The journey of becoming a successful woman is a journey that can begin as a child.  It is a journey that is full of skills that can be taught to your daughter, niece or granddaughter – to respect herself and to value her feelings and flights of fancy – knowing how to handle them and use them to help navigate herself toward the life of her dreams.

A successful woman is ever evolving and learning, changing and surprising herself as she discovers new aspects of her innate talents may have at first been hidden.

During the past two weeks, this series has provoked some beautiful dialogue, ideas and inspiration.  In part one and part two, ideas were shared on how to thrive even when it seems the support needed wasn’t there as well as tips to help us all realize that we are the curators of our destiny – we hold our dreams in our hands – it is now our responsibility to take a risk, trust more instead of being frozen in fear and chase wherever our dreams might lead us.

Here are the final six tips on how to continue to be a successful woman:

Edit Your Language

One of the things I try to impress upon my students is that the act of cussing is revealing one’s lack of creativity.  While using foul language is something that more women seem to think is okay, what we forget is that it truly shows our inability to deal with anger and frustration appropriately. Having self-control and discovering an appropriate time and place to vent our frustrations shows maturity, responsibility and class. And when all else fails and we must vocalize our frustration, why not come up with a creative word that isn’t offensive, yet still gets the job done. (farfignewton! – for example.)

Network

One of the best and most sound pieces of advice I received as a young woman is that in the professional world, the statement “it’s who know” holds a lot of truth that can help propel us toward success.  The key to effective networking is that each one of us must always be on our toes to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.  If we have the chance to introduce ourselves, we must look professional, know what we’re talking about and project the confidence, curiosity and passion that is vital to letting someone realize we are serious about the advice, internship, or leg up they might offer. And while networking is something that takes time and sometimes years to see any benefits, the only way that it can work is if we are sincere in our interactions.

Say Thank You

Whether it is sending a thank you card to a colleague for helping us when they had little time of their own, extending a tip of the hat toward someone who least expects it for something they said or did that meant the world, a thank you is a profoundly distinctive message in a world of the self-absorbed populous.  When we take the time to think of another’s time and effort, and realize that helping us out took time away from something else they could have been doing, it is important to let them know we sincerely appreciated it.

Be Organized

The simplest way to take control of our success without any outside help is to become a highly organized person. Whether a student, a stay-at-home mom or a busy professional, our efficiency increases when we know what we want to accomplish, know what is expected of us and aren’t having to complete a task at the eleventh hour because an important due date slipped our mind.  Purchase a planner (Franklin Covey is my favorite – Giada leather binder is my favorite!) or keep track of it on a smart phone or computer. Because the ability to know your second brain (your planner) will never forget, allows you to focus on other things in the meantime.  

Find a Balance

Once we realize what our priorities are, we will be better able to allow certain things to slide, while other things remain focused on consistently.  When this balance is reached we then need to find a balance between doing and rejuvenating. By taking care of ourselves (working out, eating right and some pampering) we are energized to put our best self forward toward the success we are working so hard to achieve.

Be Authentic

In order to be truly and completely successful, we must do and chase things we love and are passionate about.  This will feed our soul, this will propel us forward when others would typically be exhausted. And in order to find our passion, we must be authentic with ourselves – take the time to get to know yourself and listen. We must not be afraid of our own company – relish in it. Once we are able to be who we truly can be and were meant to be, the other 15 tips on how to be successful will be a sincere expression and will be seen as we have meant it to be seen. After all, a façade can only be held up for so long before it begins to crumble under its own weight.

“Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.”

-Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone and remember – the power resides completely in you.