There are a lot of talks in the media about 2018 being the year of the woman. As if we need a special year to be one. Irony aside, there are some underlying trends at play currently that are very beneficial for gender equality and to empower women. I’m not a big feminist, marching and all. But I’m all for being strong, confident and successful as an individual woman. So I’m sharing here with you all the ways you can be that woman this year, surfing on the current wave of society
There are many small yet powerful ways to behave at work and in your life to empower yourself:
- Speak up: just say what you think at the next meeting. Even if it is only one sentence. Not “but”, no “maybe”, no “could it be that…”. Own your opinion, it’s fine if it does not please everybody. When you have a feeling about something, trust it and express it. The world really needs your voice (and you don’t have a spokesperson, so it’s on you).
- Grow 1% outside your comfort zone every week: do one small thing you haven’t done before out of fear (of others, failure, uncertainty, yourself – you name it). What’s 1%? Nothing. But do it weekly and that’s 52% at the end of the year. Talk about progress. So send that e-mail, make that suggestion, try this new thing, talk to someone new, watch something different, change one thing.
- Stop overthinking: catch yourself when you are replaying stories in your head, worrying about something that might not happen, checking text messages or emails five times. Hit send, make that call, make a quick decision. Life is rarely irreversible, and 95% of the times you are just fine.
- Stop judging, attacking or blaming: it’s easy to indulge in criticism, negative talk (including self-talk) or complaints to feel temporarily better, but it is taming your power. Focus on the positive, lead others on the same path and rise above the rest.
- Trust yourself: back yourself up, like you are your own bestie. Nobody else can do this for you. Approach a presentation or an interview like you are going to nail it. Remember why they picked you over many for the job or why they promoted you. If you don’t think you are great to start with, how are you going to come across? For more confidence tips check out my guide in the library here.
- Grow your voice at home: stop doing everything, voice your concerns, ask for what you would like. Now is as good a time as ever to get your partner to lean in more or for you to delegate to others. You can’t separate work and life when it comes to women. So make it a different year at home too.
- Get good at managing your money: women often give away their power when not handling their own finances or being simply disengaged. Know what you make, how you spend it and save money for specific goals. That is empowering way more than just financially.
- Empower other women: wherever you are, see how you can support other women. In your workplace, can you create a group or an event with a speaker? Can you blog, or create a Facebook group on a topic you like? Can you help someone in your community?
As you can see, there are many ways you can implement in your every day life to make a bigger impact, and feel more like your authentic self. It does not have to be a big speech on TV (that helps too!). So pick whichever ones resonate with you, and give your power a little boost. If we all push our behaviour one inch towards more confidence, more power or more freedom, we collectively win. And we’ve got it in us to start with, just lying dormant or tamed. Make it the year of YOU, if anything!
