Becoming the Woman I Want to Be: 6 Non-Negotiables That Changed My Life

 Here are 6 Daily Rituals to Rewire Your Life: Meditation, Gratitude, and Becoming Your Best Self in Toronto or anywhere in the world this winter. 

It’s been just over a month since I returned to Toronto—the city that never quite sits still. Some days it greets me like a ray of sunshine, warm and inviting. Other days it’s cold as ice, or windy enough to make you question your life choices. Toronto has a knack for surprising you—not just with its weather, but with its people, its opportunities, and sometimes its loneliness.

This city is a paradox: diversity and connection on one hand, the rat race and the feeling of being left behind on the other. As I work on building my career here, I’ve realized I’m standing at a turning point. I’m learning to flip the switch in my mind—to walk toward the woman I want to become, while gently pulling away from the image of who I’ve been.

It’s not easy. But I’ve built a set of non-negotiables—daily rituals that keep me grounded, rewired, and focused on becoming the best version of myself.

1. 🧘 Morning Meditation (30 Minutes)

Every morning, I sit in silence and bring my racing mind, heart, and nerves back to center. I focus on my breath, on gratitude, and on teaching my body to feel neutral about the life I’m creating. Not excitement, not anxiety—just calm, peace, and normalcy. Meditation is my reset button, my reminder that I already carry the life I want within me. 

2. 📓 Gratitude Journal

I write in the format: “I am grateful and happy that I am now…” This simple practice shifts my perspective from chasing to receiving. By writing as though I already have everything I desire, I train my mind to live in abundance rather than lack.

3. 👩‍💼 Asking: What Would My Best Version Do?

Before I act, speak, or even step outside my door, I pause and ask: How would the woman I want to be handle this? That tiny detour in thought changes my choices, and those choices slowly change my reality.

4. 📚 A Book a Week

I stopped waiting for physical copies and embraced ebooks. Since mid-October, I’ve finished two books—fiction, nonfiction, biographies, it doesn’t matter. Reading isn’t about the format or even the subject right now; it’s about consistency, discipline, and feeding my mind.

5. ✍️ Writing My Catalogue of Becoming

I keep a physical, detailed catalogue of the woman I’m becoming. Food, clothes, hobbies, colors, even the smallest quirks—I write it all down in first person. Then I pick pieces from this catalogue and live them out, teaching my body that I am the woman I’ve always wanted to be.

6. 🌱 Teaching My Body Safety, Happiness, and Normalcy

This is the most important ritual. I practice feeling safe and happy with the life I’m building—whether it’s wealth, recognition, or success. Not excitement, not adrenaline, but the calm assurance that it’s normal to have it all. By embodying safety and normalcy, I anchor my dreams in reality.

Toronto may be a city that races ahead, but I’ve learned that my path doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. My focus now is simple: What do I want? Why do I want it? The how and when will figure themselves out.

I don’t just want to chase success—I want to become the person who already has it. And these non-negotiables are my daily compass, guiding me toward her.

(Toronto lifestyle, personal growth rituals, meditation practice, gratitude journal, becoming your best self, daily habits for success, rewiring your life, self-transformation journey, mindfulness and gratitude, book a week challenge)