After a high level of risk for breast cancer during my adult life, I recently received a breast cancer diagnosis. After so many random re-screenings over the years – I always managed to be fine. But not this time. With the rigor I put into my regular screening, I was still shocked with the news.
I approached this news much like I approach everything else – with research, data, asking a million questions, etc. – much the way I approach any other business problem. But this time, it’s personal – extremely personal. When I have time to reflect on what is happening and take it all in, I’m struck by how truly personal the treatment decision becomes.
Please keep up with your screenings! It is also important to stay up to date with those who are driving health care access for more women to ensure better health outcomes. Click here for the latest recommendations for Breast Cancer Screenings from the American Cancer Society.
I have so much gratitude in this moment. So many family members, friends, and even women that I don’t know well (yet) – all have stepped into my life and assured me with “You’ve got this”. And the most touching sentiments have been “I’m here for you – whatever you need”. The outpouring of support has been nothing short of a true blessing.
So, why do I feel so much gratitude in the moment but struggle with accepting help? I have never been one to accept help – I’m the one who usually gives it. I’m working on getting better at it, but it is a slow process.
The lesson for me is wonderfully clear – help is all around us. When we share our most vulnerable selves, others show up for us. We tend to get back so much more than what we give – or at least it feels that way.
Today, I am feeling truly blessed to have options for
“I’m always the one in charge – the one who has it all together. I’m going to have to learn to accept help.” Tina
I run several women’s peer advisory groups and have done so for years. What strikes me is how few groups offer a woman the ability to share freely with confidence and confidentiality. There are so many social organizations which are a ton of fun, but when you are at a crossroads in your business or personal life, they tend to fall short in giving you what you need.
Building a “Circle of Trust” is an exercise in self-care. It is something that you can rely on to offer an environment where you can openly share - without judgment – and get the opportunity to discuss the things that others normally don’t understand.
When I facilitate and moderate these types of women’s meetings, I ensure that each of the members is heard and derives value from the discussion. You can build that circle around you as well.
Most of my women tell me that their friends are wonderful, but they don’t understand the challenges they have. I hear this from most of my women business owners. It takes a certain kind of person to bear the risk of running a business, but the rewards can often be phenomenal.
Spend some time thinking about who you might include in your “Circle of Trust” and if you need to chat about it with me, feel free to click HERE to set up a free call.
What does it take to achieve great things? I truly believe that it takes (1) having a vision of a future filled with success on your terms, and (2) the structure and planning to get you there.
I often have a love/hate relationship with structure. I love what I get accomplished when I have it in place, but I hate how confined it can make me feel.
BY STAYING AHEAD…I finally learned to accept that ”structure is my friend”! I need it to move forward in a way that keeps me focused on the most important things. I do need to have the “right structure” – and for me, that means a focused one.
I am one that needs to plan using goals. I need them to be a bit of a stretch – they can’t be too easy or they don’t hold my interest. What makes the difference for me is how I approach these goals so they don’t become too overwhelming for me. When you break things down by quarter, you are allocating key actions to a timetable that feels more manageable for you. I start from the last quarter of the year and keep progressively moving backward to plan into the first quarter. In that way, I know I have a system in place to reasonably accomplish what I said I would do.
That’s where the “staying ahead” comes in. I often visualize myself celebrating the achievement of a particular goal at the end of a year. That makes the goal feel very real for me. Then, I break each goal down by quarter to develop the actions I need to take.
When we craft “stretch” goals, this is the way we can actually get them done!
Quarter by Quarter!
• Decide what tasks are “must do’s”: You know the ones – it must be done by you or given to someone you absolutely trust to get it completed.
• Find the items that only seem important to you: What are the things that are nagging at you, but don’t seem to matter to anyone else but you? Add a layer of analysis that validates how unimportant something is and therefore something you CAN let go.
• Does it help your career or business?: I don’t know about you, but I like spending time on things that show a return on my investment of time and energy. If it doesn’t have any upside to the business results or to your career, you should probably let it go!
• Develop a clear definition of what matters: Are you the “expert” in what needs to be done? Are you the person who must lead an initiative or it won’t get finished? Once you develop that clear definition, you’ll have a better sense of the things you CAN let go of – even within that scope of work.
• Can you trust others to take things on?: Prepare to delegate with a clear description of what needs to be accomplished. Have regular check-ins so you can LET GO during the process.
• Picture what else you could be doing with your time: Once you start letting go of some things, you will start to recognize the amount of time you have for high-value activities. Celebrate!
I'm known as "The Leadership Whisperer” by my clients. Yes, that's really my thing! I developed my Power Talk Formula© to help women like you - Business Owners and Professionals - get the tools and techniques you need to smooth out conflict, show up confidently and powerfully, enhance your Executive Presence, and bring your leadership to new heights – with the goal to get the results you want and need! You'll build new skills in communication and effective interactions with your peers, supervisor, executives, and team - becoming your own "Leadership Whisperer". AND these skills will carry over into your personal relationships. That's a bonus from our work together!
I engage in customized Executive Coaching, team workshops, strategic planning, public speaking, and informative online training and webinars. I also have several programs and groups to provide you with lots of options to engage with me and other like-minded women.
Click here to take your complimentary Personal Power Quiz to gain some valuable insights to help you shape your 2023
I'm a professionally trained coach with a CPA and an Executive MBA, serving my clients as their Executive and Business Coach.
