A Ten Step Guide To Building A Foundation For Success And Finding More Joy In The Process
While success looks different for everyone, there are key fundamentals to help all of us women become successful.
Whether you are a mom who works from the home or a CEO with a corner office, I believe the tips below will help you get closer to your goals and bring you more joy.
Here are ten strategies to become a successful woman:
Successful Women Value Themselves
You have landed on this blog post for a good reason. I want to begin by reminding you of your worth.
A lot of positive energy flows into our life when we value ourselves.
You have a lot to show this world and being placed on this earth was no accident.
When you get down on yourself for your inadequacies, try to alter your mindset and remind yourself of how far you’ve come.
Use gentle reminders to shift your mindset. The below sentences (or affirmations) take only a few seconds but can quickly interrupt a negative mindset or when you feel you need to encourage yourself.
I am worthy of amazing things.
I am valuable to this world.
I am worthy of abundance and happiness.
Related: How To Learn To Believe In Yourself
Successful Women Focus Inward
In today’s world, it is so easy to try to fill in a void with external things, such as jewelry, clothes, Facebook likes, or heck—even wanting to be liked but what’s important to keep in mind is you are the center of your happiness.
Who are you without all of those things?
Do you love who you are and what you value?
How do you truly feel about yourself?
Happiness at its core is genuinely loving yourself, appreciating yourself (flaws and all), forgiving yourself, showing up for yourself, and making progress daily.
Nothing will take the place of the happiness you carry inside you, apart from all the extras.
There aren’t any possessions, people, or distractions outside of yourself that can bring you joy the way you can bring yourself.
Happiness always starts with you, don’t forget that 😊
Successful Women Are Good Communicators
Being a good communicator is not always easy. It can be pretty uncomfortable to initiate conversations you’d rather not have.
I believe there is a time and place for every conversation, so be mindful of this.
Keep in mind:
Your significant other is not a mind reader.
Your boss is not a mind reader.
Your family members are not mind readers.
Why is it essential to be a good communicator?
A good communicator knows how to ask for a raise, can efficiently delegate tasks, and can get their point across without seeming too pushy or overbearing. A good communicator is also a good listener.
If you come to a situation in life and struggle with how to approach it, speak from the heart and practice using your words. It felt so uncomfortable the first time I asked for a raise. The good news is the conversations become easier once you practice.
Start with small things, such as politely speaking your truth and saying no when it doesn’t feel like a definite yes.
Successful Women Are Dedicated To Themselves
When you are dedicated to yourself, you are more likely to stay dedicated to what you value. Regularly assess how you are doing.
Lovingly critique yourself and be careful not to beat yourself up if you’re failing at your goals but rather draw into your self-awareness.
Are you staying committed to your goals?
Are you staying on track with the plan that you have for your life?
Where are you struggling, and what can you do to alleviate your pain points?
Commit to yourself through the highs and lows, no matter how low the lows may become.
Related: 20 Thought-Provoking Journal Prompts To Help With Your Success
Successful Women Use Money As A Tool
I love viewing money as a tool. But remember, when it comes to tools, they are only helpful if we know how to use them.
Yes, even if we are married, or no one has ever taught us about money, we still have a responsibility to learn to use our money efficiently and effectively.
When we use money correctly, it gives us power. We can become powerless when it comes to our money because we don’t always know where to start.
When that happens, we can become so overwhelmed we don’t take any action at all.
I have written about seven healthy money habits you can start today here.
And the good news is we can still buy fancy lattes and purses because they can be part of the financial plan.
Related: 6 Powerful Ways To Boost Your Happiness With Money
Successful Women Get Support
I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for support. Luckily, today I have a physical therapist, a therapist, and technology that allows me to work more efficiently. That’s not to say that all support costs a lot of money.
Think about what kinds of resources or support you need in your life to become successful.
Do you need some guidance when it comes to your finances?
Do you need support in your career?
Is there a mentor you could seek out or gain additional skills related to your job?
It is much harder to create growth in your life if you try to do it alone.
There is an influx of resources at your fingertips for free. Utilize as many free resources as you can possible.
Free resources such as TED talks, Youtube, personal development books, and the library are great to tap into.
See my list of recommended TED talks here.
Successful Women Are Self-Managers
When bedtime rolled around as a kid, you were probably told to brush your teeth, use the bathroom, and change into pajamas. Fast forward into adulthood, you quickly realize there is no one to handhold you through life.
When you learn to be a self-manager for yourself, you hold yourself accountable, even when no one is there to cheer you on, even when there’s no one there to pat you on the back after you’ve made the right choice (like going to the gym instead of streaming or scrolling)
Learning to be a self-manager means that you run your life as efficiently as possible. It also means you carry the strength to make hard decisions even when it isn’t easy.
Do you make a lot of decisions based on what you want right now at the moment, or what’s more important for yourself in the future?
Think about the benefits that will come as a result of the effort that you put in today.
Successful Women Are Addicted To Personal Growth
Personal growth takes many shapes and forms. What personal growth looks like for you is not the same as what it looks like for me.
For example, a personal growth skill you might have is to become a great cook. On the other hand, I would rather spend my time writing books.
Yet, I think what is most important is that we need to define what personal goals we have for ourselves as part of our plan and then become addicted to developing ourselves every day.
Don’t stress too much about how far you move the needle, but rather that you are.
If you read my other blogs, you know how often I preach about baby steps. And I say this over and over it’s far more essential to take very small baby steps rather than not starting in the first place.
Successful Women Are Kind To Other Women
I can’t stress how important this next piece of advice is. Ladies, women are not the enemy. I read something the other day that was very important to share.
“Jealousy is information. It tells you what you desire, what you admire, what you despise in yourself. You could learn from the person you envy if you weren’t blinded by resentment. Learning feels better than loathing.” The Stoic Emperor
Whenever I see another woman successfully publish a book, I feel a hint of jealousy. I don’t view it as a bad thing. Why? Because this is something I want for myself. I also realize it’s no easy task to write a book.
Every woman who wrote a book put some hard-earned time and energy into making that happen for herself. So, although I slightly feel jealous because I want that for myself, I take a step back and instead truly want to celebrate her.
Pay attention to the things that make you say and think I want that or I want to do that, and act on those things.
Just as the above quote tells us, jealousy is information, so don’t necessarily view it as a bad thing; instead, use it in your favor.
One important thing I like to remind myself of is that there is enough success to go around for everybody.
Related: 12 Boss Babe Habits That Will Instantly Make You More Successful
Successful Women Take Pride In How They Present Themselves
Even on some of my worst days, if I have an event or outing, I do my best to style my hair and add lipstick that makes me feel better.
We don’t need to wear costly clothes, a fancy manicure, or overly expensive makeup to feel our best, but we also don’t want to put our self-care on the back burner.
Take the time to put in the effort to have yourself neatly put together and you will feel much better.
Do you have any other tips what makes a woman successful? I would love to hear in the comments.
Other reads you may like:
5 Actionable Ways To Reset And Get Back To Happy
40 Positive Affirmations To Live Your Best Life
5 Strategies To Become More Resilient
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. This helps keep my website up and running. I appreciate you and your support!