Girl Boss is a continual trending topic on all social media platforms today!
It is a term that empowers women to take control of their own lives and work hard for what they want.
Although it is used primarily within the entrepreneurial community, it can also refer to any woman who wants to pursue her passions.
It is a call to action! Follow your dream, have energy, hustle hard, be a self-starter, accept responsibility, don’t give up, and relentlessly pursue your goals!
If you want to step up and be the ultimate Girl Boss, you need to start developing the 13 habits listed below.
1.) Don’t Second Guess Yourself
Many women have the bad habit of second guessing themselves!
One moment, they can be completely confident with their decision. And the next moment, they are wondering if they should have done it differently.
You need to beat this habit! And yes, it will take some work.
One of the biggest factors that lends to this problem is worrying what others will think of you.
“What if she doesn’t like me after this?”
“Oh no! That person is going to get jealous and it will ruin our friendship!”
“Will this decision make me look weak to others?”
“I don’t want to offend anyone! Maybe this will make someone mad at me!”
STOP IT!
Who cares if someone thinks differently of you!?
If they are willing to talk about you behind your back and change their opinions of you, they probably aren’t worth investing in!
Surround yourself with people who make you believe in yourself and want the best for you!
The people you allow in your close circle of influence should empower you to become better – not make you second-guess yourself.
One of the first steps you need to take is to practice projecting confidence!
When you feel confident in yourself, you will also feel confident in your decisions.
Related Article: 9 Easy Ways Women Can Project Confidence
2.) Improve Your Networking Skills
If you are talking to a successful business person, one of the main pieces of advice they will probably give you is, “Network, network, network!”
It is very hard to work your way to the top if you aren’t out meeting new people.
Whether you are working for a company or you are starting your own business, you absolutely need to get outside your comfort zone and PROMOTE YOURSELF!
If there is a work event on Friday Night that you would rather skip, make the effort to go mix-and-mingle. Your Netflix Show can wait!
If your work is primarily online, reach out to other people and connect.
Be genuine and let them know that you love their work.
Don’t expect an immediate connection!
Over time, they may start to see that you are the type of person they would like to stay connected with! (It also helps if you are unique in some way. Is there something that you can do that makes you stand out?)
If they show no interest in you, don’t take it to heart! They are busy too.
Never give up on your dreams because you feel rejected. Remember, for every 10 people you connect with, only 1 may respond positively.
Related Article: 7 Ways to Really Connect with People at Social Gatherings
3.) Start Reading Empowering Books
There is nothing like a good book to empower you to keep going!
Some of the most successful people in America have said that reading has kept their minds sharp and their goals focused.
If you are looking for a book that suits your goals, look no further than the New York Best Seller List!
If you travel, always tuck a book into your purse.
Keep a book on your night stand, so you can read a a chapter before bed.
Instead of scrolling through social media, read a few chapters in an empowering book.
It will get you thinking about how you can improve your life and reach your goals!
4.) Never Be Scared To Ask
“You’ll never know unless you ask!”
“The worst thing they can say is ‘No’!”
If you never ask someone for something, you will never know if your request would have been granted!
Is there someone who you would love to learn from? Reach out and ask if they could mentor you!
Is there a company that you’d love to work for? Reach out and ask if they would be interested in interviewing you! (If not, ask if there are any internships available.)
Perhaps there is a company that you would like to do a brand collaboration with. Email them and ask!
Ambition isn’t a bad character quality! Usually, people will take your question as a compliment.
If you are told “No”, at least you got a response! And hey, you’ve now been introduced! (Networking at its best.)
5.) Be Generous
Don’t be stingy with your time or money (if you can afford it).
People remember kindness!
People remember a thoughtful gift!
They remember when you took the time to sit down and listen to their problem.
Never underestimate the power of first impressions and small acts of kindness!
If someone asks you a question about business, career, or life – don’t be stingy with your reply!
Give them something to work with. Give them something that helps them!
Generosity can create you the biggest supporter and the most dedicated ‘follower’ & promoter.
Related Article: 25 Amazing Habits for a Happier & Healthier Life
6.) Tidy Up Your Space
Is your room messy? Is your closet too full? Do you hate how cluttered your living room looks? Is your office full of cluttered projects and paperwork?
Go get a garbage bag and start working!
If you are short on time, carve out just 10 minutes a day to tidy up your workspace.
Throw out everything you don’t NEED. (Don’t overthink this. Are you going to use it soon? If not, throw it out)
Buy some organizers, filing cabinets, shelving units, etc. Anything to get your stuff into an organized state!
Once you’ve decluttered, make sure to maintain, maintain, maintain!
At the end of each day, put things back where they belong.
A clean and tidy space will help your mind to focus on what it needs to – goal-seeking and creating!
Related Article: 11 Productivity Tips for Working Smarter Not Harder
7.) Learn To Identify When People Are Holding You Back
This goes hand-in-hand with step #1.
There is one life-rule that every single Girl Boss has to learn: “As long as you allow others to use you and walk over you, they will!”
Although generosity, kindness, and long-suffering are great character qualities to possess, there will always be people who will use you to their own advantage and pull you down.
As you work towards your goals and start to see success, you may find that friends become jealous, people start to take advantage of you, or talk negatively about you.
If you want to be a successful Girl Boss, you will need to learn how to face the negativity of toxic people.
You have to learn to say, “No!”
You have to learn to decline requests, turn people down, and confront those who are unfair, disrespectful, and two-faced.
Arm yourself with the knowledge of what a toxic person looks like.
This can be a family member, co-worker, friend, or recent acquaintance.
Be kind, but take the power away from the toxic people who will only try to hold you back from your potential!
8.) Start Now!
“A year from now, you’ll wish you had started today.”
Dreaming is amazing. But a dream cannot come true without ACTION!
You can read books, take courses, research your plans, and create goals for years – and never accomplish anything!
Be a self-starter!
Put your goals into action.
If you are a detailed-oriented person, create a list and make a schedule.
If you are an unorganized person, DO THE SAME THING!
You need to be strategic to reach your goals. You need to have a game-plan.
Now, don’t jump in head-first without having done any planning or researching.
But, at some point, you are going to have to take the plunge and start working towards your goals.
Related Article: 7 Amazing Tips to Setting Achievable Goals
9.) Wake Up Earlier
I know! This one sounds a bit too difficult.
But, your body was made to thrive on a schedule. And you are in control of creating this schedule!
Start setting your alarm earlier each morning. You will be surprised at how much you can accomplish during the time you used to be asleep!
Don’t make the mistake of getting on your phone and becoming absorbed in social media.
If this is the case, you may as well be sleeping!
Purpose that you will make your mornings productive.
If your goal is to quit your job and become an entrepreneur, the morning is a perfect time to spend working on your dreams (before work).
Success takes commitment and hard work.
10.) Know That You Don’t Have To Share Your Plans With Others
Are you scared to fail in front of others?
Is the one thing holding you back the fact that you are nervous what others will think about you?
Don’t let this hold you back!
You can start pursuing your goals without telling anyone else about it!
Often, people will ask you point-blank nosy questions about your career or private life.
Guess what? It is completely OK to decline to answer!
“I have actually decided to keep that information private.”
That is the only answer you have to give them!
Sure, networking is great. Talking about yourself to others and promoting your plans is a great way to boost momentum.
But if you want to start something anonymously and see how it goes, do it!
Once you get to a point where you feel comfortable, you can announce your success or the business you have created!
11.) Choose Collaboration Over Competition
If you are working with other people in the same industry, don’t treat everyone like they’re competition!
Have you ever heard the old saying, “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar?”
In other words, it is much better to make friends of your “competition” and learn to work together towards a goal.
Now, be smart about it! Learn to identify when people are using you. Don’t give away all your trade secrets.
But collaborate with these people and encourage friendly relationships.
This is just another great example of networking – all to the advantage of your career and overall happiness!
Related Article: 7 Bad Habits That Make You Instantly Less Likable
12.) Stick to A Well-Planned Budget
If you aren’t following a budget, start right now!
Creating a budget is the key to financial success!
If you aren’t planning properly, you new business plan could head you straight towards financial ruin.
Or, perhaps you feel pressured to make yourself look wealthy, so your peers will hold you in higher regard.
LIES! No ones opinion is ever worth going into debt for!
If you are bad with money, go see a financial adviser and create a smart financial plan.
If you’d prefer to plan your finances yourself, there are a lot of great apps out there that allow you to set up your own budget and track your savings.
Try Mint, Personal Capital, and Every Dollar (Dave Ramsey). All highly-recommended budgeting apps!
13.) Stop Thinking What You Would Want! What do others want?
If you start a business based off of your wants, you may be setting yourself up for failure!
If you go into your career focusing 100% on yourself and your needs, your boss and coworkers will be able to sense this.
Of course you want to be able to identify your hard work with yourself.
But, in the end, people don’t buy what you want. They buy what they want!
When creating a product or starting a business, think about it from other people’s perspectives.
Ask some friends or colleagues what they think. Create an online poll to test people’s opinions about your idea.
You don’t want to waste your time promoting something that doesn’t hold value to anyone but yourself.
Your boss won’t promote you because you are promoting your own interests. They will promote you because you have learned to adopt and promote theirs!
Of course there is always room for thinking outside of the box and pitching your own idea to your peers and boss. But first, get behind their ideas and learn to work for them.
As you build trust and a name for yourself, your ideas will be much more readily accepted.
Bonus Tip:
Never underestimate the power of your appearance!
On social media, you should represent your goals!
If you want to be perceived as professional, collected, and chic – you better look that way!
If you are promoting a cool, hipster brand – then you’ll want to appear that way!
Your personal style and appearance can be a powerful addition to helping you create your brand.
Related Articles:
- 7 Amazing Tips to Setting Achievable Goals
- 7 Ways to Really Connect with People at Social Gatherings
- 13 Habits of All Successful & Happy Women
Adopting the mindset of a Girl Boss takes consistency and commitment.
Don’t let failure convince you that your dreams can’t come true.
Failure is a major part of learning. Learn from your mistakes and start over again.
Never allow insecurity or self-doubt to hold you back from your goals.
Start today! Take the steps listed above and learn how to become the ultimate Girl Boss!
