Are You Your #1 Priority?

My Christmas didn’t go as planned with my Mom being hospitalized over the period, having a Type A personality and living over 3k miles away, I felt a little helpless and a lot frustrated. I’m happy to say that she’s on the road to recovery.

As a result I have had to fly out to the UK unexpectedly and my usual new year tradition of reviewing my past year and planning my next didn’t take place - my mind was not in that head space. I also knew that there was no point in beating myself up for not making the progress I expected. I had to place my energies on getting back on track, just because things didn’t go as planned or I’m a few weeks behind doesn’t mean I should throw my hands up in the air and give up. It’s never too late to start on achieving your career goals!

And that’s what I want to focus on in this newsletter!

But first I’ll start with a question:

- How long have you been wanting to make a change?

And I’ll follow it up with another

- How many many ways have you convinced yourself that you can’t make that change?

The answers probably go something like this

A long time!

A lot!

Today I want to help get past those questions, as nothing is as painful as staying stuck!

I’m going to share four strategies that if you do nothing else this year will move you forward

Decide you are the #1 priority - What do you want to matter most this year? You decide that you’re putting yourself first - you are the priority. As Black women we’re very adept at putting others first but you matter too. So I repeat again make yourself the one and only priority for this year. I hear time and again with the women I work with how much they’ve put their needs and wants behind everyone else and then they feel left behind or it’s too late - It’s never too late!

What is the ONE thing you’re going to focus on this year? - The one thing that will move the needle on your career change. It doesn’t have to be huge, it just has to be one thing you know you can focus on. Once you’ve decided what that is, take action on this first before doing anything else career related. Now I can hear you say, “What if I don’t know what I want to do with regards to my career yet?” Valid question and the answer is you don’t have too at this point, your priority focus should be ‘What do you want out of your career?”

Commit upfront to your ONE thing or risk losing another year of feeling stagnated - Risk watching those around you move ahead whilst you still feel miserable in a job you dislike and one that no longer serves you. Could a lack of commitment be the reason you’re still stuck?

Control the controllables - Focus on what you can control. This is key, things will get in the way it’s a given. Learn how to swerve, to adapt when unexpected bumps get in your way. Better yet adopt the mindset of expecting something to get in your way and see it as an opportunity or chance to grow.

And that’s it - four strategies to move forward

1. Make yourself your #1 priority

2. Focus on one thing

3. Commit to your one thing

4. Control the controllables

Simply put, don't overcomplicate how you approach a new year. Or overwhelm yourself with way too many ideas and goals.

If you'd like to chat about how you can start planning your next chapter, just DM me saying "I want to be my #1 priority" and we'll make it happen.

Janice x

P.S Registration for the first 2023 cohort of the ?Reinvention BluePrint for Women of Color?, will open soon and you can be the first to know (and much more) by subscribing to my weekly newsletter. You can also find more information on alternative ways to work with me ?here. ?