Do you ever feel like you’re playing Ping-Pong in your mind? The ball bounces back and forth between half-formed thoughts and eventually falls to the ground, trailing off into a cloud of distractions. You think, “Did I leave the oven on? I really have to eat more veggies. I bet Reese Witherspoon would look good as a brunette. Should I dye my hair?” Such a lack of clarity likely stems from our modern-day need to constantly multitask.
Today, let’s try our hardest to hold onto our minds’ Ping-Pong balls, reign in wandering thoughts and focus on one task at a time. I’ll bet we’ll all notice a drop in our stress levels come day’s end.
WOMEN IN NUMBERS: 1
Ladies, despite the fact many of us often compare ourselves to other women, do you ever feel like the only person you’re really in competition with is yourself? Well, you’re not alone. According to a recent study published in the American Economic Review, women are definitely in competition, but are most driven to compete with only one person: ourselves.
Much of this has to do with women’s lack of confidence in ourselves. That same study suggests competition against ourselves is actually effective in improving performance, particularly at work. So, what’s the answer to encouraging women to be equally as competitive as men in the workplace? It’s all about creating opportunities for self-competition, and the study recommends bosses have employees focus their competitiveness on self-improvement and mastery of work skills rather than pushing competitions among colleagues.
WOMAN TO WATCH: Christine Koh, Founder of Boston Mamas, Author and Co-host of the Edit Your Life Podcast
If you feel like your life is super busy, you definitely don’t want to miss the remarkable story of today’s Woman to Watch. As a former music and brain scientist, Christine Koh spent years achieving prestigious academic fellowship awards, all with the goal of establishing a career as a professor. But just as Christine was set to land a promising professor gig, this creative DIY’er and stellar writer had a moment of clarity that led her to choose a different life path, one offering the flexibility and independence she craved.
More than a decade later, I’d say Christine made the right move. From working as the creative director at a cool marketing firm called Women Online to becoming a bona fide lifestyle and design expert and a sought-after speaker and digital consultant, Christine has carved out her own little slice of career heaven. This clever gal is also the founder of an award-winning, family-focused blog called Boston Mamas, which Massachusetts women flock to for lifestyle advice. Christine is the mother of two daughters, and shares her experiences in a book she co-authored about parenting, with a particular focus on minimalism.
Speaking of parents, if you’re perpetually juggling two kids and three bags of groceries in your arms and just can’t find the time to sit down and read Christine’s book, you should definitely check out her dynamic podcast, Edit Your Life, which Christine bills as a source to “help you edit the unnecessary from your life so you have more room to enjoy the awesome.”
But this dedicated creative hasn’t stopped there. She also recently started an independent online T-shirt shop called Brave New World that features advocacy-oriented designs, including my favorite, which simply states, “I will persist.”
Christine is truly a renaissance woman and an inspiration for all career women. She’s proof that if you work hard enough at what you really enjoy—even if it’s not an industry you’ve been schooled in—success and happiness can come your way.
QUITE THE QUOTE
Today, quash your self-doubt and embrace whatever it is that makes you happy. As 13th century poet and scholar Rumi wisely said:
“It’s your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.”
This is Melinda Garvey signing off until next time. Remember, ladies, empowered women empower other women. Share On the Dot so more women can have a voice. Thanks for getting ready with us.
To learn more about our conversation, check us out at OnTheDotWoman.com and talk to us @OnTheDotWoman on Twitter and Instagram. We’d love to hear your voice.