Had you ever had one of those moments where you’re like “damn, had I only known better,
I would’ve saved so much time, energy, money…”. I could’ve been less stressed… more peaceful.
I’ve had plenty of those moments. So, here are a few things that I’ve
learned to do instead, and I’d like to give it to you;
a list of non-obvious things that make life a little better. I hope it saves you some trouble.
(1) Buy nice or buy twice. VIVAIA
(2) Cordless vacuum. Since making the switch, vacuuming no longer feels like a
chore. I’m never going back to anything else. (3) Be aware of the sunk cost fallacy. The
simplest way to describe the sunk cost fallacy would be “I must continue to spend time on this
thing because otherwise all the time I’ve spent on this thing so far will have been in vain”.
Example: “I’m already halfway
through this book, and although I hate it, I guess I better finish it. Perhaps it’ll get better.”
Or, “This relationship is making
me miserable. But we’ve been together for ten years… I don’t want that to have been a waste.”
Or, “I went to uni for four years studying this,
now I hate working in this field, but I guess I’ll have to continue, otherwise everything
I’ve invested will have been for nothing.” And sometimes, sticking things out is worth
it. Perhaps a reward is waiting. But we must ask ourselves, “how much more time am I willing
to continue putting in in order to find out? (4) Don’t wait for people to do stuff with you… do
them yourself! Look, companionship is nice, but so is being alone. In fact, sometimes I prefer doing
things alone, where I don’t have to accommodate someone else; where I don’t need to ask Lisa where
SHE’D like to eat and where I can actually have a picnic in the sun and not worry about Adam who
prefers the shade. So, if there’s something you’ve been wanting to do but there’s no one joining
you - this is your sign to go do it alone! (5) Look cute even if no one will see you. You
will see you. I made a video a while ago about how I had been neglecting myself and my appearance.
I’ve gotten a long way since then. I dress the part. And I feel significantly better.
(6) Do what you can to improve your sleep. I recently got myself some new, fluffy pillows.
Bedtime and sleep is now more enjoyable. Felt like a small price to pay.
(7) Shoot your shot. Send that email. Formulate it carefully. Proofread it. Don’t drag it out.
Be honest. Don’t be afraid. Rejection isn’t the end of the world. I’ve gotten a lot better at
reaching out to people I want to connect with and brands I want to work with. Not only has that
opened up some doors for me, but it’s also made me learn how to brush off rejection
more easily. Anytime I get an email from one of you, where, for example, you’re looking
to work together, I go “damn, you did that, I’m proud of you.” even if it doesn’t lead anywhere.
(8) Don’t buy a microwave. Makes ya lazy. Speaking from experience. Just steer clear of
shortcuts in general. Unless it just makes sense. (9) Befriend your neighbors. I used to be someone
who’d avoid my neighbors at all costs. It may be a Swedish thing. But ever since I got Fred,
everyone’s been so nice and they stop to have chats, and it’s led to some neigboree-friendships
that I never knew I’d appreciate. We’ll catch up whenever we see each other and we’ll text or call
if we need anything. It’s really nice. It’s also convenient, because you’ll help
each other out when needed. If you’re lucky, of course. Some neighbors are just total tools.
(10) Always carry a tote bag for those spontaneous grocery trips or
for when you get the urge to steal some ducks from the pond in the park. You just never know.
(11) Say what you mean, and mean what you say. I think this is something that comes with age.
No games. No clues. No testing people. Stand by your words. Be okay with whatever outcome that
follows the truth. It’s so much easier to accept how life unfolds when you can pride yourself
in choosing the truth and in living with dignity. (12) Put dishes away as you cook. Truly.
Cooking in a messy kitchen, in my opinion, is never enjoyable. Even less enjoyable is eating
while watching a pile of dishes on the counter. I use a spork, I rinse
the spork. I’m done using the knife, I rinse the knife, I dry it off, I put it away, right away.
(13) Go on stupid walks for your stupid mental health.
(14) Deleting TikTok off my phone. This one hit me when I was at the dentists recently,
and as I was laying there with stuff in my mouth, all I could think about was funny TikToks related
to going to the dentist, and I had to try so hard not to laugh. Like, it was actually a struggle.
I tried thinking of sad things like Snape dying in Harry Potter, but nothing helped. And I was like,
okay, I don’t want my brain to be all TikToks. Perhaps it’s time to take a step back.
(15) Make your space one that you love. We’re a lot of introverts on this channel,
and some extroverts, I see you guys! But if you’re someone who spends a lot of time at home,
it makes sense to have a space you love. Even if you still live at home or if you have roomies,
I’m assuming you still have your own little corner. Make it your magic corner!
Here are two things that I do: - Buy more unique pieces rather than
the stuff you’ll find at the store. Go on Etsy, support local artists, get stuff second hand.
Makes home feel more personal and warm. - Keep fresh flowers whenever you can.
I try to always have some at home. (16) Finding a life-philosophy,
a word or a sentence that just describes you and what you want out of life. A state of mind
that you want to return to. For me, that’s “ro”. Ro is also the name of my newsletter, and here’s
what I’ve written about it on my website: What does “ro” mean?
“Ro” is a Swedish word that doesn’t have an exact English translation, but according to
google translate, it means "tranquility, peace, rest, quietness". It also means “row” as in “row
your boat”. Why “ro”?
When I think about what I want in my life (perhaps even in the world)
I think of ro. Ro in my relationships; ro in each meal that I consume; ro in my
own mind; ro in my home. That doesn’t mean I want to be in a constant state of stillness,
but rather, that I would like ro to be my default state; one that
I can return to after any high or any low. (17) Spread kinder eggs throughout your day.
They are itty bitty things that I really enjoy and that I look forward to, like my morning and
evening skincare routine and my afternoon tea. (18) Never go to sleep in a messy place. Not
everyone is bothered by messes. But for me, messy space means messy mind. I can’t
peacefully go to bed, knowing I’ll be waking up to a mess. It also makes it feel like today is not a
new day, but rather, an extension of yesterday’s bad decisions, if that makes sense. I love the
fresh-start feeling of each morning - it’s not worth giving that up when I could've just cleaned
for a few minutes. One tip that may help to keep your space neat is: Don't put it down, put it away
(19) Keep a physical to-do list. (20) Keep a physical calendar.
(21) Take.More.Photos + Videos. And when someone else, like a friend,
is taking photos or a video of you, don’t shy away from it. Sometime down the line,
you’ll be really bummed at old you for doing that. (22) Capsule groceries. There’s a lot of talk
about a capsule wardrobe, you know, only having pieces that all go together. I’m all for a capsule
refrigerator and pantry. There are some items that I always want to have, knowing I can always throw
together a meal that is at least okay. (23) Do.absolutely.nothing. No phone,
no stimulation. I love just laying on my floor for a few minutes and stare at the ceiling, or
sometimes I’ll close my eyes. Sometimes I’ll even fall asleep for a brief moment. There’s something
about laying flat on your back on a hard surface, like, the floor or, even better, in the grass.