How to harness your inner 'cheeky girl' - Because you don't really know what you can get away with, until you try.
The what -
Instead of just going through the motions and accomplishing what is expected of you today, why not inject a little cheekiness into your schedule and see what surprising things you can achieve? This isn't about doing anything unfair or misleading, but rather about challenging yourself to surpass expectations. As a result, you might just find yourself delighting in what you can get away with.
So before you get started on that project, try thinking to yourself, "I wonder if I can finish this faster than anyone expects me to? And maybe I can even add some extra and exciting content to it that no one will be expecting." Then, when you do, treat yourself to an extra tea break as a reward. By changing your perspective and taking on tasks with a playful attitude, you'll be amazed at what great things you can get away with and how you can exceed your own limits and impress those around you.
The why -
Life can be filled with pressure and expectations, whether they come from those around us or the expectations we create for ourselves. While a little pressure can be motivating, constantly fixating on the end goal or striving for perfection is super stressful and just drains the enjoyment out of the journey itself.
Remember back to when you were a kid, full of wonder and curiosity. Where you always pushing the boundaries to see what you could get away with? Like riding your bike with no hands on the handlebars or sneaking yourself that slice of cake from the kitchen. Of course, there were some hard lessons learned along the way, like scraped knees and your Mum's reaction when she noticed the cake had somehow mysteriously shrunk!
So it's not the getting into trouble part of being cheeky that I'm suggesting here, but more the part where we see what we are capable of. As adults, we can apply a bit of cheekiness to our lives to keep things fun and interesting and see what we can get away with.
“If you don't ask, you don't get it”
―Mahatma Ghandhi
One way to do this is by simply asking for what you want. We've all heard the saying "If you don't ask, you don't get it," but how often do we actually put this into practice? Often we think just asking for something might be considered 'taking the mickey' but it's not if you are prepared and ask for it in the right way. Would you be willing to ask for that raise you deserve at work for instance? Or see if your partner minds you taking a bit out of the budget to treat yourself to that beautiful (but very expensive and not at all practical) pair of boots you've wanted for ages?
I'm not suggesting you buy the boots if you know you can't afford them or ask for a raise if frankly you know you've been pushing it a bit with your boss lately. But if you can present real evidence to your boss that you deserve that raise or you can put together a realistic savings plan to buy those boots, then why not ask? If you've done the preparation and have a strong case, take the chance and see what you can get away with. You might just be pleasantly surprised by the positive responses you receive!
So here are a few suggestions as a start. See if you can get away with any of these with that cheeky wonderness you possess;
See if you can get yourself a better work/life balance by seeing what changes your boss might let you make to your working hours. Maybe you could work longer hours some days to then finish early on Fridays for instance? As long as you can make a solid case to your boss on why you would do this, the benefits to the business and how you will manage it, it's hard to argue with. As long as just as much work is getting done, you really have nothing to lose by asking and a half day off each week to gain!
See if you can get away with going without something, in order to gain something better. Want to lose some weight? See if you can get away with sneaking some extra exercise into your day. Saving up for something? Challenge yourself to see if you can get away with not getting those expensive coffees on your way to work anymore.
See if you can get away with doing something you never believed yourself capable of. Terrible at cooking? See if you can get away with making something different and it actually tasting good. Apply for that dream job or big promotion and see if you are cheeky enough to be offered it.
See if you can get away with doing something a bit cheeky, that's just for you.
Feel like you never get a moment to yourself? Well maybe that chore will take a bit longer today because you're going to have yourself a quiet 15 minutes in the car to yourself afterwards, before you drive home. Really want to see that rom com but know your hubby will hate it? See if you can get away with going to see it by yourself. Be cheeky, get the extra large popcorn and enjoy not having to share it.
Or treat yourself to a cheeky Nando's. Why? What's the benefit of this advice? Well, none really. Basically just to enjoy its delicious chickeny yumness and because it's called a 'cheeky Nando's'. So I figured I would be a bit cheeky (and let's be honest, a little lazy) and add it to this post.
It's all about the grin, giggle and flick ;)
So much of what holds us back is actually just our mindset. We fear the rejection of being told 'No'. So switching from thinking 'I can't do that' to 'I wonder what I can get away with here?' Puts you in a position where yeah, you know you're maybe being a bit cheeky and the person you are asking knows you're being a bit cheeky, but so what?
Ask with a warming but presumptuous smile, say it with a giggle and that cheeky grin. Maybe even throw in a hair flick and a wink for good measure ;)
Be a goddamn cheeky girl if it gets you closer to the life you desire. (Those two long legged romanian twins made a song and a whole living out of being cheeky girls after all!).
Trust me, your mind set and how you ask can be a real game changer in what you receive.
So go on, be just a little bit cheeky today and see what you can get away with.
And before you do that, maybe have a listen to the Cheeky Girls ;)
The Who - This feather was inspired by the book - "You are Badass" by Jen Sincero. A brilliant, funny, and truly inspiring read that will encourage you to embrace your inner cheekiness and go after what you truly desire.
Lou @ Feathered Paths Xx
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