Avoid These 5 Habits Before They Ruin Your Future.

I kicked off my Fall '19 final Architectural Design Studio on the wrong foot and nearly threw in the towel halfway through the semester.

Damn near had me questioning my whole existence.

Looking back, I struggled for these reasons:

• focusing on my classmates' design skills while downplaying mine

• battling seasonal depression due to New England’s brutal weather

• going through each day without setting clear-cut goals.

• pulling all-nighters to meet the insane weekly assignment deadlines.

• neglecting to maintain an exercise or workout routine.

• eating junk food only (2-topping pizza from Domino's was my weakness).

At the midterm presentations, the professors ripped my design concept to shreds as my classmates and the guest judges looked on in shock. I can remember my confidence evaporating like cigar smoke.

It left me feeling shaken but not stirred.

Let me tell you why.

I remember looking at my distraught face in the bathroom mirror when I got home and said, "Enough is enough!" At that moment, I vowed to tap into my winning mindset and abandon my comfort zone forever.

I immediately felt an instant uptick in my overall confidence and performance at school. These exact actions helped me to bounce back:

• meditating first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

• listening to motivational videos on YouTube and consuming self-development podcasts.

• speaking to people who motivated me and vice versa.

• carving out time to go to the gym 4x per week.

• using productivity apps to plan and cross out my daily tasks.

• cooking nutritional meals and eating junk 1-2 per week (couldn't cut it out cold turkey).

When it was all said and done, I finished the Design studio with an A- grade.

Honestly, I was more proud to have shifted my mindset when I did because it has allowed me to apply the same concept to other scenarios (you’ll see what I mean).

Why Underestimating Yourself Is Dangerous

We are all unique and special in our own way, so imagine if everyone settled for feeling just okay or ordinary.

Do you know how colorless life would be?

It would be like a painting, missing all the vibrant hues and details that make it intriguing and exciting to the viewer. You unlock your full potential when you embrace your individuality, and strive for greatness.

You can make a meaningful impact on humanity this way.

Feeling average or mediocre can also hold us back from experiencing all the wonders that life has to offer.

Like honestly....I feel it's like standing at the edge of the Caribbean Sea, hesitant to dive in and explore its depths. You owe it to yourself to dive headfirst into life so that you can embrace new challenges, and to push yourself beyond your comfort zones.

I'm happy AF that I did not quit my design studio because regret would have me in a headlock tighter than a pair of skinny jeans after Thanksgiving dinner.

Going in the opposite direction pushed me to dream big and pursue my passions, so I could:

1. forge meaningful connections

2. discover new creative opportunities

3. create a life filled with adventure and excitement.

Embrace your uniqueness, and pursue your dreams with passion and determination. You owe it to yourself to never feel average or mediocre again!

A Positive Mindset Shift is a Must

This is how I see it...

Having a positive mindset is like having sunshine in your heart. This means feeling happy on the inside and only seeing the good things in life. You feel excited about what each day brings, like making new friends or learning new skills.

Life often throws a monkey wrench into the mix to test your fate, but with a positive mindset, you will overcome anything. Instead of feeling scared or giving up when things get tough, you stay brave and confident. From my experience, the trick is to overcome any challenge that comes your way.

Picture this...

A sunny day at the beach, with each grain of sand sparkling in the sunlight. When you have a positive mindset, you're like those grains of sand, radiating warmth and brightness. In the same way, people flock to the beach to soak up the sun, other people tend to flock to us when we're cheerful. Having a positive attitude helps us build strong connections and enjoy fun times together.

Everyone has dreams, like becoming a millionaire or a celebrity (myself included Lol). Having a positive mindset means believing in yourself and your dreams. It's like having a little voice inside our heads that says, "You can do it!" When you are confident in yourself, you can achieve amazing things and make your dreams come true.

5 Simple Mindset Shifts To Break Bad Habits.

Okay, this is where the rubber meets the road. These are personal examples where I have applied the mindset shift concept and saw instant results.

1. Being fooled by a pretty face

Every man secretly loves the attention he gets from having a baddie on his arm (whether he admits to it or not).

It could be from strolling through a shopping mall, entering a 5-star restaurant, or pulling up to your work Christmas party with her.

He has an extra sense of pride about him.

One thing I can say for certain is that brains and beauty don’t always align.

I’ve been in situationships /relationships where the female pours into my physical cup with abundance but my mental and spiritual cups only receive droplets. As men, we have to aspire to find a partner who can tick those 3 boxes to the best of their ability.

A man can determine his success based on who he chooses as a life partner.

Before you settle down with a woman next time, ask yourself these 2 questions:

1. Are you choosing a broken and damaged person?

2. Are you choosing someone who is supporting your dreams and allowing you to support theirs?

From my experience, rolling with option 2 is your best bet!

2. Clinging on to addictive vices for dear life

It’s normal to find things to help you de-stress and cope with the internal and external pressures of life.

When you overdo it and depend on addictive vices, this is where you begin to breed bad habits.

Do not get it twisted…

I want you to have fun but I don't want you to rely on cheap dopamine hits to cope like:

• gambling at the casino

• online shopping every week

• drinking alcohol or smoking weed

• watching Netflix and binge-eating snacks/

Instead, consider putting your energy into more positive habits like:

• figuring out a problem to solve

• launching a physical or online business

• networking with progressive people

• hiring a fitness trainer and getting fit

3. Sticking around in a job you hate

You finished school after a bazillion years, found a job in your field, and you show up to work like society expects you to.

I’ve been there so I get it.

Trust me.

You feel trapped in a job that fails to inspire or fulfill you, so you settle for a steady paycheck over pursuing your true passion.

I've experienced this firsthand, and it's a disheartening reality. It feels as though you're slowly losing pieces of yourself, and drifting further away from any sense of purpose or meaning.

These were the first 2 steps I took that gave me the confidence to leave my architecture job and find my purpose:

• Reflection: I encourage you to reflect on your values, passions, and long-term goals. Self-awareness can help you to identify whether your current job aligns with your aspirations. You'll be able to figure out what changes you might need to make.

• Seek information: I encourage you to seek out resources and support systems that can help you navigate your career dissatisfaction. This could include career counseling, networking with professionals in your field of interest, or exploring alternative career paths by listening to podcasts or reading articles on this topic.

4. Bitching and Complaining

Have you ever wondered why people don’t wanna hang with you like that anymore?

It's because you complain too much!

There is a difference between being unhappy about something and complaining about something.

Unhappy = "I can't believe the wait time for my food is taking so long. I was hoping to eat before my Zoom meeting started."

Complaining = "I hate how rainy the weather is today! It's ruining my plans to go hiking."

It is normal to verbalize your issues to friends or family once in a while instead of internalizing them. However, complaining about things constantly and not doing anything about it makes you appear like a professional victim.

At that point, you deserve the suffering you experience.

Here are 2 steps I've used to turn things around:

• Shift Perspective - Train yourself to see challenges as opportunities for growth rather than reasons to complain. Adopting an optimistic mindset can help you to reframe negative situations in a more positive light.

• Focus on Action - Channel your energy into taking positive action rather than falling for the urge to complain. Set goals, make plans, and take steps towards achieving them. At the end of the day, you must empower yourself to effect change.

5. Hanging with unproductive friends

We all have different friend groups for different reasons. One group may be your coworkers, another may be your schoolmates, another is your buddies from basketball practice, and so on. Whatever the case may be, we all need friends to socialize with and be a part of our network.

Life is fascinating because you can be friends with someone today and by next week you guys are no longer close. To the point that they could've gotten married and you had no idea. This happens when people grow apart when one person is evolving faster than the next.

I am not saying, you should cut off EVERYBODY who is not progressing as quickly as you are in life because acting like a lone ranger is not a good look.

You need to find like-minded people who you can learn from and collaborate with. You would have to put yourself out there to find the right fit to see who you can work with.

• Identify Common Values and Goals - Seek friends who share similar values, interests, and goals. Surrounding yourself with individuals who align with your aspirations can foster motivation and support towards achieving them.

• Encourage Growth and Development Look for friends who inspire and challenge you to grow personally and professionally. Choose individuals who are ambitious, motivated, and invested in self-improvement, as they can positively influence your development.

Well, you’ve reached the end of the 1st of many newsletters to come.

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Much Love.

Javito