Be forgiving of yourself and others

Be forgiving of yourself and others
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“I’m a firm believer that you only have 100 per cent to give every day, not 110 per cent. Some days I am 80 per cent ‘worker,’ 10 per cent ‘healthy eater,’ and 9 per cent ‘friend,’ with only 1 per cent left over for ‘wife.’ But other days I’m 90 per cent ‘wife.’ I wish I could tell my younger self that you just can’t be everything to everyone, every single day! You’ll burn out. I’ve learned to forgive myself on the days my percentages are unbalanced and to be forgiving of others as well.” – Keltie Knight, “Entertainment Tonight” correspondent and television host

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Being busy isn’t an accomplishment

Being busy isn’t an accomplishment
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“This world glorifies being busy and has a narrow definition of success, so it becomes all too easy to prioritise everything else. We see extreme self-sacrifice as a badge of honour. As a mother and entrepreneur, I’ve totally fallen into this trap in the past, thinking that I need to put everyone else’s needs first. So I would tell my younger self to always make time for those things that bring me the most joy, whether that’s a hobby or a relationship or something else. In fact, I see my current business as a gift to my younger self and to other women to not be afraid to put their happiness first. – Carla Birnberg, CEO and Founder of Your Box Box

You’re beautiful the way you are

You’re beautiful the way you are
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“Growing up doing competitive dance, I was always judged on my performances. Often, judgement about my body type and physique went hand in hand with that. If I could, I would go back to the first time I ever felt bad about myself because of what others said about my body, and tell myself that their opinions don’t matter. The only person who should have an opinion about your body is you. If you define your beauty by other people’s standards you’ll never feel good enough, but if you learn to love yourself, you can’t go wrong.” – Cheryl Burke, professional dancer

One bad decision will not ruin your life (even if it feels like at the time)

One bad decision will not ruin your life (even if it feels like at the time)
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“If there’s one piece of advice I’d give the younger me it would be to understand that success in life is about your body of choices as opposed to one good or bad one. In this day of digital everything, it can feel like everyone is watching you and one wrong move can derail the entire trajectory of your life – but in reality, actions are cumulative. I learned this the hard way when some pictures I thought were private ended up online, sparking a national controversy, humiliation, and cyber-bullying. I thought I was finished. But then I found the strength to rise above it and fight back. I found that mistakes can force you to make other choices that can open up bigger opportunities. On the other hand, one “good” choice, does not mean “good” is here to stay. It takes mindful and constant decision making, failures, and achievements, to acquire overall success and happiness. This means lamenting or celebrating any one choice as if it is the ‘end all or be all’ – like I’ve done too many times in my life—is a waste of energy and time.” – Catherine Bosley, veteran TV anchor and reporter and TEDx speaker

Try new things, especially if you think you won’t like them

Try new things, especially if you think you won’t like them
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“If I could go back in time to my younger self, I would demand that I step outside of my comfort zone more often! I would encourage myself to take part in activities and adventures that my initial reaction is to avoid. Eat new foods! Travel to different countries! Meet people different than yourself! During the times I’ve felt the most discomfort, I ended up learning the most. I was able to absorb the best lessons and knowledge from a different perspective. This is why traveling is so important, it helps you see and learn from an unknown, and also appreciate what you’ve taken for granted previously. ” – Shervin Roohparvar, tech entrepreneur, and producer.

Procrastination is your biggest enemy

Procrastination is your biggest enemy
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“When I was younger I believed that I did my best work under pressure – what a joke! In reality, I was using this thinking as an excuse to delay important, meaningful work in exchange for the dopamine hit that comes from checking less important things off my to-do list. If I could go back, I’d tell my younger self to schedule distraction-free, focused time on the most critical priorities and hold it sacred. This means no email, no phone, and definitely no multitasking. Block this time as early as possible in your day. Another trick I’d tell myself is to set deadlines far ahead of the actual due date – then enjoy the sense of satisfaction that comes from getting the most important things done early and done well.” – Cameron Hill, business coach and Client Partner for FranklinCovey.

Make exercise a priority

Make exercise a priority
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“I would tell my younger self to start practicing yoga. I wasn’t super into fitness growing up, it all seemed too intense. But as an adult, I’ve discovered the power of exercise, as much for my mental health as my physical health. I first started going to yoga classes at a local gym to get more flexible but I was surprised to discover that after each class not only was I more limber but I felt a sense of peace and tranquillity. I have a stressful job, and going to a yoga class at the end of my day shifted my mood from intense to relaxed. Soon I began craving these yoga classes. I began looking forward to ‘me time’ when all the problems of the world ceased to exist. I just wish I’d discovered it sooner!” – Milana Perepyolkina, author of Dark Chocolate for the Soul: Turning a Bitter Life into a Sweet Life No Matter What Happens to You

Map out a five-year plan

Map out a five-year plan
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“I would tell my younger self to have a 5-year plan before graduating high school because I learned the hard way that if you don’t have a plan to follow, you end up going nowhere. The first year after graduation, I basically did nothing. I didn’t know what I wanted for a career, so I ended up working as a custodian for primary schools. I discovered that this definitely wasn’t what I wanted so I decided to go to college and made a five-year plan to help me accomplish that goal. All the universities I applied to turned me down so I went to community college instead. I’m doing great now but not being prepared meant I got slapped in the face with reality and ended up wasting a lot of time.” – LaQuan “Brydell Cocky” Wilson, comedian, actor, and social media personality

You have to fail before you can succeed

You have to fail before you can succeed
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“I started out as an Uber driver. Today I own my own company, Ridester, a ridesharing information company. For people who only know me as I am today, it might seem like I had an easy career path. It was anything but. I had to go through a lot of difficult times and failed businesses before I found the one that took off. But I didn’t succeed in spite of those failures, I succeeded because of them. I wish I could tell my younger self not to be afraid of failing and to embrace it. You have to experience failure and rejection because that’s how you learn and improve. Failure is an inevitable part of life and your career.” – Brett Helling, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Ridester

Start saving for your retirement as early as you can

Start saving for your retirement as early as you can
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“The biggest thing I wish I could go back and tell my younger self is to max out my superannuation contributions starting when I was first eligible. Lots of people will tell you to contribute the amount your employer will match but no one told me I could – and should – contribute more than that. So, for years, I contributed just 5 per cent of my salary. Of course, any amount put in a retirement account is great but I could have been saving much more money! It’s hard to think about retirement when you’re young and first starting your career but that’s actually the best time to think about it because you can start saving more earlier.” — Robert Farrington, financial expert.

In addition, check out these tips on ways to build a happy retirement.

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