Last Updated on October 12, 2025 by Michelle
It’s October and Dr Shereene Idriss’ youtube this week was about her sharing success reminders to self. It was not her usual skin tips but what she had learned about success in her personal and business lives.
I also watched a few of Emma Grede’s interviews where she shares her own version of success reminders to self. She repeats how she was excelling at every job she ever did, including making the best sandwiches while working at a deli which got her the first job in the industry.
Given this year is a special year for me, particularly challenging year from work perspective, I am inspired to remind myself of how I have kept myself composed this year.
1. Excel at what I do
This is a good success reminder to self for me. I naturally try to excel at what I do at my office, in every email response, in every presentation or an update. It is not necessarily what I do with every blog. With blogs, I just want to post so it’s more of the second tip that applies. I am trying to remind myself that I need to excel in every blog as well. I want each blog to inspire others to become their own role model.
Why?
I wrote in my journal today what I want to be doing in 20 years’ time. I want to be learning, continually be inspired and inspire others through my work and myself.
2. Consistency over intensity
Dr Shereene Idriss says this phrase in almost every YouTube video content she puts out. How skin regime should be a consistent small step everyday instead of putting in high dosage sporadically which may damage the skin further.
This applies to my blogging. I have been putting out content weekly (almost every week) throughout this year.
I am proud of my consistency and grit. It’s relatively easy to write once I find an inspiring keyword or topic to focus on, but it is really difficult to come up with new inspiring topics that inspire me to write.
I’m pretty happy with this week’s topic ◡̈
3. Celebrate small wins
Both of my kids are going through major exams this year. Right this moment, both are studying hard. Having been through the student stage, I am well aware of the stress they are in, but I remind them (and myself) that it is crucial to take breaks and celebrate small wins throughout to get us through this stressful period pre exams.
Successful people are those that have withstood challenges and have emerged stronger, and how they do it is through meeting small and frequent happiness goals. This includes thinking of and being excited about the happiness we’d be feeling after the exams. Basically, we need to think of happiness and joy subjects that motivate us to go through the now as there are exciting things waiting for us after.
I used to think I was easy on myself for giving myself small breaks or giving myself smaller goals to celebrate while being in the midst of a stressful journey, but I realised this is how I have maintained momentum, sanity and positivity through the challenges. Absolutely key.
4. Focus what’s within my control
When things start feeling overwhelming, the best success reminder to self is to narrow down and focus on the not-so-overwhelming bits that are within 100% of my control. This is because we get overwhelmed by worries of things we have no control over.
I enjoyed Dr Idriss’ YouTube this weekend as her sharing is totally what I agree with in success – that it is a process and that perfection does not exist. We just need to continue to give success reminders to self and we will be closer to our goal than we’d imagined.
It is October and it’s about 4 weeks to my work stress and my son’s end of exams and about 6 weeks to my daughter’s end of exams.
I am so proud of how I have come this far, maintaining positivity and living and breathing all of the 4 success reminders to self.
This was definitely a year where I was taking actions, step 5 of my 5 easy success in progress steps framework.
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