Do What Works For You!

Have you ever had a person ‘should’ all over you? “You should really drink less coffee”, “You should get more sleep”, “You probably shouldn’t eat that”. It’s no doubt a crummy feeling and it may even make you begin to second guess your decisions. Well, we’re here to tell you; just do what works for you! Forget all the expectations and the ‘shoulds’, find what works for you and stick to it!

You might be saying to yourself, “That’s great, but how?”. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered there too. Below is a great list of some helpful guidelines to consider when forging your own path and writing your own rules. Take each one into consideration and see how it might help you live a simpler life with less worry and stress.

• Don’t compare yourself to others. I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” And ain’t that the truth! How many times have you been thrilled with something you did and then you find out someone else did it ‘better’ and your satisfaction turns to disappointment? The simplest way to avoid that is to not concern yourself with what others did and just be happy with your own accomplishments.
• Know your abilities. If we’re trying to do what works for us, we have to recognize where our abilities begin and end. Setting unrealistic goals and expectations for ourselves is the easiest path to disappointment. Appreciate your capabilities and capitalize on your strengths.
• Be okay with letting things go. The nice part about writing your own rules is that you’re going to try things that don’t work for you and that is okay, but you have to be okay with letting them go. That means, when you let them go you cannot punish yourself for it not working but rather recognize that that’s the nature of the game.
• Follow your gut. No one knows us better than we know ourselves. If you feel like something isn’t right, odds are it probably isn’t. Take a look at the situation and find opportunities to change it so that you feel confident and happy. 

The moral of the story is, we all need to spend a little less time listening to what society says we ‘should’ do, and spend a little more time finding what works best for us. Know that this can apply to every area of your life from parenting, to work, to your health, and everywhere in between. There is no right or wrong way to do something, just your way of doing it.