The Babbit Bodner team had the opportunity to celebrate and learn from female entrepreneurs and leaders at our quarterly Women’s Power Breakfast. The event theme was “Investing in Yourself: How to Put You at the Top of Your To-Do.” In the age of “The Great Resignation” and “quiet quitting,” it was impactful to learn new strategies to feel balanced and fulfilled in one’s career from our incredible panelists:
- Katie Gohde, Licensed Professional Counselor & Speaker, Renew and Restore
- Carmen Jones, CEO, The Black Girl Social Club
- Mazi Robinson, Licensed Professional Counselor & Speaker, Cultivate
- Amy Selig, CEO, Stellar Bodies
We have provided 5 noteworthy takeaways from the event that we want to hang onto a little longer.
1. “Stop doing the ‘late cancel’ on your girlfriends.”
When we think of self care, we think of a warm cup of tea and a luxurious face mask before bed. We often dismiss one of the most important aspects of self care – community. Carmen Jones reminded us that it is just as important to our mental and physical health to prioritize our friendships in the same way we prioritize our careers. Self care amongst community is revitalizing! So schedule that yoga class or brunch with your girlfriends and don’t late cancel.
2. “Identify the seasons of your life and prepare for them.”
Just like the seasons, we enter and exit different phases of life. Mazi Robinson shared that “you can only have 2-3 priorities at one time or in any season of your life.” She recommends identifying, communicating and preparing for these seasons so that you can properly show up for yourself and your loved ones. When we know what our priorities are and what the priorities of those close to us are, we can support each other and alleviate the feeling of stress. Additionally, we can use the list of 2-3 priorities to filter out and say no to anything that doesn’t fall into the current season.
3. “Use your feelings to inform you rather than being intimidated by them.”
When we experience feelings of stress or anxiety, it is our natural instinct to try to run away from them. We take a nap or queue up a comfort movie. Katie Gohde recommends leaning into and exploring those feelings. The next time you feel stressed and pressured to accept another commitment, pause and ask yourself these three gut-check questions before accepting:
- Is this in my lane? Is this a hard yes? If so, take time to adjust your priorities and accept it.
- Is an insecurity driving my decision? If so, take time to untangle the insecurity by asking yourself is this true? It’s probably not and it is important that we do not accept things in an attempt to quiet an insecurity.
- Is this about scarcity? Are you afraid of having FOMO or that another opportunity like this will never come along again? It probably will and adding another obligation to an already too full plate will not bring you peace and balance.
4. “Curate the information you’re putting inside your mind.”
In today’s society, we spend an exuberant amount of time online. It is important for our mental health to carefully choose what accounts we follow, what social media channels we engage with and how much time we spend on them. We have the power to decide what information we receive from social media, so the next time you scroll through Instagram or Facebook unfollow accounts that no longer serve you and your goals.
5. “Book-end your day.”
Everyday we experience and have to manage things we cannot control – a deadline at work was moved up, your cat stole your keys or your child forgot their homework on the dinner table. We have to be flexible and adjust. One thing we can control is how we start and end our days. Amy Selig and Katie Gohde recommend starting your day with gratitude and movement and ending your day with something that boosts your spirit. (This will look different for everyone, so resist the urge to compare.) By actively finding joy in our mornings and evenings, you will find a sense of balance regardless of what the day throws at you.
