Do These 3 Things to Help Achieve Your Biggest Aspirations

By: Cortnie Abercrombie and Peggy tsAI

Has any woman out there ever seen another woman’s achievements and thought, “Why can’t I reach the level of success that she’s reaching?” “How does she do all that? Does she have an entourage of housekeepers, personal assistants, nannies, and social media experts supporting her?” And the most important question for us is “Why is my career stalled? Why can’t I break through and do what I really want to do?”

When we can’t find answers on social media (because of course everything you see there is designed to make you feel better about yourself!), we turn on ourselves, doubt ourselves and talk down to ourselves. Anyone brave enough to admit this might sound a bit familiar??

These downward spirals are exactly why we need to reach out and connect with each other in real life (or at least voice-to-voice) and then keep checking in. As Peggy Tsai and I talked over a breakfast of chili-laden Tex Mex eggs (don’t judge, when in Dallas) we got real about our professional aspirations, what’s blocking us, what’s real and what’s not in terms of expectations (see list of questions above), and more importantly what we thought we could do to help each other.?

Some of the help came in the form of a reality check on what others are accomplishing themselves. On this point, I just want to say that if you think to achieve great things you must do them by yourself, think again. When you really inspect it, the women who achieve the greatest things have tons of people behind them supporting them. This means the question should not be “How does she achieve all that?”, rather “How can I get a support system in place so I can achieve all that?” In some cases, the answer is as easy as letting people know you’re struggling and need help. I have found that asking for help can be THE hardest thing to do. It’s something I want to get better at. (Hold me accountable, readers of this post!)

By the end of the conversation, it was like so much weight had been lifted. Just sharing my aspirations and hearing Peggy’s input made me feel even more brazen about my goals. She had great insights, and I was relieved to hear her ideas because I was a bit stuck. But even more than that, I felt like I wasn’t alone. I now have one more person in my support system, who will share in the journey, cheer me on, and most importantly keep me accountable to myself. We ended our conversation by promising to achieve certain actions against our stated goals by our next meeting.?

This is Peggy jumping in here for a minute to share my perspective. First of all, when I met with Cortnie (for the first time in person!) in Texas, I thought I was unloading on her about my career challenges! I had no idea that I was helping her out. So this is a revelation and truly the power of a support system. In the past, I talked about my personal “board of advisors” for my career but I think it goes beyond the designated people that I identified. I recently have been more open and candid about managing work-life balance and achieving another level of career success. I’m so grateful I spent the extra few hours delayed in DFW airport to meet with Cortnie - whom I always admired and respected - so there is definitely some intimidation with being honest and open to others.

To quote Brené Brown, “We don’t have to do all of it alone. We were never meant to.” We felt encouraged after our discussion and so we want to issue a challenge to all of you as well.?

Call to Action: Build your “support system” to achieve great things

1. Identify Two Women to Collaborate and Network With:Women You Aspire to Emulate: Seek out women whose achievements and qualities resonate with your aspirations. They can be mentors who embody the success you aim for.?Women You Can Learn From: Look for individuals who possess skills, knowledge, or experiences you seek. These women can offer invaluable insights that can propel you forward.Women Who Can Help You Achieve Your Goals Through Networking: Connect with those who can introduce you to new opportunities, ideas, and collaborations. Their network could be the gateway to your next big break.
2. Find One Woman You Can Mentor or Help:Consider reaching out to someone at an earlier stage of their journey or someone who could benefit from your experiences and guidance. By mentoring, you not only contribute to their growth but also reinforce your own understanding and skills.

This Thursday, March 28 at 6pm ET, Peggy will be helping me with my goal of getting the word out about my book called “What You Don’t Know: AI’s Unseen Influence on Your Life and How to Take Back Control” on her theAssociation.AI podcast called Beyond Binary: The Human Side of AI, Data & Technology. Follow theAssociation.AI streamlining live on LinkedIn to join our conversation and be a part of our support system.?

Please HELP me with my goals of getting the word out about the role AI plays in our lives… (see I did it, I asked for help). Please buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/What-You-Dont-Know-Influence/dp/1637582080/ ?