Gossip Girl is a hit teen drama set in New York City’s Upper East Side, following the scandalous lives of privileged high school students. At the center of the story and group we have the one and only Blair Waldorf, the stylish and ambitious Queen Bee known for her hunger for success and love of control of everyone and everything around her. If there’s one thing we learned from Gossip Girl, it’s that Blair Waldorf never did anything halfway. Behind every headband or Chanel outfit was a woman who knew her worth and demanded nothing less than what she deserved. As college girls, balancing academics, friendships and just life in general, it’s easy to burn out trying to live up to our own versions of perfection. What if we can change our mindsets and channel our inner Blair without losing ourselves? Here’s your guide to staying ambitious, stylish and mentally grounded because like Blair, you deserve to have it all.
Take control of your life one “No” at a time
For many people, college is the first time they’ve been on their own without their parents guidance. Being alone in this new environment can make it challenging to set boundaries and manage responsibilities independently. Nonetheless, Blair didn’t just wait for things to happen. In order for things to fall in her favor she had to take control. This means learning to say no. You don’t need to attend every event, take on extra credit opportunities or even say yes to every hangout with your friends. Protecting your peace is a power move nobody can take away from you. So set clear study schedules and designate one day out of the week as your self-care day, because success isn’t about how much you can take on, it’s about how well you can take care of yourself while doing it.
Presentation is everything
As a college student living hours from home, homesickness was one of my biggest challenges. Adjusting to independence took time, but what helped most was learning to romanticize my routine. Blair Waldorf knew that presentation was everything, it was her motto. Turning your daily habits into meaningful routines can help you find joy in the smallest moments of your college life. Whether it’s making your morning coffee and pretending you’re in a cozy Paris apartment getting ready for your dream internship, or treating your journaling time as if you’re a famous writer. Romanizing simple tasks into aesthetic ones, can help shift your mindset from “I have to do this” to “I get to do this”.
Find a support system
The hard truth is that success isn’t meant to be done alone. Surrounding yourself with people who motivate you, challenge you and genuinely root for you, is the key to success. The right friends won’t compete with you; they’ll celebrate with you. Even Blair, who constantly tried to convince herself she could do everything on her own, found that her success came from having people who supported her and who rooted for her through both the good times and the bad. College can be overwhelming, but having a support system that heals your inner soul instead of draining it makes a difference. It doesn’t have to be a huge friend group of 10 or more people. Sometimes having that one friend who supports you through every good and bad moment is all you need in your life and definitely to survive college.
Purpose over perfection
Blair isn’t Blair Waldorf without perfection. However, perfection isn’t sustainable without purpose. Chasing validation through grades or appearances isn’t what’s going to fulfill you. Taking a class that excites you even if it’s not required for your major or spending time with yourself alone in your own thoughts instead of scrolling through your phone is more than powerful. No one can take away your peace within yourself. There could be a million girls hating on you but the one thing they can never take away from you is your comfortability within you. Being able to shift from trying to be perfect to acting with purpose allows you to measure your worth in peace of mind.
The greatest misconception that everyone has in regards to success is manifesting it without putting in the work. Blair Waldorf was born with two keywords that helped her through life: vision and execution. Setting clear intentions at the start of each week makes a drastic difference. Whether it’s visualizing your goals or treating yourself after achieving milestones, the goal isn’t to hustle effortlessly, it’s to live with intention. By giving yourself that grace, the IT girl mentality and energy will come to you naturally, instead of forcing it. After all, who really likes forcing things in their life, anyways ?
Blair Waldorf may have ruled the Upper East Side, but her mindset can rule your college life. The real secret to Blair’s success wasn’t just her ambition, it was her refusal to settle for less, whether it was in school, friendships, or life and neither should you!