10 Things Smart Women Never Compromise On

Life is about realizing when it’s time to compromise (like you want chocolate cake and he wants ice cream so you get chocolate cake with ice cream on top) and when it is time to say, “Hell no, we’re doing this my way.” Smart women know this, and we prosper because of it. Here are 10 times smart women will never compromise, and why you stop doing it, too:

  1. Demanding respect. This is true at work, with family, and definitely in relationships. If people don’t respect you, they don’t deserve you in their life. More importantly, you’ll stop respecting yourself, and that’s just unacceptable, because you rock.
  2. Achieving goals. Goals matter, no matter what they are. Maybe you want to lose some pounds, maybe you want to get a promotion at work — whatever your goal is, don’t compromise on it because someone else thinks you should. At the end of the day, you need to be satisfied with yourself, and you won’t be if you derail your goals for someone else.
  3. Maintaining personal priorities. Different things matter for different people. Make sure you keep sight of what matters to you, and don’t let someone else mess that up — not even a guy. Sure, our priorities evolve throughout our lives, but they’re still our personal priorities and it doesn’t matter how anyone else feels about them.
  4. Enforcing limits and boundaries. If having another woman in bed with you and your guy makes you uncomfortable, then don’t let him talk you into a threesome just because he wants it. Honestly, if he knows you don’t want to do something and he’s pressuring you anyway, he’s a loser and you should dump him — but that’s a whole different issue.
  5. Staying healthy. Your health matters, A LOT! If you aren’t well, then you can’t be awesome and achieve all of your incredible dreams. Running too far and too fast at all times will just burn you out. Smart women know if we’re being pushed too hard, we need to push back and take some time off.
  6. Taking time for ourselves. This is so important. Smart women know we need to take time to spoil ourselves, stay in touch with ourselves, and just be. There’s nothing wrong or selfish in needing this, and it really is required to be successful in both your personal and professional life. Even just a 20 minute coffee break to think through your thoughts can help.
  7. Living our lives for ourselves. It always seems like the goal is to find Mr. Right, but the world is a nuts place and you need to be able to live for yourself and not for a man. Having one is great, but so is not having one. You need to find what drives you, and stay true to that passion.
  8. Staying true to who we are. You are who you are, and no one can change that but you — but you shouldn’t have to change just to fit other people’s ideas of what you should be. Smart women know that trying to be someone else is useless and stupid and we just don’t do it. Screw anyone who thinks otherwise.
  9. Not allowing people to walk all over us or use us. The more people you let use you — whether for money, professional growth, or whatever crappy reason they have — the more you’ll let it happen. People need to be more dependent on themselves and stop using you as their leg up. Smart women know this, and stop it before it happens.
  10. Having some damn fun! Most importantly, smart women know that life is not worth living if you aren’t enjoying it. Sure, there is plenty of suck you have to endure (like the DMV, am I right, ladies?), but there’s also plenty of joy and it’s your responsibility to seek it out and love your life.
C. is an aspiring yogi and Ph.D student who loves her dogs, bright lipstick and to travel. Find her on IG @drparko121314
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