Let me start by telling you a little about me. I’ve been successfully running my own small business, a corporate consulting company called Seed Systems since 1994. Seed’s mission is to create a regenerative, inclusive and kind world, via coaching, consulting, and convening gatherings.
I’m a published author, speaker, teacher, Mother of twins and married to my husband for 27 years. I’m also a step mom and step-grandma! I mention these personal details because as women, we don’t really differentiate between the world of work and all the other responsibilities we have as mothers, daughters, sisters, partners, friends and more.
These distinctions are even harder to make during Covid of course. Maybe in the old days you could “leave your personal life at home” when you came to work. Now home is your work and vice versa. So that’s not possible. I’m currently coaching amazing young women who are raising kids, taking care of aging parents, managing two careers in one small household – their partners also working from home – and leading businesses with multiple employees.
How can one woman possibly do all that successfully?!
Well, with a big dose of humor, an extensive support system, and a lot of self-care!
I’m thinking of one woman in particular who I coach — let’s call her Katie — who runs an amazing company, 21 employees, literally 100,000 customers, and fits the description I just mentioned—kids in school at home, husband also a CEO, a zillion demands on her time. She’s also a self-described perfectionist. Wanting to do a perfect job as CEO, wife, mother, home-schooler.
Well in these times you gotta let that perfectionist thing go or you’re going to drive yourself crazy! I gave her an assignment to take care of herself on four levels – physical, emotional, creative and spiritual — and she got homework in all four domains.
I invite you to choose some new practice of self-care – be it hiking, or yoga, or meditation, or walking with a friend, or cooking healthy or whatever… To commit to yourself in that way. Because if a woman doesn’t take care of herself, she can’t do anything else. And she’s got a lot to do!
We’ve gotta come at this thing from a place of calm, kindness, and center – amidst all the chaos – and that means a lot of practice in self-care. Make a plan to check in with a friend in one week so you can hold each other accountable to your intention. She is what I call your “balance buddy.” We often hear about Building Back Better post Covid. Well, we need to Build Back Better with Balance and we need balance buddies to help us do that.
Katie is doing her practices and four months later feeling much more grounded and capable in all her roles. Perhaps most importantly, she’s letting go of just a little bit of that perfectionism, building up her sense of perspective and thus resiliency to be the great leader she is.