During self-reflection, it's normal to lose sight of your goals, even with good intentions. It's crucial not to be too hard on yourself but recognize the need for a positive change this year. At times, we all require that extra push, a motivating ‘kick in the pantalones’. Remember, it’s all about progress and personal growth. Here are some inspiring ideas to elevate yourself to the 'next level'.
1. Make A Morning Hour About You
This is your opportunity to focus on you before you service others at work – employers or clients. Learn a new skill, meditate, read a chapter or two, listen to an audio book or motivating podcast – whatever just make it about growing you. We can blast ‘Bad Bunny’ on our working hours and that’s all we do, no hay problema – just choose one hour in the morning before your work day to be about you.
2. Form A Personal Board Of Advisors (PBOD)
Folks that can be your sounding board, give you strategic advice from time to time or maybe someone who can listen to you vent on personal + workplace woes. Our familia is muy importante, but maybe choose people outside the family structure on this one – simply because a fresh take on ‘you’ is what you need. Each person should think about having the following types of advisors/mentors in their lives: 1.) Your Work Colleague 2.) An Aspirational Person – someone you want to be 3.) A Cheerleader 4.) A Connector/Influencer 5.) Someone Older Than You
Schedule coffee or lunch meetings with these folks regularly and ask good questions every time.
3. Look At Your Goals…Daily.
Keep them in mind, on your radar, in front of your face! Think to yourself, what is the one thing that can move the needle a little farther or maybe I can take one big leap somewhere? Is there a shortcut to this – because mujeres, taking shortcuts is not that bad. For we must get savvy to work around obstacles, a must-read Leap Frog by Latina investor, Nathalie Molina Niño.
4. Visionaries Think Ahead. Boom!
What tools can help you see around the bend? Can you tune into your instincts just a bit more? What’s your ‘spidey senses’, your gut telling you about this direction you or someone else is taking, will it impact you? Do your planning. Always. Be. Prepared. Or you can wing it, but risk not get the results you desire.
5. Be A BadAss In Excellence.
Your abilities improve with every application – bit by bit. Focus on execution like your life depends on it. No matter what role you have in life – from a Starbuck’s barista/cashier to a rising corporate star – do you best work, always.
6. Too Many Decisions Means Analysis Paralysis.
Simplify. Minimalize. Get practical. There is a reason lady bosses and even those icons like Steve Jobs (his black-only turtlenecks) have achieved success – they kept their personal routines and maintenance simple. Having too much to think about, from decisions on what to wear can really block progress – keeping you busy having to maintain everything – a time and energy suck – leaving you distracted and not focused on the things that really matter to you. Heard of hoarders? None of that! It’s time to get morning routines, beauty routines to our closets – organized, use these Marie Kondo organizing tips. Like who knew you could stack clothes vertically? So you can better see your options better, duh?
You have your planner, maybe you purchased the HDTM one…jotted down your S.M.A.R.T jefa goals for this year and you are fired up, baby!
7. Get In Motion.
Back to #1 – you can use your commute hour – to bike to work? Walk to work. Heard of getting in 10,000 steps a day? Well, can't do that? Try 5,000 steps a day. The energy you will gain from getting off your nalgas will give you extra endurance, stamina and let’s talk about blood flow to the brain – so you can execute your bad ass ideas! Getting into motion helps manage your mental health and physical well-being too. So get up from your desk – take a walk around the block. Work at a stand up desk.
8. Your Work Life Is Currently Integrated Today.
It’s the 21st century and modern mujeres – creatives to corporate careerists must know there is low belief in ‘work life balance’ theory today, it’s just not real and impossible to achieve! We fail at it too, causing more stress build up! So welcome ‘work life blend’’ into your life. Examples of work life blend include taking your dog to work (of course, ask your employer if it’s OK – many modern workplaces allow therapy dogs.) You can find a quiet space at work to meditate, stretch. Technology allows us today to coexist at the workplace and home – maybe working from home 1x a week will allow you to avoid ‘job burnout creep’ – ask your employer!
9. Give Back No Matter What.
It’s a ´feel good’ activity and motivating. Dedicate some time to giving back. Make the hard work count toward something other than paying bills, buying the things you love. Circulate your dollar back into the community as a philanthropist by investing in Latino-led ventures or orgs. Be about something by being part of something. Check out the Latino Giving Circle Network. Each member contributes a minimum of $1,000 a year (or $84 a month) and priority is given to the Latino non-profit needing the most assistance. A great way to create impact and connect with an influential Latino network uplifting the California Latino community.
10. Own Your Shit. It’s Time.
Last and final, maybe you are dealing with ‘imposter syndrome creep’ that happens to all of us, Latinx/a, women of color. These feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy haunt us in ways that may not show up with non-Latinx/WOC and can put a block on our progress. You can be the most qualified, accomplished person in the room, but our life experiences – experiencing racism/sexism – societal conditioning, feed our internal thinking telling us otherwise – we are not worthy to be in that room. We diss ourselves. It is difficult to deal with, many of us might be in professions, spaces that are not yet made for us – the technology industry being one where diversity, women and minorities are still disproportionately represented – so few of us.
Ways to Confront ‘Imposter Syndrome’ Include –
1.) Understanding your worth, value, unique skills and abilities through selling them – Get your pitch down. “I am a UCLA grad with 5 years of affiliate marketing experience who is responsible for bringing in $1 million in partnership sales. I am ready for a more senior position.” or “I am a non-profit social impact professional with a degree in psychology specializing in connecting with Latinos in need of mental health.”
2.) Listing your accomplishments and abilities – reviewing that list often, adding to it and owning it.
3.) Speaking up and often – let your presence be known. Own your differences. If you catch yourself wanting to ‘shrink’ in the presence of others, jump out by reminding yourself you earned and deserve to be there. You have a voice.
4.) Join an affinity organization of like-minded Latinx/a + POC/WOC – connecting with others will help you not feel alone, adding professional and social connections to your life in case you may need a one day, industry and company information or even entrepreneurial help.
Updated: January 19, 2024
