NewAfricanWoman Issue 49 - Flipbook - Page 70
MIND, BODY & SOUL | FEATURE
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Know who you are, Be who
you are: What is most important to you
in life, work and business – honesty, family,
independence, freedom, wealth, influence,
contribution? Decide on your 10 most
important values that guide your decisions and
define who you are. Next, prune these down to
five, and lastly, choose your top three values.
If you allow these three values to guide your
decisions in the next 12 months, for example,
you are more likely to be happy with the results
you achieve. Honouring your values is called
being authentic.
It is being yourself and not someone else. This
means that you attract the opportunities that
are right for you, which you are equipped to
follow. In turn this will bring the kind of success
that will satisfy you. Different strokes for
different folks. Being authentic can help you
recognise your winning strokes.
Create a vision: Helen Keller once
said: “The most pathetic person in the world
is someone who has sight but no vision.” The
difference between pathetic and proactive is
having a vision, a mental picture of how and
where you want to be. To create your vision
make a list of all the areas of your life, work
or business that you would like to focus on.
This could include health, finances, family,
relationships, spiritual, charity, work, marriage,
or whatever is important to you. With your
list of priority areas, you have narrowed your
focus. Sharp focus is another characteristic of
the successful woman. Decide what you would
like to achieve in each of these areas. State
your intentions positively (saying what you
want, not what you do not) and state them as
though they are already ready true. Eg, I weigh
‘X’ kg, or I earn ‘X’ dollars per annum, not, I
want to weigh/earn ‘X’, ‘Y’ or ‘Z’. These positive
outcomes are your destination. This is where
you are headed, and where you will arrive, if
you do not give up. Feeling motivated already?
Good! Next, we need a plan.
68 l New African Woman l March 2023
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BE FLEXIBLE: Be ready to try new
strategies. If one path doesn’t work, be
open to others. You may need to modify
your goals or re-evaluate your values.
As long as you remain authentic, true to
whom you really are, your flexibility will
take you where you want to go.