5 life lessons

5 life lessons about Business, Writing, and adulting

Adulting is so hard! The last two weeks I have been struggling a little bit in this department and whenever I find myself lacking I seem to turn to reflection. Put simply, I think about what I’ve learnt and what I do know. And, that’s why I decided to share these 5 life lessons.

You don’t have to be the first

This is true for so many things in life. If you’re writing a book, you’re definitely not going to be the first woman to ever write a woman’s mystery novel. You’re not the first woman to set up a photography business. You’re not the first woman who has a business and raises kids.
But, how you do these things is what’s important. You have to be the only one! The only one to do it that way. The only one to tell that story. The only one to change up an old idea. Be the only one, in your own way.

Pricing sucks. Pricing is awesome.

Huh? Is what you’re probably thinking. I have struggled with pricing in ALL of my business endeavors and it’s the one thing that no business can survive without. It’s a part of business, that can make-or-break you. It makes you stand out, or disappear. It’s scary and you find yourself asking “Is this too low or is it too high?”
But getting your pricing right is so important. And once it’s done and out there, well then, life carries on and so does your business. Some will accept your prices and some won’t. There will always be haters. If you learn to fall in love with pricing then it will never get the best of you.

Love what you do

Do you really love the work you do? Do you get excited about the work you do? As excited as a taking a road trip with the girls? As excited as getting on a plane to Paris?
There is a big difference between fancy titles and self-respect. So, do you love the work you do?

If you want something, go for it.

Stop waiting around. Stop hoping you can do something. Start. Today. The only way to really get what you want is to make it happen for yourself. And remember, nothing comes easy but the more you work towards your dreams the easier things come. (Wow, that should be written on walls!).
I find this so true. The closer I get to my dreams (the more I dream about my dreams and goals) the closer they get to me. This could be a whole post on it’s own and I could go into visualization and working your butt off. But I won’t. Just write this down for yourself:
Nothing comes easy but the more you work towards your dreams the easier things come.

Learn to say No!

This sounds so easy to do and still, I can’t do it. Not all the time. Not when I really want to and not when it really matters. Not without feeling guilt for saying No because I should have said yes, but then I would have felt guilty for not saying no. You feel me?
This is probably the most important of all life lessons you can learn. Learn to say No and mean it. You don’t have to compromise your ideals for anyone, they won’t do so for you.

Phew! These life lessons are a lot to take in.

If they aren’t then maybe you’ve already got this adulating thing down, or maybe you’re so much further from getting it and you’re simply living in denial. Yeah, this is harsh of me to say. But, I say it because I love you. I say it because I’m still learning to deal with these five things. I say this because adulting is hard.

And, ultimately I want to hear from you.

I want to hear if you have mastered any of these life lessons. I want to know what have you learnt to say no to? What have you dreamed about and are finally doing? Do you really love what you do? Have you got the pricing thing down? I do, until next time I’m faced with it again. And, are you the first? Or are you the only?

Comments

2 responses to “5 life lessons about Business, Writing, and adulting”

  1. Learning to say no is my lesson for this year. Last year I tried to do everything I was asked to do or thought would benefit me and I hated missing out on things and letting people down. I ended up burning out and actually didn’t get any further than I was before. This year I’ve been kinder to myself and reminded myself that I am allowed to take care of me before the rest of the world. It’s a process though.

    1. That’s an important lesson to learn and one that we all need to remind ourselves of.

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