Dailymail.com Beauty Editor Lindsey Unterberger is a close friend of mine and for good reason. She offers the best dating advice (years of serving as Glamour.com’s dating expert served her well, not to mention her marriage to her college sweetheart, Aaron (whom our friend group refers to as our collective husband Aaron). This mom-to-be inspires KonMari levels of minimalism goals with her one-in, one-out lipstick policy and is an all-around fun gal who peppers in sage advice when you least expect it (like while you’re enjoying a pedi and catching up, for instance). I tapped her for her 5 rules, and they’re pretty stellar. In her words:
Don’t worry until there’s something to worry about.
This is my biggest mantra, but also the one that’s hardest to follow. It’s so easy to spend time playing the What If game and imagining the worst-case scenario, but it usually doesn’t get you anywhere. Although this can apply to seemingly catastrophic things, like finding out your dog has cancer while you’re five months pregnant (What if they surgery doesn’t cure her? What if she dies before the baby gets here? Etc), it’s just as relevant when it comes to potentially happier dilemma, like trying to decide if the job you interviewed is the right move (Hint: Don’t bother thinking about that until you have an offer in hand).
If something will take fewer than five minutes, do it right away.
Full disclosure, I stole this rule recently from my former Glamour co-worker’s new book, The Fifth Trimester, but it has already changed my life. It’s as easy as it sounds: If you have a task that will take you less than five minutes to accomplish, just do it right then and there and move on from it, whether that’s responding to an e-mail you would normally put off until the end of the day or finally mailing that thank-you note you’ve been holding onto for months. You’ll be amazed by how productive you’ll feel when you cross all the little things off your list.
Never makes plans on Friday nights.
The same way some people schedule date nights with their partner, I schedule chill-out time with myself. Friday evening is my time to order pizza, sit on the couch with a bottle of wine and browse Pinterest, Net-a-porter, and whatever else I want without feeling a hint of FOMO. But you have to carve out that time because otherwise you’ll never get it.
Keep a lipstick in every bag and coat pocket.
I’m all for changing my lip color a million times a day (occupational hazard), but going bare-lipped isn’t an option for me. My favorite shade of all time is Charlotte Tilbury’s Hot Lips in Secret Salma. It’s a deep, rosy pink that makes me look instantly more awake and put together the moment I put it on. By keeping a tube in every coat pocket and bag I wear regularly, I know I’m ready for anything the day throws at me – even if my hair is a disaster and my outfit is a mess and I don’t have my make-up bag on hand.
Be decisive.
There will always be another option to consider, but don’t waste time waiting for it. Weigh the choices in the front of you and make the best call you can in that moment. Then, and this is a big, don’t second guess yourself. Usually you’ll find you made the right choice, and if for some reason you don’t, be upfront about your mistake and course-correct. You’ll look 10x more capable and feel 100x less stressed.
Thanks, Lindsey!
Stay tuned for more Five Rules installments.
“Five Rules,” is a series on Rouge18 in which I ask others to share their five rules for life about anything and everything. You can learn a lot about a person by reading which five things govern their actions, no?
