We only have a finite number of weeks to live.

Did you know that most of us only get to live 4000 weeks? 

This equates to an average lifespan of becoming 76 years old. 

Even if you live to 100, you only get about 5128 weeks to live. 

That’s it.

Most of us feel that the weeks fly by. 

Putting a number on the amount of weeks is a stark reminder that our time is finite.

Yet, most of us don’t live with this in mind. We get caught up in the grind. 

How we prioritize our time and what we obsess over - often doesn’t align with what truly matters. 

The point is not to be more productive. 

The point is to figure out how to live a more purposeful life.

So take a moment to ask yourself:

✨ What truly brings me joy?

✨ Which relationships matter the most to me?

✨ Which habits sustain the lifestyle that I want to live?

✨ How can I carve out more time for myself?

✨ What do I want to learn, experience and create?

✨ How do I show up for those that I care about? 

Once you know the answer to these questions, you can start designing your weeks and how you spend your time. 

Are you suffering from Delayed Happiness?

I used to think I’d be happy once I achieved all my goals - that happiness was always just around the corner.

This is called Delayed Happiness.

It’s the idea that as soon as you get the promotion, or as soon as you buy the house or car, or achieve the next milestone in life, you will finally be happy.

It’s a myth.

Happiness comes from pushing through the hard things in life. It comes from growth.

You’ve got to enjoy the process and not focus solely on the end goal.

Otherwise, you’re on a constant hedonic treadmill.  You’re just pursuing one act or type of pleasure after another.

Instead, focus on the process and the journey that leads to your personal growth.

This will help you increase your long-term well-being and happiness.

How do you do this?

Seek out challenges and possible failure every single day. That is where the growth lies.

If you’re being truthful with yourself, when was the last time you placed yourself in a situation where you were prone to failure?

How to control your thoughts

Have you ever felt overpowered by your thoughts?

It wasn’t until recently, that I discovered true wellness is about navigating our inner world.

The first step is realizing that you have the power to change your relationship with your thoughts.

So often we’re told to “just be positive”.

This isn’t helpful. Biologically, our brains are wired to focus on the negative.

It’s not realistic to weed out every single defeatist thought or emotion.

Instead, the key is knowing that you can challenge your thoughts and change how you interact with them.

Here’s how:
1. Remind yourself: “No Feeling is Final”
✅ Emotions like anxiety or sadness are temporary. Acknowledge them, and remember they will pass

2. Practice the perception exercise: “You are the sky, everything else is just the weather”
✅ Think of yourself as the sky; your emotions are merely the weather. No matter how stormy it gets, the sky remains intact

3. Notice that something is a thought and let it pass
✅ E.g. if you’re feeling that you’re not good enough, tell yourself: “I notice that I am having this thought, and it is just a thought”. That allows you to create some distance between the thought and the feeling

4. Be action-oriented
✅ If something is bothering you, ask: “What aligns with my values? What action can I take right now to move forward?”

How to spend less time on your phone

How was your weekend? How much time did you spend on your phone?

The average person spends 4+ hours on their phones per day. This equates to 70 days per year spent just on our phones.

The thing is, it’s not due to a lack of discipline.

It’s the way that our phones are designed.

TikTok is currently being sued by 13 states for being designed to be addictive to kids and causing harm.

But what about the effects of platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Gmail, and Facebook on adults?

We need to apply the same level of scrutiny to the overall ecosystem.

Did you know that Instagram was modeled after one of the most addictive machines: the slot machine?

The pull-to-refresh and infinite scrolling releases instant dopamine. It is the unpredictable reward mechanism that just like gambling, keeps us coming back.

Even our notifications, i.e. that little red badge on the apps are designed to get us into a state of hypervigilance. Red signals danger. We feel compelled to check.

As we enter into a new week, here’s how to reduce screen time:
➡️ Set time limits on your most-used apps
➡️ Try a 24-hour detox from your phone, e.g. from Friday to Saturday evening
➡️ Switch to greyscale: this removes colors from your screen and makes it less appealing
➡️ Mono-task: whether at work, watching a movie, or reading, focus on one task at a time and keep your phone in another room

What have you found helps?

Fitting in vs belonging

Recently, a client shared with me: “All I want is to fit in.”

I paused and asked her if what she truly desired was to belong.

These two concepts can be polar opposites.

Too often, we sacrifice our true authentic selves to fit in. We try to change for others.

Belonging is showing up exactly as you are. It is accepting that your tribe will eventually find you.

If we’re constantly trying to fit in, we end up feeling numb. We waste time engaging in activities that don't reflect who we are or align with our true interests and abilities.

Instead, we need to recognize that our path is our own. We need to find our purpose first.

Here are some tools that can help you discover your true self:

✨ Journaling: start your day by writing down your thoughts and feelings. This practice can clarify your values and desires.

✨ Coaching or Therapy: professional support can provide the guidance and infrastructure you need to explore your identity.

✨ Meditation: can help you find inner peace, reduce stress, and improve focus. This then fosters self-awareness.

✨ Experimentation and creativity: try new activities or hobbies to discover what resonates with you.

Remember, belonging starts with being true to yourself.

How do you view failure?

For a long time, I believed failure meant I wasn’t good enough at something.

Most people internalize failure as such.

Most of us play it small so that we avoid failure. It is more comfortable. It is safe.

This is all wrong.

The reality is that successful people are failing more than anyone else.

Successful business leaders, entrepreneurs, musicians, artists, writers, etc take more risks. They try more things. They fail more.

Embracing failure is part of having a thriving and winning mindset.

By normalizing the notion that ‘if you are not failing, you are not growing’:
➡️ You’ll adopt a growth mindset - you’ll believe that you can change and improve
➡️ You’ll set yourself bigger goals
➡️ You’ll preserve even when the road gets bumpy
➡️ You’ll take things less personally as you realize there are external factors outside of your control
➡️ You’ll realize failure isn’t permanent - you can pick yourself up tomorrow

When was the last time you failed at something?

How to take charge of your life

Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens FOR you.

It’s a powerful quote. But what does it mean?

It means that you’re in the driver’s seat. You’re in charge of your life’s direction.

Don’t wait for opportunities to arise. Create them for yourself.

When I qualified as a Power Yoga Teacher while juggling a full-time corporate job, I knew that if I wanted to pursue my passion, I had to take proactive steps.

Instead of waiting around, I:
✨ Organized free classes to build my skills and network
✨ Reached out to over a dozen studios in London, offering to cover classes
✨ Joined groups, connected with others, and explored every avenue

I had to keep going for a while. Eventually, I got positive responses. I got to teach. I started gaining experience.

Was it outside my comfort zone? Absolutely.

To start creating opportunities, ask yourself:
➡️ What can I do differently from what I’m currently doing?
➡️ Who can I connect with outside my usual network?
➡️ How can I take a bigger risk for a bigger reward?

Life is now. Take charge.

How do you create opportunities for yourself?

Why having fun is so crucial

When was the last time you did something purely for the sake of having fun?

I struggle with this myself, but have been trying to change.

Activities such as painting, drawing, writing, and being in nature. These bring me joy.

Engaging with hobbies and passions that cultivate joyfulness is essential for our well-being:

✨It makes us more balanced as you allow yourself to fully switch off
✨When you have more fun in life, you’re more likely to make better choices
✨You become less stressed
✨This makes you more resilient to whatever life throws in your way

The struggle is that as ambitious professionals, passions rarely get prioritized.

Most of us believe we have to fill our calendars with useful activities.

Our entire lives are viewed through a productivity lens.

We feel everything has to have a purpose.

Even ‘side hustles’ turn our hobbies into something for future goals or profit.

Instead, ask yourself “How can I incorporate more playfulness into my daily life?”

It doesn’t have to be filling your time with big activities.

It might be cooking once a week. It could be going to an art gallery. It might be taking a morning walk without your phone.

Start by shifting your mindset:

➡️ Notice joy: identify activities that genuinely make you happy
➡️ Make time: find ways to incorporate these into your routine
➡️ Prioritize play: aim to engage in at least 1-2 joyful activities each week
➡️ Observe change: pay attention to how these moments of joy impact your mood and overall well-being

The power of the inner voice

I never used to pay attention to how I spoke to myself.

I’m talking about that inner voice playing on repeat most of the day.

It tells you about all the things you didn’t do or should’ve done better. It replays
past conversations and events. It is your inner critic. It is beating yourself up.

The issue is that your inner critic will make you love yourself less over time.

When we criticize ourselves, cortisol becomes elevated. We’re activating our body’s stress response daily.

We become more easily agitated. We lose our patience more quickly with others.

But why do we engage in negative self-talk?

From an evolutionary perspective, it made sense. Our ancestors' survival depended on remembering mistakes to avoid repeating them.

Today, our inner voice mostly talks negatively about trivial matters.

We have ~70,000 thoughts per day. 80% of those are negative or repetitive.

So how do you work to silence your inner critic?

The answer is self-compassion.

Start to note down things you love about yourself. Repeat them daily.

Research shows that those who practice self-compassion are happier, more successful, and even have a better immune system.

In what ways do you quiet your inner critic?

How is happiness a skill?

I used to think that happiness was something that you either had or didn’t.

Now, I’ve learned that happiness is a skill.

It is a skill that you can develop and refine. It’s not something you just fall into.

The issue is that many of us conflate short-term pleasure with happiness.

Eating unhealthy food, online shopping, or binge-watching Netflix all day, will not solve for long-term happiness.

To work on the skill, start with awareness. Ask yourself: “What are 5 things that make me truly happy?”

Then ask: “What 3 of those things can I do this week?” “When can I do them?”

If you link these to your life’s purpose, you are winning.

How do you determine what this purpose is?

Fast forward to your last day on earth, and imagine asking yourself “What would I like to have achieved by then?”

Bring that back to now. Ask yourself: “If I do these 3 things that truly make me happy each week, am I going to end up with the life I want for myself”.

Depending on the answer, work to align your daily, weekly, and monthly habits.

Start by making small changes.

You’ll:
✨feel more in control
✨feel a sense of calm
✨feel an alignment of your internal desires with your external actions
✨work on your happiness

Why is sleep so important?

I remember my Dad always saying he only needed 6 hours of sleep.

That was while I was growing up. He was working as a full-time doctor.

Fast forward to today, he admits he was fooling himself all those years. He was overcompensating by trying to make it work. It wasn’t.

Sleep is crucial for information processing and memory consolidation.

Do you need to come up with a solution to a complex problem? The best solution? Sleep.

Sleep is how we clear toxins. If you are already at risk of Alzheimer's or dementia, poor sleep can be an added risk factor.

A tired brain is likely to make us more irritable.

When we are tired, we pay more attention to the negative experiences and less to the positive ones. Lack of sleep can change our entire outlook on life.

Many people don’t necessarily have the luxury of getting enough sleep. However, we can all do a couple of things to improve our sleep quality:

✨ Get as much morning light as possible (helps regulate your cycle)
✨ Limit coffee and alcohol intake
✨ Sleep in a cold and dark space
✨ If you wake during the night, keep the lights low. Don’t look at illuminated screens/clocks
✨ Keep your routines as consistent as possible (even on weekends)

How do you prioritize good sleep?

What is the perfectionism mindset?

Have you ever held off starting or sharing something because you felt you weren’t ready?

It is called the Perfectionism Mindset.

So many of us delay taking action or think we’ll only be ready or happy once we’ve reached a certain level.

We strive for perfectionism rather than for good enough.

I was the same.

It took me years to embark on my Yoga Teacher qualification. I felt my practice wasn’t perfect enough. I couldn’t do all the ‘advanced poses’.

I delayed starting because I kept thinking “I’ll wait until I’m better.”

But eventually, I leaped even though I wasn’t at my ideal level.

Guess what? It was more than fine. It was incredible.

Research shows that successful people are those who let go of perfectionism.

They take risks. They focus on putting their ideas out into the world by embracing ‘good enough’.

Then they quickly pivot and improve based on the feedback they get.

So the next time, you think you aren’t ready - ask yourself if it is because you are aiming for perfectionism.

Everyone is a Potential Teacher

Treat every person that you meet as a potential teacher.

You can learn from a casual conversation with a stranger.

I recently sat next to a woman on a plane from London to Dubai. She had just been fired from her job. She was a single mother with zero support.

I asked her how she felt. She said it was the best thing to have happened to her.
She saw it as an opportunity to pivot her career - a push she needed after 21 years.

It was a reminder that in life, everything happens for a reason.

Every person we meet has a story and lesson to share.

We are often so quick to judge people when we meet them. It happens subconsciously.

You see someone. You hear them speak. You find out something about their background.

Automatically, you make an assessment.

We miss out on the opportunity to expand our consciousness.

Instead, start to practice this:
✨ Active Listening: pay close attention during conversations.
✨ Open-Mindedness: approach each interaction with curiosity and without judgment.
✨ Reflect and Apply: consider how new insights can enhance your life.