7 habits of highly successful women

As you probably noticed, I have been balancing my time in ways other than writing recently...

For me, my day job comes first, then my relationships, followed by my side hustles and then myself. Without meaning to sound like one of those preachy, self-help writers, it's 100% the truth and 100% difficult to maintain any kind of "lifestyle" that way. (Thank goodness for scheduled posts!) 

I'm trying to get better about this by way of realizing that having a job I care about doesn't mean that I have to give up the things I love to feel like I'm a "good worker". In fact, just the opposite is true; I'm better at my job when I can achieve some sort of balance. My relationships certainly benefit when I don't have to bring my Blackberry to the dinner table or schedule things last minute. But such is life and I have never found this to be more true than the past few months. 

But don't just take my word for it. The recipe to living a successful life, (or to life a live you love)  comes in a variety of ways and here are a few helpful hints from some of my favorite women to get you started...

Abbey, Framingham/ 21, Student dietician & retail manager

"The best advice I was ever given was 'you cannot pour from an empty cup.'. And this absolutely makes sense. As a woman with an apartment, relationship, pets, job, AND school, I spend 98% of my time on something other than myself. But if I neglect to take care of myself, I cannot take care of anyone or anything else. As so many millennials do, I would burn out if I did not dedicate time to self care. Self care looks different for everyone- it can simply be watching your favorite show, prioritizing 8 hours of sleep a night, having a cup of tea before bed, or going to your favorite work out class. Self care can be spontaneous or scheduled, relaxing or energizing, healthy or indulgent ( because lets be honest, balance is the spice of life and in between green juices sometimes you have to have a gourmet doughnut)."

Becca, New York, NY / 24, Publicist

"Be comfortable with who you are and what you're looking to put out into the world. Once you have your head set on a goal, it's hard to let anything small matter. [Also] The most important thing is finding the relationship with yourself and all other aspects of life fall into place. Personally, I love to travel and know that if I feel off-centered, a trip into a different culture will help put me back on the right track."

Carla, Medford/ 27, Special Education teacher & basketball coach

"My best advice on being successful is to tune out the stress of others around you... It was the anxiety of everybody around me that made me think that becoming a teacher was too overwhelming, that I would have to devote my entire soul to it, and not have ANY time for balance.  What I realized is that I have a high tolerance for multi-tasking.  I don't do well with downtime!  I need structured time, and I need my days to be filled with business.  Each person has their own tolerance, so do not let the anxiety of others rub off on you! "

Erika, Newton/ 31, Government Affairs

"Don't be afraid to apply for things even if you don't meet 100% of the qualifications in the job posting. [Also] Establish boundaries between work and home life to maintain balance. For example: Don't answer e-mails after a certain time unless it's an emergency."

Gina, Wayland / 33, Owner of DanceFIT Studio

"Think outside the box, connect, take care of yourself and have a support team. I definitely do that, but to create a balance I prioritize, delegate and make family-time a priority. Some days I feel like an old lady trying to keep up with the trends. The biggest reason I worked so much was because I felt there were tasks only I could handle and I wouldn't delegate. When you don't sleep, eat crap, don't exercise and are living off adrenaline for too long, your performance suffers. Your decisions suffer."

Jackie, Lynnfield / 24, Medical Technologist

"Having the ultimate fulfillment in life is to love what you do because that's where you'll find the most success. Always remember the sky is limit so it's never too late to achieve your dreams and goals."

MaryRose, Boston / 26, Executive Director of the Boston Women's Workforce Council

"Surround yourself with people who believe in and support the most authentic version of you. Those are the people who will push you to excel in your professional life, remind you why you're doing this work when it gets difficult, and recognize that at the end of the day, you're so much more than what you do."