Take charge of your life by organizing what is really important to you and focusing on those areas.

You are what you do. It reflects what you value. So when you are fighting with your boyfriend, are you valuing the person you love or your own agenda? Every hour we spend angry is another hour lost that could have been filled with laughter. When we stress about deadlines, get upset over uncontrolled things, get jealous over friends’ fortunes, you are putting importance on something over your own well-being.

You forgot to take care of yourself. Time is precious. Some people can say that they have more money than time, but hardly anybody can say they have more time than money. You cannot get another hour in a day, so be clear about what is important to you, and set the foundation for change.

We are a society that takes on too many responsibilities and have way too many high expectations about how things should be, so we live and put ourselves through hard work to meet the expectations of perfectionism. We aim to be perfect, and through those endeavors, we become overworked and tired.

What we need to learn is to put our self-care first. We underestimate how important taking care of ourselves really is. Here are ways to do so.

1. Learn to say no. A lot of times, saying “yes”means you had to say “no” to something else. Saying “yes” to an hour of television is saying “no” to writing a letter to a friend.

2. Focus on today. We need to focus on today, and realize that today is the only day to make our dent in the world, so spend it well. Focus and be in control of our thoughts and choices, which reflect upon our actions.

3. Do what you feel is right. Make that conscious choice to do what is right, to do what you believe. Take that time of the day to yourself and reflect on who you are. Do you feel satisfied with your finances, your body, your relationships, your environment, your career? If not, what few things can you do differently that can make you more satisfied?

4. Do what you want to do. This runs into the part about saying “no,” but it’s crucial. Do the things you value the most and forget the other things until later.

5. Allow time to yourself. Make sure you set aside some time every day to yourself. Whether it’s going to the gym, reading a book, writing a letter, or eating chocolate-dipped fruits, set that time on your agenda and don’t skip it.

Let’s be present in today and stuff every second with value and meaning into what we have and what we value most. Be an individual and forget what everyone else thinks is important, and stop comparing. By doing so, we not only improve ourselves, but we can impact others with our attitudes and determination.