Get in girls, we’re leveling up this year, setting and sticking to resolutions, and getting our confidence back. 2024 can and will be a life-changing year if you start with clear intentions. The new year provides an opportunity to go after what you desire and evaluate the goals that are important to you, but how likely are you to follow through with those resolutions?
According to a recent Forbes Health survey, the average resolution lasts just 3.74 months, which means that only 8% of people tend to stick to their goal for only one month. To set yourself apart and stick to your goals, consider the advice of confidence coach Tiwalola Ogunlesi.
Meet confidence coach, Tiwalola Ogunlesi.
Founder of Confident and Killing It, Tiwalola Ogunlesi
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Ogunlesi is a globally recognized coach specializing in positive psychology, an international speaker, an author, and the founder of Confident and Killing It. Confident and Killing It is a purpose-driven organization and community that wakes women up to their worth so they can be confident, and unstoppable and dare to live the life they truly desire.
Through engaging and practical workshops, media, and coaching programs, Ogunlesi equips women with the tools they need to overcome fear and self-doubt, program their minds for success, and live out their biggest dreams. As you game plan for the new year, consider Ogunlesi's tips to crush your 2024 goals:
1. Prioritize your growth and happiness.
"It's okay to be selfish and put your needs first. It's about time we start prioritizing doing things that make us feel alive and whole because, ultimately, we can't give to others what we don't have for ourselves. This year, fill your cup up first and put your oxygen mask on first before you help others," Ogunlesi shares. "This will mean cutting down on people pleasing and being okay with disappointing others, but you know what? No one has ever died from disappointment, so they'll be alright!
"Before you are a sister, a mother, a daughter, a friend, or a colleague, you are YOU. You deserve to prioritize your growth, happiness, and whatever brings you fulfillment," Ogunlesi continues.
"Nobody wins when you play small."
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2. Assume positive things about yourself until proven otherwise.
"Stop going into your future to think of the worst possible outcome. Stop booing yourself off the stage before you've even had the chance to perform. Confidence means having an in-depth belief in yourself and your abilities and knowing what it takes to take action on your dreams and your goals. Your thoughts influence your feelings, and your feelings influence whether you take action or not.
"If you want to win in 2024, you've got to quiet the voice of self-doubt and 'get sassy with the mean girl in your mind,' as I say in chapter two of my book Confident and Killing It. Assume you are capable, assume you have what it takes, give yourself a chance, and then figure things out as you go along," she adds.
"Confidence means having an in-depth belief in yourself and your abilities and knowing what it takes to take action on your dreams and your goals."
3. Get comfortable with self-promotion and shine your light.
"There's no award for being the world's best-kept secret! Nobody wins when you play small; you've got to embrace your main character energy and shine your light unapologetically with the world. The world needs your gifts, ideas, and solutions, so don't hold back in 2024. No more pushing your accomplishments under the rug, if you did it, you should own it!
"When you celebrate your wins, it helps you feel more confident and optimistic about your future. Imposter syndrome is simply memory loss, where you've forgotten all the amazing things about yourself. So, if you want to take up space and feel confident, don't be afraid to reflect on your wins and share them with the world," Ogunlesi concludes.
Since 2018, Tiwalola Ogunlesi has upskilled over 10,000 women across the world and delivered engaging experiences for brands and organizations such as Google, Meta, The Times, Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, Viacom CBS, Spotify, Squarespace, UN Women UK, The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy and many more.
For more information on Tiwalola Ogunlesi's work, consider her confidence coaching, and for daily tips, listen to Confident and Killing It Podcast.
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xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
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Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
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Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
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