admin, Author at Striving For Felicity

11 Rules of Success from Avatar: The Last Airbender

I recently rewatched Avatar: The Last Airbender and realized that Aang and his friends have quite a few important success tips for us.

If you like this kind of success tips from series, movies, and books, you have to check out these:

1. Learn from your opposite

“It is important to draw wisdom from different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale.”
– Iroh

Humans are social beings. We instinctively try to find a group of like-minded people to fit into.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with that. With the right group of people that support and inspire you, you can reach previously unimaginable heights.

However, you miss out on so much wisdom if you don’t look outside your social circle for things to learn.

Prince Zuko’s uncle knows this and is fascinated by what he can learn from the other nations.

He even teaches his nephew how to use firebending more effectively and safely by applying water bending movements.

You can do the same.

Take a look at what you can learn from your political opposition, consider applying study techniques students from other college degrees use, and don’t disregard social media marketing tips as just applicable to these platforms.

2. Delegate but keep an overview

The King of Ba Sing Se let his advisor run the daily goings of his great city. As a result, he was kept entirely in the dark about the oppression happening in the town and the century-long war outside of it.

There comes the point when every successful person needs to delegate some tasks to increase their success further.

After all, the day only has 24 hours, and you only have a limited amount of energy. Therefore, you can’t become an expert at hundreds of different tasks and execute them to an extraordinary level.

You need help.

When hiring someone, it helps to make sure you still keep an overview of what they do.

Knowledge is potential power, so make sure never to lose yours.

3. Acting out of anger makes you vulnerable

Zuko is too emotional. He acts out of bitterness and desperately tries to prove himself.

This causes him to make rash decisions and act sloppily during fights.

Aang enters the powerful Avatar state in moments of great anger and anguish.

This state makes him exponentially more powerful. However, he is also at his most vulnerable during this time. Getting killed in the Avatar state would cause the entire Avatar line to cease to reincarnate.

In both cases acting out of anger can be detrimental.

The same goes for you. Be careful to act when you feel emotional, especially if that emotion is anger.

4. You are capable of more than you can imagine

Think of Katara blood bending and Tough metal bending – there are skills in you that you know nothing about yet.

You are capable of so much more than you give yourself credit for.

You only need to keep working and trying out new things – soon enough; you’ll get stronger and stronger.

Right now, you might look up to celebrities, athletes, or entrepreneurs, envy them, and feel like they are miles out of your league.

But they didn’t start like that. Instead, they began as ordinary people that kept pushing themselves.

Why shouldn’t you be able to achieve the same?

5. Learn from a mentor

Katara has been struggling to teach herself water bending. She knew that getting a master would change everything, and it did indeed. Unfortunately, she only got to train a short time with her master at the north pole, but even that brief guidance elevated her skills massively.

Tough is the earthbending mentor Aang needed. Without her, he would have struggled to learn this bending skill that’s the natural opposite of airbending.

And of course, there is Zuko’s uncle, who trained and guided the prince for years.

If you’re not already fortunate enough to have a mentor in your life, the most straightforward way to get one is through hiring a coach.

However, as a student trying to build a business, I am very aware that that’s financially not necessarily ideal.

So what do you do instead?

You immerse yourself as much as possible in the energy and advice of successful people. This can be done through reading their books, listening to their podcasts, watching videos, reading blog posts, or even reading their Instagram captions.

Some entrepreneurs try to tell you that the real value lies in their products and that you miss out if you don’t buy them.

Sure, they provide you with value. But if you don’t feel like that investment is a priority right now, you can still gain a lot from their free content.

I know I benefit massively from it.

Here are two websites that accumulate great courses that can help you, as well: MasterClass and Mindvalley.

6. Practise beats talent when talent doesn’t put in the work

Zuko and Azula are the perfect examples of practice versus talent. Yes, Azula still practiced, but I feel like she rested a lot on her innate fire-bending talent.

Don’t get discouraged by others’ talent. If you put in the work and stay consistent, you will build the necessary excellence for success.

7. Spirituality can help you prevail through the darkest times

This is a rather uncommon tip for success, but one I have noticed in many successful people, and to some extent, I am starting to experience it as well.

There are always ups and downs in life. Especially the beginning of any journey towards success can be a long draught road.

Many people give up because they don’t see any progress, or it seems like they are taking steps backward.

When reality doesn’t look brightest, spirituality can be a powerful force to keep up your hope and continue working.

The people suffering from the war in Avatar: The Last Airbender remain hopeful because of an Avatar nobody has seen in a century.

Aang gains hope and support from spirits and his past lives.

Your belief in something can bring you immense comfort and help you to succeed.

8. Helping others can help yourself

“Sometimes the best way to solve your own problems is to help someone else.”
– Iroh

I believe this is exactly what so many entrepreneurs experience.

By providing content and products for thousands of people, they gain the money and purpose to help themselves out of tough times.

Dealing with other people’s problems can also bring your ones into perspective.

However, be careful to notice the keyword ‘sometimes.’

Some people like acting like a martyr and always place others above themself.

They lend their time and money to others and don’t have the resources to level up themselves.

Always remember, you are most capable of helping others when you are in a good place yourself.

Poor people can rarely help poor people to get out of poverty; rich people can help much more effectively.

You need to find a balance between helping others and not acting like a martyr.

10. You don’t need a clear plan, just take action and have faith

“I didn’t know what or when, but I knew I’d know it when I knew it!” – King Bumi

What keeps most people from achieving their dream life (besides lacking the belief that it is possible) is their lack of a plan.

They think they need to know beforehand every step of the way before they can get started.

They are so used to the laid out path society tells them to take (go to school – study – graduate with good grades – go to a good university – study – get a good degree – find a good job – work your way up the ranks and safe money) that they are uncomfortable to have faith in an unclear journey.

Just start acting on what you can do now. For example, if you want a successful business but don’t know what kind of business that would be, why not try out blogging?

Start to move consistently in a direction that seems to bring you closer to your end goal.

I am publishing one blog post a week. In the beginning, I thought I’d never come up with enough content, but instead of worrying, I just started writing, and as it turns out, I can easily come up with over 100 blog post ideas.

After over two years of blogging, my idea of what business I want has already become clearer.

I’m still unsure about many things, but I have utter faith that the details will automatically smooth themselves out when the time is right.

11. Don’t let opportunities go to waste by being indecisive

“If I had been more decisive, and acted sooner, I could have stopped Sozin, and stopped the war before it started. I offer you this wisdom, Aang, you must be decisive.”
– Roku

Being decisive can be extremely difficult, and in daily life, it might not matter as much. But every once in a while, the universe presents you with a unique opportunity.

This opportunity won’t wait around until you’ve made up your mind.

I’ve learned that my intuition is really powerful and can help me a lot in these situations.

Switching your brain off and listening to your intuition can take some practise.

I recommend practicing with easy daily decisions that don’t have grave consequences.

What was your favorite Avatar: The Last Airbender tip?

And who’s your favorite character? I’ve always liked Katara and Ty Lee.

Until next time!

Sophie

Rich As F*ck Book Review | 11 Lessons + Quotes

Blog, Boss Lady, Success

Here are my favorite lessons and some inspiring quotes from the book “Rich As F*ck: More Money Than You Know What to Do With .”

Reading Experience

I’ve been working on my money mindset and energy for quite a while already, so the book’s overall concept was not mind-blowingly new for me.

However, I still really enjoyed the wisdom of “Rich As F*ck!”. There were many golden nuggets that called me out on limiting beliefs I have and nudged me into a better direction.

This book was another valuable and perfectly timed building block on my way to becoming a Wealthy Woman.

Unfortunately, the book has one fault that annoyed me repeatedly: Writing and formatting mistakes.

Since English is my second language, even though I’m fluent in it, I usually give the author the benefit of the doubt when I stumble over a weird sentence structure or missing word. However, I did stumble enough times in this book that I couldn’t overlook these mistakes.

The mentioned formatting mistakes are just a few line-breaks that seem unintentional and are probably only an issue of the Kindle version.

Lessons

1. Whatever you do with your money, the energy behind it counts

“When it comes to the “smart” things we are taught to do with money, no one has told us that choosing not to spend money out of a desire to honor your money and love yourself and choosing not to spend money out of a fear that money is running out puts you into two very different energetic states.”
– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

“As you’ve already gathered, this money thing isn’t really dependent on hard work, following formulas, restricting your desires, and playing it safe. Mastering money is about choosing your thoughts and feelings about money intentionally.”
– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

There are countless financial experts on the internet that recommend different courses of action to increase your wealth.

Some recommend strict budgeting, others frugal saving, and some investing your money in one way or another.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter so much what you do with your money, as it matters with which emotions and intentions you act.

If saving feels good to you, makes you appreciate the money you have, and gives you a feeling of abundance, it helps you be in the right energy to attract more money.

If you are saving because you have a frantic feeling of lack and panic that you will run out of money one day, you will only manifest bills that take up what you’ve saved.

If you spend money with reluctance and grumble about every price, you are not living in an energy that will attract more money.

If you purchase things with a feeling of gratitude and excitement for what money enables you to do, you’re on a good way to attract more money into your life.

Your feelings and thoughts count!

2. You will always fall back to your energetic minimum if you don’t change it

You have a certain energetic minimum of money that you expect to be in your life.

Maybe you would never expect to be completely debt-free.

If that’s part of your energetic minimum, you can save and earn all you want; one way or another, bills will manifest to push you back into debt.

You have to change your energetic standard first. Then the Universe will help you to attract an according to reality.

3. You get to choose what’s true for you; don’t buy into other people’s realities!

“I don’t believe earnings have to drastically fluctuate. Once you are an energetic match for a certain income range, it doesn’t have to go up and down thereafter. You can choose for it to stay the same as a default. You can also choose for it to continually go up.”
– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

Reading “Rich As F*uck” has made me aware of the many limiting realities I have been buying into, still.

I’ve realized that as I’ve decided past limiting beliefs don’t align for me, I’ve just fallen into a new bunch of them.

I’ve overcome the beliefs that only a 9-to-5 is a stable source of income, that investing is risky and will make you lose your money, that luck determines who ends up with a successful business, that it’s ridiculous to believe I’ll ever be a millionaire.

With all these limiting beliefs and more, I’ve decided that I don’t want to subscribe to that reality. So I chose to create my own reality.

At least to some extent …

People say that we can’t increase our income every month without fail; what if I don’t want that reality?

Experts say you need to have funnels and do a lot of social media marketing to succeed; what if I hate the idea of that?

What makes these fixed ideas different from the previous ones? Why shouldn’t I be able to choose a different reality for me in these cases as well?

There are most likely always going to be some limiting ideas you’re thinking of as fixed.

Look out for them and dare to defy them!

You are the creator of your reality!

4. The inner work never really stops

“I’ve manifested . . . a lot. And every single day of my life, I look at, and work on, my limiting ideas around what I can do, create, have, and become in this lifetime. The work has not stopped. I am just more familiar with what the work is.”
– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

“I practice daily. Every day of my life, I experience some sort of unhelpful thought or feeling about money. Every day, my mind thinks something fearful or doubt-based. I choose not to make these things my truth.”
– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

I’ve touched upon this already in the previous point, but it deserves a separate mentioning because of its importance.

Most of us are very willing to keep up working on our mindsets, beliefs, and traumas.

And the more practice we have with it, the more skilled we get.

However, the most difficult part might be recognizing exactly what we need to work on.

So, I believe we should be especially careful to keep an eye out for new things to address during the habits we’ve created for our inner work.

5. Feeling worthy is the key to attracting wealth; forgiving is crucial to feel worthy

“You are worthy. You are worthy because you are. You get to create a beautiful life because you do. There is nothing to prove. There is no one to impress. You are enough. “
– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

You need to feel worthy of the wealth you desire to attract it.

If you feel undeserving, you will harbor doubts, guilt and question what you have – all of these will push money out of your life in the form of a low income, bills, and more.

I’ve been actively working on my self-worth for a few months now. During that time, I’ve mostly focused on finding and highlighting skills, characteristics, and habits that make me worthy.

Only recently, though, have I learned of the importance of forgiveness.

The book “The Extrordinary Minds” mentioned how forgiveness can drastically alter brainwaves and pretty much give you the same meditation results a monk has after decades of practice.

That’s crazy powerful!

So when Amanda Frances provided a few journals prompts in her book that also focused on the topic of forgiveness, I latched onto that sign immediately.

Mind you, I am far from a vengeful person. On the contrary, I pretty easily forgive others, or rather, I rarely feel angry or offended enough for there to be something to forgive.

Unfortunately, though, I am hard on myself in this department.

I tend to cling to the tiniest missteps of mine for years to come. So while I don’t directly feel unworthy because of them, they definitely annoy me, which ought to impact me.

So as uncomfortable as it is to confront these unpleasant memories, I now make a determined and conscious effort to work through any grudges I still have.

6. Success doesn’t require struggle, but you can use struggle as a stepping stone to success

“I am saying that believing bad things must happen in order for good things to be created is not the only option.”
– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

“You get to grow and go to your next level just because you decide to. No struggle required. However, if struggle has occurred or is occurring, you might as well turn it into gold.”
– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

I’ve partly fallen into the trap of expecting some form of hardship before I can level up.

Of course, when hard times occur, it is wise of you to use them for growth and milk them for all their worth.

However, does that mean you always have to struggle before you succeed? Of course, not.

This is your reality, and if you decide you get to succeed without major struggles, the Universe will pave the way for you.

On the other hand, if you are looking eagerly for your next hardship because you think you need it, guess what you’ll find.

7. You fully embody the energy when you can’t imagine it not happening

“For me, I know it is done when I can’t even imagine not receiving what I’ve decided I will.”
– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

“The key for elevating into a new income range is making the new amount of money no big deal for you.”
– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

For many people, me included, the possibly biggest issue with manifesting is that it’s hard to determine whether you embody the right energy.

I mean, how does it feel like?

How do I know that I’m not fooling myself by thinking that I’m doing it right?

I loved Amanda Frances’ answer to this question because I know that feeling of certainty; I just rarely noticed it for what it is.

I can’t imagine not having success with my blog and not being wealthy. I know that these things will happen sooner or later without a doubt in my mind (usually).

It’s not a question of ‘if‘ but a question of ‘when.’

Because it’s such a natural feeling for me, I usually don’t realize I feel this way about something entirely unpredictable for an outsider at this point in time.

Once in a while, I have a moment of sudden panic, as I realize that I am making decisions with an outcome in mind that might not actually happen.

But this panic quickly subsides into certainty again.

Now that I’ve realized that this is the energy I have to embody, I try to get to this point with all my manifestations.

8. You are manifesting every moment of every day

“Remember this, my love: Every moment of every day, you are teaching yourself how to think of you. Every action you take and purchase you make informs yourself of who you are and where you are going.”
– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

Every thought you think, every emotion you feel, and every action you take adds up.

Taken singularly, they are insignificant, but they add up to your overall energy, which shapes your reality.

This means manifesting your dream reality doesn’t require big rituals that you have to fit into your day.

Instead, you just need to remind yourself once in a while during the day to adjust your thoughts, feelings, and actions.

In the beginning, you might slip back into old patterns quickly. It can be frustrating because it seems like you are getting nowhere.

But like I said, it all adds up.
Every time you embody the energy you aim for, it gets easier and easier to do so.

You just need to put in a conscious effort consistently.

9. If you desire something, it means you are supposed to have it

I adore this mindset shift!

Somehow it changes everything.

It feels like a higher power is supporting you in making your dreams come true. It makes the achievement of your desires seem more possible.

10. The ‘How’ is not your responsibility; your thoughts, feelings, and actions are

“The Wealthy Woman elevates herself. She doesn’t know how the fuck she is going to get where she is going or how the fuck it is going to work, but she keeps going.”
– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

It’s reassuring to know that you don’t need to have a master plan to get you to where you want to go.

All you need to do is take messy inspired action in your goal’s rough direction and embody the right energy.

Take me, for example. I want to make a huge positive impact, have a successful business and immense wealth.

Do I already know exactly how these things would play out ideally? No.

However, I refuse to wait around until enlightenment strikes me.

Instead, I started this blog and worked almost every day for over 2 years on it.

It’s not yet my dream business, but I’m getting closer, and a more defined idea forms in my mind.

The ‘How’ is not my responsibility.

I focus on inspired action, and I visualize and feel into my dream life often.

11. Don’t force yourself into a box if your desires lie outside of it

“The biggest lie ever told to emerging businesswomen is that you have to niche yourself into a tiny box. You are the niche. You are the brand. You are the thing. And if you want to teach on or talk about more than one thing, that’s okay.”
– Amanda Frances (Rich As F*ck)

Rich As F*ck dedicated one chapter to entrepreneur tips and this lesson would have helped ease my mind a lot when I started out, so I wanted to include it here.

I struggled a lot on finding a niche to which I could dedicate my efforts.

Sometimes I chose one, only to slightly change it again a few months later.

Nowadays, I don’t care all too much about it anymore. So instead, I write the content I feel excited to write.

Sometimes, that means personal development tips, business tips, non-fiction book reviews, and other times, I write about success lessons from series and movies.

I’ve also just started sharing a few of my thoughts on Pinterest for people to relate to.

I just do what feels right in the moment, and I have utter faith that the right people will find my business.

Besides feeling able to express me fully, this broad niche approach enables my business to stand out among others.

You can also apply this lesson to your life in general. Don’t try to fit into a predefined box. Don’t be just a gamer, nerd, a-student, or jock. Be many different things all mixed together.

Have a multitude of passions and interests. Be a walking contradiction.

Be you in your most free form, independent of any fictional restrictions.

That’s it for this book review.

What was your favorite lesson, and do you plan to pick up the book yourself?

I’d love to hear from you!

Sophie

33 Things To Do That Your Future Self Will Thank You For

Blog, Personal Development

Who doesn’t like making life a bit easier? Well, here are 33 things to do that your future self will thank you for.

These ideas are a mix of practical and personal growth tips.

Take what you like and leave what doesn’t speak to you.

Enjoy!

1. Follow a financial plan

Don’t just spend the money you earn as you go along through life.

Your future self will be eternally grateful if you take the time to work out a financial plan that you can follow effortlessly.

This could be dedicating 10% of your earnings without fault to a savings account.

This could be getting a financial advisor who puts a portion of your money into investments each month.

The exact financial plan you follow doesn’t matter quite as much as the fact that you consciously follow a plan you worked out for yourself.

If you do that, you are already so much more mature and organized than most adults.

2. Always study something

If you are in school or college, you’re already doing that, and you know exactly why this is important for your future self.

But what about after school and college?

Most people stop studying once they don’t have to write tests anymore.

However, our world doesn’t stop evolving, and new information is being released every day.

If you want to advance in any area of your life, you need to gain more knowledge.

So make sure to be a student for life. Set aside an hour or two a day as study time, so your future self is smarter and more skilled all way around.

3. Meditating

The list of benefits to meditating is long and ranges from lessening stress to gaining profound insights.

Start making meditation a daily habit – even if it is for just 5 minutes – so that your future self will be able to do it as easily as brushing teeth.

Tools like the Muse Headband can make meditation more fun.

4. Journaling

Journaling can help you clear your mind, organize your thoughts, feel less overwhelmed and stressed, gain breakthroughs, and manifest your goals.

Even if you disregard all these benefits, starting a journaling habit will give your future self the chance to look back and remember the thoughts and feelings you once had.

5. Summarize your day in one-two sentences

Have you ever looked back at the end of the year and wondered where the time has gone? How is it possible for 365 days to pass by so quickly?

Time seems to slip by because we don’t experience enough noteworthy moments that create lasting memories in our minds.

If there is nothing specific we remember, the days slowly but surely blend into each other.

That means the key to feeling like you’ve lived a long and exciting life is accumulating many memories of it.

One great way to slow time down is to summarize every day in one or two sentences. Find something unique about the day and include it in that summary.

Try it for a month and look back to see how much you can remember from the month and how long it feels in retrospect.

6. Start a business

Whether it is a blog, a youtube channel, podcast, or Etsy shop, you should consider spending your time on a side project that could develop into an income-producing business.

Starting a side project like this doesn’t mean you want to become a full-time entrepreneur.

It can stay just a side project that earns you a little bit of money in addition to your income from your job.

At the very least, it is going to create memories and experiences you will never forget.

7. Wear sunscreen

Yes, I get it; applying sunscreen is bothersome. However, there are reasons people do it, and your future self will thank you for it.

Consider taking the time to compare products and choosing the one with the least harmful ingredients.

8. Take care of hormonal imbalances the natural way

Millions of women reach for medications like the birthcontrol pill to solve PMS, acne, and other health issues that stem from hormonal imbalances.

These medications rarely solve the problem. Instead, they hide it for as long as the medication is taken.

These medications in themselves already have many negative if not severe side effects. But if these underlying hormonal balances are not treated, they can increase the risk of severe health problems after menopause.

The book “In the Flo” has convinced me that it is worth taking the time and making an effort to solve these problems naturally and while I am still young.

I know my future self will thank me for it.

9. Write a last will + discuss your funeral

As uncomfortable as the topic of death is to most people, it is important not to disregard it.

Creating a last will and writing down the basics of your prefered funeral arrangement is something that you do primarily for your family and friends to make their life easier in the wake of your passing.

The last thing anyone wants to do while mourning is to obsess over what their loved one would have liked for their funeral. So make sure to give it some thought and either tell them or write it down somewhere for them to find.

If you want to feel a bit more optimistic about your inevitable death, I recommend reading “Life after Life.“

10. Get a drivers license

As someone who has grown up in a village and adores driving, I am always surprised that some people don’t have a driver’s license.

Sure, if you live in a city, you don’t need it.

But do your future self a favor and get a driver’s license.

After all, you never know when you’ll need it. Perhaps you’d like to go on a road trip through Europe one day or help your friends move.

11. Getting a passport

Again as someone who’s had a passport for as long as I can remember, I am always astounded that some people don’t have one.

It makes sense, of course. If you want to travel through Europe as a European, you only need an ID, and a passport costs money.

Still, you never know when the travel bug will bite you, and you’ll want to travel to the other side of the world.

So get yourself a passport and make sure that it is always valid for at least another six months.

12. Learn how to read faster

We are living in an age that is all about information. You will spend a lot of your time reading these information, especially if you commit to being a student for life.

Your future self will thank you if you take the time to learn how to increase your reading speed.

13. Get a job during your summer break

You might not need the money right now, but you most likely will a few years down the line once you want to move out or travel.

So think ahead and spend a part of your holidays working. It will also provide you with valuable experience.

14. Reading books with a variety of topics

Most people don’t read books, and those that do read mainly fiction.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with reading fiction, but you are missing out on a world of wonderful books on all kinds of topics.

Dare to take a step outside your comfort zone and try out a few non-fiction books that excite you.

Read also: Reading List For Personal Growth

15. Keeping a dream journal

Your dreams contain gold that you should reap.

Your dreams can provide you with ingenious solutions to the problems and challenges in your life.

They can also provide you with new ideas that could prove incredibly valuable to you.

Many people recommend keeping a dream journal to practice reaping the gold hidden in your dreams.

So try it out yourself!

16. Writing down at least a rough draft of your imaginary plots

I always have at least one fictional storyline going through my head.

Unfortunately, I still haven’t mastered the discipline and patience actually to bring them to paper.

However, I have started to at least write out small scenes or bullet points with my ideas for future reference.

I don’t even write down something that often, but a surprising amount of ideas has already accumulated at this point.

Every time I rediscover old fanfiction ideas, it makes me incredibly happy and glad that I wrote them down in the past.

17. Keeping the original packaging of tech stuff

If you’ve ever sold your old phone or tablet, you know that the original packaging can bring you quite a lot of extra money.

Therefore, I’ve made it a habit to keep them for as long as I use the device.

Of course, you need the storage room to do so. Perhaps consider storing them on top of cupboards or under your bed.

18. Collecting all relevant receipts of the year

I discovered that as daunting as the task of taxes seems, it can actually be done pretty quickly if you’ve prepared yourself.

By collecting and organizing all relevant receipts in one place, you make it infinitely easier for your future self to get the taxes done and over with.

And hey, who doesn’t like to get money back with little effort.

19. Anticipating recurring expenses

Numerous expenses repeat themselves every year. Sure, the exact amount you have to pay may vary, but usually not by a huge amount.

Even if they do, it’s still better to be prepared to pay something instead of being caught by surprise entirely.

So make a list of recurring expenses like insurance, tuition, etc.

20. Set up automatic backups of your digital devices

Nothing is quite as soul-crushing as losing important or sentimental documents when your laptop, phone, or tablet crashes.

Save your future self from this despair by setting up automatic backups on all your devices.

21. Sort and delete the photos you’ve taken

So, I’m not big on taking photos or selfies.

Still, after a while, I end up with many unnecessary photos taking up storage of my phone and cloud.

Your future self, looking for certain pictures, will be eternally grateful if you make their life easier by deleting what’s not important at regular intervals.

Even better, consider creating folders in which you can organize these images by theme.

22. Trying out many different things

Life is about creating many different experiences.

And thanks to the vast internet we nowadays know just how much there is to experience worldwide.

Do your future self a favor and make memories as you grow older by trying out all kinds of different things.

Try out pottery, ice skating, karting, drifting, wall climbing, virtual reality, surfing, hiking, origami, blogging, horseriding, and countless other amazing things.

Life is about living. So live to the fullest!

23. Avoid too loud music

Loud music may seem like a great idea at the time, but the older you get, the more your hearing is going to suffer if you act recklessly.

Yes, there are hearing aids nowadays. But I’m sure you’d like to be able to hear properly all on your own.

24. Taking the time to find healthy skin and hair care products

Most people are looking for quick fixes. They purchase the product that promises to clear their skin right away or that claims to make their hair shiny with one use.

Your future self will thank you for taking the time to find products with healthy incrediences instead of quick fixes.

25. Keep an eye out for limiting beliefs and negative self-talk and deal with it right away

Overcoming limiting beliefs before they fester is much easier than after they’ve become an integral part of your worldview.

So do your future self a favor and always keep an eye out for negative thoughts that pop up.

26. Write motivational notes/Record a motivational speech

Certain situations trigger us time and time again.

Maybe you always procrastinate on schoolwork until the stress mounts up and you stumble into a panic spiral.

Use the regret of that moment to write or record yourself a note in which you remind yourself of why you shouldn’t repeat this behavior.

Be emotional so that your future self can feel these emotions when reading the note or listening to it.

27. Block a bit of time daily for personal development

If you are reading this post, I don’t have to do much to convince you of the powers of self-improvement.

But truly, working consciously on your personal growth is immensely powerful, especially in the long term.

It might take a while to get the stone rolling, but if you stick with it long enough, you will improve yourself at a rate that your past self would never have anticipated.

And personal growth often does go hand in hand, not only with more happiness but also more success.

28. Make sure to notice when you are being foolishly stubborn and course correct

There is a fine between heroic persistence and foolish stubbornness.

Many people have the tendency to jump after every shiny object and lack the discipline to finish what they’ve started.

Those people might end their 20s without a degree to show for 10 years of college because they always switched degrees after a few years.

Others (and I suppose this is where I can find myself) are overly committed. If they started something, they are going to finish it no matter what.

Those kinds of people might find themselves in a midlife crisis when they realize that they absolutely hate their job and should have dropped out of college in their third semester.

Yes, it sucks having ‘wasted’ two years of your life going in the wrong direction. But guess what’s worse? Spending decades being unhappy with your decision.

So, course correct today if that will make your future self happier.

29. Learn a few easy recipes by heart

This can come in handy if you stay at an Airbnb in your holidays or if you spontaneously decide to cook something easy.

30. Know the language of food and wine

This means you should be able to read a menu at a restaurant without having to research every second word you read.

Much of that knowledge comes with age and experience, but you can speed up the learning process and save yourself awkward situations.

31. Have a power bank and charger in your bag

You never know when you’ll strand somewhere and need your phone that’s running out of battery.

32. Create a reusable packing list of all your fundamentals

You might not travel often, still, most likely, you are packing some basic things every time you do travel.

Having a list to quickly rely on will significantly speed up your packing process and reduce your risk of leaving any of these basics behind when you return home.

33. Learn how to wrap gifts properly

Seriously, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought to myself I ought to learn how to wrap presents prettily so that I don’t have to struggle ever again.

Learn it once, and spare yourself the trouble once and for all.

I hope these ideas will make your future life easier.

I hope you will look back and be glad to have found this list.

If you do, please leave a small ‘thank you’ in the comments. It really does mean the world to me. ^^

Until next time!

Sophie

17 Reasons Being Short is Awesome | Advantages of Petites

Blog, Personal Development

There are many reasons why being short is awesome. It’s time we petites remember the blessings in our life!

1. An excess amount of legroom wherever you are

I only really started appreciating this advantage of being short once I noticed how my taller friends were suffering.

One of my friends needs to carefully cross his legs in an ‘X’ shape so that he’ll fit in the tight legroom of airplanes and our really old lecture hall at Uni.

It does look painful, and I couldn’t be happier that I have all the space in the world.

2. Smaller Clothes = More Luggage Space

Uusually the clothing department is one of the biggest disadvantages of being petite. It can be incredibly difficult to find clothes that you not only like but that also fit.

But, being short and having smaller clothes also brings the advantage that they take up less space.

This comes in especially handy when you travel and have to fit thick winter clothing into your luggage.

3. Always Enough Blanket Left To Cuddle Into

There are only a few things that are as annoying as having a too-short blanket or someone not leaving enough for you to cover yourself fully.

Being short is awesome in the sense that you can turn yourself into a blanket burrito with pretty much any blanket out there.

And who doesn’t like cuddling into a cozy blanket on a cold day?

4. Effortless cuteness

Small things are automatically cuter than their normal-sized version. Think about small salt shakers or tiny shoes for babies or small bonsais.

There are endless examples where small equals cute.

Luckily, this seems to apply to many petites, too.

Sure, if you are young and want to be taken seriously, this can be extremely annoying.

But other than that, being effortlessly cute can be a wonderful asset in life.

5. Most likely smaller than your boyfriend/girlfriend

This can be as much an advantage as it can be a disadvantage depending on the person.

While many (not all, of course) women prefer to be smaller than their partners, many men would like to be taller.

So if you are lucky enough to preference taller partners, remember to appreciate your shortness.

6. You can get cheaper shoes from the kids’ section

Frankly, I haven’t done that often. For me, the girls’ shoe section is often way too pink and glittery.

But once in a while, especially when looking for sneakers, you can save quite some money if you get the kids’ shoes.

Keep that in mind the next time you are looking for footwear.

Read also: 9 Fashion Hacks For Petite Women

7. You can wear high heels without towering over people

Many tall women feel insecure wearing high heels because it makes them tower above most of the population.

Considering that high heels can often provide an immense confidence boost and make women feel sexy, it is sad if your height prevents you from wearing them.

Being short is a great blessing in this case.

8. You don’t have to squeeze yourself into sportscars

If you’ve ever watched Top Gear/Grant Tour, you might have seen Jeremy Clarkson folding himself in half to get into supercars.

Well, we petites don’t have that issue.

Now, we only need to be able to afford a sports car. ^^’

(And hope that we can pull the seat far enough to the front.)

9. You often seem younger than you are

I get it; it is always a bit awkward to show your ID when buying alcohol or going to the cinema.

But being seen as younger than you are, gets much more beneficial the older you get. Usually, most people feel flattered to be perceived as more youthful than they actually are.

It is also great to surprise people who underestimated you.

And you get less weird looks if you decide to go crazy on a playground with 18+ (honestly, one is never too old for a playground!).

10. You won’t have anyone breathing into your neck in cramped public transportation

I feel like some people might disagree with me on this one, but I am usually quite glad to be shorter than others when cramped into a bus or train.

It feels like I have a whole level for myself, and often I don’t have to fight for the lower places of the pole to hold on to.

I mean, yes, if you’re unlucky, you’re coming face to face with someone’s sweaty armpit.

But hey, it all depends on what you want to focus on.

11. You’re always going to be on top of a human pyramid!

Random, yes.

But very true ^^

After all, who likes having a hard knee press painfully into their spine?

12. Easier to slip through crowds

There are plenty of times I was glad for being short because it enabled me to smoothly slip in between people without having to wait for them to make space for me.

13. You’re rarely at risk of hitting your head somewhere

It’s always amusing to walk underneath a low-hanging tree branch standing tall while others have to bend to avoid getting the greenery into their faces.

14. You often get the front row place because you don’t obstruct the view

Of course, this can be a disadvantage if people are not considered and don’t let you stand in front of them.

But most often, they will be kind enough to do so if you ask them nicely.

15. Taking photos from above makes you look great, so be glad people have to look down on you

This is also great in terms of acne around your jawline.

People will notice it less because they don’t have such a good view of it looking down on you.

16. You’re part of the petite club – you will instantly bond with petites all over the world!

Weirdly, I always feel instantly sympathetic towards any petite person.

Obviously, they can lose that sympathy if they prove themselves to be rude, but in a way, they do have a headstart compared to taller people.

17. Being petite makes you more unique

I am aware that this can be more of a downside than an upside for some people. Especially teenagers would rather like to fit in than stand out.

I, for example, was annoyed by the attention I got when I was in grades 5 and 6. Everyone would ask me how old and tall I am and what shoe size I have (Seriously, what kind of question is that?).

But nowadays, I do love my height. Being petite is a huge part of my identity, and I like how it makes me more unique.

After all, we don’t celebrate and remember ordinary people. Every great person has been unique in one way or another.

So, embrace being petite! Being short is awesome because it gives you only another characteristic that makes you stand out from the crowd.

That’s it for this blog post.

I’m curious, how tall/short are you? I’m 153cm or five feet tall.

Have you noticed any other benefits of being short?

Until next time, shorty ^^

Sophie

The Richest Man of Babylon Book Review | 11 Lessons + Quotes

Blog, Books, Personal Development

The Richest Man of Babylon has been a classic in financial literature for many years. This book review will show you why.

As always, with these book reviews, you should be aware that they are not a final list of all the lessons one can learn from the book.

Instead, I picked out some of the most important ones I came across. But everybody will come across different smaller lessons in their own subjective reading experience.

So consider reading the book yourself as well.

Reading Experience

The Richest Man of Babylon was … ok, I guess.

It didn’t teach me anything overwhelmingly new, but it did teach some very basic financial lessons that justify it being a classic.

The individual stories about different citizens of Babylon were interesting to read as they painted a good picture of what life could have been like in that unique city.

I have to admit the old writing style was a bit exhausting to read. But then again, English isn’t my first language, so that might have made it a bit more difficult.

Lessons

1. Hard work alone won’t make you wealthy; you need a plan

“Who would believe there could be such a difference in results between following a financial plan and just drifting along.”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

There are lots of people who work hard in life. They spend many decades doing this hard work, yet they don’t seem to get wealthier.

Their money comes and goes just as quickly.

The universe won’t simply notice you for your hard work and turn you into a millionaire overnight.

Instead, you need a plan that goes beyond working hard to accumulate more money.

Do you have a plan yet, or are you simply working and waiting?

2. Spend less than you earn

“I found the road to wealth when I decided that a part of all I earned was mine to keep. And so will you.”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

“A part of all you earn is yours to keep. It should be not less than a tenth no matter how little you earn. It can be as much more as you can afford. Pay yourself first.”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

Step one to becoming wealthy is not to spend everything that you earn.

Instead, you need to pay yourself first in the form of saving and investing your money.

Once you get your paycheck, the first thing you should do is transferring a part of the money to a separate bank account that is not to be touched under any circumstances.

Then make do with the rest of your income.

Think about it this way: If you’d suddenly lost your job (which can happen to everyone) and found a new job that pays less, you would also manage to finance your life based on that smaller income, am I right?

From now on, you are simply going to pretend you earn only the amount left after paying your savings.

3. You have to let your money work for you

“If you would become wealthy, then what you save must earn, and its children must earn, that all may help to give to you the abundance you crave.”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

Now that your savings are slowly but surely growing with each paycheck, you have to take another step.

You have to invest that money in some way to make it earn even more money for you.

One book that helps you get started with investments is Money: Master the Game by Tony Robbins.

You can find it in my Reading List for Personal Growth.

4. Always be ready for an opportunity to arise

“Opportunity is a haughty goddess who wastes no time with those who are unprepared.”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

“The truth is this: Good luck can be enticed by accepting opportunity.”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

“Men of Action are Favored by the goddess of Good Luck.”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

Despite what most people believe, there are plenty of opportunities for wealth in most of our lives.

Sadly, only a few people recognize them as such, and even fewer take advantage of them when they present themselves.

You should always keep an eye out for opportunities that present themselves.

Having a solid amount of savings will help you to take advantage of them.

5. Practise seeing plans through till the end

“If I set for myself a task, be it ever so trifling, I shall see it through. How else shall I have confidence in myself to do important things?”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

“When I set a task for myself, I complete it. Therefore, I am careful not to start difficult and impractical tasks, because I love leisure.”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

Nobody succeeds in life by being lazy and falling prey to the shiny object syndrome.

You have to be disciplined enough to pursue one goal until you achieved it, or all your effort will be wasted.

Self-discipline is a habit. The more you are disciplined, the easier it is to be disciplined the next time.

And soon, you will see yourself as a disciplined person that follows through on their plans.

Reaching your financial goals is one of the most important plans you are ever going to make, and it is of utmost importance that you see it through.

So make sure not to plan too big in the beginning.

You should rather save 5% of your income every month and keep up with it, compared to planning to save 30% and falling short after only two months.

Consistency is key.

6. Don’t postpone living a good life in favor of saving

“Enjoy life while you are here. Do not overstrain or try to save too much. If one-tenth of all you earn is as much as you can comfortably keep, be content to keep this portion. Live otherwise according to your income and let not yourself get niggardly and afraid to spend. Life is good and life is rich with things worthwhile and things to enjoy.”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

Saving for the goal of a luxurious and financially free future is a noble pursuit.

However, you shouldn’t take it too far and let it get in the way of you enjoying the present.

You never know what the future beholds, so you should make the most out of the life you have right now.

Allow yourself to go on holiday once in a while. Maybe treat yourself with a massage.

Don’t do anything that would blow your savings account to pieces. But do allow yourself some luxuries.

That way, you won’t feel resentful towards your financial plan, and it will be easier to be consistent.

Also, a happier you is a more motivated and creative you, which can open new opportunities.

7. The greatest success can come from the simplest plan

“Deride not what I say because of its simplicity. Truth is always simple.”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

Don’t dismiss simple plans as too good to be true.

If someone tries to tell you, you can become a billionaire overnight, then yes, that is most likely too good to be true.

However, the simple plan of saving 10% of your income and investing it over decades until it makes you wealthy relies on the powers of compounding, which are very much real.

We often don’t take the first step because we overcomplicate things.

Allow yourself to keep it simple.

8. Only follow the advice of people who walk the talk

“Consult with wise men. Secure the advice of those experienced in the profitable handling of gold. Let their wisdom protect thy treasure from unsafe investments.”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

If you are looking for financial advice, you will find an endless amount of people assuring you that they know best.

Many of these people are so convinced by their advice that we easily want to believe them too.

However, if you look at their finances, the quality of their advice quickly becomes questionable.

You should never take financial advice from someone who doesn’t have the financial success you are aiming for.

After all, you wouldn’t ask a mechanic for health advice or a doctor about tips to fix your car.

Only follow the advice of experts who walk the talk.

9. Prepare early for retirement

“Provide in advance for the needs of thy growing age and the protection of thy family.”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

While retirement may seem like a distant spot on the horizon for young people, it can approach much faster than we’d expect.

The benefit of preparing early for retirement is a stark decrease in stress and insecurity.

Also, as pessimistic as it sounds, you should at least consider the possibility that you become unable to work much sooner in your life due to an unfortunate accident.

If you’ve prepared nothing until then, you are going to have an even harder time making ends meet.

So look ahead and set up a simple savings plan that you can follow without much effort, and that’ll guarantee a financially stable retirement.

10. You only need to invest small amounts regularly; compounding will turn it into wealth

“The more gold I accumulate, the more readily it comes to me and in increased quantities.”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

It’s easy to think that only big investments will give you a big return.

We fall prey to that belief because we think linearly.

We have a hard time thinking exponentially, but that’s exactly how our investments will develop with the power of compounding.

As long as you start early, stay consistent and reinvest your return, you only have to put in a small portion of your income to achieve extraordinary wealth.

There has been a janitor who became a multi-millionaire by the time of his death through his investments.

11. Help yourself first

“If you desire to help thy friend, do so in a way that will not bring thy friend’s burdens upon thyself.”
– George S. Clason (The Richest Man of Babylon)

There is no glory in playing the martyr.

The worse off you are in life, the less you can help others.

Instead of trying to help all your friends and family members immediately, sometimes it can be much more effective to help yourself first to lift them more easily from your higher level.

Think about what they teach you in the airplane safety lessons. You should always put on your oxygen mask first before helping others.

There is a reason millions of people are taught that lesson every day. It’s time we apply this lesson in our daily life as well.

What was your favorite lesson from ancient Babylon?

Did you already read the book? What did you think?

I’m curious to hear from you!

Sophie

11 Biggest Mistakes Students Make | Tips for Students

Blog, Success

Being a student is all about growing, both yourself and your knowledge. Here are 11 mistakes students make that you should avoid.

Most of us spend the majority of the first few decades of our life being students. The following tips and my other content will help you to make the most out of that time.

1. Attending lectures that don’t help you out of FOMO

I get it; group pressure is powerful. It is even worse when people outside that group encourage you to follow along.

Of course, teachers and students are right when they say that lectures and classes are valuable.

However, the question you should ask yourself is whether they are more valuable than alternative study methods.

Say you have a lecturer that is just terrible at interestingly conveying the material. Consequently, you always dose off 10 minutes into the lecture, and between daydreaming, you can’t remember what it even was about.

In that case, you might save yourself time by ditching the lecture and using a podcast or just reading the material in a book.

In my experience, there rarely is a lack of information at hand. You can learn the same topic from countless sources, so why force yourself to rely on an ineffective one?

Of course, sometimes the classes require attendance. In that case, you simply have to try and make the best out of it.

2. Creating aesthetic summaries without actually using them

I know, study inspo is awesome.

Nothing is quite as motivating as seeing aesthetic notes and café study sessions on Instagram and Pinterest.

I also know many students that swear by learning through making summaries of the material.

Personally, I’ve discovered that the effort/results ratio of creating these summaries is not worth it for me.

I don’t learn much through copying or rearranging information.

Instead, I learned to make this preparational phase of studying as quick as possible to get into the real study phase faster.

Nowadays, I don’t even bother copying the relevant information onto my flashcards. Instead, I simply reference the place where I can find the information.

3. Studying through reading instead of creating

Many A-students swear that using active recall is the most effective study technique while reading and highlighting are fairly ineffective.

Think of it as a workout. If you want to grow strong biceps, what kind of exercise would you choose?

a. lifting a 1kg weight 200 times while watching Netflix

b. lifting a 5kg weight 40 times with the utmost focus on your posture.

The exercise that makes you break out in a sweat and shake will bring results much quicker than what feels comfortable to do.

Similarly, the comfortable reading and highlighting are much less effective than the mentally exhausting and frustrating remembering of the answer before checking the solution.

If you have all the time in the world, you can go for what’s comfortable.

But if you are on a time limit with a bunch of information to get into your brain and want better grades by studying less, you need to increase the intensity of your study sessions.

4. Not taking advantage of former tests and exams

One of the best ways to prepare for a test is by analyzing and solving the tests of the previous years/semesters.

I’ve made the experience that this can be valuable even if you don’t have the solutions for the questions.

It already helps to see which questions you are struggling to answer and what kind of information your teacher/professor is quizzing you on.

Always try to get hold of these tests. Sometimes, the professor even offers them freely; other times, maybe a friend of yours has an older sibling who took the test a year ago.

5. Thinking quantity equals quality

This applies to your studying just as much as to the actual test.

Just because you got the most study time doesn’t guarantee you will get the best grade in the class.

Study hours and grades are not connected linearly, despite what some teachers want to make you believe.

Yes, of course, you need to put in a certain baseline of hours studying but especially in the range of the highest grades, effectivity counts more than quantity.

The same goes for when you have to write an essay or answer any question for the exam.

The length of your answer doesn’t equal the quality of it. Lots of good answers are concise and on the point.

6. Vomiting irrelevant knowledge onto the paper

Many students who write lengthy answers don’t score that well because they mindlessly vomit their knowledge out of context onto the paper.

Yes, you’ve studied a lot, and yes, you know a whole bunch of information about the topic.

But there is always just so much a professor can quiz you about. He or she doesn’t want you to give them a complete summary of everything they’ve taught you.

They don’t want to search for the relevant information among a sea of irrelevant ones.

Even if everything important was included in that novel of an answer, you probably wouldn’t score full points on it.

7. Not talking to older students

Talking to older students, more in university than in school, has helped me immensely!

They’ve been in your shoes at one point and therefore know exactly what you have to expect.

They can make you aware of important deadlines coming up.

Older students can also give you practical information about certain classes and what to expect in them.

I know it’s not always easy to get a hold of these older students. But maybe some nice students from your year occasionally talk to older students, and they can pass on the information.

Just keep a lookout for these opportunities.

8. Only relying on exercises from your school/college

It is great if your school or college provides you with practice tests. They are most likely very similar to what your teachers or professors ask of you in the actual test.

However, if you have more time on hand and need more practice, you shouldn’t limit yourself to these exercises.

There is a whole market out there with excellent study material to help you ace your tests.

Back in school, these additional books really helped me to prepare myself for math exams, and nowadays, I purchase case books for every law class I have.

9. Thinking short-term

Sometimes students take the lack of importance of a test as permission to just do the bare minimum.

They say they’ll work harder once it’s actually important.

This is dangerous for two reasons:

a. excellence and slacking are both habits. Every time you pick one of them, you increase the likeliness of picking them again next time.

So if you are not used to putting in much effort into studying, you will have a harder time doing so when it counts.

b. Every test gives you a chance to refine and improve your study technique. When you do your best and get a disappointing grade you know you have to do something differently.

If you don’t give it your all, you will always tell yourself that you would have scored better had you actually tried. The bad awakening will then come with the important tests.

So just do your best and try to score high even if it isn’t important for your end grade.

10. Clinging to old plans despite new interests

What are you interested in today? What are your passions and goals?

Do you think ten years ago, you would have been able to anticipate these things?

For me, the answer is a clear ‘NO.’

I’m a very different person with very different goals and interests than I would have expected even four years ago.

Even though the same is true for many people, they still think they should cling to a plan they made in their teens for the rest of their working life.

During your school time, you might have always dreamed of being a doctor, and you’ve worked hard to get into medical school.

But maybe now that you have studied medicine for a few semesters, you realize this isn’t your thing at all.

It’s important to always allow yourself to think again and change the direction of your aim.

Of course, it sucks having spend all this time and effort walking in the wrong direction. But it won’t get better by staying on course for the next few decades.

If this is really not your thing, allow yourself to pursue something else.

11. Giving up once boredom or difficulty hits and jumping to the next shiny object

On the other side of the spectrum are students that enroll in a class to get a certain degree, but once the inevitable excitement fades, they drop out and start something new.

Even the most successful people are often bored and annoyed by their passion.

The key to their success is that they are consistent and work through the boredom.

You are never going to find something that will 100% excite you all the time. There are always going to be ups and downs.

The question is whether or not you can see yourself having a job in this field. If you are not sure, consider doing an internship to get more real-life experience.

What about you? What are you studying currently? Are you in school or college?

Comment down below. I’d love to hear from you!

Sophie