5 Things I Do Everyday to Set Myself up for Success

Success is subjective, but here's my definition:

• I wake up feeling rested
• I've given all my to-do's my best effort
• I feel good about what I wore (superficial for some, but this matters to me)
• The people in my life are happier after interacting with me
• I can feel gratitude, even if I've hard a hard day

I chose the word "success" instead of "happiness", because you know what? Sometimes being happy is really hard. I just wanted to throw that out there. I can feel successful even if I'm not filled with joy. Joy is a topic for another day :)

Go to bed before 11PM

This is a hard task for a lot of people - it's hard for me when I'm feeling stressed. I lie awake worrying about things, which only leaves me tired and unenthusiastic the following day...leading to more stress. It's a bad cycle, so I truly do my best to get 7.5 hours of sleep. That's my sweet spot.

I manage to do this by getting into bed and turning off the lights by 10pm. I'm usually still on the phone with Azim, but it helps me wind down. If I'm not completely ready to nod off by 10:30pm, I'll put on a sleep meditation practice from a free app I use called Insight Timer. I don't know if this really counts as true meditation, but it does help me relax, and usually puts me to sleep.

Me in my morning meeting when I've slept less than 7 hours

Repeat a mantra

I don't find it difficult to give tasks my 110% effort. Even if it's work I don't enjoy, I tend to want to overachieve. This is not a brag - I actually think it's a weakness of mine. It often leaves me feeling burnt out, and not my best self. I'm learning how to set boundaries, and instead of trying to give tasks my 110% effort, I try to give them my best effort. Still learning to differentiate between the two.

What helps me do this, is repeating a mantra. This is probably going to induce some eye-rolling, but I really DGAF.

When I feel overwhelmed, I'll say:

"Today I choose joy"

That doesn't mean I'll stop what I'm doing if I find it hard. It means I'll reprioritize how much of myself I'm putting into it.

In those rare occasions where I AM finding it difficult to give a task my best effort (and unfortunately, this is usually my blog, or things I actually love, because I'm tired from work), I'll say:

"Everything is figure-outable"

It's a reminder to me, that even if I'm finding something challenging, or I'm just plain de-motivated, I CAN get through it.

Wear comfortable clothes

Ok - this sounds hella dumb, but you'd be surprised how many people (I think mostly women), torture themselves by wearing uncomfortable clothing. I can't tell you the amount of times I've worn shoes that have ripped my feet to shreds, or jeans that have made me legitimately nauseous after sitting in them for too long at work.

Here's the thing. When you feel uncomfortable in your clothes - IT SHOWS. I catch women all the time doing the "tuck tuck" movement with their shirts if they're feeling self conscious - ladies, you know what I'm talking about. When you're uncomfortable or second-guessing your outfit, it shows in your posture and your movements.

I definitely still own a few pieces that were designed for style and not comfort (mostly shoes), but to feel good at the end of the day, I make a conscious effort to keep a wardrobe that inspires confidence. And for me, that means being comfortable.

Write "happy birthday" to friends on Facebook

I'm not in a profession that makes the world a better place. I love volunteering and donating to charity, but don't do either as much as I wish I could or should.

But I try to do something small and positive everyday. This is important to me. I am inspired by mom, who truly makes this world a better place.

A small thing can be writing a "happy birthday" message to a friend on Facebook (I don't know about you, but I always feel so touched when someone I don't usually hear from takes an extra moment to wish me happy birthday!).

Hold the door, buy someone coffee, give an unexpected hug, send a note.

Keep a gratitude journal

I use this. It only takes five minutes to do, and truly works. Like I mentioned above - it doesn't always leave me feeling happy, but it helps to give me perspective and to live with intention, instead of just trying to "get through" the day.

So that's it! I know some of it may sound a little pontifical, but until I've reached Gwyneth Paltrow levels of obnoxious preaching, I cordially invite you to GTFO if you don't like it.

I'd love to hear some tips you have for setting yourself up for success! Thank you so much for reading :) xox