We all want to live a long and happy life. The good news is that that’s one of the many benefits of finding your authentic self; the transformation from surviving to thriving leading to an increase in quality and longevity of life. This month I wanted to share with you the most important habits you will learn on this journey. Can you guess what they are? Read on to find out.
There are many habits to learn along the way to finding your authentic self so you can thrive in life and work, but without these top 5 you will struggle to sustain the transformation long term:
1) Manage your expectations
We all have this vision of what we think our life should be; what we think our career should involve, how our ideal partner should behave, who our friends should be. Very often the reality looks a bit different. So let go of your expectations and embrace each experience as it is. It’ll help you build stronger bonds with people and enjoy the moment more meaning you’ll treasure your experiences rather than drain your energy wishing things were different.
2) Learn to say no
Being assertive and having the ability to say “no” in a polite and respectful way will not only mean you can spend your time doing things you love rather than things you feel you have to do, it’ll also allow you to do those things guilt free! Start small by listening to and putting your own needs first. Then follow this up with polite declines to the things you don’t want to do. And remember, you don’t have to justify yourself “sorry, I’m unable to make it but have a wonderful time” is perfectly sufficient.
3) Accept the past and move on
We all have a past full of both negative and positive experiences. The reality is that you probably carry some of these experiences with you. However, if you want to find your authentic self and thrive you need to accept the past is in the past. Be kind to yourself and let it go. Instead, embrace the experiences you had and cherish the memories and lessons learned. Move forwards with the wisdom but leave everything else where it belongs; behind you.
4) Take care of yourself
We all need different things to be healthy, so take the time to learn what’s good for you (not what’s good for everyone else), that way you’ll independently be able to take care of your own needs. This is crucial. Developing your self-awareness is key here. And don’t forget the basics such as staying hydrated, eating healthily, getting enough sleep and moving regularly.
5) What you tell yourself impacts everything
What we tell ourselves significantly influences the way we see the world and so impacts our ability to thrive. It’s therefore important that your inner world aligns with where you want to go in life. Your inner dialogue must be predominantly positive and you must learn how to manage anything negative that shows up so it doesn’t get in your way.
Learning and adopting these 5 habits will go a long way to helping you thrive instead of just survive, in life and work. Dedicate time to learning and implementing each and you will see a difference to your happiness, life and work satisfaction, and resilience.