:: "5 Tips Every Successful Woman Should Know" by Michelle Phan ::

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” And he was right. Over the years I’ve had highs and lows, but I’ve always maintained my will to succeed and believed in myself. I’ve made it a point to always make sure I’m providing my fans with the best beauty advice and tutorials possible. And I’ve used my choice to make success a must in my life in all other areas from career to my personal life. Sure it takes a lot of work and dedication and it starts with having a strong self esteem, but if there is anything I’ve learned, there are a few rules to keep in mind in order to be successful.

1. Network Your Heart Out

Networking has many values. It provides you with perspective, expands the net of people you can potentially work with or learn from, and can be truly inspiring. Have you ever noticed that you’re more excited or productive when surrounded by people with that same enthusiasm? Well, you can use that feeling to push yourself further and meet incredible people along the way. This doesn’t mean you have to spend every second meeting people, but it does mean you should value the relationships you have and reach out to people with a call or email every once in awhile. You never know, someone you meet may help you land your dream job, or you might inspire another to follow their dreams as well.

2. Don’t Always Say You’re Sorry

Many women are passive and don’t speak up for fear of reinforcing negative stereotypes that being vocal is not ‘feminine’ or being frowned upon by coworkers. Disregard what people think and be assertive. Present ideas you have, don’t second-guess yourself and don’t say you’re sorry WHEN you’ve done nothing wrong. Excessively saying you’re sorry shows weakness and detours peers from seeing you as a confident individual who doesn’t doubt their decisions. When you stand by your choices, it will help future decision-making go smoothly and give your an authoritative edge. 

3. Find a Mentor

Learning helps you grow, fuels your success and gives you new skills that undoubtably will help you along your journey. That’s why it’s important to have a mentor or someone you admire for their hard work and successful attributes. Whether it’s a teacher or a boss or even someone like Hilary Clinton or Andrea Jung, use their successes as models. If it’s someone you know and can frequently talk with, pick their brain and sometimes even follow their lead. 

4. Find an Outlet

With success comes a need for balance. If you only did one thing over and over every day you would likely burn out within a few months. Instead, find an outlet – whether it be a creative escape that is completely different from your day-to-day work or using fitness as your ‘me’ time. It’s important to find ways to clear your mind, take care of your body, and more importantly, take care of your soul. I find sometimes if I step away from my work and do something else, it will spark ideas that in turn help me with my work. I've heard writers say this is a great way to rid writer’s block, and no one ever suffered from indulging in a little creative fun, time with family and friends or R&R. 

5. Believe in Yourself

When it comes to succeeding, you are your worst enemy, but should also always be your biggest fan. When you believe in yourself and push yourself beyond limits you didn’t know you could reach, you’ll be more confident to move forward and be able to handle criticism in strides. Every successful woman has either had someone tell her she can’t achieve her goals or been exposed to criticism of work. The difference between them and others is their ability to let that criticism and doubt fuel their ambition. They believe in themselves and know no matter what they can make their dreams a reality, and you can too!

What goals do you want to achieve? How do you plan to be successful this year?