3 Strategies to Take Your Life to the Next Level Without Sacrificing Self-care

If you're like me, you always feel you're just getting started; you love challenging yourself and doing things a tiny bit better every time. You're obsessed with goals, excelling at everything you do, and always being your best. But then there's this side of you that craves calm, peace, slow walks, and mindful solo tea sessions. 

And often, that makes you wonder how you can be successful if you have all of those things to achieve, and - at the same time - your soul is craving a soft life. You ask yourself: Do I slow down to care for myself, or should I start doing more to achieve everything I want? 

Well, even though society has been telling us for millennia that we can not do both; be successful and live a 'soft life', I believe we can. That's why this year I promised myself I would take my life to the next level without sacrificing self-care. 

I have done it already to a certain extent, but now the stakes are crazy high because of how big my goals are. I mean, I have wild dreams for 2024! And I love it. 

Either way, I am determined to prove to myself and others that you can be extremely successful without neglecting yourself, your mind, body, and soul. 

I'm about to share with you the three main strategies I am applying to ensure I succeed without sacrificing self-care. 

I would love to have you join me in this experiment, so read along, and let's start a transformative movement!

1. Mindful discipline

As someone who used to despise the word discipline, I get the ickiness people feel when they hear this word, but I would be lying if I told you I transformed my life completely without any discipline. So, I challenge you to think about it again and embrace discipline as the freeing resource that it is.

I mean, you don't have to become a sergeant all of a sudden. That's not cool! But you can always use some mindful discipline. Connect with yourself to know what you need to go to the next level, and apply it with love and kindness. 

Mindful discipline will help you embrace the habits and routines you need to support your goals and well-being, which is of the utmost importance. 

2. A clear plan for the achievement of my goals 

I love planning! If you don't, I get it; it can be boring if what you want is... action! And oh, how I love action! But I've learned to treasure the moments I sit down to plan my next steps because it reduces the anxiety around not knowing. 

Don't worry, you won't be stuck with the plan. You can always be flexible, but allow yourself a couple of months, at least, to test out what you originally planned. 

Your plan is your foundation. Plan it, execute it, and adjust it as you go. 

One of the greatest perks of having a plan is the mental space you get from it and the time you save when you know where you're going and how you're getting there. 

So, do you have your level-up plan ready?

If not, today is a good day to start. And you can always email me at erika@akirelife.com for support! 

My self-care is my priority, and my calendar shows.

This one is everything! 

Self-care moments go on the calendar first; then, you fill it in with your to-do's, tasks, and commitments. And this must be non-negotiable because that's how you ensure success and happiness. Because we want both, right? 

Scheduling self-care is the secret sauce for your happy and successful life. Now, think about what makes you happy, what you need to do to stay grounded and healthy, and schedule away! 

I still have two more strategies I'm implementing to take my life to the next level without sacrificing self-care, but I'm sharing those with you in my next blog post. 

In the meantime, remember to make a plan, use mindful discipline, and schedule self-care moments before anything on your calendar. 

These strategies alone are powerful, so I can not wait to share with you the next two and help you succeed from the inside out. 

Love and light, 

Erika.