PRACTICE PERSONAL AUTHENTICITY

Getting more out of life means knowing who you are, what you like and how you excel so you can use your strengths unapologetically and to your greatest advantage. But personal authenticity isn’t just about who you are... it’s also about who you are not. Life gets cluttered by others’ expectations, creating confidence- eroding areas of supposed “lack” or “shortcomings” in our minds about ourselves. While continuously working on our “less than best” qualities is a must, true freedom comes from creating positive parameters through self-knowledge. The key is to check in daily about your true nature and desires: how did you spent your time, what made you feel happy, when did you feel most like yourself, when did you feel like you were trying to be someone you’re not?  Recognizing and then honoring the patterns that emerge from your daily answers will help power your life forward.

LIVE THE RULE OF AWESOME

Do what’s awesome... and if it’s not awesome, don’t do it. (Unless it’s for your family or you kids, in which case we gladly do all sort of sacrificial anythings and everythings!) But when it comes to yourself, whether it’s chocolate cake, new shoes, a potential new client, a social event... if it doesn’t make you feel fabulous, don’t do it. A truly profound concept, this life rule is all about becoming more discerning and economical in terms of choices. Not only is it a great strategy for avoiding “what should I wear” moments and handling a buffet while you’re trying to lose weight, it establishes a technique for making decisions with clarity and purpose. The Rule of Awesome helps maximize your time and resources while also diffusing the potential for energy-sapping resentments and regrets in life.

ON STRATEGIZING HABITS

A major life de-stressor and time-preserver is learning to cut daily decision-making in half, if not more, by narrowing choices wherever possible. Indecision equals wasted time. With daily life already moving at lightning speed, the cost of time not well-spent is steep. It’s the difference between going to sleep every night feeling content about today and prospective about tomorrow... or waking up in a panic in the middle of the night wondering where the time went and feeling like life is passing you by. Meals you eat alone, go-to outfits, exercise regimens... you can significantly enrich your life by turning not-so-consequential tasks into habit instead of decisions that suck up precious time, energy and mental bandwidth you could be spending on things that are more exciting and fulfilling.

DEVELOP OPPOSITIONAL STABILITY

Stress and conflict management strategies are essential to getting the most out of life – and efficiency in doing so means more time to spend more time on things you enjoy. Rooted in the Pilates concept that, for your body to bend freely in one direction, energy must first initiate in the opposite direction to establish a solid base from which to move, this principle helps you find solid, unemotional, middle-ground from which to operate during life’s stressful moments. Obstacles present the greatest opportunities to strengthen. Rather than being feared, they are to be welcomed and embraced.Whether our challenges come from spouses, children, colleagues, pants you’re trying to squeeze into, a second glass of wine calling your name, that trip you want to take but don’t think you can afford... we run into stop signs every single day. And when we are struck by a “no” in life, instinct tells us to do one of three things: 1) run, 2) become immobile or 3) look for something heavy to throw at the offending party. (Just kidding.) But there is a very effective fourth option: moving your mind in the opposite direction first. The approach is simple: start by saying yes. Agree with every part of the other person’s side so you can focus solely on points of difference and get to resolution faster. This “bend so you don’t break” strategy allows you to first develop empathy for your adversary and understanding around the subject, diffusing your own emotional pressure. Logic then has space to exist, providing balance and allowing you to move far more efficiently, freely and painlessly... and oftentimes in the direction you most want.

ALLOW IN THE EXTRAORDINARY

Life is full of beauty that too often passes by unnoticed as we race to fulfill one task, obligation and responsibility after another. The precious time you preserve for yourself by following the first four strategies creates space and mental bandwidth for you not only to be able to recognize opportunity, but to seize it and pursue it.As duty calls louder and louder throughout life, we lose the curiosity that powered our childhoods and gave us the chance to figure out who we are and what we want. The discovery of things that interests and excites us is how we invite color into our lives and how we grow. Creating extra space and time allows you to slow down and receive beautiful moments, large and small, consequential and not-so-much. You always know extraordinary moments when they happen – they are the moments when time literally stops and you can feel a memory being made and your life being enriched on the spot.