Although it can appear that way, successful women do not just wake up one morning surrounded by everything they ever dreamed of (although 13 going on 30 was an excellent film!). Success is simply the sum of the tiny decisions we make in our day-to-day lives. Read on for a few small reminders of what you can do daily to help you attain those dreams of yours:
Dream Big, but Set Short-Term Goals
While you should never lose sight of the bigger picture, you’ll never get there without taking concrete steps in your day-to-day life. Want to start a new business? Make a list of all the things you’ll need to do to make it happen and start actioning them one by one. Trying to save money? Set a budget and create a way of tracking your progress e.g. a block tracker. Every big goal can be accomplished if you break it down into manageable bite-sized chunks.
Cut down on distractions
Some distractions are obvious (ahem endless scrolling through Insta) some less so (ahem needy partner/kids/parents). Personally, I find the best way of limiting distractions is to get up early and use the first part of the morning for working towards my goals. You’ll then spend the rest of the day feeling good as you’ll have achieved something. Check out Robin Sharma’s The 5am Club for some inspiration. Getting up early can take a while to get used to, but it’s so lovely being up at that time when everything’s quiet. Plus you’ll probably end up sleeping more deeply at night.
Ditch the Guilt
You should never feel guilty for needing some time to yourself each day, whether that’s away from children, friends or your partner. It can be far too easy to constantly put the needs of others ahead of our own, but that can lead to a downward spiral of resentment and exhaustion if you never find time for your needs. Others will learn to respect your boundaries once you start setting them. Time alone is sacred, as that is when you can have your best ideas. Time to recharge will also allow you to be more present when you are with others.
Eat the Frog
Metaphorically speaking of course. This refers to always doing the task that you are looking forward to least, first. You’ll come at it fresh, and feel great the rest of the day once it’s over and done with. It’s always so tempting to start off with all the easy, enjoyable tasks, but you should really save those ones until later in the day when you have less energy and just want to do something that’s less effort. Thanks Mark Twain for that invaluable piece of advice!
Make Appointments – For Everything
It can be so easy if you’re working on something to let everything else slip. But guess what, that will just make you feel sluggish. Try and treat the things that are important to you with the same importance as business meetings. Set a date/time for your exercise class/hair appointment/date night and stick. to. it. This will give you the ability to plan your time around it and do your work more efficiently with deadlines in mind.
Never Stop Learning
You’ll never know it all, and that’s ok. But you should always strive to push yourself forward and learn new skills. This does not have to be learning in the traditional way (although reading on a regular basis is fantastic – see my book recommendations), but you could also do something less obvious, like going on a cellar door tour and learning about wines so that you’re more confident choosing a wine at your next business lunch. With the right mindset, everything can be seen as a learning opportunity. And knowledge is power after all.
Practice Gratitude
It can be so easy to always focus on our shortcomings, especially if a particular goal seems distant and unattainable. But taking the time to focus on what we are grateful for can really help you get out of that rut and move forward. Set aside a short amount of time to write down what you are grateful for in a gratitude journal: trust me, it works.
Keep on Top of Your Finances
This is something that sadly we don’t get taught how to do at school, and combine that with the stigma around discussing money and it’s no wonder that so many of us are clueless when it comes to our finances. But keeping on top of them is key when it comes to success and future happiness. Plus, if you’re financially secure, it’s harder for others to give you any sh**. There are some wonderful resources out there on the web – Money Saving Expert is a good place to start.
Know when to delegate
Whether it’s asking a freelancer to design your website, forwarding tasks to more junior staff at work or simply getting your kids to do their own damn laundry, delegating is important. No one can succeed if they try to do everything themselves. Believe me, as a perfectionist I know how hard it is to cede control sometimes, but it has to be done! A good tip I received while working in finance is to delegate to juniors to the point where you essentially make yourself “redundant” and this pushes you forwards and up, enabling you to take on more challenging tasks.
Listen, Be Kind and Encourage Others
The old saying goes “people may not remember what you say, but they’ll remember how you made them feel” and it’s 100% true. Learning to listen will make you a better team player, which is key as few people are successful in a vacuum. What’s more, success is about more than just money; being kind and compassionate is a huge investment in yourself and your relationships with others. After all, they say that we are the sum of our four closest friends, so encouraging others is only ever going to be a good thing.
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