Turning 26, and becoming a Girl Boss

Steph Asher
Sep 5, 2018 · 5 min read

Tomorrow I turn 26. And for the first time in my life, I’m starting to feel old.

I know I’m not “old”(cue the laughter from the 27+ year olds), but it’s dawned on me that life can pass by ridiculously quick. Which is scary. Have I got to where I dreamed of being by the age of 26? Could I have done more to be happier, healthier, and prouder? Have I made the right choices along this crazy rollercoaster we call life?

Self doubt can creep up on you at any time, and panic can easily set in when we focus to much on the ‘what if’s. So to hell with the ‘what if’s…

In my year of being 25, I started my own company (I’m actually only a few months in of being full-time self employed!). A bold move, that led me along this incredibly thrilling, rewarding, yet scary and uncertain path. And now I feel the pressure is on even more to be successful, because I’m not only self employed, but turning a whole year older. I’m no longer just trying to get praise from my boss, or get that promotion or pay rise in the next year. I’m now fully reliant on myself to earn a living. To find work, and knock it out of the park every time.

But this week has been a pivotal one. It’s the week I feel like I’ve gained a thousand allies, a support network, and a hell of a lot more ambition and confidence.

This is the week I discovered the Girl Boss Radio podcast, and The Bold Type TV series (which I heard about in an episode of Girl Boss Radio with Joanna Coles, the Chief Content Officer of Hearst Magazines and former Editor-in-Chief of Cosmo). Both are frigging amazing — they’re empowering, thought-provoking, and inspirational to say the least.

I feel as though a fire has been lit inside of me. I’ve always been unbelievably ambitious and passionate about my career (to the point I actually thought there was something wrong with me at times!), but this week has reignited that and taken it to a whole new level.

But why? I genuinly think it’s because I’ve discovered that there are so many fascinating, successful women out there, and I can now listen and learn from their stories. It’s opened my eyes, and made me think “what if this level of success is actually possible for me?” Yes, hearing these women talk about being on the cover of Forbes Magazine feels completely and utterly unreachable — but what if it’s not? What if I just opened my mind to the endless possibilities that are in front of me?

I’ve already learned so much just from a few episodes of the podcast and TV show. Here’s a couple of nuggets that have stuck with me, and flourished in my brain…

  • Be confident in yourself. Everyone has their own story and their own path. Their own experiences, worries, and insecurities. Their own passions, interests and goals. So why do so many of us feel we have to conform, or mould ourselves into this idealistic picture that we’ve painted in our heads? Every single person can be a success in their own way, and we should champion this. Confidence can be hard to hold on to, but grab it tight and carry it with you always — we are all amazing and interesting people that can achieve whatever we want, if we put out minds to it. That’s something to celebrate.
  • Find the things that lift you up. We can’t expect ourselves to be at 100% all the time — that’s an insane amount of pressure to put ourselves through. We are all human, and have our ups and downs — but don’t get annoyed or frustrated by it. Instead, find what gives you a kick up the butt, gives you that needed boost of ambition and hunger, and makes the cogs in your brain go into overdrive. This is the key. But it will be different for everyone I’m sure. Could it be a podcast or TV show, like I’ve found with Girl Boss Radio and The Bold Type? Could it be a certain person in your life, that always speaks sense and knows you better than you know yourself? Could it even be a certain book or magazine? Find it, hold onto it, and use it to get the most out of yourself. Imagine what you could achieve if you felt that enthusiasm and drive all the time!
  • Love your life and the journey you’re on. I keep hearing everywhere that it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey — and that the journey should be the reward. But it’s so hard to remember this, when you’re spending the majority of your time trying to build something incredible, or trying to get to the point where you can step back and be proud. But why can’t you step back and be proud of yourself right now? Be proud and thankful of your surroundings, and the little things in your life. The people you love, and that love you back. The things you like to do to unwind or relax. The small wins you make every week. The place you call home. Everything. Be thankful, love it all, and try and enjoy the path you’re creating for yourself every day of your life.

Even though being my own boss, here in the small city of Aberdeen, can feel very lonely and scary at times (I’m a bit of a social bunny, and need human interaction to feel conneted with the world!), and I feel the clock is ticking because another birthday is in front of me, it’s okay. I’ll be okay. I’ll actually be more than okay, because I’ve realised there’s a tonne of people out there I can relate to, be inspired by, and who I can hopefully reach out to and connect with for support and guidance. It’s okay because every day I’m becoming prouder of myself, and learning to love what I’ve achieved so far.

We can all be on our own journeys together, to build one another up and celebrate our successes. And we can all help eachother to get the most out of ourselves, so we can love what we’re doing more and more, and wake up each day with purpose and passion.

I wonder what type of post I’ll be writing a year from now when I’m away to turn 27… But for now, I’m going to try and enjoy this journey, better myself every single day, and be proud of what I’m achieving.

Steph Asher

Written by

26 | Aberdeen, Scotland | Brand new entrepreneur | On a mission to turn my dreams into my reality, and help as many people along the way as I can.

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