Becoming Mrs. Ohio was a dream come true! I will never forget the moment when they called my name and I realized I had won. It was so much more than having a crown placed on my head - although that was fantastic, don't get me wrong:) But the most exciting part was knowing what was out there for me in the year ahead. I knew that the title of Mrs. Ohio would provide an amazing platform and opportunities to speak, write, support charities and spread the message that "You can do this!" to women across the state.
I am passionate about encouraging women to move past insecurities and excuses and strive for the dreams in their hearts. The things you are passionate about are not there by accident! You have gifts and talents that intertwine with your passions. Your mission is to find out how to put those things together and put them in action. For most of us, the problem is not identifying what we love or are good at. The issue lies in the excuses we make. I'm not pointing fingers here; I spent years making excuses of my own! We tell ourselves that we aren't "good enough", we don't have the time or money to pursue it, it's not that important…the list goes on. We can spend our whole lives missing out on the things we were put here to do. I decided I was done sitting on the sidelines of my own life. Here are the steps I took that have helped me move beyond my fears and pursue things like the Mrs. Ohio title and launching my own business:
1. Identify Your Goal.
This sounds easy, but sometimes it takes some work to narrow your passion down to a workable goal. I wanted to use my skills as a hairdresser and makeup artist to help people feel their best for the big moments in their life, and I wanted it to be flexible for my family. It took some time for me to figure out what that would look like. Obviously, the goal of becoming Mrs. Ohio was a simpler one. If your goal isn't already clear, think about what you love and how you want it to fit into your life. Want to lose weight and become more fit? How about a goal like participating in a charity race, or knowing you will be in a bathing suit on the Mrs. Ohio stage? This will give you a goal to be excited about, and a deadline to achieve it.
2. Do Your Homework.
I love research - it makes me feel more confident approaching whatever goal is in front of me. Once you have identified what you want to do, spend time learning as much about it as you can. In preparation for the Mrs. Ohio pageant, I spoke with past winners, read articles and blogs from pageant coaches and directors, brought questions to the Ohio state director and looked through oodles of pictures. All this helped me understand what I was getting into, identify what I needed to work on, and sharpen the image I wanted to present. I went into the pageant knowing what I wanted and with a defined plan on how I would try to get there.
3. Put It Into Practice.
You know the saying, "practice makes perfect"? Practice may not always make you "perfect", but it will make you prepared! Spend time making your goals and the research behind them part of your everyday life. If you want to change your body, find a fitness plan that is realistic and implement it. Need to work on interview skills? Time yourself, have friends and family write questions for you to answer, even have them give you mock interviews. Want to launch your own business? If you've done your homework, you now know what classes you may need to take or equipment you might need to purchase - do it! Taking little steps every single day toward your goal will keep you encouraged and prevent feeling overwhelmed.
4. Now What?!
It's funny how sometimes we have big dreams, we plan how to get there… and then we don't have a plan for what we will do once we get there! Don't neglect this important step. You have your business rolling - now where do you want it to go? You ran your first race - now what? I think sometimes we have this unspoken belief in the back of our minds that we will never actually reach our goals, so when we do, it takes us by surprise! EXPECT that you WILL reach your goals! PLAN for SUCCESS! When I competed in Mrs. Ohio, I planned to win. I had no guarantees, but I went into it with a plan of what I would do if I did. When I won, it was that much sweeter knowing I already had planned how to make the most of my year as queen.
I am so excited to use my new platform to partner with you in making your dreams a reality! It's time for us to lay down the hurtful words, painful experiences and fear-filled excuses from our pasts and move uninhibited into our full potential. Growth and change can be scary, but it is ALWAYS worth it. Let's stand together as an example for the generations looking up to us. Tell me your story - I would love to hear from you!
- Shaylyn
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