7 Of the Smartest Decisions You'll Ever Make

1. Introduce the ‘Work in Pulses’ Approach

Brigid Schulte, journalist and author of Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time, says: “The thing that helped my productivity more than anything was when I started working in 90-minute pulses. Our brains are wired for novelty, so when we stick with anything for too long (whether work, study, or even wedding planning), it becomes bored and distracted. You can concentrate a lot better when you know a break is coming—so task on/off is an efficient way to work. I literally set a timer for 90 minutes then take a break. I’ll make a cup of coffee or walk around.” Science also shows that when we take time away from a task, our brains have space to ‘incubate’ ideas. That’s why you are hit with brain waves in the shower!

2. Know Your ‘Shower Limits’ and Don’t Let Them Get ‘Dirty’

Renee Ho, author of The Friendship Effect says: “In friendship terms, a ‘shower limit’ is how many days you can go without taking or seeing your friends, until things start to get dirty. In other words, how long before you start feeling distant. I have a different shower limit for different friends—for some it’s about a month, but with others it’s a week.”

3. Use the ‘Sacrifice Now, Enjoy Later’ Mindset

Nathan Birch bought his first property when he was 18. Now at 30, he has a million-dollar portfolio and is the owner of a property investment company called BInvested. He says: “I recently met a young guy who said to me, ‘I want to do what you’ve done. How did you do it?’ I told him, ‘I used to be very frugal. I worked two jobs from the age of 17. I just thought, if I can sacrifice 10 years of my life and for the rest of my life never have to worry about money, that’s my goal. It doesn’t matter how much you earn or what age you are, anyone can do it if you make sacrifices.”

4. List the ‘Bad’ and the ‘Good’ in Your Mum and Dad’s Relationship

Dr Drain Heer is the author of Being You, Changing the World, and is an expert on change and consciousness in every area of life, including relationships. For the ‘good’ ones, focus on doing these in your relationships. For the ones you see as ‘bad’, choose not to repeat them. When you acknowledge where you pick up relationship habits, you often have an easier time changing them.”

5. Try the ‘Mirror, Not Mentoring’ Progression Technique

Jack Delosa, Founder of The Entourage, says: “Pinpoint the person whose career you want to emulate, and pay attention to how they dress, how they talk and hold themselves. Act like someone in the role you want, not the role you have. The other part of the puzzle is to understand how they think—ask them if you could chat with them. Say something like, ‘I’ve been watching your journey and I really respect what you’ve achieved. I’m hoping to emulate a similar career path—could we have a coffee?’ What you don’t want to say is, ‘Will you be my mentor?’ It’s too committal. It’s like someone asking you to marry them even before you’ve been on a date. And don’t waste their time—be prepared with smart questions. One I love is, ‘What’s the number one piece of advice you’d give yourself when you were at my stage?’ I’ve found the more successful someone is, the more they actually want to help other people.”

6. Have a ‘Date Day’ With Your Bank Account

Elizabeth Horsley, author, entrepreneur, and investor says: “Spend one intimate day each month reviewing where your money is going. Download an app or buy a small notebook and track every penny your spend. You might be amazed to see how much you’re spending on the sandwich you buy with your coffee each morning.”

7. Don’t Wait Until You Want To Have Babies To Care for Your Health

Susie Burell, a top dietician says: “I see so many women who go through their 20s and take on unhealthy habits. They sit at a desk and don’t move enough. I’d like to see every office with a walking desk—ask your boss if your workplace could bring them in. If that can’t happen, make sure you get up from your desk every few hours. I’m also a big advocate of food prep—on the weekend, take an hour to get your food ready for the week so you won’t reach for processed foods when you’re tired. This will help you avoid creeping into an unhealthy weight range, which could cause fertility problems later.”