In our society, we are all overachievers and want to be better than everyone else.

Feather Daily Planner 90 Days of Planning

$9.99

There is room for Notes, a To-Do section, Monthly Affirmations, and Monthly Goals. There are seven Weekly Planner pages, each with a column for each day and a column for the time from 6am to 12am.

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

08/03/2026 11:23 pm GMT

We judge how well we do by how much we get done in a day or week.

Sadly, when we focus on results, we lose sight of how well we do things.

We care more about what we will do than how we will do it, in other words. It makes you want to be perfect, which comes from fear.

We might be hard on ourselves when we don’t meet really high goals, which makes us want to succeed even more.

In fact, we focus too much on the end result and not enough on the path to success.

We are so scared that we keep asking ourselves, “Will I be successful?” and “What will happen if I fail?”

So, we limit what we can do and what we can achieve.

So how can you be successful without having to be perfect?

Give them a try:

1. There is no one thing that will work. Say that you want to get fit and lose weight. You won’t be able to find the best diet, the best workout routine, the best exercise plan, or the best supplements.

Instead, be ready to work hard. Sometimes you will fail, feel bad, and get tired.

It’s easier to accept once you know the facts. You won’t be so hard on yourself for failing; you’ll see them as part of the process, like learning to ride a bike.

2. Don’t expect other people to tell you you’re right. When you care too much about what other people think of you, you depend on outside sources to tell you what to do.

Sadly, this often makes people unhappy and disappointed.

Don’t rely on others’ approval; instead, focus on being loyal to yourself.

Look inside. This makes it much easier to succeed.

3. Make your perfectionism work for you. You can’t be great at everything. Trying to be flawless can make you fail.

If you set goals that are too high for yourself, you won’t work as hard to reach them as you would if you set more realistic, achievable goals.

That’s because being a perfectionist means you establish standards that are too high for yourself and feel bad when you don’t fulfill them.

Instead, work on getting one thing just right at a time.

For instance, if you practice a skill until it becomes second nature, you’ll be less upset when you make a mistake.

Or work hard on a project that will pay off in the end. This change will help you feel like you’ve done something good.

4. Stop thinking about the near term. To have self-discipline, you need to restrain your urges and think about the long term.

It’s the capacity to stay on track with your goals, even when you don’t want to, or things aren’t going your way.

It’s the ability to say “no” to something you don’t want to do, even if everyone else says “yes.”

Researchers have shown that self-discipline is crucial to success in all areas of life, including school, work, and relationships.

Ask yourself, “Will this help me reach my future goals?” before you start any task.

Will it help me change, learn, and grow?

If the answer to these questions is “yes,” then do it. Don’t do anything if the response is “no” or “maybe.”

Your self-discipline should help you reach your goals, not get in the way of them.

You can’t expect to be successful right away. It takes time to be very successful.

5. Get rid of your excuses. Self-discipline is the key to reaching your goals in life and the first step to personal progress.

But it’s not easy to be self-disciplined. There are a lot of things in life that can make you lose your way.

You need to learn how to control your thoughts and feelings if you want to stay on track.

You can achieve this by paying attention to what you say to yourself.

For instance, if you tell yourself you’re too tired, too stressed, or don’t have time to work out, you’re going to fail.

Instead, say to yourself that you can do it and that you’ll find time for the things that matter to you.

Discipline Helps Us Reach Our Goals!

Discipline is very important for both personal and professional success.

You should learn when to say “no” to things that distract or tempt you, since they impede you from reaching your goals.

You will become more resilient and reach your goals even when you’re under a lot of stress if you learn to control yourself.

The post How You Can Be Successful Without Being Perfect appeared first on Create the Best Life.

If you’re like most people, you are 90% yourself with close friends, 50% yourself with casual acquaintances, and less than 10% yourself around strangers.

Being your actual self in all places and situations is frightening but ultimately empowering and soothing. Imagine how relieved you’ll be.

You no longer have to care about other people’s perceptions. You can simply be yourself and be content with that.

How to Be Yourself and Regain Control of Your Life:

1. Meditate. Meditation calms the portion of your mind that judges and defines everything around you.

Regular meditation can help you gain insight into who you truly are.

2. Tell the truth. When you are truthful, you expose yourself.

Be open about your mistakes and limitations.

3. Be distinctive. The real you is not exactly like everyone else. What music do you listen to while you are alone?

How do you dress? Do you keep your unique characteristics to yourself, or do you want to share them with the world?

4. Get rid of your crutches. Rocky Road ice cream? Mindless internet surfing? A double vanilla cafe latte?

Using crutches to cope with boredom, fear, or uncertainty prevents you from perceiving reality.

What is the purpose of a specific crutch? Stop using it and check for yourself.

5. Examine elements of your life that feel inauthentic. When and where do you believe you lack authenticity?

It often occurs during interactions with strangers, first dates, new social situations, and more formal events.

Being among family members can lead to a lack of sincerity. They don’t appear to want you to change, so you revert to your previous roles.

Identify instances of inauthentic behavior and reflect on why.

6. Spend time doing things you enjoy. What do you truly enjoy? Do you play in the softball league so you can fit in?

Would you rather take rumba lessons? Spend your spare time doing the things you are most enthusiastic about.

One way of being true to who you are is by doing things you enjoy. Make it your happy time!

7. Take a risk and try something you’ve always wanted to do. If you start playing the cello or taking acting lessons, your coworkers might laugh.

However, they will be secretly envious of your courage to do something unusual.

Everyone you know feels stifled and bored. You can climb beyond all of this.

8. Share your view. Not always, but offer your viewpoint if it won’t harm anyone. Are you planning to watch a movie with some friends?

Tell them the movie you’d most like to see. Does the family wish to go to the park or the public pool?

Allow your views to be known. Your wife wants to know if she looks big in this dress. Be wise.

9. Go outside. The interior environment is unnatural. Air is either heated or cooled. The light is artificial.

You cannot see the sun, hear the birds, or feel the grass beneath your feet. Get yourself into a more natural setting, and you’ll find it simpler to be genuine.

There is nothing like spending time in nature as a way of being true to who you are!

10. Strengthen your boundaries. Where your boundaries are weak, your actual self is suppressed.

These are the venues where we let others make the rules and define the framework. You’ll recognize these areas by the quantity of energy they suck from you.

You Are Enough!

Overcome the desire to fit in and impress others. Whatever you do, some people will be impressed, while others will not.

Why worry about it? You are an awesome person. Allow yourself to be that person each day.

Gratitude Journal 12 Weeks of Gratitude

$11.50

Record your thoughts in this Gratitude Journal once a day for twelve weeks. There is room to write three things you are grateful for, along with affirmations, an accomplishment, notes, and any appointments you wish to remember

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

08/04/2026 02:24 pm GMT

The post The Hidden Strength in Being True to Who You Are appeared first on Create the Best Life.

I have also included a list of recommended reading for those of you who are looking for a little more information on the subject.

Do you have a tough time accepting criticism? It is safe to say that most people have issues with accepting criticism. No one wants to hear that they are wrong or doing something inadequately.

It is important to note that being open to criticism is an integral part of our success. Being able to recognize when we are wrong is the first step towards adjusting our course so that we are successful!

If you want to learn how to accept criticism with grace, here are some tips!

Consider the Source of the Criticism

The first step towards accepting any criticism is to consider the source. It is important that you should not care about everyone’s opinion.

It is important to consider whether or not the person offering the criticism is from someone you respect.

That should be taken into consideration. If you are getting criticism from someone who is a habitual complainer, you might consider just ignoring them.

Consider Suppressing Your First Reaction

It is normal when we first hear some criticism to want to fight back. However, it is important to try to suppress this initial reaction, until you have some time to examine the criticism.

Even though you might want to get angry or run away right away from the person, take a moment to reflect on their words.

In fact, it is a good idea to take some time before responding to someone.

Consider the Criticism as a Chance to Learn

If we take time to think about it, criticism is nothing more than a chance to learn more about yourself.

It is a chance to welcome criticism rather than fear it. It is an opportunity to be more curious.

Of course, you probably aren’t going to like what you hear, however, you may learn something about yourself.

It could be an opportunity to find areas of improvement you can work on.

Consider Asking Questions

It is a good idea to not just receive the criticism but to actually consider asking the person some questions.

Instead of lashing out angrily, consider asking some clarifying questions. Acknowledge the person that you have heard their criticism.

Then ask them specific questions about why they have said what they have. Who knows, maybe they are offering you a way to be more successful in something you are trying to do.

Consider Taking Some Time to Ponder the Comments

Taking some time before commenting, is a good way to process what has been said and figure out if it is valid or not.

This is a particularly good way to handle criticism when it stings.

Taking some time will help you to think about how you actually want to respond to the person.

Consider that You Don’t Know the Reason for the Criticism

Maybe the criticism was unexpected and you are feeling that it came out of the blue. If this is so, it is important to remember that you may not know what the other person is experiencing.

Although it may be no excuse to take it out on you, you just never know what the other person is going through in their own life.

Often the criticism is more about them than you!

Consider Thanking Them for the Criticism

When we thank someone for their comments, we actually defuse the situation. They might be taken by surprise. You may actually be able to have a civil conversation with them.

It just might turn your biggest critic into your biggest cheerleader!

Consider Taking to a Friend You Trust

There is no reason to keep your feelings to yourself. If you get especially painful criticism, reach out to someone you trust and talk to them about the comments.

They may be able to put the comment into a better perspective so that you are able to handle the criticism. They could also remind you how special you are and that they will always have your back.

Here are Some Actionable Steps:

• Make a list of people whose criticism you would actually value. Think of your loved ones, people you care about or are inspiring. Consider the people in your field who have achieved what you want to achieve.
• Reflect on the most significant piece of criticism you have received lately. Write it down and take some time to think about it. Was the criticism warranted? Did it help you at all? Sometimes in retrospect, you will find a lesson that you never even realized you needed to learn.
• Start a criticism journal. When someone you have respect for supplies you with constructive criticism, jot it down in a journal. Then take a moment to consider if the criticism is warranted or not. If it is then you can create an action plan to address the situation.

Final Thoughts:

It is important to remember that criticism can be either valid or wrong.

It can offer us an opportunity to see things about ourselves that we may not have been aware of before.

Criticism can be viewed as positive feedback.

In fact, criticism can be used as the fuel that makes us stronger and more successful and lets us live our best life.

So the next time someone offers some criticism, remember that you have the tools in order to handle criticism effectively!

How To Handle Criticism Video:

List of Books for Further Information on Criticism!

The Truth Doesn’t Have to Hurt – when handled carefully, criticism, honest, genuine, hard-to-hear criticism, promotes trust and respect, motivates individuals, and serves as a catalyst for change. If that sounds far-fetched, it’s because few understand how to properly give and receive the kind of critical feedback that brings positive results.

Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well – the book explains why receiving feedback is so crucial yet so challenging, offering a simple framework and powerful tools to help us take on life’s blizzard of offhand comments, annual evaluations, and unsolicited input with curiosity and grace.

The Feedback Imperative – the book reveals the hidden reasons why giving feedback to employees can be so difficult and yet so urgently needed in today’s workplace, and provides the definitive steps for overcoming feedback avoidance and taking great leaps forward with employee engagement, retention, and performance.

Everyday Feedback Workbook: Get Going With Honest Helpful Feedback – the Everyday Feedback Workbook offers leaders and individual contributors at all levels information, techniques, and encouragement to make frequent feedback your most powerful leadership strategy.

The post How To Handle Criticism Constructively appeared first on Create the Best Life.

For a lot of people, self-confidence does not come naturally. If this is you, you will need to take some deliberate steps and be conscious of what you need to do.

Here are some steps you can take that will help you build your self-confidence and reduce stress and anxiety in your life.

#1 – Making Goals

When we set goals for things we want to accomplish, we are more likely to achieve them. This is true for self-confidence as well.

If there is something you don’t feel you can do, make a goal along with some steps that you need to take in order to realize the goal.

Let’s suppose that you are interested in learning a foreign language. First of all, you have to decide what language you want to learn.

As an example, let’s say you have decided that you want to learn French.

Your goal might look like this: I learn to speak French through an online language course.

Then you have to take the steps to complete the goal, such as how often you are going to spend time on the course.

Some online language sites, such as Duolingo, will give rewards as you progress.

So here is what a plan to accomplish your goal might look like:

• Learn to speak French
• Sign up for an online French course
• Spend an hour a day learning to speak French
• Find other people to speak to who already know French

There are other items you can add to your plan on how you will accomplish this goal. You just have to be proactive.

It doesn’t matter if you are trying to improve a relationship, your career, or self-improvement; writing down your goal along with the steps you need to take means that the goal will be less scary, and you will see how you can accomplish any goal.

As a result, you will see that you are able to build self-confidence!

#2 – Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Everyone is different. Everyone has things they are good at and things they are not good at.

You are enough!

Yes, it is great to have aspirations and want to improve yourself, but by comparing yourself to others, you end up sabotaging your own success.

For example, if you would like to be a better cook or a better singer, you might be inspired by the people who are accomplished in those areas.

It is one thing to be inspired; it is quite another thing to beat yourself up because you don’t think you could be successful in those areas.

You only get discouraged and give up when you compare yourself to others’ accomplishments and you don’t end up being able to live your best life.

#3 – Building a Positive Self-Image

Did you know that when you believe you will fail at something, you are more likely to fail when you do try to accomplish something?

If you have a negative self-image and believe that it is impossible to achieve something, you are likely to fail.

This is a vicious circle because the more you put yourself down and don’t believe in yourself, the more proof you will have that you are a loser.

When we stop listening to the negative voice that tells us we will fail, we will find we can actually achieve the goals we set for ourselves. As well, we find a way to build self-confidence in ourselves.

Failure does not mean that you are a failure. It only means that you learned what didn’t work.

Another way to build a positive self-image is to write in a gratitude journal daily. It is a great way to appreciate all that you have.

Daily Gratitude Journal for Women

$10.00

You will be able to write three things you are grateful for, along with something that inspires you. There is also room on each page for affirmations and for writing any notes or reminders.

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

08/04/2026 03:21 pm GMT

#4 – Getting to Know Yourself

One of the ways you can get to know yourself better is by writing in a journal. Find some quiet time and write down all your strengths along with your perceived weaknesses.

You should also write down any quirks you feel you have, as well as any talents.

Pretend like you are being interviewed and think of questions someone would ask you about yourself.

Another way to find out more about yourself is to ask people you trust what they see in you. You might be surprised how well thought of you are!

#5 – Be Less Engaged in the Media

All the stuff you read on social media or what you watch in movies and TV is enough to make anyone believe they are not good enough.

If you are a woman, this is particularly true. There are so many commercials telling us what is wrong with us!

Well, having healthy hair is a good thing, but taking it to the extreme when trying to look like someone else is only going to make you feel bad about yourself. This is no way to build self-confidence.

The women we see in magazines and on the red carpet have had a team of people doing their makeup and styling their clothes.

Even though they are not perfect when the makeup and clothes come off.

How to Change Your Mindset and Improve Self-Confidence

If you find yourself stuck in a negative mindset, you could be suffering from low self-confidence.

This is probably affecting the way you think about yourself and is messing with your positive self-esteem.

A negative mindset tends to have a lot of the words “always” or “never” in its vocabulary.

This can lead to a sense of hopelessness.

Here are a few examples of a negative mindset resulting in you having little confidence in your abilities:

I will never get it right.

When we think like this, we are probably not going to give much effort, and even trying the first time, let alone giving it another try if we fail.

This way of thinking makes it very easy to give up.

Nobody understands what this is like.

It is not unusual for us to lack the self-confidence to believe that everyone else has things figured out.

We feel that we are being left out. We feel isolated and that others have successful lives, and we don’t.

I am totally useless.

When we lack self-confidence, we can feel like we don’t have anything valuable to contribute. This can affect our jobs, relationships, or anything we are trying to accomplish.

I am a complete failure.

No one is a complete failure. Yes, we can fail at something, but that doesn’t make us a failure. When we feel this way, we take a blow to our self-confidence and self-esteem.

I could never do that.

If you follow social media, you probably see people on Instagram posting images of their successful lifestyle. Are you wishing that you were?

Those people are, for the most part, playing a part. They are showing the best parts of themselves that may or may not be accurate.

If you are trying to obtain that lifestyle and believing you can’t, you are only making yourself depressed.

Here is a list of successful people who have failed:

• Albert Einstein: He didn’t speak until he was four years old. He failed his entrance exam to the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School at sixteen. He even failed as an insurance salesman!
• Beyonce Knowles: When Beyonce was nine years old, her girl group appeared on Star Search and lost.
• Henry Ford: He is probably one of the most famous car makers. His first company went bankrupt. Also, his second company failed because of a dispute with partners, which made him leave that company.
• Jim Carrey: He may be a comedic legend today, but he grew up poor. In his teen years, he worked as a janitor to help out his family. He was booed off the stage during his first appearance at a comedy club.
• J.K. Rowling: Today, she is seen as a successful author. When she was a single mother on welfare, she started writing the Harry Potter stories. Before the books were published, twelve major publishing houses rejected them.
• Katy Perry: Although today she is a very successful singer, her first album sold a measly two hundred copies. She was dropped by two labels after her first label went out of business. It took her ten years to be a success with her hit song, I Kissed a Girl!
• Oprah Winfrey: She grew up in poverty. She was abused as a child and got pregnant at fourteen. The baby died shortly after birth. She was fired from her first TV job for being unfit for television.
• Stephen King: He may be well known today as an author of horror stories, but he threw his first book, Carrie, into the trash because he didn’t believe in it. It was his wife who retrieved it. Before being accepted by Doubleday, it was rejected by thirty other publishers.
• Sylvester Stallone: At one point, he was homeless and lived in the New Jersey Port Authority bus station. He was broke when he wrote the script for Rocky. He was persistent in trying to get a job in the movies after being rejected over 1,500 times by talent scouts.

How Can You Overcome these Mindsets?

You are going to need to reprogram your mind if you want to build self-confidence in yourself and your abilities. Also, you will need to pay attention to any negative self-talk and change it to something more positive.

You could change “I will never get it right” to a more positive statement, such as “I may be having trouble learning this, but I will get help so I can succeed”.

Perhaps you should consider counseling if you feel you can’t get unstuck from these mindsets. Or you could hire a life coach.

These people can help you set realistic goals, so you can build self-confidence.

Just remember that you don’t have to live your life thinking you can’t do something or that you are not good enough.

You can do anything you set your mind to, along with a little help from people who fought through their failures on the way to success!

How to Build Self-Confidence Video:

The post How to Build Self-Confidence appeared first on Create the Best Life.