Breaking Free Without Breaking Down: A Smart, Sassy Guide to Your Glow-Up
Let me tell you something: life is wild.
One minute you’re sipping your oat milk latte, scrolling Instagram, feeling like a cute extra in your own biopic… and the next, life has you questioning all your choices since 2009.
At some point, I realized — this was not the movie I auditioned for. My character deserved better lighting, a stronger plot, and definitely a bigger wardrobe budget.
So, I made a decision: I would break free. Not just from toxic jobs, messy relationships, or whatever casserole my neighbor keeps making… but from the mindset that told me I had to settle.
Step 1: Take the Wheel (Even If You Can’t Parallel Park)
Jack Canfield says one of the most powerful things you can do is take 100% responsibility for your life.
Translation: stop blaming your ex, your boss, your family, Mercury in retrograde, or the cat.
Sure, things happen that you can’t control — but you can control how you respond.
Event + Response = Outcome
Change your response, change the ending.
I stopped waiting for someone else to rescue me and became my own damn getaway driver.
Step 2: Get Clear on What You Actually Want
Breaking free is easier when you know where you’re headed. Canfield calls it “deciding what you want” — but I call it “get specific or get stuck.”
“I want to be happy” is cute, but vague. Try:
“I want a business that lets me work from anywhere — preferably near a beach.”
“I want relationships where we hype each other like we just dropped an album.”
Clarity isn’t boring — it’s GPS for your dreams.
Step 3: Act Like You’ve Already Made It
One of my favorite success principles? Act as if.
Dress, speak, and carry yourself like the version of you who’s already living that life.
I didn’t wait until I had the perfect home office to start calling myself an entrepreneur — I started acting like one. (Yes, even if “home office” at the time meant my couch and a wobbly coffee table.)
When you show up like you belong, the world starts treating you like you do.
Step 4: Feel the Fear… and Then Do It Anyway
Newsflash: confidence doesn’t come before action — it comes because of action.
I used to think I needed to “feel ready” before making moves. Baby, if I’d waited for that, I’d still be sitting here, rearranging my vision board for the fifteenth time.
So I started sending the emails, launching the projects, having the hard conversations — even when my hands were shaking.
Spoiler: the fear didn’t kill me, and the results were worth it.
Step 5: Celebrate Like You’re at the Grammys
One thing I learned fast? Small wins matter.
Paying off a bill? Celebrate. Sticking to your boundaries? Celebrate. Saying “no” to that thing you didn’t want to do anyway? Pop the non-alcoholic bubbly.
Stack enough small wins and suddenly, you’re standing on top of a mountain you didn’t even realize you were climbing.
The Real Tea
Breaking free isn’t about flipping your life upside down overnight — it’s about consistently choosing yourself, even when it’s hard, even when it’s scary, and especially when no one else is clapping yet.
I’m still on this journey. I still have days when the old habits creep back in. But now, I know the signs — and I’ve got the tools to get back on track.
You deserve a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on Instagram.
So here’s my invitation: start small, start messy, but for the love of all that is fabulous — just start.
Inspired by My Go-To Personal Development Bible
If you’re curious about some of the principles that have been guiding my journey, I highly recommend exploring The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. His work has been a major source of clarity, courage, and momentum for me. You can check it out and learn more on Jack Canfield’s official website.
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Jack Canfield, his company, or The Success Principles brand in any way. I am not being paid or compensated for referencing his work. Any mention of his material is solely based on my personal experience and the impact it has had on my own journey. This is a personal recommendation, not a marketing promotion.
