Chocolates, check. Bottle of wine, check. Card, check. This year, treat yourself to the best Valentine’s Day gift of all; loving yourself. That’s right. Let Cupid hit you with his arrow and take a long look in the mirror because loving yourself is a pivotal trait for success.

In these pressured times people rarely give themselves the credit they deserve. By making time to remind yourself of how far you have come in life, you pave the way for more abundance, joy and success. Loving yourself not only elicits a happier you, but also attracts success. Why?

A person who loves them self exudes confidence. This person appears happy, in control, optimistic, and a person you want to be associated with. All traits linked with success. For the world to love you and respect you, you need to love yourself and respect yourself too. Use with these five tips below as a refresher and reminder in loving yourself.

1. Respect – R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Before you understand how to love yourself, you must learn to respect yourself. Stop focusing on your negative aspects and focus on the aspects you’re good at. We’re all human and all of us have our own flaws and good sides, whether it’s seen by others or not. By only acknowledging the negative side, you’re forgetting the wonderful side that can actually be shared with others.

2. Believe in Yourself

Remember that old adage, ‘every long journey starts with a single step’. Focus on making little positive changes every day. It could be issues related to your work, health, or even your own personal dreams. Whatever they may be, be determined and pursue them with all your heart. By doing this, you’ll respect and love yourself a lot more.

3. Find a Role Model

You may not need a role model to understand how to love yourself, but it can be a great help in becoming a better person and have a focused dream. Do you look up at someone or wish you could be like them? By understanding the way they think or deal with difficulties in their life, it can give you the inspiration to learn and become a better person by following their footsteps.

4. Push to Achieve More

Every time you push yourself to achieve more, it makes you more confident of your own abilities. And confidence always draws awe and respect, which leads to self love. Bring positive changes into your life every single day. Even if you could spend just an hour every day on making yourself a better person, you would be able to see a considerable change in a month’s time.

5. Don’t be Overcritical

Learning to love yourself takes time and initiative. It’s a wonderful feeling to look good, be admired by everyone around you and loved by everyone including yourself. But it does take time. Never be too critical of yourself and expect immediate changes.

Give yourself some time, and wait for the good times to roll in. Take an initiative to change yourself one baby step at a time, you’ll feel happier and more loved than ever before, every single day. Happy Valentine’s Day, self.