5 WAYS TO LIVE A SOFT LIFE AS A HARD WORKER

Living a comfortable life is what everyone desires, but most of the time, it's just out of reach, especially for those of us who truly aspire to attain a level of success.

A time came when it was once believed that to be successful, you'd have to drop some habits, even those that weren't harmful, and you know, just work very hard, to the extent that you'd no longer have the time to eat a 3 square meal per day. 

This assumption led me to believe, without a doubt, that I would be successful with all these principles in place, but it isn't true. This is just neglect covered up in seemingly busy schedules here and there.

 Most times, what we need is proper time management because a few times, we delay important duties till the time seems to elapse, then we end up running helter-skelter. This screams poor planning/ proper time management.

 But firstly, we're going to break these 2 terms down–soft life and hard work.

What is a soft life?

A ‘soft life’simply means choosing ease, joy, and alignment with your true self,” explained Attiya Awadallah, a psychotherapist and owner at Lenora: Art Therapy and Counseling. 

 “It’s about simplifying your approach to life, prioritizing emotional, mental, and physical well-being, and creating a sense of balance and fulfillment. Instead of constantly striving for achievement or external validation, a soft life encourages you to slow down and embrace peace, rest, and meaningful connections.” ( Jasmine Rutledge)

What is hard work?

 Hard work is going above and beyond your usual effort to achieve a higher level of success. It's about being focused, consistent, and staying motivated to produce quality results. It means using your physical, emotional, and mental abilities to be purposeful in your actions.

Hence, the essence of living a soft life is to reduce stress and balance out activities that can help you and improve your well-being; it is making time for activities that can benefit you in the long run, even when being focused on work. Now, how can one live a soft life, even as a hard worker?

5 WAYS TO LIVE A SOFT LIFE AS A HARDWORKER

• Set your goals

 This has to do with proper planning. Take time to set both your long-term and short-term goals. While setting your goals, ask questions like–Why do I want to live a soft life? What will I benefit from living a soft life? This will help you to set your goals properly. (Recommend a productivity app/tool that can help them achieve this)

• Prioritize your well-being

 Working hard doesn't mean you should neglect yourself. Your physical, mental, social, and emotional health are aspects of your life that should be prioritised. Take your dietary life seriously. Don't skip meals. You can set structures like the use of an alarm clock to remind you when it's time to eat, and when it rings, no snoozing!

Don't shut your friends out because of your busy life. Make time weekly or daily to socialize and speak with your friends. If you feel sick at a certain period, take a break because you can't work efficiently if your health is at stake.

• Delegate tasks and duties.

When it seems like you're getting overwhelmed by the workload around you or even at work. The best thing to do at this moment is to delegate the tasks/duties. This will help to reduce stress. And when I say delegate, it doesn't have to do with making use of individuals to assist, though it can be included, but it's more about setting structures that can help reduce stress for you. Structures like ordering meals instead of cooking for yourself. Getting a maid to tidy up the house, etc. These are simple structures that can relieve stress on your end.

• Make time to rest

Being a hard worker doesn't mean you should work all day without stopping. Even if it's an hour or a 30-minute nap in the afternoon, it will come a long way, especially in improving your mental health.

• Establish your boundaries 

 This is one major way you can live a soft life as a hard worker. You don't have to say yes to everyone and everything. Most times it's best to say no. Make use of your time and priorities in setting your boundaries. Know what works for you and what doesn't. Even when your No might hurt the other party, stay rooted in your boundaries. This will help your relationship with people in the long run and chase off time wasters. 

For someone like me, living a soft life even when working hard is the best, because I know that my future self will thank me for it.

 So it's also best for you. 

Live intentionally and follow what works best for you.