Following the 2022 consumer trends report by GWI, results found that more people are putting more focus on their mental health and well-being following the pandemic. It has spurred a shift in mindset and personal innovation through the need to survive and regain control.
Our mindset affects the way we think about things that can shape our confidence, beliefs, actions and relationships. Mindset is particularly important for women navigating the male-dominated business landscape, charting new paths in their career and disrupting their industries. There are numerous ways that women can shift their mindset to set their compass towards success.
Jess Chen, Managing Director at LABBRAND, says it is important to be mindful during uncertain times by knowing how to listen, tune into open minds, and find community.
“Our lives are busy and full, and we don’t stop struggling with individualism because of culture habits or from the lack of support. Also not knowing how and where to find the support. Women should acknowledge and accept that we like everyone else are flawed therefore we should learn to love our imperfect selves.
“Professional women can challenge themselves to embrace and practise self-compassion for greater motivation and resilience. You will learn when you are suffering (from uncertainties) and when to be kind to yourself,” Chen says.
She advises achieving these two things to shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset:
- Coach yourself to be more self-aware, to be more aware of others, and to better self-manage;
- Operate at 10 times your goals to dream big, dream crazy, be uncomfortable and push boundaries. As Norman Vincent Peale says, “Shoot for the moon, because even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
Carolyn Chin-Parry, Digital Innovation Leader, PwC Singapore believes that female professionals needs to be mindful of self-care. “Quite often, we are stretched in many directions, not just in the workplace, but also personal and family responsibilities, and feeling the need to stay on top of everything. We need to ensure that we set aside time to focus on self-care and to remember to also make time for some fun and relaxation. COVID-19 has been challenging on so many fronts and there is severe information fatigue, so it can be hard to remain positive on a daily basis. Hence, the need for self-care and to surround ourselves with genuine people who can support us in tough times.”
Maaike Doyer, Founder of Epic Angels, says it is important to take a step back during difficult times to question what we are doing and why we are doing it. “Take this opportunity to redesign. Redesign your business. Redesign your own life. The pandemic created this beautiful white space. My question to you is, how did you use this white space?”
“My mind-shift is to stop setting goals. By nature, I am a very structured and goal-driven person. Already as a little girl, I loved making schedules, setting goals. And I love overachieving. For this year, I deliberately do not want to set a goal. In other words, my goal is to not set a goal! And that is hard. With this mind-shift I want to allow myself to dive into all sorts of rabbit holes that come my way. Say yes to everything, instead of immediately judging whether that is the best use of my time. Start something without knowing upfront where this might lead to. I will probably learn that in some cases I completed wasted my time. But I also expect that some of these rabbit holes, some unreasonable beginnings, might lead to unexpected treasures,” Doyer adds.
Michelle Dyer, Brand, Marketing & Communications Strategist advises that burnout and exhaustion are both things to be mindful of avoiding, bearing in mind that despite taking a break between the end of last year and the beginning of this, many women will be grappling with this already, in leftover ways. A short break is no quick-fix.
“To mitigate both, boundaries are critical, as is structure & routine. Working from home – juggling the blurred lines of work and life – is tough for everyone. The risk lies in constantly running towards finish lines that continue to move and feeling like you’re doing nothing well. So, by creating some effective boundaries – like hard working day finish times – and sticking to them, we can hopefully give ourselves some breathing room. In establishing our boundaries, we can perhaps reflect on good habits established during lockdowns, working from home, schooling from home, etc.
“Ask yourself, what did I do that was really great and I want to maintain? What do I want to throw out the window? Try not to be everything to everyone, nor to have all the answers. None of us do. Embrace the discomfort of not knowing and use it as a learning opportunity, both personally & professionally.”
One mind shift she feels is important to make is embracing the power of “letting things go”.
“Many of us are guilty of catching other people’s energy, emotions and reactions – often at the expense of our own – without consciously thinking about whether these actually have anything to do with us and whether or not they warrant our attention.
“Often, people throw out their energy, emotions and reactions with little conscious thought, because they’re ultimately not sure what to do with them. This year, I’m vowing to more consciously decide which balls I choose to catch and those I allow to fly past me, landing somewhere insignificant,” Dyer adds.
