5 Creepily Easy Ways To Live a Boss Life

Hacks that will put you in the driver’s seat.

No matter how much it seems like I’m in control of my life, there are times when I feel victimized and taken advantage of as if I’m a mere spectator.

Out of the blue, I feel controlled, chained, shackled to a life not of my choosing, and that the world is asking something of me 24/7.

Obviously, none of that is real. I have agency over what I feel and pretty much over everything I do.

“You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you.”

— Josh Shipp

If you want to feel in control of your life and keep yourself from drifting into a victim mentality, there are a few key tips that can help.

Make A Plan

Being on autopilot requires very little. Living this way involves repeating the same tired motions day in and day out, and being content with the lack of interest or deviation.

But if you really want to be the boss of your life, you need to make a plan to do so. Sadly, most people spend more time planning an annual vacation than they do outlining what they want out of their life.

Taking some time to lay the groundwork for a solid boss-like life plan is critical. Here’s why.

• Channeling what matters. Having a plan will help you outline what matters most to you. Others set priorities for you, like your boss, spouse, family, and community, but what matters to you outside of those external pre-determined priorities?
• Balance and lack of balance will show up. When you outline your priorities, too much focus on one area will be a glaring red flag. You may not even realize that the time you focus on your professional goals is taking a toll on other core values, like family time. Committing it to paper will highlight that and give you the chance to balance things out.
• Prioritizing becomes easier. Having a full list of things that you want to focus on and set goals around draws a clear line around what you need to start saying “no” to. This keeps you from getting roped into things that don’t matter as much.
• Identifying what needs to be done. If you set your primary goals and commit, you can now see exactly where you may be falling short in order to make things happen.
• Creating a positive roadmap. Planning well will set in place your overarching big picture but also set specific milestones along the way. This will keep your progress on track allowing you to make necessary adjustments at the moment and not wait until things are too far gone.
• No fear of regrets. Getting older can lend itself to thinking about how your life may not turn out as you expect. This can be discouraging. Even though many things are not in your control, having an overall plan for your life with the highlights detailed will improve the odds of ending up where you choose.

Revisit The Plan

Making your plan is the most important step in being the boss of your life. But things come up, often unexpectedly that can flip the best-laid plans on their head.

Never fear. Things change and revisiting, modifying, and resetting your plan will likely be necessary.

If you revisit your plans every thirty or sixty days, you can see clearly if a current hiccup is going to create the need to modify things a bit. Doing so is an empowering feeling of getting back in control and on track, especially if the unexpected really throws you for a loop.

If you plan to revisit and adjust and you’ll remain in the driver's seat no matter what happens.

Protect Your Time

Being a boss of life requires committing to protecting your time with your life. People will swoop in and take any available minutes, simply because they can or they know you’ll feel guilty if you switch up the game.

Too bad.

Time is your most precious resource and taking ownership of it has to be a priority.

You won’t be neglecting anything or anyone, you are creating necessary boundaries that need to be set so you can accomplish what you need for yourself.

Once you organize your needs and priorities, then you can add in the other things. It just has to be done in a manner that you control.

Commit to being present

People that do life right soak up every last drop, every day. They aren’t waiting for things to happen or cruising on autopilot, but rather, they’re fully in each moment, working hard not to miss a thing.

This is important because life is the journey we take each step of the way. It’s not a destination.

Just because you have an overall life plan, what happens every day is more than a series of steps to an end.

Savor each day and engage each of your senses to get the most out of what’s going on, knowing that enjoying things won’t pull you off track.

Smell the flowers, pay attention to the sky on your drive home, and listen to music that lifts your spirits.

You have your big plan, but don’t forget to live your day-to-day in a big way too.

Commit to building relationships

Relationships are the cornerstone of living a boss life. Learning as much as you can about people around you can deepen connections and enrich even the simplest day.

Whether at work, on the bus, or at a game, don’t be a stranger. Get to know people and their stories and you’ll become more well-rounded and open to even more possibilities.

You never know who you’re standing next to or what friendships can be sparked from a simple exchange.

Committing to savoring each day means seeing people as interesting little sprinkles on the cupcake of life.

Don’t miss out on the sweetness.

Living like a boss is nothing more than having a plan, setting priorities, and living true to yourself and what matters.

It means making the most out of each day and all the while knowing that there is a greater plan continuously running in the background keeping the big stuff on track.

Make your life a full-contact, immersive sport, not just a spectator sport.

🎉 P.S. More midlife wisdom on 🔥 🎧 The Badass Midlife Podcast 🎧 🔥

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