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What solopreneurs & people alike can incorporate as a strategy into their routine
You. Yourself. I.
These 3 words indicate 1 thing — you.
As you are a human being, you have specific needs and to-dos during the day.
But if you don’t feel yourself when going through your day, you need to understand why.
And that “why” starts with understanding yourself.
Who’s needs come first?
We all want to be self-sacrificing, but the difference between that & a people pleaser can become pretty narrow depending on the situation.
Like, if you have work planned for your solopreneur business & then a friend tells you that a new thriller movie is coming out.
You may hate thriller movies and need to finish work… but it’s your friend Clara, so you need to go nonetheless!
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Now what if you’re a firefighter finishing a lovely cappuccino.
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You know the cream is going to melt if you don’t sip it in the next 5 minutes, but then you get a call that you have to save a 5-person family from a 3-story home.
What’s the better sacrifice?
With self-awareness of what you know you can do, you can put your needs first when a situation happens… unless of course you happen to be a firefighter reading this.
Having non-negotiables
“Not open for debate or modification,” — definition of non-negotiables.
What are some activities in your life that fall under this category?
I can think of two, eating & rest.
Why are these so important to do nonetheless of nearly any situation?
Because they:
- Fuel you
- Give relief
- And help you think of the more important things by simply giving you a break.
If you’ve often skipped these two, you’ve probably felt the exhausting effects that comes after, and that’s not something you want!
Sometimes you have to skip resting and eating, but by making these as non-negotiables that you include in your routine, you can feel more focused during work.
Methods for self-awareness
Whether you’re running to-and-fro between work & home, or simply chilling at your computer to work, using methods that work for you make it easy to make decisions & establish your non-negotiables to success.
Pick something that works for you, experiment, and then stick with it:
- Journaling
- Calendar scheduling
- Using Notion
These are 3 common options, the key is to make note of your daily habits & how you’re feeling to help you see patterns that give you understanding on what you might change in your routine.
Personally, I use this Energy OS system I created in Notion to help me track my light & deep work activities, as well as the time it takes alongside how I’m feeling while doing those things.
Image taken by author
Takeaway
By focusing on yourself, you can gain self-awareness into your daily habits to help you succeed!
While you may not be a firefighter, choosing which sacrifices to make for your time & energy can give you better peace of mind. Along with selecting the right non-negotiables to keep like eating & resting to fuel your day!