Get ready to level up in your life with these simple but very effective life tools. I am giving my best tips to the ultimate self-love guide. Self-love is so important because, hello, who else are you going to be? You’re literally stuck with yourself, so you might as well make the most of it and love every bit of you. If you’re like me, then you already have major self-love, but sometimes you need some help remembering who you are—and if you’re nothing like that, then that’s okay. I’m here to help! Follow these tips I give you and see where you end up. There’s no breaking a person when they have so much self-love, self-respect and confidence.

1. Be Nice To Your Body

Be nice to your body, physically. What I mean is eat healthy and exercise. BLEH—you’re already done reading this article because you knew I was going to say that and you already don’t want to do that. But guess what? It’s the freakin’ truth! Your body is not going to wait for you to figure out that you need to stop binging those box of crackers every time you cry or tossing back vodka sodas every Friday night so you get the courage to walk up to the cute guy in the bar. It’s going to be too late. Your body is a temple, and as the old saying goes, “Health is wealth.” This is not about making sure you fit into society’s standards of being thin enough or making sure your body is perfect. This is about how you feel and making sure you feel good for you, not for society or anyone else’s opinion.

Now, you might be on board, but it’s become such a habit you don’t know where or how to start. Continue reading to develop some tools to help you, but it comes down to you deciding to do it. No one else is going to do it for you; you have to put on your big girl panties and do some hard things. You will feel so rewarded and confident. Trust me in this and fall in love with loving your body.

2. Feed Your Mind With Positive Words

Tell yourself nice things ALL. DAY. LONG. You need to tell yourself that you basically rule the world, because you do, right? How many things would fall apart without you? Okay, this is dramatic, but this is how you have to think sometimes to get you through the day. Either positive thinking comes easy to you or you literally have to force yourself to think this way, and both are okay. One of the greatest concepts I have accepted into my life is learning to laugh at myself. Mess something up? Embrace it. Learn from it. Laugh at the dork you are and keep marching. Tell yourself you’re a bomb ass bitch who can do anything you put your mind to, because that’s the truth.

3. Set Goals

No one, absolutely no one, is holding you back from where you want to be in your life. Your excuses are holding you back. If you really wanted something, you would do everything in your power to get it. It takes sacrifice, determination, and the acceptance of failure. Set goals, small or big. Set a goal to get up earlier than usual one day a week. Set a goal to pack your lunch for the week instead of eating out. Set a goal to exercise three times this week. Whatever your big or small dreams are, set them straight. Write them down. Embrace them. Map out how you are going to accomplish them. Live intentionally and get prepared to fail a lot. Failing is going to happen whether you like it not, so keep getting up and fight for the life you want.

4. Invest In Yourself

Invest in yourself, but don’t overdo it. It doesn’t need to be a daily habit to go and buy new lip gloss after work so you feel better about yourself. Lip gloss is not going to fill the void and heal your soul like you might be looking for it to do. Take a spa day for yourself, go buy the new shoes you’ve been eyeing for a while, but do it because you deserve it. Do it because you love yourself. Get dressed up and go out for a night with friends or get dressed down and watch a movie on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn—everything in moderation. Invest in how you look. Put some extra effort in in the mornings. Not for your coworkers, not for your significant other, but for you! When you look good, you FEEL good.

5. Make Time For Yourself

This may be the most important of all. Take AT LEAST five minutes for yourself per day. No phone, no TV, no distractions. If you have to wake up earlier to do it, then do it. Make yourself a priority. Use your 5, 10, or 30 minutes to pray, write, think, don’t think, sip your coffee, reflect, observe, or whatever it is that benefits your being. However you spend your time is for you and for you only. I suggest using your “me time” in the morning so you can start the day on the best foot. Five minutes per day is simple—that’s 35 minutes per week. If you’re a really busy person, then set a timer for those five minutes. Whatever it is that helps take care of your mind, body and soul.