

Now that you have forgiven all the parties involved and heard all that you needed to hear to feel understood, supported, and loved, it is time to go through the memory one last time.

This time, you modify it so that it plays out in an ideal way. The memory becomes just one more memory that easily fades into the background and leaves no blocks behind.

8. Release the memory like a lantern floating into the sky

Lastly, you can end the cleansing session by releasing the memory and letting it fade. You can do this by imagining it floating up and away from you like a lantern floating into the sky.

Or you could imagine it being written on a paper, which you throw into the fire. Maybe an angel comes and takes the memory from you and flies away with it.

Whatever image works best to give you a feeling of release.

Letting go of the past isn’t always easy, but it’s one of the most powerful steps you can take toward a better future. By confronting past trauma, forgiving yourself and others, and focusing on the present moment, you allow yourself to grow into the best version of yourself.

As you continue to practice these steps on a regular basis, you’ll find that old memories and past negative experiences lose their grip on your current life. Remember, it’s never too late to create a new beginning.

With each step forward, you’re not just letting go of the past—you’re making room for new opportunities, healthier relationships, and a more peaceful mind.

Good luck on your journey to letting go and embracing the now!

4 Painful Life Lessons Introverts Have To Learn

Blog, Personal Development

In a world that never seems to stop talking, introverts face unique challenges that can feel like swimming against the tide. The loud world around us often misunderstands the true essence of introversion, equating quietness with shyness, or a preference for solitude with an aversion to social interaction. But being an introvert is not a bad thing; it’s a personality type with its own set of strengths and insights. This post will explore four painful life lessons that introverts, like myself, must learn. We’ll delve into what it truly means to be an introvert and discover how embracing our quiet nature can help us navigate social situations and build deeper relationships.

What Does It Mean to Be an Introvert?

Being an introvert means that you draw energy from your inner world of thoughts and ideas, rather than the outer world of social interaction and large groups. It’s about having a genuine interest in exploring your own thoughts and spending time in quiet reflection.

Introverts often thrive in environments where they can focus deeply on a single task and may prefer small groups of close friends over large social gatherings.

Contrary to common misconceptions, introverts are not anti-social. They simply approach social tasks in their own way, often preferring meaningful conversations to small talk.

As Susan Cain highlighted in her groundbreaking book, the power of introverts lies in their ability to listen deeply, think carefully, and connect with others on a deeper level.

Uncomfortable Life Lessons For Introverts

Isolation breeds social anxiety

The COVID lockdown was, in a way, the ideal introvert lifestyle. You could stay at home, in your safe and comfortable bubble. Classes were held online, and the home office was introduced in many companies. If you disregard the anxiety around COVID itself for a moment, it could have been called an introvert’s dream.

However, nothing lasts forever, and with the end of COVID came the harsh reintroduction into a daily life that caters to extroverts. We introverts had to make the very uncomfortable discovery that normal daily interactions were suddenly a cause for social anxiety. Things that were effortless before suddenly took weeks to get used to again.

This teaches introverts a very important lesson: While staying at home, cozy under a blanket with a good book or fan fiction will always be more tempting than going out, you need to go on those outings, or else you are making your future life unnecessarily difficult. Isolating yourself too much breeds social anxiety for when you do have to leave the house. And most of us do need to leave the house eventually.

So do your future self a favor and make sure not to isolate yourself for long periods of time. Your future self will thank you for it.

Being happy right now doesn’t mean you are content looking back

You might enjoy spending your afternoons and weekends at home, reading a good book, drawing, or writing. However, looking back on your year, do you find yourself happy with the way the year went?

Looking back on the year, are you able to point out multiple great memories you’ve made, or does the year fade into the same unrecognizable blur as past years?

We’ve become used to doing things we don’t really want to do if there is outside pressure. We study because there is an exam looming on the horizon. We send out applications because we need a job to earn money. We go to that birthday party because otherwise, our friend would be disappointed.

However, without that outside pressure, most of us fall back on doing what we want to do over what we should do. Rarely do we consider how our future self will feel about our actions looking back on them.

And while living in the present is far more important than living in the past or future, we should also consider creating a life we can feel content with and even proud of. Sometimes that requires us to do things in the moment that we might not want to do, though the feeling afterward is reward enough.

Nurture your current friendships and allow room for more  

Since introverts don’t go out to socialize as much as extroverts, we tend to have fewer friends. And there is nothing wrong with that, but you can’t expect these friendships to stay the same forever.

People change over the years, and with them also their relationships. While an introvert might cling to their current friends, content with seeing them once in a while, your friends are out and about experiencing life and potentially making new friends.

So treasure the friends you have right now, but also be open to making new friends.

True growth lies outside your comfort zone

I know, I know. We’ve all heard it a thousand times before, but that doesn’t make it less true.

Intellectually, most of us agree with this statement and know it to be true, but few of us ever consistently act on it. We’d rather stay in our comfort zone until we are forced out of it because of outside circumstances. That’s growth enough for most people.

This attitude will only change once you have experienced a phase in which you repeatedly stepped outside your comfort zone. The amount of growth that can happen in such a phase is beyond staggering, and once you’ve had a taste of your potential lurking underneath, you will want to bring it forth again and again.

So as much as we humans, and especially us introverts, love our comfort zone, you’ve got to get out of it, girl. Because real life is waiting on the other side of it, and you are missing out on so much!

As introverts, we face the world with a unique understanding and sensitivity that can be both a strength and a challenge. The key to thriving in a world designed for extroverts is to recognize and embrace our personality traits, rather than trying to change them.

By taking personal responsibility for our well-being and seeking out new experiences in our own way, we can turn the painful experiences of life into stepping stones toward becoming the best version of ourselves.

Remember, the next time you feel overwhelmed by the demands of a social world, your introverted nature is not a limitation but a great resource that offers a deeper understanding of life and a path to genuine, meaningful connections.