How do you effectively chase your dreams and make a difference—without disempowering yourself? For many women in business, 2016 was a challenging year, both personally and professionally. So much so that many are inspired to create change in our lives in 2017.
Many of the women executives who call me want to change what is happening in the United states following the presidential election. Given the climate here in the US, they are voicing fears around how women are perceived and treated. What I hear is that women feel they have to fight again, now more than ever, to get the equality and what they want.
These executives are looking for help to reach their goals. They want to close the gap between the positives in their personal lives and at work, and what they see happening in the country today. They want to ensure they are well-equipped for what they expect to be a hard struggle ahead of them. They are asking how to manage their time and resources effectively so they can focus their energy on what is truly meaningful.
And for most of these women, the change they are looking for now is not about breaking the glass ceiling or feeling comfortable in the C-suite. Nor is it about making money. What it comes down to is making a difference out in the world.
Do You Really Need to Fight?
So they call, a little fearful yet full of conviction and energy to fight—to fight back. Often, when faced with what is easy to call “opposition,” we feel that the only way to reach our goals is to fight. When a situation is difficult, we feel we must struggle harder to be heard, to be seen, to make an impact.
Instead, what we choose to do together in those conversations is to decide to do something different. We choose a path that will help them reach their goals without unnecessary fight.
In my experience, these women can in fact get to the same place without feeling drained the way fighting can make them feel. The idea here is to make these changes not harder but smarter. To empower yourself as a capable woman, owning your skills, owning your emotions, so you can reach your dreams.
Those dreams ultimately involve changing your world in order to change the world. You can do this.
In the End, Creativity Wins
I invite you to evaluate how you want to spend your energy this year. How much of your energy do you truly want to dedicate to fighting? Or would you consider focusing on creating and manifesting positivity in your corporations, in your communities, and in politics? Which can be more productive in the end?
I encourage you to look at the options you might not have considered toward reaching your goals this year. I’m not just trying to make a point about fighting. I want you to look for ways to maintain your energy and power so that you can reach your goals while making a difference and having enough of you left over to engage others to do the same.
It’s true that fighters bring value to the table. I fight too, on occasion—but I choose my battles. The rest of the time, I choose to channel my energy towards making a difference right here, right now. Not hoping for someone else to make the change for me. Not hoping beyond hope that I will eventually recover from spending so much energy that my fight drains me to the point where I can’t even enjoy what I have accomplished.
Instead, I choose to focus on my strengths, my resources, and how I can put them together to make a positive difference.
What can you do to make the changes you long to make, without fighting? How can you reach your goals smarter going forward? How can you make this year (or the rest of it) the best one you have accomplished yet?