If you want something done, ask a busy woman.
There’s reason to believe that reliability and busyness go hand-in-hand. First, those who are juggling a lot have good systems to avoid dropping balls. Women, especially, think like project managers: intuitively scheduling, planning, imagining various outcomes and eventualities, setting contingencies in place – usually all before starting the project. It’s evident that those who are successfully juggling a lot have good systems for avoiding dropping balls. A person juggling 5 balls won’t be surprised by a sixth joining the sequence.
Like always, there are two sides to a coin. The other side of this one has emerged over the past year. Overnight, working moms became teachers, chefs, project managers, IT assistants, therapists, playdates and personal trainers. Working from home became living at work. Lines between home life and work life are more blurred than ever, and for some this boosted productivity, but for others it remains overwhelming.
We have now proven that we have the capacity to be all these things for other people, but now it’s time to be there for ourselves.
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The pressure of being productive.
“18 Habits of highly productive people. 15 Ways to do more. 21 Tips to become the most productive person you know”. Scheduling time to read about being productive seems quite the opposite, right? The fallacy here is feeling like you have to be productive all the time instead of being the most productive at the appropriate times.
Do one thing at a time and move on.
Not only is the reward of ticking something off your list fuel to keep going, it takes away the anxiety of multitasking.
Do one thing that only you benefit from.
Self care is extremely important in the moment and continued practice will help you in the long run, but self development is an investment in your career and future.
Do it for those who want to be like you.
It’s easier for younger women to stay in careers where they see other women in the positions they want to be in one day.
We need more women leaders like you.
Recent studies show that women make up 46% of the South African workforce, yet only 7% of executive directors on boards are females. It’s up to all of us to change that number. The first step could be an online short course that requires one hour per week. One hour you can schedule to suit what’s happening in your life.
The Developing Women Leaders online course provides a unique nine-week learning opportunity. The core areas of this course – self awareness, leadership presence, and building relationships for impact – allow aspiring female leaders to become more self-aware, connect more authentically with others as an inspiring presence, and manage relationships successfully across a broad spectrum; from direct reports to peers, managers and other stakeholders.
