by Solange Lopes | Aug 8, 2016 | Career
So there, suitcases are packed, passports are out, you’re ready to jet off on your vacation, finally! No month-end reports or emails in sight for the next few days. Only sandy beaches, margaritas, and relaxation galore! But did you also know that this long-awaited and overdue vacation is not just going to save you from your boss and over-booked calendar?
Actually, this time off laying on the beach sipping on a mango margarita while enjoying the latest summer read could very well be pushing your career to the next level…Are you smiling yet?
We already know taking a vacation, unplugging, disconnecting is good for your career. It helps you reconnect with who you are, what you value, and what’s important, so we can come back more relaxed and emotionally grounded. That ‘s the average, general case scenario.
What we don’t often realize is that we can actually leverage this time to propel our careers forward. Because it’s not just enough to jet off to some exotic spot in the Caribbeans, or run out of the office as if a ghost were after you…However, it takes some practice and a bit of discipline to turn this time of relaxation into an actual career asset (even if that’s not exactly what you’re thinking about as you’re lounging on the hot sand).
I still remember this particularly eventful vacation where I actually spent most of my time checking email and stressing about how much work I had to do when I’d come back. End result? I left stressed, went swimming stressed, and came back to work stressed…with an extra five pounds to boot.
Here are 4 tips you can use to further your career as you’re enjoying beautiful sunsets and skipping email while on vacation:
Set a vacation agenda.
No, this is not about visiting a gazillion museums and trying every local bakery (although there’ something about carbs and vacation, but I digress). This is about being clear about what your time off is about. Is this vacation an opportunity to spend some time with family? Is it a personal time of introspection, or do you need to get away to re-evaluate your priorities?
Being clear about it will help you be more conscious of those areas you need to heal, or ponder about while away. Instead of scattering your time in endless activities, you’ll be more mentally attuned to yourself. You’ll be surprised at how much clearer you are once the vacation ends.
Boost Your Creativity (and Give Your Brain a Break).
As in, stop worrying about that project you handed in before vacation, or that email you may not have sent out. Our brains are flooded every day with huge amounts of information we barely seem to control. And in turn, it blocks the natural creativity that helps us come up with new ideas and innovative concepts.
On vacation, your mental activity is stimulated by new experiences and new sights. Not mention the benefits of mental and emotional relaxation, which also set you up for success. Instead of the usual apathy and mental tiredness you may be used to dealing with, you’ll be buzzing with new ideas and motivation when you get back to the office.
Limit your access to work.
Yes, the point of being on vacation is to unplug from work and really enjoy the time away from the office. Yet, the reality for many is that we’re still connected…even a little bit, when on vacation. Rather than giving in to the guilt of not being connected at all, or on the other end of the spectrum, being surgically attached to your handheld device, why not reach a middle ground?
If you absolutely have to check on work, promise yourself to do it in a limited manner. Whether it’s once a day for no more than a half hour, or once a week, set a limit and stick to it. Only address urgent emails, while keeping in mind this will also lessen the pile of work you find when you get back.
Set goals for your return to work.
Yes, you want to take advantage of every ounce of your vacation. Yet, taking the last couple of days to mentally prepare yourself to return to the office can put you at the top of your game. Think about your goals and objectives for the remainder of the year, and how you can best achieve them.
Even better, take some time to visualize your success at work. If you can, write down some of your most important goals in a notebook or journal.
How do your further your career on vacation?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Aug 7, 2016 | Career |
Mantra = a word or phrase that is repeated often or that expresses someone’s basic beliefs (Merriam-Webster dictionary)
There are just days when you need a dose of inspiration. You know those days, when you wake up wondering why you haven’t made Senior Manager yet, or if your life was really supposed to go this way…Or why laundry never ever seems to end (I’ve been pondering on this one for quite a while)…Or on Sunday night when Monday morning’s looming near…
I know I do…There’s only so much mascara and blush to keep you pumped up for the day. Because it all starts in your mind, as you decide to push yourself beyond the daily mundane or obstacles in your way. That’s why successful women (and men) adopt mantras to keep them inspired and motivated.
In the words of motivational speaker and author Abiola Abrams, “your mantra is your fight song“. In the midst of all the negative noise and our chronic “busyness”, we now more than ever need to take back our power; which means we must also adopt new ways of thinking. That’s where mantras come in, to help us change or reinforce positive beliefs through empowering words or phrases we make part of our daily lives.
A few years back, I started realizing that most of the obstacles I was facing were not coming from the outside, but from within. At the time, I was working with a business coach, who started recommending that I write and speak mantras on a daily basis. I have to say it was a struggle at first. Having never questioned some of my most basic (and most limiting) beliefs about myself, learning to believe and say out loud that “I cannot fail“, or that “I am successful“, felt like chocolate cake without chocolate. Weird.
As I faced some of my most potent mindset blocks, I started developing new habits. I looked to successful women around me, and studied their mindsets for success. As a result, here are 7 of my favorite success mantras for successful women:
What are your favorite success mantras?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Aug 5, 2016 | Career
This is our weekly career and lifestyle news update, where we round up exciting news of the last week and we let you have it…ahem, news-wise that is…
Think of it as your career gossiping section on steroids…
And while you’re at it, follow us on Facebook, Twitter,IG, and Pinterest!
Here we go…
- Podcast alert! In my latest contribution to the amazing Cubicle Chick site, check out my 7 favorite podcasts for women entrepreneurs;
- If you’ve ver been afraid of not being liked at work, you must read Ellevate’s Sallie Krawcheck’s beautiful (and real) article on making peace with not being liked;
- It’s still summer, and I know, you’d still rather be at the beach than stuck at your desk. Levo confirms these 6 reasons why you’re so much less productive in the summer;
- Night owl alert! Speaking of downsizing the productivity, especially at night, this Business Insider’s contributor lists 6 things she learnt while following Arianna Huffington’s pretty elaborate bedtime routine for a week…and what she found out is pretty awesome;
- If you’re heading to school this Fall, it’s essay writing season! Black Enterprise has a few tips to help you stay ahead of the curve!
- For your dose of inspiration this week, Ellevate Network offers seven tips to succeed as a woman in a man’s world;
- Ever been asked about your work style in an interview? Careerealism tips you off on how to answer;
- Working your butt off but not getting promoted? The Muse tells you why (and it has nothing to do with your skills);
- Speaking of not succeeding at work, could you be having any of these three mindsets that are keeping you from shattering your own career ceiling?
- Wondering what to cook this month to take advantage of the last days of summer? Cookie and Kate has great options;
- Oh, and while you’re at it, how about brightening up your wardrobe with this cheery ponte sheath dress?
Happy Friday!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Aug 2, 2016 | Career
“It takes a village to grow your career.”
This quote, extracted from my e-book “The Corporate Sister’s Guide to Taking Back Control of Your Career“, embodies one of the realizations I made later rather than sooner in my life and career. If you’ve ever wondered why you may not be further ahead in your career, business, or even in life altogether, take a good, long, hard look around you. More specifically at your friends…
Who do you surround yourself with? Who do you spend the majority of your free time with? And who do you (or do you not) share your dreams and aspirations with? Because, believe it or not, and as much as you’d like to separate your work from your friendships and personal life, it’s just a fact that your friends end up shaping your happiness, creativity and…career!
After all, we’re social beings, right? The people we know, and and hang around us, affect us, whether we like it or not. According to this 2014 study, friends can greatly influence each other’s choices. And that applies to our careers as well…
When it comes to the types of friends that will help your further your career, I tend to agree with Michelle Obama when she says this:
“We should always have three friends in our lives: one who walks ahead, who we look up to and follow; one who walks beside us, who is with us every step of our journey; and then, one who we reach back for and bring along after we’ve cleared the way”.
In my career, and through my experience with other corporate sisters, this is what it has meant over the years, in terms of the friends who can help you further your career:
The Girlfriend Who Inspires and Motivates You
That’s the friend you can call when your career seems to be heading straight to hell, with no layover or pit stop. I’m not talking about a crutch or a permanent shoulder to cry on, but rather a confidante who can help you get that pep back in your step.
It’s also the friend who herself is motivated, inspired and understands what it is to strive for more in your career and life. She’ll listen to your dreams and craziest ambitions without belittling them or making you feel like you’re being unrealistic. She’ll make you see possibility where you only have a vague inkling for something. And in her own life and career, she’ll model that hunger and ambition for herself and for other women.
The Girlfriend Who Shares Your Journey
You know that woman who’s been there by your side since you were sporting neon-colored skirts and had your straight bangs on? Yes, that one…The one who’s seen you through your ups and downs, having the jitters before marriage, struggling with pregnancy, and putting the kids’ diapers on the wrong way…
That’s the girlfriend who’s walking besides you and shares your journey as you both go through life and career. Granted, you may not always have kept in touch with that girl from high school or college, but you can certainly build new memories with new friends.
This woman will ground you and remind you of the little things to be grateful for, and the big things to look forward to. In the middle of the madness, she’ll be like your anchor, sharing the good times, struggles and a good glass of wine too…
The Girlfriend Who Looks Up to You
Now, this is not be in any ay condescending…But just as you need friends to inspire and mentor you, you also need to be able to give back…This is the woman you can help through the same struggles you’ve faced, the one you can give some advice to on getting that promotion, or adjusting to corporate politics…
It’s the woman you can guide through the doors you cross (and open), and the one who reminds you you’re not just doing all this work just for yourself. That others behind you are also benefiting from your dedication and success…
Do you have these three women friends in your life? Is it time to re-evaluate who surrounds you?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Aug 1, 2016 | Career
Photo credit: shop style.com
This is a very easy dress you can take from the office to the after-hours, and even dress down on the week-end!
So yay or nay?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Aug 1, 2016 | Career
If there’s one thing Soraya’s known for, it’s her hard-working attitude. She’d be the first one in the office, and the last one out. She’d eat at her desk, taking on more than everyone else, volunteering for every project, and adding on to her to-do list over and over again. Until she hit a brick wall…She realized she wasn’t happy at work, and to top it off, her colleague got the promotion she had been working so hard for…
For the longest time, like Soraya, I thought working hard, keeping my head down and logging in hours at work was the formula to succeed at work. So every time I’d face a failure, I’d blame it on myself, the circumstances, the environment, the other people…And every time I’d achieve a victory, or pass a milestone, I wouldn’t stop long enough to appreciate it and build on it for the future.
So many of us wonder why we’re not where we want to be in our careers. Why this or that other person has risen higher than us in Big Corporate. Or why it’s so hard for us to make it to the next level. So we start questioning ourselves, others, the system, politics, etc…
There are certainly many reasons that can prevent one from being successful at work. And yes, a number of these reasons may or may not involve external factors and circumstances. However, one of the most overlooked aspects of career success for many, if not most of us, is mindset.
As I came to find out later rather than sooner, our thought patterns, belief systems and mindsets do define our reality. This applies to our careers as much, if not more, than it applies to our entire lives. After all, don’t we spend the majority of our time at work? Isn’t it where many of our interpersonal relationships get defined, and where so many of us get a (false) sense of worth? Which in turn can lead to perceiving ourselves and others in a way that doesn’t allow us to bring our full potential to the table. So we may end up shrinking, backing away, or just settling…
Out of all the negative mindsets that can affect our career, these are the most challenging I’ve had to deal with (and am still dealing with):
“I’m Not Enough”
The confidence gap is real! Despite all the progress we’ve made as women, we’re still nearly absent at the top of the corporate game. Yes, we’re earning more degrees than ever before in the US, constitute half of the workforce, and are even closing the management gap. Yet, we’re still confronted with a debilitating lack of self-assurance, as shown by overwhelming evidence.
I can’t count how many times this “I’m not enough” mindset has kept me from striving at work. This constant feeling that all things being equal, I didn’t deserve the promotion, or wasn’t qualified enough for the job.
It’s not until we’re willing to face this self-limiting mindset that we can finally express our full potential. One of my favorite mantras is a very simple one: “I’m enough!”. In life as well as at work, holding this belief can make a world of difference between actively claiming success, and letting it pass us by.
“Look at Her/Him/Them”
If there’s one place the green-eyed monster reigns supreme, it’s at work. That co-worker who nabbed the promotion before us. Or that big opportunity being handed to your colleague. It’s so easy falling prey to comparing our careers, and ultimately our lives to others’.
As Iyanla Vanzant puts it so well, every time “we compare ourselves to each other, we commit violence against ourselves.” Understanding we have different paths, and that one’s career is unique, makes all the difference.
“I’ve failed, so I’m a Failure”
Failing is hard, especially at work. Yet, it’s from our mistakes and failures that we learn the most important lessons about life and work. Believing that failing on this project, getting a bad review or dropping the ball on a deadline, makes us a failure, creates a snowball effect that’s hard to stop.
I’ve had to remind myself time and time over, that I couldn’t allow myself to remain in a place of failure. It’s OK to fail, what’s not OK is to stay there and start believing you’re a failure.
Have you dealt with any of these mindsets at work?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jul 29, 2016 | Career
This is our weekly career and lifestyle news update, where we round up exciting news of the last week and we let you have it…ahem, news-wise that is…
Think of it as your career gossiping section on steroids…
And while you’re at it, follow us on Facebook, Twitter,IG, and Pinterest!
Here we go…
Happy Friday!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
