We live in a society where we’re constantly bombarded with advice on how to ‘be our best selves’ or ‘live our best lives.’ We’re told that we should be gentle and malleable, yet strong and powerful. We’re encouraged to jump forward into opportunities, and yet, keep people and things at arm’s length. Honestly, if you pay too much attention to the ‘rules’ of the world, you’ll drive yourself crazy trying to fit in and walk this predetermined ‘ideal’ line.
What matters most is not the things that you do or how ‘perfect’ you are. What matters is that you’re moving forward in your individual truth and believing in your ability to choose your own way.
If you feel bombarded with others opinions on how you ‘should’ be, or if you feel that you’re constantly swayed by the latest thing rather than the desires of your heart, here are seven little (but crucial) ways to reclaim power in your life.
1. Learn the power of saying ‘yes,’ and when to say ‘no.’
There are opportunities you should never let pass you by. There are people you should love, relationships you should jump into, jobs you should take, and dreams you should chase. And when you come across these things—by all means—do them! But also learn when to say ‘no,’ especially when it comes to projects you don’t want to (or can’t) take on, people you’re no longer connecting with, or ideas/perspectives that are not your own.
Saying ‘yes’ can change your entire life in positive ways. It opens doors, gives you confidences, and pushes you out of your comfort zone. But there is value in saying ‘no,’ too. Sometimes saying ‘no’ gives you more room to focus on what really matters and preserves your overall energy.
2. Trust your gut and walk away from what isn’t serving you.
Your intuition, gut, conscience, heart—whatever you want to call it—knows more than you think. You know that little feeling deep in your chest that you feel when something isn’t right? Yeah, that’s the one. Listen to that, trust that, and be prepared to follow that (even if it’s scary).
3. Create boundaries and stick to them.
There is infinite value to creating boundaries and no, this isn’t a negative thing! Create boundaries for what’s work time and what’s play time, for what you’ll allow/accept in a relationship, for what’s your space vs. another person’s, and for how much you’ll put into something (task, connection, project etc.) to meet someone halfway.
Creating boundaries is intimidating sometimes, but asserting yourself and what you need will help you feel empowered and ensure your needs are met as you equally meet the needs of others, too.
4. Increase your productivity through automating the simple things.
If you really want to reclaim power in your life, you have to realize the power of automation. How much of your daily life is wasted doing simple tasks that a robot could do? Seriously. We live in a world where robotic technology and software, like RoboWorx, is actually a real thing. Although it may sound weird or intimidating at first, robotic process automation (RPA) is something you can easily implement to make you a more productive and efficient person.
How does this work? It’s actually simple. RoboWorx software records then mimics your human interactions. From copy and pasting data and filling out forms to processing data, you can tap into this software to save you valuable time and effort every day. Talk about reclaiming power!
5. Prioritize your mental health.
There is so much value to prioritizing mental health and fighting against the stigma. Your mind is literally your most important asset. If you want to reclaim power in your life, you have to focus on your mind and how you’re doing mentally. From taking breaks and personal days to talking to a therapist, you shouldn’t feel any shame for prioritizing this. At all.
6. Be a better communicator in your relationships.
When you face conflict with a coworker, friend, family member, loved one, etc. take a step back and think about your responses before letting them fly. Actively try to see other peoples’ perspectives. Are they looking at this situation from a different lens? Is it possible to see their side and emphasize?
A sure sign of maturity, looking outside your personal bubble and learning to better communicate with the people you’re surrounded with is actually key to reclaiming power in your life. When you learn how to better express and articulate yourself, the bonds you have will strengthen naturally.
7. Understand that you’re not perfect, but you’re still kicking butt.
Guess what? You’re not perfect. And that’s okay. Life isn’t about always doing the right thing, but it is about picking yourself up and moving forward.
Whether you’re going through a difficult season, fighting to get over heartbreak, struggling with the loss of a loved one, or some other shift in confidence or strength, learning to reclaim power is a hard but necessary process. But you’re getting there. And truthfully, you’re doing better than you think you are.
Featured Image Credit: Jasmine Peardon
This is a sponsored post with affiliate links. All ideas expressed and written are my own.
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