It was my 31st birthday on Saturday. It always makes me grateful, reflective and as pensive as Carrie Bradshaw – so I made a list. It’s good to write down all the things I’ve learnt – makes me realise how far I’ve come.
Everyone should go to therapy.
It always takes longer to do something than you think it will – and even if it doesn’t, you’re better off overestimating than underestimating as then you’ll say ‘oh great, that didn’t take as long as I thought’.
Don’t try to do more than 3-5 things a day. You’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
Financial stability isn’t overrated – you don’t realise how much you think/stress about money until you don’t have to.
Cut your hair the way YOU like it.
People will always criticise, often when they can’t even do the thing you’re doing – ignore it.
Read everyday. (And not your phone – something that’s good for the mind.)
Mainstream media is trash. Consume wisely. (Watch Frontline if you don’t believe me.)
People aren’t always great at articulating what they want – before you act or make a decision, find out what they really want and the motives behind it. Saves time.
A morning routine is crucial.
So are values.
People you love will have different opinions to you – but decide whether those opinions are a reflection of values you can’t align with.
It’s actually easier to just do something (eg: exercise, create, meditate, stretch, write, draw, journal) every day than a couple of days per week.
If you don’t like the person, definitely do NOT take note of what they think. Especially of you.
Humans – particularly women – are very good at telling ourselves we need to do x, y, and z before we can do the thing we really want to do. Eg: ‘my room needs to be clean before I can write’ – learn to avoid that and you’ll be a lot more productive/creative/happier. Creativity comes first.
It’s important to learn the difference between fear and intuition.
The person you are at 21 is not the person you are at 31 – but the essence of you is.
An ‘opps’ is SO MUCH BETTER than a ‘what if’. ‘What ifs’ haunt you. Do it, try it, take the risk, go on the adventure – make like Nike and just DO IT.
Lots of things in life can’t be fixed, they just have to be managed.
If you try something on and don’t love it, don’t buy it.
Similarly, if you put something on at home and don’t love it, donate it. Only wear things that make you feel great.
‘It is what it is’ is the most ANNOYING saying – but, unfortunately, it’s so accurate. It really is, what it is.
When you start viewing it as ‘situations’ rather than ‘problems’, your mental health and ability to handle the ‘situation’ improve.
Scales are the work of the devil. Unless you’re an MMA fighter or about to get into a hammock, WHY do you need to know your weight? You can judge your health in much better ways.
Life ebbs and flows in seasons. It’s okay to grieve the end of one season, it’s how you accept things will be different – just remember the next season will bring all kinds of wonderful things too.
Most of the time we have way more than we need.
Words are weapons.
There is a reason they say patience is a virtue – patience and calmness are so hard, yet so rewarding. Working hard at them does pay off.
It’s okay to feel how you’re feeling, but it will pass. Act when it does.
When you feel like crap: wash your hair, put on your favourite outfit, spend a few minutes in front of the mirror to make yourself look cute, then put on a bomb-ass playlist. I swear, it does wonders.
I’m 31 – and still fabulous.
