How to be a more successful person

Ah, success. We all want it - whether that success comes in the form of a skill set, popularity, money, or just proving others wrong. Generally, no matter where you work or what you do, chances are you'd like to be a more successful person. And if you're anything like me, the majority of your life is geared towards being just that.

So of course, happiness, friends, family, etc. etc. all come first. That's a given. But when it comes to my life and my choices I want to be the best version of myself that I can possibly be. Think green juices every morning, a brain filled with useful information and, oh I dunno, a yacht or two in my back yard (although I'm not sure that's the best place to keep them?). So far, none of the above have happened, but in recent weeks I have been making minor changes in my life to get me one step closer to those yard-yachts. Want a boat in your back yard too? Keep on reading my soon-to-be-successful soul sistas.

(Note: Following these tips may not result in an actual yacht appearing in your garden).

Be nice to people

I'm putting this at the top because - even though this isn't exactly a 'way' to become more successful - it's pretty damn important. Being nice is nice no matter what, but it definitely helps a lot if you're trying to advance in whatever it is your doing. No one likes an asshole, and success doesn't mean you're entitled to be a biatch either. I just want to bake a cake made out of rainbows and flowers.

Force yourself to be busy

I don't remember where I heard it, or who even said it, but I'll never forget the saying 'if you're bored, you're boring'. So maybe you shouldn't take that as 100% accurate, because sometimes it's nice to be bored and watch Netflix for an entire afternoon, but generally I try to make sure I'm never ever stuck for things to do. Great things happen when you work at them, so try to fill your day with as many things that will get you one step closer to your end goal. If you have to have an extra window open in your browser to allow you to binge watch Pretty Little Liars as you do your work, so be it.

Take criticism well

It's so so easy to get offended by criticism, but it's important to remember that not all criticism is bad. Don't get me wrong, some people can be absolutely assholes for no reason at all, but sometimes people just want to help you out - even though they might not show it in the best way. Instead of getting offended by what others have to say, take it on board and improve on what is is your doing. Keep improving until no one has a bad word to say about what you do!

Expect failure

Being told 'no' is never fun, but if we were told 'yes' constantly we'd never appreciate what it is we have. No matter who you are or what you do you're always going to come across hurdles in life that try to stop you from achieving your goals. Those hurdles might come in the form of anything from people to situations. Just accept them for what they are, jump over them (maybe not literally) and carry on doing what you're doing.

Be your biggest critic

I've always been a heller for criticising myself. I won't lie, being my own worst enemy has had its down points, and I've always been told to stop being so hard on myself, but now I take my self-hate as an incentive to do better. Okay, maybe self-hate is the wrong phrase, but either way, being my own worst critic means I constantly challenge myself to do better. And trust me, there's always room for improvement.

Embrace who you are

I've got a confession to make. This time last year I was pretending to be way more fashun than I actually am, and for a long time I was wondering why everything didn't feel right. I was pretending to be someone that I wasn't, and any success that came from that just felt a bit fraudulent. Now? I might be a bit socially awkward and I definitely don't have the most interesting life, but at least when good things happen I know it's because of who I am, and not because of who I'm pretending to be.

Prioritise the important things

What's more important to you, going out for a drink (or ten), or working on SEO for your blog. I know what's more fun, but sometimes you have to sacrifice the fun stuff to help get you where you want to be. I work from approximately 10am-2am most week days. I'm exhausted, but that's the price I choose to pay. It's good to constantly envisage the end goal of what it is you want to do - that way you won't feel so bad when you choose research and reaching over a movie night.

Expect to work for it

There's no such thing as being 'lucky' in a career. You don't just have your name picked out of a hat and find yourself with your dream career the next day. Unfortunately, success isn't something that happens over night, so be prepared to work through all the crap to get to where you want to be. I didn't just become a full time blogger by shopping - even now I travel for around 10 hours every time I go to London for meetings. I sleep on coaches and do my makeup either on the bus or in the toilets the next day. So glam. But I do it because - hopefully - I won't have to do it for the rest of my life. Oh lord please.

Be willing to share

I like to think of myself as a team player, but it can be pretty difficult to share your dream with someone else. Recently I've enlisted some help from Ollie to help build on the blog even more. It means sharing ideas, sharing work and sharing the pay. Luckily, he's my boyfriend, so it wasn't too hard of a decision for me, but it can still be kinda scary to put your trust in someone else to help you along the way. Two brains are better than one though, just remember that.

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Stephanie Toms