Designing Your Best Life: A Woman's Guide to Living Authentically and Defining Success

Female entrepreneur working from home.

As a woman in my 40s, entrepreneur, and mom of seven, I've learned a thing or two about living authentically and defining my own version of success. It wasn't always easy, but with a little inspiration, humor, and actionable tips, you too can design your best life.

Step One: Decide What You Want The first step to designing your best life is to decide what you want. This may sound simple, but it can be incredibly difficult to determine your true desires. After all, we're bombarded with messages from society about what success should look like. It's easy to get caught up in what others think we should want, rather than what we actually want. To determine your true desires, take some time to reflect on what makes you happy. Think about what brings you joy, what makes you feel fulfilled, and what you're passionate about. This could be a career, a hobby, or a personal goal. Whatever it is, it should be something that excites you and makes you feel alive. Don't worry if your true desires don't fit into society's idea of success. Remember, you're defining your own version of success. What matters most is that you're happy and fulfilled.

Step Two: Believe in Yourself Once you've determined what you want, it's time to believe in yourself. This can be easier said than done, especially if you've been conditioned to doubt yourself or if you've experienced setbacks in the past. But here's the thing: you're capable of achieving your goals. You're smart, talented, and resilient. You have everything you need to make your dreams a reality. All you have to do is believe in yourself. If you're struggling to believe in yourself, start by acknowledging your past successes. Think about times when you've overcome obstacles or achieved something you once thought was impossible. Use these past successes as evidence that you're capable of achieving your current goals.

Step Three: Take Action Believing in yourself is important, but it's not enough. To design your best life, you also need to take action. Start by setting small, achievable goals. These goals should be specific, measurable, and realistic. For example, if your goal is to start your own business, a small, achievable goal could be to research different business models or to create a business plan. As you achieve these small goals, you'll build momentum and confidence. You'll start to see that you're making progress toward your larger goals.

Step Four: Embrace Failure No one likes to fail, but it's an inevitable part of life. The key to designing your best life is to embrace failure and use it as an opportunity to learn and grow. When you experience a setback or failure, take some time to reflect on what went wrong. Identify what you can learn from the experience and use that knowledge to adjust your approach. Remember, failure is not a reflection of your worth or abilities. It's simply a natural part of the learning process. The most successful people in the world have experienced failure, but they've used it as a tool to become even better.

Step Five: Surround Yourself with Support Finally, surround yourself with people who support and encourage you. This could be friends, family members, or a mentor. These people will be your cheerleaders, offering words of encouragement and support when you need it most. But don't forget to also surround yourself with people who challenge you. These are the people who will push you to be your best self. They'll offer constructive criticism and help you see things from a different perspective.

Together, your support system will help you achieve your goals and design your best life. In conclusion, designing your best life is about living authentically and defining your own version of success. It

About the author: Maria is a force to be reckoned with! She's a wife, a mom of seven (including a kiddo on the autism spectrum), an entrepreneur, and a marketing enthusiast. This part hippie witch doctor and a firm believer in being true to yourself and embracing all the quirks and qualities that make you special.

Through her own journey of self-discovery, Maria has learned that the key to a happy, fulfilling life is to love yourself, flaws and all. And she's on a mission to help others do the same!

So join Maria on this wild ride of self-love and discovery. Let's wave hello to a brighter, more authentic future together!