If I know anything about myself, I know that I am one of those Type-A personalities, one of those overachievers who wants everything to go my way 100 percent of the time.
But the harsh reality is, life doesn’t always pan out that way, and I can’t always get what I want. I have to face the fact that I’m not perfect. I used to struggle with deadlines — my inbox would be flooded with unread emails, and don’t even get me started on what my desk space looks like. I would also skip lunch more times that I’m proud to say, and I had a pretty good relationship with my snooze button on my alarm.
It was at the beginning of this year that I finally decided to stop making excuses and step things up. I decided to start rebuilding on some #GirlBoss habits that I set for myself. I have some recommendations that will hopefully help you all out too.
Start early
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This is crucial to set yourself up for success, sis. I was notorious for setting at least three alarms before I finally open my eyelids and roll my lazy self out of bed. But over time, I noticed it would affect my whole mood if I slept in every day, especially on the weekends. That’s why I developed a routine. It is somewhat known that people who get up early are naturally sleepier when it's the “normal” time to go to bed.
So, creating a specific routine will help you sleep better each night and wake feeling more rested. Waking up early also sets a calm tone for the day and gives you the chance to squeeze in a morning workout, or spending an extra hour to go through e-mails or write blog posts. What I am saying is, if you wake up early, you can maximize productiveness and increase your energy levels for the day
Practice Meditation
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I don’t know if I’ll ever be the kind of person who sits on the floor, crosses her legs, and meditates to the sounds of gongs and soft chimes. But, I have been known to sit in my bed first thing and listen to a few minutes of “mindfulness meditation.”
My mind is always going. Like, honestly, I don’t even know what it’s like to do one thing at a time anymore. When I’m doing one thing, I’m thinking about something else, and by the end of the day, my mental state is genuinely exhausted. Because of that, I have been actively trying to set aside some time to practice mindful meditation. This means to take a seat somewhere in your house, pay attention to the breath, and when your attention wanders, return and start again. Doing this one simple act slows my brain down a bit and helps me focus on the present.
Kick those bad habits
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For me, procrastination is my downfall. If you want to be a #GirlBoss, then you need to stop procrastinating. Because girl bosses get stuff done and make things happen, sis. First, you should try and understand why you are even delaying in the first place. Then, you can develop some practical strategies to get essential tasks done right away, rather than wait until tomorrow, or the day after that. Some ways to do that is by setting simple, yet achievable goals. Things you can try are creating a realistic timeline or schedule, set deadlines, and getting rid of unnecessary distractions.
Keep Healthy
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I hate running. There, I said it. I hear all these runners say how much they love running and how they get a so-called “runners high” and even though I would love to call bull on that one, I have to remember, to each their own. For me, it’s all about the weight room. I love the feeling of getting stronger and going up in reps/weight when my once grueling workouts become a walk in the park. They saying is right, you will feel a lot better and more productive when you incorporate fitness into your day, and so make sure you do that.
Save some Coins
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Everyone else feels like all they do is work and pay bills? Me too, sis. Me too. I am sure a lot of struggle with saving our hard-earned coins. That’s pretty much what all the recent studies have shown. We have bills, rent, gas, groceries, student loans, the list goes on and on.
But, I genuinely think if we all look at our spending, there is room for improvement. My suggestion is to really scale back where you can and then set up some aside for savings. Even if it’s just setting aside $5 a month.
Other suggestions are to switch bank accounts to take advantage of perks like points on gas or grocery purchases. You can also stop collecting, and start selling lightly used items, making your homemade gifts, and mastering the 30-day rule. If you still want to buy that item after the 30 day period is up, go for it, sis.
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