If you are a working girl, stuck in the middle of xx (replace here xx by : life, scale, jungle, siesta, your forties, all fit here), or if you are just curious on how to make your life easier, this post may be for you.

Girls (and curious), let’s be honest, life is sometimes complex. We are overloaded by multiple situations, decisions, contexts and we need to save our energy (and other’s one). Here are few thoughts I learned in the past months, that made my life of european girl in tech, really-really sweeter and lighter. By magic, I spent time on things I missed, like relaxing, family, friends, tea (because working girl only drink tea, yes, of course).

Stop explaining. If you have something to ask, don’t bother people with context, rationale, (good) reasons. Be direct, you will save everyone’s time.

Stop saying sorry. Apologize only if you really-really hurt someone.

Stop justifying why you are here. You are a reasonable adult, full potential (except when you are drunk, but that’s ok, you are funny anyway). Just admit that you are in the right place, and this is not by accident.

Stop planning each step. You survived enough drama and crisis to trust your high capability to find the right tone and answer, on stage, on the phone, in meeting, during projects.

(I see you, I know you are getting nervous reading that : all these sounds like making one step back. And this is normal, in the last 10 years, you have been trying to do everything perfect – perfect life, smart kids, beautiful house… Now don’t run and read next.)

Kill your best in class culture. Don’t try to deliver the best stuff ever, the mvp will be alright. You will improve it later.

Last but not least. Answer questions people ask about your vision, project… You saved time and energy by avoiding flooding people with inappropriate explanations on what you want in your life. But they might have questions. So just answer to it (and keep in mind, it’s not challenges, it is not insulting, it is not saying you are not capable, it is just questions).

My 6 cents.

That post is coming from excellent advices given by friends, and experiences I made, hoping it will help make your life sweeter.