How to be a Girl Boss?!

A REFLECTION before the post: I have started my career years ago, since I was a sophomore in GUC (German University in Cairo). I jumped into internships, personal projects, voluntary jobs, philanthropic jobs, and student activities. Once graduated, I have joined one of the IBM graduate programs & then I was hired! I never got the chance to have the transition between being a student & being an adult working responsibly! I have gone through this transition while having a full-time job. And I have learned it the hard way!

Below are some of the tips that I believe have helped me a lot to be more organized & focused! I believe every senior & fresh graduate has to know those things, has to transit from the students mentality to the girl-boss mentality as quick as possible to join the battle yard quickly & professionally.

**Top tips to become a competitive candidate**

1. Declutter to clean & clear your space. By space it is your desk, your room, your closet, and everything in your surrounding.
2. Use journals, one for your work (schedules & todo lists) & one personal (goals & reflections). This translates the different mindsets, one for work & one for leisure.
3. Save a leisure time everyday, to keep your motivation & focus flowing.
4. Focus on only one task at a time, to save time & mind power.
5. Create a list of all of your goals (personality, lifestyle & career) & stick it in a place you see everyday. After creating your goals, it will be easy to associate your tasks with your goals.
6. Create a vision board with all the things you want to have in your life (emotionally & physically) with pictures & place it in front of you all of the time. Keep it digitally as a lock screen for your laptop of mobile, plus have it physically placed in front of your desk or bed to see it regularly.
7. Plan your morning & night routines, to set the tune of your day.
8. Go on a walk daily by yourself, to think & feel yourself.
9. Read everyday, to widen your thoughts.
10. Create a playlist that keeps you happy & listen to it with other podcasts during your commute time. To start your day on a positive note.
11. While writing your todo list, keep the most important 3 tasks on the top & maybe highlight them to keep an eye on them, and keep your lists short to 6 daily tasks only. Keep another parallel list for your personal things that are not time framed, so you will keep your day busy with excitement! Think about blogging, reading, go shopping!
12. Save money!!! But, don't forget to enjoy buying the things you are working for! We all can say that our ultimate goal is to fulfill our ambitious career, but c'mon we are all happy on the day we do receive our salaries. So, it is nice to save for later but please don't forget to please yourself by the fact that you are paying for your own pleasures. I was so happy to buy my own silver rings, my favorite pantaloon & my favorite blouse!
13. It is great to eat healthier, and eat less to feel lighter. I have found that personally when I eat less I do feel better, happier, and more focused! And keep a water bottle on your desk as drinking more will keep you hydrated & more again more focused!
14. Make sure to have 7+ sleeping hours, this wont work every single day. But let us agree that sleeping well will shape your day! Maybe 1-2 cheating days per week won't harm a lot. During weekdays follow the routine & break it during the weekends!
15. Put your alarm in a place that you need to get out of your bed to reach it & every now and then change its tune! This will prevent you from either hitting snooze or merging your dream with your reality and ignore the alarm.
16. When you wakeup, drink a glass of water to wake you up fresh.
17. Try to read everyday, reading alerts your mind to wakeup! It is even better if your book is related to your personal development or your career development.
18. Utilize your smart phone, instead of having your notebook everywhere you can use your notes or reminders always!
19. Read your email once you reach the office, and reply to all the pending emails. Don't keep checking your email every moment, but check it regularly every 30-60 minutes. Do organize your inbox into folders to easily find the needed information.
20. Don't let social media kill your time! Every few hours check your social media notifications & messages. But don't let it steal the time from accomplishing your daily tasks.
21. Have a "Good Morning" & a "Good Night" meditation ritual/routine. It is always nice to reflect, pray to Allah, and daydream. This will keep you on track & motivated.
22. Do a lot of projects, freelancing, and volunteering to strengthen your skills. Even if you are certified, but real-life experience is different.
23. Take a break every now & then, to sustain your physical & mental health.
24. Everything happens with your own timing, so keep calm & enjoy. Don't rush a job or a raise or a relationship or a marriage or any other thing.
25. Dress like a professional young adult! To my surprise your dress code affect your way of acting, so when I do dress casually I do act as if I am a student. On the other hand, when I do dress in a semi-formal attire I do feel that I am a young adult in a professional atmosphere.

Thanks for all the bloggers & vlogers I am used to follow. They helped me in a positive way to figure out my way & stop being childish!