How fast does your day go by? Does it drag past, to the point where you count down to half-past five (or six, whatever) or does it flash past so fast you can’t believe it’s THAT time already? How satisfied do you feel at the end of it?
If you answered 1. to the first question, and “not much” or something similar to the second, chances are the ladder of success you’ve been climbing is leaning against the wrong wall. But what about how to find the right one?

Many of the self help books on the market tell you to follow your passion to find true success… but what if you don’t know what that is? If you’re like me, for many years I was so busy studying, then looking for a job, then trying to get ahead in the ones I got, that I didn’t have time to stop and think about what I enjoyed, let alone go out looking for it. Is this you?

If it is, then the first VITAL step towards finding and living your dream life is to take time out of each and every day just for YOU. Doesn’t matter if it’s only 20 minutes lying in bed in the morning before you get up, or in the evening before you go to sleep. Ideally it should be at least half an hour, during the time of day when you feel most clear-headed and when you don’t have anything urgent or scheduled waiting for you afterwards. In other words, time when you can concentrate without other issues or commitments interfering.

For the first week or two (three if you need it) your focus will be to relax. Read, sunbathe, meditate, take a bath, play some soft, soothing music; anything that lets you switch off and drain the tension out of your muscles. If you can afford it, get a massage once a week (some massage schools offer discount rates if you let their students work on you, supervised of course)

This is important because stress releases adrenaline that accumulates in your system over time, and when your body is perpetually hyped up, your mind can not relax. What you are aiming to do is to convince your body that you are not under attack, (de-stress) and get into the habit of nurturing your body as well as your mind and spirit. If you’re an “adrenaline junkie” like me, learning to relax will be hard for the first while, but believe me it will pay off to do.

…to be continued next weekend

[This is an article from my original Self Positivity Newsletter, slightly updated to make it current]