New Year’s Resolutions for Ambitious Women
by Janet ~ December 12th, 2008. Filed under: Productivity Pointers, Success Strategies.When you run a business, you’re always looking for ways to improve your efficiency, your customer service, your bottom line, and the pleasure you gain from your work. (If not, you probably should be!) This is probably especially true in December, as we and our clients begin to plan and set goals for the upcoming year.
I recently came across these great resolutions for women who want to “live large” in the new year:
- Tame the female ego — If men feel the need to be in control, women feel the need to please. Ask yourself: “Am I doing this because I want to do the right thing, or because I’m afraid to be seen as selfish, bitchy, rude…?”
- Just say “No!” — Every time you begrudgingly reply “Yes” to someone else’s priorities, you say “No” to your own.
- Add Mozart to the mix — This measured, buoyant music is an immediate antidote to the manic moment. You’ll find yourself able to breathe, relax, and focus.
- Don’t say “should” — Eliminate the word from your vocabulary. Find alternatives such as “want” that declare your power and responsibility to make choices.
- Stop Multitasking — It’s not a productivity tool. It’s an excuse for perpetual distraction. Instead, plan your time well enough to focus on one task–or person–at a time.
Source: A Year of Clarity: The Monthly Guide for Women by life coach Ann Daly, PhD
I know I could benefit from applying some of these suggestions, if not all of them, in my life. How about you?
December 13th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Focusing on one task at a time is definitely a skill I’m looking to improve at. I’ve already started working on it, so I know how hard it’s going to be. But I’m counting on the good feelings generated when I do manage a whole morning of undivided attention on one task (in contrast to how grumpy I feel those mornings when I’ve allowed myself to be constantly distracted) to carry me through to a successful outcome on this resolution. And this isn’t because I SHOULD work this way, it’s because I WANT to!
Wishing you strength as you strive to make whatever changes are important to you, Janet!
December 14th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Janet! I loved this post!! (Oooh, I need to Google Star this one!) I know I have the taming the ego down pat, because I don’t give a rats fanny, but like Kathy, I think I am gonig to start focusing on what I am working on instead of nine million other things. Quality not quantity!
December 15th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Kathy and Suzanne, I find it easiest to focus on what I’m working on if I choose the “right” time to do it. For me, morning is the best time for tasks that require a lot of concentration, and afternoon is better for “odds and ends” so lately I’ve been holding off on dealing with emails (unless they are urgent) until after I’ve “eaten my frog” for the day. It also helps to take breaks where I can get some of the smaller things out of the way; that way I can clear them from my head and not have them plaguing me when I’m dealing with a challenging project.
December 18th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Thanks for the reminder about “eating the frog”. Did I first hear that expression from you? I associate it (rightly or wrongly) with someone in my writing group.
Happy dining! Ribbet.