I don’t particularly like the term “Girl Boss.” I just can’t really identify with it. I’m 25 and honestly haven’t considered myself to be a girl since I was 15. Also, there’s no “Boy Boss.” So, here are my five tips on how to be a boss. Not girl boss. Just a boss.
1. Get Organized
Get organized and STAY organized. It’s fun to get obsessive with washi tape and stickers, but it’s absolutely unnecessary. If you’re not a naturally organized person being consistent with a schedule can be hard, so get a planner or journal and create a method that is easy for you to stick to. There’s a ton of bullet journaling and organization YouTube videos for you to refer to.
My bullet journal personally looks like a third grader’s, but it’s mine and I understand how it’s organized. It serves its purpose to me and that’s all you really need out of a journal. It being pretty is just a bonus.
2. Be Selfish! (The Good Kind)
There’s always going to be a networking event or dinner party to attend. You can’t go to them all without feeling burnout. Burnout leads to exhaustion which leads to non-productivity. It’s okay to say no sometimes and as a bonus, saying no actually strengthens your yes. Declining certain events will help you to preserve your energy and make attending such events a treat rather than an unwanted obligation.
3. Remove Distractions and Set Timers
Turn off your notifications! You don’t need to know what’s happening on Twitter or Instagram every moment of the day. I’m even coming to find that my email notifications can get in the way of me staying on task.
It’s also helpful to set timers in order to give yourself a break. Breaks help us to stay focused. Remember back in elementary school when the class would take five minutes to stretch and move around mid day? It was probably to keep us from falling asleep or daydreaming. The same works as an adult. I like to set 25-minute or 45-minute timers, depending on what I’m working on. For smaller tasks like a blog post, I’ll set a 25-minute timer. When those 25 minutes are up I’ll take a five-minute break. I use this time to stretch, load the dishwasher or have a dance break. For longer tasks such as editing videos, I’ll work for 45 minutes and then take a 15-minute break. I use that time to take my dogs (or just myself) for a quick walk or to just mentally relax. I try not to watch videos or check social media during my breaks because I find it’s harder for my brain to switch back into work mode.
4. Make A Budget
Get your finances in order. This isn’t even about making more money. It’s about knowing how much money you make and what you’re actually spending it on. Organize your bills and payments. Also, make sure you know your credit score and if it’s broken, figure out a way to fix it. You can’t be a boss with bad credit.
5. Never Stop Learning
Also, look for inspiration and never lose touch with needing to grow. Actual lyrics from my 5th grade commencement song are “Never stop learning. Never stop growing. Never stop reaching the brightest star. Never stop moving from where you are.” I actually think of that song every time I get discouraged or feel like giving up. You’re never too old to learn something new and there’s no such thing as being too successful, so no matter how much of an influence you are in your industry, there’s always room to improve.
Those are my five tips on how to be a boss.
What are some of your favorite practices for being productive and accomplishing your goals? Let me know in the comments!
Karyn Camille 