One Simple Piece of Advice to Help You Find Life Balance
It’s no secret that the post-college graduation years can be a downright tough era to handle. When you think about it, for this moment in time, every aspect of our lives seems to be a paradox.
We are young but we are expected to be mature adults.
We are starting our careers yet we’re expected prove ourselves good enough to climb to the top.
We are figuring out who we are and want to be yet we are expected to be in serious relationships.
The list of puzzles we are posed with ranges across every aspect of our young adult lives from personal questions, to professional challenges, to relationship hurdles. Speaking from firsthand experience, I know that trying to keep a sense of balance can nearly feel impossible at times.
Juggling the many roles we are expected to play while maintaining our priorities, not to mention our sanity, is no easy feat. We want to prove to ourselves, and to the world, that we can take on more responsibility and be successful. Yet, in doing so, we often end up with too much on our plates and things begin to spin out of control.
Personally, this is something that I’ve been struggling to master since I graduated two and a half years ago. It seems like I’m always trying to find the right balance between pushing myself forward and taking on too much. There is a constant struggle to keep the important things thriving while not letting the unimportant things take over.
Admittedly, I can’t come to you with the answers for how to make sense of it all. Instead what I am offering up is some great advice that I have found very valuable—the 5 Roles Principle.
Bettering the Lives of the People You Encounter Each Day
Always Bring a Bottle of Wine
Feed the Meter
Write Thank You Notes
Clean Up After Yourself
Park Far Away
Make Introductions
Be On Time
Ask Never Assume
Don’t Look for Recognition
A few weeks ago we shared our simple tips for staying connected to your friends and family if you’ve made a move away from home. While it’s important to keep these ties strong, we recognize that being a truly thoughtful single girl goes beyond remembering to send a birthday card or gifting souvenirs back home every few month. True thoughtfulness is finding ways big and small in each day to let others know you care about them.
We’ve been noticing a slew of articles getting posted recently directing advice to twenty-somethings. Most of this advice stems from the idea that those of us who fall into this category are too self-absorbed to realize what is going on in the world around us. Moreover, we often get criticized for being too self-promoting while lacking a reasonable awareness of what our true value and role is in society. If we’re honest with ourselves, many of these criticisms aren’t too far from the truth.
So what does it take to separate ourselves from the rest of the twenty-somethings who “just don’t get it?”
When we look at the types of women who we admire and aim to replicate, they are those who have found ways to improve the lives of others around them in their day to day life. They are the women who, despite how busy or hectic their lives get, are able to keep from being the center of their own universe. This is what distinguishes them from those twenty-somethings under harsh criticism.
In an attempt to help each other become more like these women we admire, we’ve drummed up round two of the discussion with 9 more tips on how to be a thoughtful single girl. This time, however, we’re focused on the ideas that help you better the lives of the people you encounter each day.
Among the many great things about October (the start of autumn, Halloween, Columbus Day if you’re in first grade or a New Yorker), one of the most important is that it’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Most of us know someone close that has been affected by breast cancer, so it’s increasingly crucial for us to continue spreading awareness. This starts with us ladies performing regular breast exams and consulting with our doctors about any questions or concerns. Fortunately, there are myriad organizations that have dedicated themselves to the cause—ranging from spreading awareness to finding a cure. We are all in this together, and it doesn’t take a traditional donation to support this work. Look for products you would purchase anyway and, especially in the month of October, consciously choose products that go the extra step. Here is our list. (more…)
Keeping in touch with high school and college girlfriends can be tough after graduation. Chances are your tightknit group which was once inseparable is now spread across the country. The “real world” comes with a whole new set of challenges not the least of which is maintaining these invaluable friendships from miles and miles apart.
One thing I have vowed to do to help ease this pain is to plan an annual girls trip that brings everyone back together. Trips are great, not only because they give your group something to look forward to, but also because they inspire endless group text and email chains to keep the planning excitement going. The entire process of putting together a trip from selecting a destination to squeezing the last pair of shoes into your suitcase lends itself to keeping you closely connected with your gfs.
Looking for the perfect excuse to put a trip on the calendar? Good news for you: Halloween is just around the corner, and we couldn’t think of a better reason to gather the girls. Chances are you’ve all got costumes from college theme parties and sorority/fraternity mixers gone by that are just beckoning to be worn one last time. The only thing left is to pick the proper destination to resurrect them.
To inspire your planning, we’ve put together a list of the best destinations for you and your crew to party it up this Halloween.
It’s hard to believe but it is officially fall! The leaves are beginning to change colors, a chill is creeping into the air, and the daylight hours are starting to dwindle.
To ensure your autumn is indeed awesome we’ve curated a list of necessities every Singe Girl must indulge in this season.
