Several years ago, I had the chance to attend a presentation by Mofoluwaso Ilevbare of Women Inspiring Women where she discussed how to reposition your career for success. The more I think about her words of encouragement, and the strategies for success that she shared, the more I feel her three key strategies can be used for much more than just the career aspect of a person’s life. I think they apply to all areas of our lives, including our businesses.
The first of Mofoluwaso’s strategies for success: Learn From The Past – But Don’t Stay There
It is healthy for us to reflect on our past in order to learn important lessons, identify patterns, and have better insight to our development as individuals. This is important for us when evaluating our career but it is also important when evaluating the direction we are headed and the strategies we employ in our business.
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We did a really cool exercise where we graphed the highs and lows of our career. Then she asked us to take a look at the graph to see if we had any takeaways. The one thing that jumped out at me was the fact that my lows are always followed by an upswing, no matter how low the point was. Regardless of how bad it felt at the time, things always got better. And, not only did they get better, the high point after each low ended up being higher than the previous high point. A very encouraging trend, if I do say so myself.
What takeaways do you have when you graph your business? What trends do you notice? What can you learn that will put you in a better position moving forward?
Just remember, while it’s great to reflect on our past, resist the urge to stay there. You can’t pick up new strategies if your hands are full holding on to old ones that no longer work.
The second of Mofoluwaso’s strategies for success: Maximize The Present
It is impossible to maximize the present without focusing on the here and now.
A key is to minimize distractions. And, I don’t mean turn the TV off during dinner. It is really important to monitor what we allow into our hearts and we must be mindful of our self-talk.
In addition to always putting our best selves forward and ignoring the noise of the world, we must also surround ourselves with people who will lift us up. It is not impossible to travel this road by ourselves, but it is much less lonely and much less hard to travel the road with others. Find travel partners who believe in you and respect you enough to hold you accountable for working toward that which you desire.
The third of Mofoluwaso’s strategies for success: Inspire Your Future
This is your opportunity to breathe life into the tomorrow of your business. What does your desired tomorrow look like? Write that vision down. Now, what will it take to make it happen? The only way to “eat an elephant is one bite at a time”. So, how do you break your vision down into manageable goals and steps? What are the top 3-5 things that will move the needle? Who can help? How will you hold yourself accountable?
Today is day one – what massive action are you willing to take to make that vision come true?
STACY OLDFIELD
After nearly 25 years in Corporate America, Stacy launched Minerva Management Partners as a way to combine those years of business experience with her life coaching certification and love for coaching women. Minerva Management Partners is a business coaching practice designed to support women entrepreneurs committed to launching and growing their business. Also, as a Results Coach with Robbins Research International, Stacy helps business women to focus their ideas and efforts and holds them accountable for achieving their goals. Whether it’s helping women discover creative solutions to their business challenges, coaching them to be clear and decisive, or helping them see and take action on new opportunities, Stacy guides them to achieve the business and career results they are seeking. Stacy is also the creator of the Minerva 3-Day Networking Challenge and the Network Like a Boss Lady On-Demand training program. Stacy has been invited to speak to many audiences within South Carolina including the Center for Women, Women Entrepreneurs of Charleston, the Women of the Workforce program of the Naval Information Warfare Center (SPAWAR), Charleston Women in Business, Association of Fundraising Professionals, SCANPO, graduate classes at both The Citadel and the College of Charleston (CofC), and Leadership CofC. She currently serves as a mentor through the Women of Excellence Program at Xavier University and previously served on the Board of Directors for the Beautiful Gate Center and on the advisory board of the SC Women’s Business Center.
