Success Secret #1: Being Downright Self-Centered

“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it.” – Maya Angelou

What if I told you the key to you achieving the next level of success in your life meant getting deeply, to the core, with all of your might, SELF-CENTERED?

Like many women executives today, I spent years on a deep dive into overworking, keeping way too busy and spending all my time taking care of others. I crossed the line into compulsive, addictive, self-defeating behavior around the demands of my career, the needs of my kids, my spouse, my staff, my clients, my family members, my friends, and even my neighbors. Everyone who asked for my time got a piece of it. I spent hours as a workaholic, careaholic, rushaholic and busyaholic.

Here’s what I learned: being selfish is underrated. What I mean is, putting you in the center of your world. Mastering the art of putting yourself, your health, your spirituality and your creativity in the center of your life is a huge game-changer to happiness, productivity and overall success. If you find yourself busier than ever, constantly putting off self-care, I promise you are on a path of self-destruction and resentment that will rob you of joy. Eventually you hit empty and you simply can’t give away what you don’t have.

Self-care doesn’t have to take a boatload of time or be difficult. It simply requires an inner shift toward making self-care a part of the daily practice of being you. Here are three simple self-honoring actions you can take right now:

Meditation Moment

Take a moment to meditate on the miracle of existence. Life, just being here right now, is a wonder. Appreciate the moment you’re in and all of the rich textures of life around you, rather than projecting forward into the next moment without ever really being present to NOW. Allow yourself to be in awe of just being here and being alive. I was stirring veggies on the stove last night while practicing this… it’s not time consuming—you can do this.

Mindfulness Practice

Ask yourself (maybe timidly if it’s the first time) for two minutes of your time. Agree to give yourself that gift (just like you’d do for any loved one in your life). Sit down, taking a breath. No thinking, no rushing, no doing… just being. “Happiness NOW!” author Dr. Robert Holden’s daily practice of this includes placing a hand on his heart, and “…allowing myself to be… I tune in to the place in me where I am already happy. I give thanks for this experience. It reminds me not to chase happiness for the rest of the day. It helps me to be present.”

Daily Self-Love

Notice when you’re getting negative with your inner conversation and choose one positive thought instead. Give yourself a moment of compassion, a compliment, an acknowledgement, or a kind statement of some sort. This is a daily practice of self-love, and it’s profoundly life-changing.

Creating a life infused with wisdom, purpose and joy is a conscious choice made into a daily practice. Inspiration and vision need space. This is authentic success. If living a life filled with joy and balance rather than stress and exhaustion feels like a pipe dream, explore the three simple steps above and comment below. I’d love to hear what you discover with just one week of the practices above.

Wishing you abundant, authentic success!