There can be constant pressure to be doing what you “should”. You should be earning more; you should be on social media more; you should make more of an effort. We all know, deep down, it's unhelpful and we can't do everything but when we're being bombarded with information and advice, how do we know what to follow?

 

Prioritise

 

Decide what really matters to you. Write down three top priorities for the next three months – things you feel like you'd be missing out if you didn't do. The things that align with your values. Make these your targets and anything else is an added bonus.

 

Assess

 

Look at what you spend your time on. Is it things you really want to do or things you feel obliged to? Think of it like going through your old subscriptions and remove anything from your life that you don't benefit from, don't enjoy or don't have the energy for.

 

Acknowledge bias

 

We all have our biases; that includes you and potentially well meaning friends or advisors. If someone gives advice, do they benefit from the outcome? Is there some advice we're more likely to take because it comes from someone we like? Consider this before you make decisions, especially ones with long term consequences.

 

Allow time for fun

 

Make sure you do something fun each day. Meet up with a friend, play a quick game on your phone, do some crafts. No judgement on yourself. We all need something we enjoy and to re-energise.

 

You don't have to buy in wholesale

 

Maybe you've joined a new group, hired a coach or started listening to a podcast. It's always okay to make advice work for you. Maybe some of it is a bit “woo” for you, so you'll skip that bit. Maybe part of someone's philosophy just seems a bit... harsh. Make it work for you.

 

Remember that it's okay to say no

 

This one can be tricky, but we all have limited time, energy and resources. Don't spend them on activities that don't move you forwards. Doing something half heartedly because you feel obliged doesn't really help. Take a step back if you need to.

 

So, don't be afraid to take time for you. Don't apologise for things you don't want to do and focus your time and energy on postive things that make you feel better and achieve more.