5 Common Mistakes Busy Women Make

By Lynn Anderson

In today's fast paced working environment, how do women maintain any type of balance between their professional and personal life? In my research and role as an executive coach helping women to be all they can be including leaders in their life, I have found five common mistakes women make in their work-life balance.

1. Hard Core: I will work really hard so that I will be recognized for my contribution. I thrive on doing as much as I can! I have a hard time delegating work to others since I know I can do the work better myself. This hard core mistake saps women of their energy and allows them no time for strategic thinking and planning which are keys to being a successful leader. Powerful leaders also have an ability to really get their team members involved in the work to be done, providing stretch opportunities, creating passion by assigning individuals work that aligns with their strengths and allowing them to make their own mistakes. Empowerment is king and if you are doing all the work yourself and keeping your head down, you will miss out on many opportunities. So stop the hard core thinking, and move toward strategic empowerment and high energy motivation.


2. Horn Tooting: I do not have to toot my own horn or have a purposeful plan because my work speaks for itself. I will look like I am bragging or too full of myself if I talk about all my accomplishments and that just is not who I am. My team was key in getting the work done so acknowledge them. Well ladies, I have something to tell you that maybe you will not like but you are missing the boot on this one. Use your horn to let others know of your passage. The horn does not have to be blaring loud, but it does have to be visible. Knowing who you are, what you have done, and where you want to be is key to being a leader in your life. You need to be clear what these are and who you are so that others will recognize the contribution you bring to the table. Speak up and let your thoughts and actions be heard. Do not shy away from recognition, embrace it. Yes your team helped you to get the work done, but who built the team and the motivation to get the job done? You did! So start practicing your horn tootin skills and get comfortable with who you are. This confidence will allow you to lead purposefully and professionally toward success as well as helping you create the balance you so deserve and want.


3. Helper: I am all about helping others except myself. I love to help out at work and at home as well as with my network. Women are great networkers and volunteers. They give back to their work and their communities. While that is commendable, we as women need to be sure that we are giving time to ourselves to recharge and provide us the energy so we can help others. If we wear ourselves out, we are not doing anyone a service. So be sure to get plenty of rest, your eight hours of sleep, and store up energy so you can create even more amazing results. Also, if you are always helping a person out, they are not learning and you are robbing them of that experience. Allow others to make mistakes and learn from them, providing guidance but also space for them to grow into who and what they want to be.


4. Blame Game: Women tend to want to participate in the blame game / gossip. When something is not going our way, gals, we tend to gravitate toward wanting to blame others for our stress and overload. My kids, my spouse, my team, my boss need me to get this done. While that is great that so many others are depending on you, you need to depend on yourself first. Those other people who are part of your life are not the ones making your decisions and taking your action; you are. So you need to create possibilities that allow you to take action steps forward toward positive results. You need to see the vision that you want to create and take the steps to get there. You need to enjoy the journey and not blame others when things are not going just the way you had planned. You want to embrace the unexpected and look at it like an opportunity to learn. By shifting your thinking away from negative thoughts and toward the positive ones, you will allow yourself to move forward faster, taking steps forward, rather than wallowing in self pity and not stalling out. This shift in thinking is really up to you, so start practicing it today.


5. Balance Illusion: This mistake is when a woman says, "I surrender and life balance is hopeless." This mantra only serves to stop you from moving forward and taking control of your life. You are in control and yes, there are consequences for your actions, but through sound decision making, you can make this happen. Prioritize what is important to you. Look at the two to three key things you want to get done each day both professionally and personally, and start taking the steps to get those done. Once you have those done, look for two more and so on. You will not know the outcome unless you try it so try to create an environment that will allow you to get the results you deserve. Do not quite, do not give up, start practicing and managing your time and energy toward what you want to focus on. When you do this, you start making decisions that will allow you to have work life balance.

I made these same mistakes when I was a very busy consulting executive. However, when I took the time to map out a strategy for my success at balancing my personal life and my career, I was able to find time for my exercise workouts, find time to attend my son's baseball game, and make choices of when I worked late and when I turned off my cell phone and my laptop. Guess what, not only did I start increasing my energy level and getting my work done faster and with higher quality, I was able to create a more balanced and fulfilled life. What about you? Are you ready to take control and start balancing your personal and professional life? Join me with my 50 day intensive Woman Warrior leadership boot camp and you will find the means to start leading your life and creating your abundance.

Lynn Anderson is Chief Executive Officer of Coaching4Abundance LLC (http://www.coaching4abundance.com). Lynn has over 25 years working in the government, corporate, consulting and now entrepreneurial world. She focuses on the positive and continues to look at all dimensions of her life including those of a successful business women, wife, mother, tennis enthusiast and friend to those she comes in contact with. Her philosophy is to live each moment in a positive way, remember your true core values, and live life to the fullest in every possible way. It's up to you but you can do it!

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