The 2011 Business Woman’s Toolkit for Success

Every successful wise woman has a toolkit full of whatever it takes to make it work. An arsenal of trade secrets … a bag of goodies. It’s like the bag Mary Poppins had – it was bottomless and filled with unlimited possibilities. In examining your toolkit, the first thing you need to do is take an inventory of what you have and what you DON’T have. While it’s important to know what you have, I believe it’s equally if not MORE important to know what is MISSING. Think about the key women in your life. What made them prepared? Where did they get their "tools?" How did they use them? Could they have used them differently? What did you learn from them?

 

There are tools EVERY business woman needs in her toolkit to be successful. They are:

1. Trust yourself. It all starts with you. If there is one glimmer of doubt then you will be unsure of whatever you attempt. You may need to change directions. Or you need to step back and re-strategize.
2. No whining. No time for complaining. So you made a mistake? Get over it. there are plenty more to be made – how else do you learn the tough lessons?
3. Be fierce in what you believe. Know your soul. Talk to God. Get well grounded in what matters – what really matters – to you. Here’s a test: if you would change or do something that was contrary to what mattered to you, then it wasn’t a strong core value or belief. Pay attention to your core values that drive everything you do.
4. Speak the truth. Nobody owns the truth. It is what it is. So make it your friend. Depend that it will always be there. The truth goes nowhere. Use it to your advantage – it won’t steer you wrong.
5. Know how to improvise. Thinking on your feet will separate you from the rest. Many opportunities are lost because time is spent trying to "figure" it out first.
6. Give yourself approval. Don’t wait for someone else to notice. Don’t beg, ask or trick someone into noticing or giving approval.
7. Nurture growth in other women. Don’t be a role model, be a GREAT mentor! Show them how it’s done. Share the knowledge. Give the encouragement. Be the woman you needed when you were building your toolkit.

To masterfully use your toolkit, you need to let go of what should have been, what could have been and what might have been. Silence the nagging, limiting beliefs that hold you back. Live in the present and make sure your toolkit is at your fingertips. [Editor’s Note: Being a successful, empowered woman takes the right tools and techniques. If you’re looking for that extra boost that comes with personal life coaching, then click here for details.]