Hi, I’m Mandy!
Victorious Attitude is dedicated to exploring self-improvement in all forms. I’m not a fitness model or a makeup guru, but I work to make positive changes every day. I hope you’ll join me on my journey!
Beauty Career/Finances Personal Growth Wellness
My Story
Graduation day was one of the proudest days of my life. I was no valedictorian, but I had been the typical driven college student: always a full course load, tons of clubs, and student jobs to fill the gaps. But on that day, all of my hard work had finally paid off, and I had reached the proverbial carrot on a stick that had been dangled in front of me since I was a kid.
Yet even amid the glow of that happy day, I was constantly on the receiving end of the one question that all new grads hate. The one that ran through my head every night as I tried to fall asleep:
“What’s next?”
As a student, there was always an upcoming project, upcoming test, upcoming school year, all laid out for me. Without it, I lost my sense of purpose. I felt that I was just one face, lost in a sea of identical grads. I was tens of thousands of dollars in debt, but couldn’t find a full-time job, and I had to pick and choose which bills to pay each month. I could only cook myself instant foods, and the stress made it easy for me to make excuses to skip working out. I became secretly envious of and angry at the successes of my friends and former classmates, and felt like I was drifting aimlessly.
But then, I realized that I was going about it all wrong. I was only ever thinking of the finish line─ the idea that a college grad is “supposed” to end up with a high paying career, and have “adult life” all figured out. I felt like every day that I had failed to achieve my dreams, I was a loser.
Instead, I needed to take a step back and realize that building life skills is a process. That I needed to focus on the small, attainable daily habits that build up to those larger accomplishments. I had been getting upset that I couldn’t scale the wall, without ever even putting my foot on the ladder!
Now, before 30, I moved to a “big city” and back, opened a cafe with my best friends, and have a beautiful little family with the man of my dreams and our 3 cats. Yet even with this, I know that I can be doing more to better myself and the world. Join me on this journey so we can grow together!
For more info about me and my blog, visit the FAQ!
We all strive to be our best!
Today, more than ever, we are exposed to “perfect” Pinterest apartments and chefs, Instagram and TikTok fitness models and fashionistas, and more. On our personal pages, all we see are our friends’ weddings, new jobs, and exotic travel pics. And even if we unplug, we can’t escape photoshopped ads.
This all highlights the fact that people generally only broadcast their successes or their own agenda. They don’t show the sweaty gym days and stretch marks, or the burnt first attempt at a new dish.
And it’s not a bad thing to want to do your best and show your best side!
But in emulating these people and posts they admire, the way that most people go wrong is with burnout. They try to do everything perfectly all at once. They wake up one day feeling determined to make a change, and use that energy to do a billion positive things that they’ve aspired to. But then, two weeks later, they are so tired or so dejected that their weight loss, job hunt, etc. aren’t keeping pace with their enthusiasm that it all falls apart and they slip back into old habits.
So, what’s your secret?
It’s kindness. Treat others how you want to be treated, and treat yourself how you would treat your best friend. It sounds cheesy, but it’s really that simple.
When you’re overwhelmed with the to-do list you made in your morning coffee hype, pick one or two things to prioritize, and go ahead and let stuff roll over a day or two! You’re human!
Instead of giving up on day planners when you forgot for two months, don’t toss it in the trash. Instead, take a moment to pat yourself on the back for wanting to get organized, reflect on why the method didn’t work for you, and try again!
If you skipped the gym or had a misstep in your nutrition goals, don’t think of it as a wasted day and laze around or binge! Instead, do something active that you enjoy, like a walk or yoga in front of the TV, and make healthy choices for the rest of the day. Don’t let it spiral!
It’s very important to get organized and set a routine, but forgive yourself when you have to deviate. Life is lived in the blank spaces in your planner and on the days where nothing on your to-do list gets done. Being organized and productive the rest of the time just gives you the freedom to enjoy that downtime to its fullest.
In general, kindness towards others can help you forge genuine connections with people, whether you want to network professionally, draw and retain customers, or just make new friends. Kindness towards yourself can help you avoid burnout, and successfully stay on your workout schedule, diet, career plan, or any other long-term goals.
So that’s where Victorious Attitude comes in.
It’s my own little journal of personal growth. It’s my reminder to the world and myself that self-improvement is a lifelong journey, not a finish line.
Whether you’re 18 or 80, there will always be new challenges in life to tackle. People prey on that sense of helplessness, and create a fake sense of urgency to sell things. “Get skinny for Spring Break with our 20 day cleanse!”, “Hate your boss? Start working from home today by selling this product!”, “Need money now? We’ll give you a loan until your next paycheck!”
Well, Victorious Attitude is a place to take a step back from that. It’s a place to celebrate the tiny everyday victories that may not seem Instagram-worthy, but form the building blocks of lifelong habits. It’s a place to share the failures that become life lessons and funny stories. It’s about recognizing that self-improvement hinges entirely on a positive mindset and determination, not on fad products or overnight “transformations.”
Let’s start the journey, start reading now!
Every adventure is better with friends, so let’s keep in touch! Enter your email below so you never miss a post. I hope you will comment and reach out on social media so I can hear your stories, too!
