As a young woman in a world full of social media competition, constant advertisements for clothing and beauty products to help me feel better about myself, and my drive and need to success in this world, I often get bogged down by stress and the possibility of failure.
In Sophia Amoruso’s self-written book, Girl Boss, she highlights her struggles as a young woman in a working world, her thrifty abilities using eBay and technology, and most importantly, why it’s okay to change your path in life and allow yourself to occasionally fail. Girl Boss provided me with witty insight and intense moments of reflection on my own life and what I want for myself in the future. Here are four life lessons and motivation from Girl Boss that may help you reflect, as well.
1. Don’t let work take over your life.
Work/life balance is important in any career, but in the media and publishing industries, work can truly take a hold on you, sometimes.
It can be difficult to set boundaries when you are super motivated to succeed and see results.
Work is supposed to be a platform to help you achieve the more fun and fulfilling things in life, and it’s important to try and have fun along the way, and know when you need to step back and take a breather.
2. Don’t sell yourself short.
By settling on the most convenient or easy option, you might be missing out on an even better opportunity! Don’t let yourself fall into the ‘easy’ path; it may take a little more work on your end to see results, but don’t give up. Nothing good comes easily. Selling yourself short and taking the boring or easy route may make you upset or regretful later on in your career and life.
3. Find your path while also continuing to support yourself, financially.
It’s important to remember to not just quit and not have a back-up plan. In Girl Boss, Sophia went in between jobs, leaving herself feeling helpless and scared. She took positions in jobs she hated, she stuck out her role in places just so she could do what she wanted on the side. You can totally work on a side project while continuing to support yourself, until you see some great results from that side hustle. No harm in that! You won’t feel as nervous about failure if you have a back-up.
4. Don’t be intimidated by the future.
None of us know what the future holds, so just go along with the ride and do what makes you happy! For Sophia now, she is the CEO of a multi-million-dollar company, built a complete empire from her own bare hands, and definitely stumbled over some rocks to get where she is now. She had no idea that reselling clothes on eBay would ever turn into the Nasty Gal company it is today. This resonated with me the most as I read this book, because as I just graduated college, I’m scared for my career and the future.
I’m uncertain about where I will be in five, ten, 20 years, but I know that with hard work and happiness along the way, I will get to where I’m supposed to be.
Girl Boss is an incredibly motivating and inspirational book, and I recommend it to anyone who may be feeling a little lost in life. Seeing someone so successful go through life trials, being completely broke down to a penny, and working her way up the ladder, makes me want to push myself and see where I will end up. The future, careers, and life in general are all so exciting. It never hurts to seek guidance and support going through the unknown.
