Today, entrepreneurs are accessible around the clock and across time zones, making it nearly impossible to leave work at the office. It’s no longer just emails and texts pinging us. You’re likely on multiple social media platforms and apps that accumulate breaking news updates, calendar invites, alerts and messages as you sleep, creating overwhelm even before breakfast.
More than ever, women leaders are pulled in all directions, with countless demands on our time and energy. Our shining lights can dim from the daily barrage of noise surrounding us: roiling thoughts that race from the past into the future, combined with the little disappointments circling and falling like dominoes.
Where real leadership begins
In the words of E.M. Forster, “live in fragments no longer.” I invite you to turn inward. (As a type-A personality myself, I hear those of you fidgeting at the idea of stillness. Take a breath. I’ve got your back). Luminescent leadership begins with intentionally choosing self-care over performance. Yes, it’s hard to stop when you’re ambitious, driven and kinetic. But stop we must in order to become more effective leaders and avoid operating on autopilot. It is vital to set aside time to replenish your inspiration, restore your body, and illumine your thoughts through self-enrichment.
Self-enrichment is a practice. First, remind yourself that nothing will fall apart if you’re off the radar for one hour. Then, pencil in quiet time like a doctor’s appointment, because this is required self-care—and it creates space to let new ideas in. Like Julia Cameron’s Artist Date from The Artist’s Way, it’s imperative to set aside time for yourself. Step away from the desk, silence your phone and walk, journal or engage in any grounding activity that helps you remember who you are without the distractions.
Making time, not finding it
To reignite the muse, we must literally re-embody ourselves to unearth our essence that has been buried beneath the burdens, engagements, projects and to-dos. Making time means prioritizing your health and factoring yourself into your calendar. Boundaries are a form of self-respect, and when you value your self-worth, you model the same for those around you. After a period of reflection, perhaps there’s no big breakthrough, and you may not find the perfect solution to that complex problem, but you will feel refreshed and able to approach tasks with fresh eyes.
As the wise poet Adrienne Rich says, “The most important thing one woman can do for another is to illumine and expand her sense of possibilities.” As luminescent leaders, we must embrace the concept of self-care to prevent burnout, so that we can go forth and shine brightly for others.
About the author
Tracy K. MacDonald from Columbus, Georgia, is a former federal agent, fraud and risk consultant and public speaker whose career has spanned federal service, international living, and leadership in high-pressure environments. Macdonald is a best-selling non-fiction author, an active member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and shares personal stories on her WordPress blog, CarpeDiemCreative. As a foreign service spouse, she spends much of her time abroad with her husband and son.
Check out this piece with more self-care tips for women leaders.
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