Personal Development

As our world becomes more digital each day, privacy has become a real luxury. But how can you honor your privacy?

I know that this whole privacy topic sounds very technical and daunting, but I want to show you that it doesn’t have to be that way. 

In fact, there are many small things you can start doing today that will ensure you greater privacy. 

If you are curious about what those things are, read along!

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1. Set clear limits and stick to them

First off, you need to determine precisely how private you want to be. What does ‘privacy’ mean to you? 

Are you determined to keep your income, love life, and business moves private? 

Or perhaps you don’t mind sharing your growing income with your tribe, but you’d never let them know about the specifics of your day to day routine. 

Privacy can mean a variety of things to you. Ultimately there is no right or wrong here; you can determine how private you want to be. 

However, you should definitely become clear on that and not just decide based on the day’s mood. 

Here are a few topics you might want to consider concerning your privacy.:

• Your relationships (friends, family, partner) 
• Your location
• Your finances (debt, income, savings, investments)
• Your web history
• Your documents
• Your thoughts and feelings on politics
• Your body (how much skin do you want to show with outfits; nudes) 
• Your plans 
• Your status quo 

2. Post delayed 

One thing I like to stay very private about is my status quo, so what I am currently in this moment up to. 

I love letting the people close to my heart know what I am currently doing, but I am very selective about who those people are. 

So, in essence, I don’t do Snapchat or Insta Stories or anything the like. 

And if I’d do them, it would be in a delayed fashion. 

So I’d take the pictures at the moment and then post them a few hours or days later. 

I’m much more willing to share what I’ve been up to in the past. But somehow, sharing what I am doing at this very moment feels very intimate to me. 

An advantage of this is, of course, that people can’t purposely interfere with what they don’t know. 

And that puts me more at ease in the present. 

3. Don’t announce new goals 

The same goes for any goals you might have – especially new entrepreneurial or career-related ones. 

I’ve said it often, and I’ll repeat it: My decision not to tell anybody about this blog until it succeeds was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. 

If you plan anything significant and new, you are most likely a bit nervous and very excited about it. But then, as you work towards it, things will go a bit haywire here and there, and doubts and frustration will come up. 

If that happens, the last things you need are ‘helpful’ friends and family or strangers with unsolicited advice and critique. 

You probably struggle with your commitment to the goal and faith in the journey, so you don’t need any additional stones in your way. 

If you keep quiet about your goals, you only have to deal with your own worries, and you don’t have to justify any delays in the process to others. 

Sure at times, it is better to have an accountability buddy that keeps you on track when you stray too far away from the path. 

But I imagine you know yourself well enough to determine whether or not you are self-disciplined enough to manage without one or not. 

Read also: 15 Goals To Work On In The New Year

4. Observe how much other people share with you

Another way to honor your privacy is to not give disproportionally to what you get. 

Sometimes you might feel like sharing a lot with a friend of yours. However, if you keep being the only one who shares, you should seriously question yourself. 

Does someone who doesn’t let you see much of their private life deserve to know about yours? 

Sure, someone has to make the first step. I am not trying to discourage you from doing that. However, if time passes and the other person doesn’t follow up, it’s essential to realize that. 

I’ve experienced that most often around grades in uni or school. 

I’m rarely secretive about my grades. If I’ve done well, I say so without bragging, and if I’ve done badly, I won’t hide it either. 

I only recently had the experience of telling a friend my grade only to get no information about their grade back. 

And it’s like, sure, I didn’t ask directly for it, but they’re not that oblivious. Also, my grade wasn’t the best either, so what’s to hide? And if I initiated the talk, they don’t need to feel bad about sharing their possibly outstanding grade with me. 

So now that this has happened a few times, I was suddenly painfully aware of this onesidedness. It makes one overthink how close you really are to that person. 

And this doesn’t have to be a bad thing at all. I won’t cancel a friendship over that, and I like them just the same. But now I know to keep my grades a bit more private unless they initiate a talk about it. 

5. Create secret accounts

A fun way to keep some of your interests (or stalker activities) private is by creating ‘secret’ social media accounts. 

At least on Instagram, you can create multiple accounts. I have one for business and a private one, and I know people who also have a secret one that nobody knows about. 

I like the idea of that because you can browse through Instagram carefree of people seeing who’s pictures you’re liking and who you’re following. 

This is especially nice if you let just anybody follow you on your private account. 

6. Use a VPN

A VPN grants you anonymity on the internet. It hides your IP address and location so that hackers and governments can’t get access to your data that easily. 

Especially if you use public hotspots for business-related topics a VPN might be worth considering. 

7. Use a different business address

Sometimes in business, you have to name an address, in the footer of your emails, for example. 

Now, most likely, you don’t want every random person that subscribes to your email list knowing where you live. 

However, if you work from home and don’t have an office, that’s probably the only address you have. 

So in cases like these, it’s helpful to have a virtual business address that you can name. 

It’s straightforward and cheap to get one on sites like reship.com. 

Read also: 9 Reasons Why You Should Start Your Own Business

8. Turn Your Spotify Playlists Private

Have you ever checked whether your Spotify playlists are private or public? 

Perhaps it wouldn’t bother you so much for other people to know the kind of music you listen to. 

But some songs and playlists can be really personal to an individual. After all, music can show a lot about our interests and the type of person we are. 

That’s why you should at least consider making specific playlists private. 

Read also: 35 Songs For Your Badass Boss Babe Playlist

9. Use private browser taps 

If a person were to go through your browser history, they could almost write a biography about you. 

It is honestly ridiculous how telling those websites and search results are. They reveal your interests, passions, projects, goals, hopes, dreams, friends, how you spend your day, what you buy, and more. 

But even just giving someone your phone and they open up safari or Google and see the taps you’ve currently got open is often an uncomfortable situation. 

So do yourself a favor and use private taps for more delicate or personal topics that you want to google. 

In safari, you can find the ‘private’ button very quickly at the top or bottom of the app, when you can choose between the different open taps. 

In Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Firefox, you have to click on the ‘…’ button in the top right corner, and it will show you the ‘private’ or ‘incognito’ option. 

Beware, if you use a private tab, there won’t be a search history for you to rely on should you accidentally close a tap. 

10. Decide whether or not to support a cause

One topic that is always very prickly is politics. 

Since there are so many conflicts and judgments with any political opinion, it can be beneficial to keep them private. 

However, your voice does matter and not just during votes. So you shouldn’t force yourself to hold back on becoming politically active just to keep your life comfortable. 

To honor your privacy, you should decide beforehand what causes you want to support and on which fronts you instead keep quiet publicly. 

11. Don’t use the same password everywhere 

Look, I get it, we need seemingly millions of passwords, and we can’t possibly choose such complicated ones and remember them all. 

Nowadays, tools like the IOS system propose complicated passwords to you and save them, so you don’t have to remember them. 

But should you like to choose your password, I recommend you to start a system. 

Let’s say you create an Instagram account. Your password could be _Insta#Gram_2020. 

So the system you imply could be: 

_(first half of the name)#(second half of the name)_(year of creation)

This was just an example I came up with on the spot. Of course, there are infinite possibilities to choose from. 

But once you have decided on a system like this, it becomes easy to create different passwords and memorizing them. 

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I hope this gave you some ideas on how to honor your privacy – one of your most essential assets in the digital world. Don’t you ever forget that! 

Do you have any additional ideas on how to honor your privacy? Please share them in the comments down below. I’d love to hear from you! 

Until next time! 

Sophie

The new year is just around the corner, and it’s an exciting time for a fresh start. But, before we dive into the festivities of new year’s eve, there are some important tasks to tackle to make sure the upcoming year kicks off on the right note. If you’re tired of just coasting into the new year with fireworks and toasts, I’ve got a more intentional approach for you. An approach that lets you take the reins and design the year ahead according to your own dreams and goals. If that’s what you’re after, hang on tight, because we’re about to take this journey together. Let’s make it the best year yet!

Read also: 11 Journaling Prompts To Skyrocket Into The New Year

Read also: 14 Books I’ve Read This Year

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1. Ticking off your Bucket List 

Many of us start the year with high aspirations and a list full of New Year resolutions. At the same time, most people have the bad habit of not accomplishing most of these goals. 

These last few weeks before the ball drop offer a golden opportunity to tackle those lingering items on your bucket list. By accomplishing them, you not only wrap up the year on a high note but also kickstart the next year with a sense of determination. No more carrying the weight of unfulfilled resolutions into the new year!

So, what’s left on your list?

2. Tidying up your home 

As fun as the holiday season can be, it often leaves a trail of mess in its wake.

If you are organizing a big Christmas dinner, your kitchen might look like a tornado went through it. 

Maybe you are letting close friends or family members stay at your place for the holidays. And don’t forget about all that ripped-off wrapping paper and the presents lying around everywhere. 

You get the point. 

When crossing over into the new year and with it a fresh start, you want to do it with a clean slate. Literally. 

So clean up! There’s nothing quite like the feeling of waking up on January 1st to a clean and organized home, ready to start the year on the right foot.

3. Going over your yearly expenses and planning ahead 

The start of a new year is an excellent time to examine your financial situation. Many expenses recur annually, such as rent, insurance, and maintenance. By forecasting these costs, you can alleviate the stress of unexpected bills. Understanding your financial obligations for the coming year allows you to plan your budget more effectively, helping you save, invest, and spend with greater confidence. It’s a crucial step in your journey toward financial peace.

4. Reviewing the successes and lessons of the year 

Even the most successful year ever will bring some small failures you can draw lessons from. 

Before you bring out the champagne and shoot your fireworks, you should celebrate the past 12 months’ wins and what lessons the year taught you. 

Whether big or small, write them down, so you can review and truly memorize them. 

And don’t feel bad about these mishaps! You should feel excited about the opportunity they provide you with. 

Each new lesson you’ve learned reduces the chance of you making mistakes. So celebrate each lesson as another step towards a wiser and more successful self. 

5. Writing your goals for the next year 

This is always a fun part of entering a new year. 

A new year gives you 365 new chances of accomplishing things to be proud of, something that takes you closer to your dream life. 

So what do you plan on accomplishing next year? 

But remember, you want to set goals and not just resolutions. The difference is that the latter is achievable, and you commit to following a plan to accomplish that goal. 

Resolutions are often vague hopes that people have already forgotten by January 21st. 

Depending on your goals, you have to decide between setting S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reasonable, Time-Bound) or more loosely formulated goals that leave a lot of room for the flow of life. 

Personally, I am not entirely happy with S.M.A.R.T. goals. I’ve tried setting goals like that once. It didn’t work for me. 

It was hard for me to anticipate how much I could actually accomplish in a year concerning tasks that were entirely new to me. 

It’s easy to set the goal to pass an exam with at least 9 points. But it’s harder to grasp how much money you will be able to make in one year with your new blog. 

So, just find what works best for you. 

6. Updating your vision board 

When was the last time you refreshed your vision board?

I can guarantee that you have evolved in the last year – you are a Felicity Seeker, after all. 

The new year is a perfect chance to embrace that new you and its new dreams. Even better, you can leave your old dreams behind by throwing out the vision board images from the past year that don’t inspire and excite you anymore. 

So what are you waiting for? Let’s create a vision board for a successful new year. 

7. Decluttering your phone 

Digital clutter often goes unnoticed, but it can impact your well-being.

But I can almost certainly say that your phone, tablet or laptop is overflowing with stuff. 

Take a look at your pictures. Do you need them all? Of those you do not need, which ones don’t make you happy when you see them? 

Take a look at your social media. Are you only following accounts that inspire and motivate you, or also the ones that make you feel bad? 

Delete or mute those toxic accounts. Tools like social media are meant to benefit you and not make you feel bad!

What about the apps you’ve downloaded? Which ones haven’t you used in the last 6 months? Could you perhaps order them in a more structured and less cluttered way? 

Does the background image still inspire you and make you happy? If not, change it! 

And lastly, make backups and update your devices. 

Oh, and thoroughly clean your phone! There have been genuinely gross statistics about the bacteria on our phones. So at least clean it before the new year!

8. Choose your word/mantra of the year

Consider adopting a single word or mantra to guide your journey throughout the year. This word serves as a touchstone, a reminder of your overarching theme, and a promise of what’s to come, regardless of life’s challenges. The power of such a word or phrase can provide strength, inspiration, and resilience on your path to personal growth.

This year my mantra was ‘Grace and Ease.’ 

At the end of last year, I was incredibly stressed with uni since so much was going on. All the stress was fuel to the fire that is my acne-prone skin. 

So, all in all, I decided that enough was enough. I had to work on my stress management. I was simply sick and tired of stressing over such unnecessary things in the grand scheme of things. 

So I dedicated this year to flow through life with grace and ease. 

Every time I was nervous about something, I used to tell myself, ‘I will rock this with grace and ease.’ I remembered that mantra so often throughout this year. 

And you know what? I not only managed the stress around uni AMAZINGLY! I also had an overall very successful year! 

So what word or mantra does appeal to you? What do you want the overall theme of your life to be? 

9. Change calendars and note essential dates

As the new year approaches, remember to replace your old calendars with fresh ones. Make sure that you transfer essential dates and commitments from the old calendar to the new one, including birthdays and significant events. This simple act keeps you organized and prepared for the year ahead.

10. Start a new project ahead of the New Year

For some reason, we are all always waiting for the new year, the new month, or the new week to start something new. 

It just feels like this is the perfect time to start. 

But guess what? The time you spend waiting for that moment to come, you could already have been working on that new project. 

They say it takes 10.000 hours of focusing on a topic to become an expert. How many of those 10.000 hours could you have already ticket off had you not waited for January 1st? 

I found myself in that situation in 2019. I wanted to step up my Pinterest marketing game and planned to buy a course to help me with that. 

Ultimately, I decided not to withstand the urge to wait until the new year and instead started the course a few weeks prior. 

Thank god I did because otherwise, I’d be a few weeks short of where I am now. 

So stop waiting for the new year’s day and start already! Get that head start!

11. Truly Relax

When the New Year comes around, we are all motivated to start the year on a high and hustle our butt off. 

As noble as that goal is, it won’t do you any good if you are already in a stressed and tired state. Truth be told, the holidays before the end of the year can be exhausting. 

Family get-togethers, the hunt for gifts, cooking extravagant meals, having other people sleep at your place, and such can keep you from thoroughly relaxing; especially if you are leaning more to the introverted side of the spectrum. 

That’s why it’s so important to give yourself the rest and quiet time you need and deserve. If you do that, nothing can stop you from crushing the beginning of the next year! 

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As we wrap up these simple yet effective steps to prepare for the new year, remember you’re not alone in this journey. We’re all striving for a fresh start, setting new goals, and looking forward to a year filled with opportunities. So let’s raise a glass to decluttered homes, well-defined goals, and refreshed vision boards. And let’s not forget the power of a single word to guide us through the upcoming adventures. This is your chance to embrace the future with open arms, unburdened by digital clutter, and well-prepared for the year ahead. It’s time to enjoy the holidays, take a deep breath, and enter the new year as the best version of yourself. 

Do you have any additional tips on what must be done before the new year? Share them with the community down below! 

Cheers to a fantastic year filled with personal growth and exciting opportunities. Here’s to a great year ahead!

Another year has passed – a year full of fantastic books!

I know that at times we all need some new inspiration on what our next read should be. That’s why I love book lists like the following so much. 

That’s also why I’ve created my Reading List for Personal Growth as one of the Blog’s first posts. 

So if you want a more extensive and ever-growing list of non-fictional books to read, you should definitely check out that list. 

However, if you want more details on those books’ content and my opinion, you should look out for these kinds of posts. 

With that being said, here are the books I’ve read this year: 

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1. Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance 

I started off the year with quite a demanding book. 

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a mixture of a novel, an autobiography, and a book on philosophy written in 1974. 

I purchased it because one of my favorite YouTube Channels, Alux.com, recommended it as a philosophical must-read. 

I have to say, my feelings towards it were mixed. 

First of all, I have to mention that there was indeed a lot of motorcycle maintenance talk through the first third of it—much more than I expected. 

Also, the storyline was somewhat weird and dull initially (for me, at least). 

But through the second half of it, my interest was peaked, and things got much more enjoyable. Mostly as I figured out that the story was somewhat of an autobiography. 

2. Girl Code by Cara Alwill Leyba

After that demanding and lengthy first book of the year, I decided to go for something more light and inspiring. 

Girl Code by Cara Alwill Leyba was everything I hoped it to be.

Easy to read and with inspiring stories, it got me full of Boss Babe vibes and ready to create the extraordinary life of my dreams as an empowering woman. 

I’ve been listening to Cara’s Podcast The Champagne Diet for a while now, and I love her mindset and vibes. 

If you want to know what she’s like, listen to a few of her episodes – actually listen to them anyway, whether or not you intend to buy the book. 

I’m sure you’ll love her just as much as I do. 

Read also: 7 Steps Of My Boss Lady Morning Routine

Read also: 12 Ways To Have A Perfect Boss Lady Day

3. Goddesses In Everywoman by Jean Shinoda Bolen

Next, I took upon rereading a more demanding book: Goddesses In Everywoman by Jean Shinoda Bolen is a book on women’s psychology. 

The author uses seven of the main Roman goddesses (Hera, Aphrodite, Demeter, Artemis, Athena, Persephone, Hestia) as archetypes for female behavior. 

Through them, she created behavioral patterns typical for relationships with parents, children, friends, lovers, your goals in life, your academic path, and more. 

She also names famous (although nowadays probably not anymore widely known) women as examples of this archetypal behavior. 

The book fascinated me. 

I was genuinely able to see some of the women’s behavioral patterns around me explained in the book. 

And even more critical, the book provided me with more inside into my own psyche and the archetypes that I embody. 

It’s definitely an exciting read for any woman! 

4. Love Her Wild by Atticus

My first dip into poetry! 

If you read quotes on Instagram or Pinterest, you might have stumbled over some of Atticus’ work already. 

It’s a perfect coffee table book and nice to look into every once in a while. 

If you like his poems, you might also want to check out Nacked On Cashmere, a Podcast where these small poems are read aloud. 

5. The Rational Optimist

I’m sure you can discover a pattern by now. This year I somewhat alternated between more demanding and lighter reads. 

The Rational Optimist is definitely among the former group of books. 

You know how the news and a lot of literature paint such a negative image of the world’s future? 

How so many people are like, “I wouldn’t want to bring children into this world” and “Everything was better in the past.” 

Yeah, well, those opinions have always p#ssed me off. 

That’s why I feel particularly drawn to those rare people with a positive yet realistic outlook on the future. 

The first book I read in this direction had been Factfulness by Hans Rosling, which I can HIGHLY recommend to everyone. 

The Positive Optimist also uses facts, sometimes from studies but mostly from history, as the foundation for its optimistic outlook onto the future. 

This book truly challenged some beliefs I’ve held for a long time now and made me overthink them. 

After reading this, you won’t feel anxious anymore when the next wave of apocalyptic prophesies are broadcasted through talk shows and social media. 

You will have a well-informed tool kit that allows you to create your own – most likely optimistic – opinion on our future. 

6. The Lost Symbol (#3 Robert Langdon Series) by Dan Brown

You most likely heard about the Illuminati or the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. First, the book was a bestseller, and then they even made a movie with Tom Hanks about it. 

The Lost Symbol is the third book in the Robert Langdon series, and I have to say it was AMAZING! 

What I love so much about this series is that they are not merely thrillers but include so much of accurate information about architecture, history, numerology, science, religion, and more. 

The books never fail to introduce me to new topics that pique my curiosity. In this particular book, I was introduced to Noetic science. 

This science field conducts experiments and research around topics like the limitations of our consciousness, the interconnectedness of mind and matter, and transformational experiences (like healers that can heal simply with their touch and thoughts). 

In the book, there is also some talk about how much the soul weights. 

This science reminds me a lot of the law of attraction. 

Anyway, this is just one of many exciting topics that Dan Brown dives into throughout the thrilling chase through Washington DC. 

7. In The Flow by Alisa Vitti 

This is an ABSOLUTE must-read for every woman out there! 

Alisa Vitti teaches you that period issues of any kind are NOT normal. They are common, and that’s why everyone believes they are normal, but this couldn’t be further from the truth! 

It’s time we truly learn to appreciate our second clock, the 28-day cycle and learn to treat our body in the best possible way. 

We need to stop buying into quick fixes like the pill that don’t actually solve our problems but merely mask them while simultaneously creating many more issues. 

If you are ready to take back the control over your body and live the best life possible without medications that could damage organs or cause depression, this book is for you! 

Check it out!

8. The Prince by Machiavelli 

Over the years, I’ve read one or two good quotes from Machiavelli. So I thought I should check out one of his works. 

I went for The Prince. It’s a nice short booklet – perfect for introducing you to Machiavellis writing. 

I’m not sure what exactly I expected from the book when I started reading it. But it surely wasn’t a how-to-guide on becoming a successful ruler and maintaining that position. 

Still, it was quite interesting to read about the strategy and psychology that comes with that endeavor. 

Particularly since Machiavelli based his tips on many historical examples, that were sometimes more sometimes less familiar to me. 

If you’re interested in the strategy behind war and politics, this book should interest you. 

9. The Titans Curse (#3 Percy Jackson Series) by Rick Riordan

If you love greek mythology and Fiction books, you HAVE to start reading the Percy Jackson Series! 

I originally started reading it somewhen in my early teenage years, I think. Anyway, I didn’t make it further than the second book for whatever reason. 

And as my interest rekindled this year, I decided to continue with the third one. It was just as great as expected! 

I love how each book introduces me to new mythological stories and how I can test my knowledge through it. 

Give it a try!

10. 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson

This book I had been eying ever since it was on those bestseller bookshelves in the book stores. 

Finally, I got around to reading it. 

I have to admit, I’m not entirely happy with it. Don’t understand me wrong. The rules he mentioned are definitely wise. They were elucidated through many exciting stories, biblical interpretations, and historical analysis. 

However, sometimes I felt those chapters got a bit lengthy when he could make his point more quickly. But hey, maybe it was just me being in an impatient phase. 

Anyhow, it is definitely worth a read. 

11. Limitless by Jim Kwik 

After over two decades of helping people improve their memory, reading speed, and overall brain performance, Jim Kwik has finally gifted us with a book that sums up all of his experiences and tips. 

Since fast learning is becoming increasingly important in today’s informational age, this is a must-read for everyone. 

This book also gives you some tools at hand to keep your brain healthy even throughout old age. 

And Jim Kwik is a great teacher. So get out your wallet and get yourself that book! 

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That’s it. Those are the books I’ve read this year. 

What did you read? Comment down below your favs from this year. 

Also, what’s on your reading list for next year? Mine is steadily growing, it’s not even funny even more -_-

I hope you have a fantastic day! 

Sophie

We all need motivation in life to keep crushing our goals. What better way to do that than motivational quotes and background images for your phone? 

I just love seeing my iPhone screen light up with an aesthetic motivational quotes image. 

Sometimes just two words can give me the boost I need for my next tasks. 

That’s why I’ve created some of my own and finally collected them all inside this post. 

I hope you like their aesthetic and that you can find in them the motivational boost you are looking for. 

Enjoy!

Read also: 22 Motivational Quotes For Successful Women and Female Entrepreneurs

Read also: 25 Quotes That Help You Recover From Failure

Read also: 25 Inspirational Quotes That Make You Overthink Life

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1. Stop saying ‘I wish’ and start saying ‘I will’!

2. “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” – Albert Einstein

3. Build your future brick by brick.

4. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston S. Churchill

5. “Life does not happen to you, it happens for you.” – Byron Katie

6. Have goals so big ordinary people think your are crazy.

7. Live an extraordinary life!

8. “Work hard in silence. Let your success be you noise.” – Frank Ocean

9. “Courage is like a muscle we strengthen it with use.” – Ruth Gordon

10. Be fearless. Work hard. Enjoy the results.

11. Always keep shooting for the stars. Sooner or later you are going to reach them!

12. “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” – Wayne W. Dyer

13. No but. If you want it, work for it!

14. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

15. It takes courage to strive for financial freedom. But it is worth it!

16. Celebrate every small victory!

17. Money comes to those who provide value.

18. If you can’t stop thinking about it, you should do it!

19. Keep Dreaming!

20. Don’t be so hard on yourself! You are doing just fine.

21. Be happy!

22. Trust the process.

23. Everything is going to work out in your favor.

24. Don’t fear the darkness. You might find some stars in it.

25. Stay present!

26. 6 months of focus and hard work can put you years ahead in life!

27. Your grades don’t guarantee a great future. Persistence and hard work do!

28. If you want more in life … GO AND GET IT!

29. Fight for it!

30. Every small step takes you closer to your dream.

31. Pursue your goal fiercely!

32. Enjoy the fine things in life!

33. The world has too much to offer to stay in one place.

34. Embrace your craziness!

35. Find your fire!

36. Just get started! There will never be that “perfect” time.

37. Sometimes you don’t have to work harder but smarter.

38. Do others think you are crazy for chasing that dream? Good. It means you are not going to end up like them!

39. Stop listening to advice from people who have no experience in that matter. Study those who walk the talk!

40. Don’t try to be better than others. Focus on being better than you were yesterday!

41. Things are not as difficult as they appear to be. Take one step after the other. You can do this!

42. You never know who might envy you. Be grateful for what you have and proud of who you are!

43. You deserve the best. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

44. Invest in yourself!

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Most of us have done a personality test at one point or another. Many of these tests don’t give us compelling results. However, there are rare exceptions like the 16Personalities Test that are almost scaringly accurate. 

I honestly can recommend it to all of you! 

The test is free, and the results are extensive. Should you want to dive even deeper (then again, the free results are already profound), you can purchase an ebook for your personality type. 

Taking a test like that is fun and all, but above that, it can actually help you to improve your life. 

How?

Well, that’s precisely what this post is all about. So stay tuned!

Read also: 9 Personal Growth Challenges You Have To Try

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1. Knowledge Is (Potential) Power 

We’ve all heard the saying that knowledge is power. Actually, that is only partially true. Because knowledge is potential power. 

You can have all the knowledge of the world, but if you don’t use it, it is absolutely useless. 

Still, knowledge is the first component needed for power. 

And knowing yourself is maybe the most important knowledge you can have. 

Because while life changes and society evolve and opportunities pass, you are your only ever-present constant. The only factor you can rely on upon forever. 

But to fully be able to rely on yourself, you must know your strengths and weaknesses, interests and passions, and bad as well as good habits. 

Pure self-awareness and journaling can get you far on that quest. If you want to go even further, you should hire a coach who can analyze your objectively. 

Read also: 11 Journaling Prompts To Skyrocket Into The New Year

However, a coach is understandably a pricey option. The cheaper version can be an automized coach like 16Personalities provide with their test and results. 

2. Understand Your Patterns 

Sometimes all you need to realize you’ve been succumbing to a pattern is a little pointer. 

16Personalities can give you that pointer. 

The test results and the weekly newsletters point out some of your personality type’s weaknesses and tendencies you should be aware of. 

They regularly do questionnaires with their members to receive tons of data on the different personality types which they share with you. 

3. You Feel Less Lonely  

If the people around you have a different personality type, you can often feel misunderstood and alone. 

16Personalities makes you realize that there are lots of people like you out there that have the same experiences and problems in life. 

Suddenly you are part of a community, and that can be a truly empowering feeling!

4. Understand Other People Better 

The information 16Personalities provide on all the different personality types can also help you understand the people around you better. 

I let my family and some of my friends do the test, and the results were fascinating. 

It’s like having an up-close look into their inner workings (to some extent, of course). 

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I hope I could convince you to give the 16Personalities test a try. It truly is fun, and the website is so beautifully aesthetic.

By the way, if you like the whole personality type topic, I recommend the book “Goddesses In Everywomen.” 

It uses the greek and roman goddesses as archetypes for personality types of women. 

Most of the time, you embody not just one archetype but multiple ones. Those archetypes influence your life heavily, and the book mentions real-life examples that beautifully illustrate those archetypes. 

I was also able to quickly get a feeling for the archetypes of the women in my life. 

I also mention this book in my Reading List for Personal Growth. Check it out!

Sophie

Sometimes it’s nice to treat the loved ones in our life with a more expensive gift. Maybe it’s for a special occasion, or you’ve finally got the financial freedom to do so. Whatever it is, I have collected 9 Luxury Gift Ideas For Boss Babes to inspire your next purchase. 

I really tried to find not so conventional gifts. Presents that you won’t find on similar lists. 

So be prepared for some unusual ideas. 

And should you have any additional ones, leave them in the comments down below! After all, we Boss Ladies have to help each other, right? 

But now, let’s get into it. 

Read also: 15 Thoughtful Boss Lady Gifts

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1. Muse Headband

First on the list, we have a meditation tool you might not have heard of yet. 

Many people nowadays have discovered the benefits of meditation, so even more people try to implement a meditation practice into their daily lives. 

However, despite amazing apps with free guided meditations, this often doesn’t come easy. Also, in the beginning, one isn’t so sure if they’ve done well or not. 

This is where the Muse Headband comes into action. 

It’s a thin headband that you wear on your forehead during meditation. What it does is measuring your brain waves and translating them into sound. 

The calmer you mind is – your goal during meditation – the more harmonious nature sounds you hear. 

Once your mind drifts into thoughts and the brain activity picks up, you will hear stormy weather sounds to remind you to get out of your head. 

Afterward, the Muse app shows you a chart of your brain activity, giving you real, measurable feedback. 

I’ve been eyeing this headband for a while now and can’t wait to get my hands on it!

2. Oura Ring

Another technological tool to hack my body that I’ve been eyeing is the Oura Ring. 

I’m sure you know about wearable fitness trackers like the apple watch or Fitbit? 

Well, the Oura Ring is a ring that tracks your sleep, readiness, and activity. 

It has a minimalistic but sleek design. 

Of course, you might wonder why should you not buy an Apple watch, which has so many more functions. 

For me, it’s because I am rather fond of traditional watches. 

Maybe one day I’ll get myself a smartwatch, but at this point, I don’t want something that keeps me all day every day connected to the online world attached to my body. 

But at the same time, I’d like to have the data to biohack myself into a better life. 

And for that, the Oura ring is an elegant solution. 

3. Lady Comb/OvaCue Fertility Monitor

Ok, so this might be a weird present. You really need the right type of Boss Babe for this to work out but hear me out first. 

If you hear the words “Fertility Tracker,” you most likely think about people who are trying to get pregnant. 

Well, most of these tools can also be used for the opposite: To prevent pregnancy. 

In the past year, I’ve been obsessed with getting my hormonal balance restored. I’ve been suffering from medium but very consistent and unfortunately increasing acne ever since puberty. 

Like so many other period-related issues (cramps, breast tenderness, headaches, missing periods, etc.), this issue can be partially traced back to a hormonal imbalance. 

Until very recently, our society’s solution to these issues was the pill. Your doctor just prescribed you the pill with all it’s side effects and dangers so that the problem would be masked yet not solved. 

In recent years people like Alisa Vitti (You have to check out her book In the Flo – I listed it in my Reading List for Personal Growth) and Monica Yates have been pushing natural solutions. 

Part of that is the cycle awareness method to have safe sex without using hormonal contraceptions like the pill. 

And that’s precisely where those Trackers are helpful. 

So, should you have a Boss Babe committed to staying away from hormonal birth control, she might be pleasantly surprised by the thoughtful and pricey gift of one of these devices. 

It’s undoubtedly going to be very unexpected. 

4. Cashmere Scarf 

Alright, enough with technology for a moment. Let’s talk about more traditional luxurious gifts for boss babes. 

How about a quality cashmere scarf? 

Cashmere is often one of those pricey things, not all of us can afford to invest in straight away. 

Yet a good and neutrally colored cashmere scarf can last for years and years to come and provide not only incredible warmth to its wearer, but it also feels and looks fantastic. 

5. Burberry Scarf 

A very iconic and timeless fashion accessory is a Burberry scarf. 

It has a rather basic pattern and can therefore easily be paired with numerous outfits. 

And it makes the wearer feel just a bit more glam for wearing something from Burberry. 

6. Gucci Belt

Staying with the big brands, Gucci, of course, needs to be mentioned. 

There are tons of fake Gucci belts on the market, but nothing goes over the knowledge of wearing the real one (even though it is unnecessarily expensive). 

If you are looking for a luxurious gift for a fashionable boss babe, then this is perfect for you!

7. Silk robe 

Silk just has that quality to it to make us feel incredibly luxurious and sensual. 

Why not gift your bestie this feeling in the form of a luxuriously pricey silk robe? 

8. Festival Tickets

Coachella, Burningman, you name it – festival tickets can be an excellent gift for the boss lady in your life. 

I love to gift people an experience or a feeling instead of merely materialistic things. And there is hardly a better experience for friends then going to a festival together. 

Alternatively, you could also buy concert tickets – perhaps even VIP ones. 

9. A Quality Yoga Mat 

Nowadays, seemingly everyone has a Yoga mat. It comes in handy not only for yoga but also for home workouts of any kind. 

A good quality Yoga mat can be a bit expensive, but often it truly makes a difference quality-wise. 

So do some research on the current best Yoga mats and get the boss babe in your life one! 

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I hope this gives you some new luxury gift ideas for the boss babes in your life. 

An additional tip I can give you is to always have a list on your phone with spontaneous gift ideas. 

Maybe your best friend mentions that she really needs new headphones but can’t come around buying some for herself. 

Or you see your brother eyeing something in a store. 

Whenever those little hints appear, write them down. 

It is genuinely lifesaving to have this list to refer back to when birthdays and Christmas come around. 

With that said, I wish you the most beautiful Christmas time! 

Sophie