When you work for yourself, you go from wearing one hat to wearing many hats. You need to know at least a little about a lot in order to succeed. You are now responsible for marketing, branding, sales, accounting, maintenance, and everything in between.
Finding your own time is not being selfish, and it should not have any cause for guilt. With the crazy, busy world we live in, finding time for yourself can be a huge challenge. As women we do experience guilt when we manage to find a few moments of time for ourselves and sometimes, we give up before we do because it doesn’t feel that it’s worth the effort. But…it is.
At the beginning of each year, we are full of determination and ambition, and we carve out new resolutions that will stick…this year, not like last year. And yet, for some reason, we find ourselves back in that same boat and before we know it, we are doing the same thing yet again. Kind of reminds us of “Groundhog Day” or being part of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Courageous women that change lives are vulnerable & open about their weaknesses, flaws & imperfections. They work on the things that need to be worked on & don’t apologize for being imperfectly perfect.
You’ve made it through the week. You’re still settling into the new routine, the new tools and the new conversations. For some reason you feel as if you haven’t progressed as far as you thought you would…The conversations you are having with yourself are less than supportive.
Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and one of the two of you are either reading emails, looking at your phones or daydreaming about what you have to do next and where you would rather be? If you are the recipient of this, how does it make you feel? If you are doing it to someone else, how do you think they are feeling? There is nothing more important than showing someone that you are interested in what they are.
Boundaries aren’t selfish…they’re brave.
When you create boundaries, you’re not shutting others out… you are saying YES to yourself.
And yet, many women find themselves struggling with this simple but powerful act. Why? Because we’re taught that everything is a priority. Everyone’s needs matter. Every opportunity should be seized.
How many times in your life have you been told to “just be yourself”? It sounds simple, but when you’re facing challenges or watching others pass you by, it can feel anything but easy.
Women in leadership often find themselves juggling multiple responsibilities, expectations and pressures. Whether it’s saying yes to another project, mentoring a colleague or attending yet another meeting, the ability to set boundaries can feel like an uphill battle.
Whenever the phrase work-life balance comes up, you can almost hear the collective sigh. Eyes roll, stress rises, visions of jammed calendars dance in your head…and someone inevitably says, “it’s a myth…it’s like chasing perfection.” And honestly, doesn’t it feel that way?
Self-confidence can be a powerful differentiator between people who reach their goals and those who hold back. To lead with purpose, you must know yourself, grow yourself and believe in yourself.
When you think of someone in the C-suite or at the executive level, what image comes to mind? For most people, it’s power, prestige, prosperity and influence…like something out of a movie. But there’s another side of that perfect puzzle that many don’t see.
