Woman Entrepreneurs – Learn to Prioritize, Challenge your limitations!

Not many men are asked this question, “How do u manage work and family?” But if you are a woman, there is a high probability that you were posed with the same question over and over!

I was recently in a women entrepreneurs’ summit and asked few of them about the gender bias they had to face, the following were listed. Cooking, taking care of the house which includes organising things, cleaning, maintaining budget for the family, networking with relatives, children, in-laws, and the list seemed to be a never ending one.

In my previous article on women entrepreneurs’ series, I asked few questions which could have been triggers to venture into something new! But are there some challenges which is limiting you to perform? Woman are emotionally strong and each of us have the capacity to hold our head high during crisis. We all need a mentor, someone who can support and encourage us! Remember when you are looking for a mentor, he/ she must be able to unconditionally motivate you despite the taboos and judgement that happen around.

Never ever compare yourself with other woman entrepreneurs. You are one of the limited editions and you are unique! Every woman has a different priority in life. Sometimes, there is a guilt that you haven’t been able to - take care of your sick child, or cook food for your husband, or have a long chat with your friend or take decision on what label you need to choose for a relationship! Remember, not all the above is always on the top priority for other women around.

Now the question that might strike your mind, how do I choose my priority and what do I do first? Priority is based on your needs and solely on what you want to do that can bring you happiness.

Firstly, complete those activities which are urgent, important, quick to finish, easy to do, doesn’t require others help (those tasks who can complete independently). Secondly, break big task to smaller tasks and try to complete one at a time. This will help you avoid putting all things together and leaving them incomplete! Never postpone but plan and give yourself a reward once you complete. A reward can be something that will help you feel good or look good viz., a foot massage, a movie night, chocolates, etc! Have some ‘ME’ time where you take time to connect with yourself. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, meditate and focus on your mind, body and soul.

Multitasking becomes inefficient when you combine two important tasks together and try doing both the tasks at the same time! Always combine not urgent tasks with an unimportant one, for example: when you are working on month end financials, you cannot think about booking your movie tickets simultaneously. You might either end up booking a wrong ticket with incorrect seats, or dates or screens! Instead, when you want to book travel tickets, you can think of making your to-do list. This way you can use the buffer time efficiently while booking tickets.

Lastly, there can never be a perfect way to balance life and work but it’s about how happily you deliver every responsibility without guilt and pressure! Start being mindful about every task you do. Prioritize your tomorrow’s tasks and keep reminders in mobile.

Remember, there’s nothing we cannot try. Let’s try and make mistakes. Let’s learn from our mistakes, it’s only going to make us better every single day! Have no regrets, experience and accept the challenges that comes your way!

- Pushpa Bhagyam (Asha Alex Paul Menon)

Independent Learning & Development Consultant, Raipur

Send me your feedback or questions at pushpa.bhagyam@gmail.com