It often seems that our days are engulfed in a myriad of tasks. Today we have many responsibilities and many roles - spouse, parent, sibling, child, friend, and career worker. Do you find you lose yourself in your relationships, in your nurturing roles, and in the busyness of life? Does it seem like your life has become a series of tasks to complete, rather than moments to enjoy? We often get so caught up in the DOING that we forget to BE.
Usually the first thing to go in this whirlwind of activity is time for ourselves. Lack of time for ourselves often leads to feeling frustrated, tired, overwhelmed and out of balance. Without this time for self, we lose sight of what's important to us and of what we need to be our best.
If you are feeling like life is out of control, that you are undervalued, that you are too busy, or if you put the needs of others consistently before your own, then it is time to create some time and space for yourself. Taking time for yourself allows you to renew, heal, and create reserves of energy and peace. Honouring yourself enables you to discover your truth, access your creativity and experience a sense of peace, wholeness, purpose, and balance.
Taking time for yourself is really about Self-Care and is an extremely important component to creating the life you want. It is about honouring yourself and connecting with yourself. Taking care of yourself is one of the first steps on the journey of discovering your truth and accessing your creativity. When you take time for yourself it allows you to stop doing for awhile and to just BE. It is in the Being where your power lies. You automatically raise your standards and capabilities and create potential and possibility in your life. When you honour and nurture yourself you can hear your inner voice much more clearly - you can hear your own truth and this connection enables you to live authentically.
In order to make time for yourself consider the following. Write the answers down on a piece of paper or in your journal or notebook.
Coaching Questions
* How could it be a gift to others to take time for yourself?
* What would it take to make time for yourself a priority?
* What activities bring you joy or nurture you?
* What is keeping you from doing the things that energise and inspire you?
* How can you bring more of these simple treats into your day?
Take Action
Commit to doing one activity from the list you created each day for the next week.
Each day take 5 minutes for yourself. Find a quiet place where you can sit and not be disturbed. Close your eyes and simply follow the path of your breath. Just focus on your breath. If other thoughts come in, just let them go. If you find this difficult at first, then focus on repeating the affirmation "I am happy and peaceful". Quieting your mind and body and focusing on the breath will help to change your emotional state and provide your soul with a peaceful respite from the busyness of your day.
Time for yourself does not have to take half a day or come at someone else's expense. In fact, taking the time to replenish and nurture yourself will give you more energy and you will be better able to support those you love. It is often the simple things that can make the biggest difference. For example, sitting in your favourite chair and sipping a cup of tea, going for a walk, or listening to your favourite music. I encourage you to carve out 15 minutes for yourself each day to do something that nurtures you and brings you joy. Try it as an experiment for one week and see what changes for you. Reclaim your Self! When you do, you will experience a sense of peace, renewal, and connection.
I offer a variety of e-courses and e-retreats that are designed to help you Reclaim your Self and experience the peace and sense of wholeness that comes from knowing your purpose and living authentically.
About the author:
Jan Hornford is a Life Coach & Retreat Leader whose passion is to help individuals re-connect with their own wisdom and power and to support them to create the life they want. Her retreats offer the opportunity to experience joyful self-care, connection, and possibility. For more information, please take a look at her website: http://www.futureperfect.caOr, call her: 403-313-4064 For more information about the free 4 week e-course: "Living Authentically: Honouring Your Truth in Everyday Life" visit: http://www.futureperfect.ca/store/index.php?cPath=1
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Problems Associated With Teen Pregnancy
Pregnancy is one of the pivotal moments of a woman's life but not when you’re young with a bright future ahead. Teen pregnancy is one of the most difficult experiences any young woman can go through. The stress of pregnancy, revelation of pregnancy to parents, and moving on despite the shame and worry can be nerve-racking. Indeed pregnancy especially during teenhood will never be easy.
According to studies, teenage pregnancies in the United States have decreased steadily over the years. In 1991, there were 60 out of 1000 young women who gave birth and in 1998, 51 out of 1000 gave birth. This decrease may be due to the effective use of birth control and decreased sexual activity among teens.
Yet teen pregnancy rates remain high. According to Women’s Health Channel, in the United States alone, approximately 1 million teenage girls experience pregnancy every year. At least 5f young girls give birth and in 1997, at least 13f the births in the US are of teenage girls. ??
Health risks to the baby and children out of teen pregnancy are more likely to experience health, social, and emotional problems. An increased risk for complications such as premature labor in teen pregnancy and socioeconomic consequences are present.
But there are more serious problems for the teenage mothers-to-be than the statistics and how the world views them either negatively or positively. Both the baby and the mother are at risk in major areas of life such as school failure, poverty, and physical or mental illness.
Pregnant teenagers may not seek proper medical care that may lead to a bigger risk of medical complications. In their pregnancy, they need understanding, medical care, and education – particularly in nutrition and complications of pregnancy.
Pregnancy to teenagers brings all sorts of emotions. Some do not want their babies while others feel that its creation is an achievement. Some feel guilty and anxious while others feel that they need to baby to love but not aware of the special care it would need. Also, depression is common during pregnancy in teenagers. And when worse comes to worst, a pregnant teenager may even require the help of a mental health professional.
Teen pregnancy can be risky to unborn babies. Teen pregnancy results to underweight babies, poor eating habits of the teenager, and smoking and drinking tendencies of the pregnant girl. Lastly, pregnant teens are less likely to seek prenatal care.
Unwanted pregnancy can be prevented through open communication and providing guidance regarding sexuality, contraception, and risks and responsibilities of possible pregnancy. Sexual education and family life in schools can also prevent unwanted pregnancies. Finally, support of family and love will greatly help pregnant teens.
About the author:
Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about pregnancy, please go to: http://pregnancy.besthealthlink.net/or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/
According to studies, teenage pregnancies in the United States have decreased steadily over the years. In 1991, there were 60 out of 1000 young women who gave birth and in 1998, 51 out of 1000 gave birth. This decrease may be due to the effective use of birth control and decreased sexual activity among teens.
Yet teen pregnancy rates remain high. According to Women’s Health Channel, in the United States alone, approximately 1 million teenage girls experience pregnancy every year. At least 5f young girls give birth and in 1997, at least 13f the births in the US are of teenage girls. ??
Health risks to the baby and children out of teen pregnancy are more likely to experience health, social, and emotional problems. An increased risk for complications such as premature labor in teen pregnancy and socioeconomic consequences are present.
But there are more serious problems for the teenage mothers-to-be than the statistics and how the world views them either negatively or positively. Both the baby and the mother are at risk in major areas of life such as school failure, poverty, and physical or mental illness.
Pregnant teenagers may not seek proper medical care that may lead to a bigger risk of medical complications. In their pregnancy, they need understanding, medical care, and education – particularly in nutrition and complications of pregnancy.
Pregnancy to teenagers brings all sorts of emotions. Some do not want their babies while others feel that its creation is an achievement. Some feel guilty and anxious while others feel that they need to baby to love but not aware of the special care it would need. Also, depression is common during pregnancy in teenagers. And when worse comes to worst, a pregnant teenager may even require the help of a mental health professional.
Teen pregnancy can be risky to unborn babies. Teen pregnancy results to underweight babies, poor eating habits of the teenager, and smoking and drinking tendencies of the pregnant girl. Lastly, pregnant teens are less likely to seek prenatal care.
Unwanted pregnancy can be prevented through open communication and providing guidance regarding sexuality, contraception, and risks and responsibilities of possible pregnancy. Sexual education and family life in schools can also prevent unwanted pregnancies. Finally, support of family and love will greatly help pregnant teens.
About the author:
Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about pregnancy, please go to: http://pregnancy.besthealthlink.net/or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/
Powerful Intentions
Intention. I know you know what it means, but when pressed to define it in words your tongue may get a bit tied. Most people somehow relate intention to goals or the process of goal achievement. And that is true, as we must ‘intend’ in order to accomplish. But intention is so much more than simply the road to completing a goal. Intention has a decidedly spiritual side. Even the dictionary has a definition that involves intention as prayer.
So what’s the purpose of all this? Who cares about all this intention mumbo jumbo anyway? Well, intention is a powerful tool in life and if you’re not already using it to the best of your abilities, you’re missing out. Using powerful intentions is a primary way for us to focus ourselves and be open to new information.
A powerful intention is like a lighthouse. The lighthouse shines a strong powerful beam of light that acts as a beacon for the ships at sea. I would bet that at some time you have felt like a ship at sea, lost perhaps, buffeted around by strong currents and waves, and finding a beacon – or following your intention - can give you just the direction you need.
So, intention is a tool that creates direction, focus, and openness in our lives.
Often folks mistake intentions and goals. There’s a big difference.
Goals are attainment ideals that we set for sometime in the future. Two things to think about with goals – the energy that we use to accomplish goals is push; and goals keep us in the future.
Intentions, on the other hand, are aims that guide our action in the present moment. Intention is what allows us to discover better ways of approaching our current challenges and remaining in the moment. It is really only in the present moment where we have our power – the past is gone, and the future isn’t here yet, so your power is how you act right now.
Jennifer Louden, The Comfort Queen, http://www.comfortqueen.com, wrote about this distinction beautifully in her book, 'The Women’s Retreat Book'. She advises framing intentions in the form of a question. Questions tend to make us more open to opportunities and awareness, rather than simply having the tunnel vision of accomplishment and checking things off your to do list.
I think you’re all pretty familiar with what goals looks like:
· Increase salary by end of the year
· Paint living room this weekend
· Call 5 new leads by Friday
Here’s some examples of intentions:
· How can I best care for myself this week?
· What do I need to do to be my most productive?
· How can I listen and honor my own inner wisdom?
· What are the natural resources in my life that serve me?
· How can I ask for help?
· When do I need to hold my boundaries?
Feel the difference between the push of the goal and the pull of the intention. Both are useful tools, you just need to know how to use them both effectively.
In the Weekly Women’s Focus and Intention Call, http://www.coachbalance.com/weekly-womens-focus-and-intention-call.html, that I conduct, women spend time creating powerful intentions that steer their actions during the week. These women find this weekly practice extremely helpful in grounding themselves during the week, and in providing direction in what is often a chaotic environment. For these women, intention provides the necessary guidance to stay on track - both with their to do list, as well as their inner feelings of control and satisfaction.
Intention is powerful! Do you have powerful intentions in your tool belt?
About the author:
Copyright 2005 Catherine A. Bruns. This article may be reprinted in full with the following attached: Life Coach Catherine Bruns helps women to achieve their goals while creating a balance between what they do and who they are. For more information visit http://www.coachbalance.com
So what’s the purpose of all this? Who cares about all this intention mumbo jumbo anyway? Well, intention is a powerful tool in life and if you’re not already using it to the best of your abilities, you’re missing out. Using powerful intentions is a primary way for us to focus ourselves and be open to new information.
A powerful intention is like a lighthouse. The lighthouse shines a strong powerful beam of light that acts as a beacon for the ships at sea. I would bet that at some time you have felt like a ship at sea, lost perhaps, buffeted around by strong currents and waves, and finding a beacon – or following your intention - can give you just the direction you need.
So, intention is a tool that creates direction, focus, and openness in our lives.
Often folks mistake intentions and goals. There’s a big difference.
Goals are attainment ideals that we set for sometime in the future. Two things to think about with goals – the energy that we use to accomplish goals is push; and goals keep us in the future.
Intentions, on the other hand, are aims that guide our action in the present moment. Intention is what allows us to discover better ways of approaching our current challenges and remaining in the moment. It is really only in the present moment where we have our power – the past is gone, and the future isn’t here yet, so your power is how you act right now.
Jennifer Louden, The Comfort Queen, http://www.comfortqueen.com, wrote about this distinction beautifully in her book, 'The Women’s Retreat Book'. She advises framing intentions in the form of a question. Questions tend to make us more open to opportunities and awareness, rather than simply having the tunnel vision of accomplishment and checking things off your to do list.
I think you’re all pretty familiar with what goals looks like:
· Increase salary by end of the year
· Paint living room this weekend
· Call 5 new leads by Friday
Here’s some examples of intentions:
· How can I best care for myself this week?
· What do I need to do to be my most productive?
· How can I listen and honor my own inner wisdom?
· What are the natural resources in my life that serve me?
· How can I ask for help?
· When do I need to hold my boundaries?
Feel the difference between the push of the goal and the pull of the intention. Both are useful tools, you just need to know how to use them both effectively.
In the Weekly Women’s Focus and Intention Call, http://www.coachbalance.com/weekly-womens-focus-and-intention-call.html, that I conduct, women spend time creating powerful intentions that steer their actions during the week. These women find this weekly practice extremely helpful in grounding themselves during the week, and in providing direction in what is often a chaotic environment. For these women, intention provides the necessary guidance to stay on track - both with their to do list, as well as their inner feelings of control and satisfaction.
Intention is powerful! Do you have powerful intentions in your tool belt?
About the author:
Copyright 2005 Catherine A. Bruns. This article may be reprinted in full with the following attached: Life Coach Catherine Bruns helps women to achieve their goals while creating a balance between what they do and who they are. For more information visit http://www.coachbalance.com
Plugging Your Energy Leaks
You can’t water a garden with an empty bucket – right?! Last month we worked on filling your bucket and keeping it that way, http://www.coachbalance.com/self-care-for-women.html but a full bucket doesn’t do much good if you’ve got lots of leaks. A leaky bucket requires you to put much more effort into filling it than if you have no leaks at all. Don’t you want to keep the energy you put in your bucket? Don’t you want to be in charge of how you choose to use your energy? Sure you do! Read on and learn which of the 3 Energy Leaks are creating the biggest holes in your bucket.
ENERGY VAMPIRES – the things we just put up with and tolerate.
Just think of a vampire – it sucks the life out of you! And that’s just what all those little things in life that you’re simply putting up with do to you. Look around your home or office right now. Is there a pile of paper or clutter that you’ve been walking by thinking that you’ll get to it later? Do you hate the color of the wall? Is your computer slower than molasses and it drives you crazy? These are great examples of tolerations. Every time you walk past that pile and think you should do something about it, a bit of your energy is drained away – the toleration has occupied space and taken some of your resource. Here’s the challenge – make a list of everything in your world that you are tolerating. It can be stuff, or people, or attitudes – things you can do something about or things you can’t. Keep that list handy; you'll be using it later.
ENERGY WASTERS – our bad habits.
Picture this. You are running a race, an important race. You are effortlessly bounding towards the finish line, exuberant and full of energy. You gloriously leap across the finish line to celebrate your great accomplishment. Nice picture, huh? OK, how ‘bout this one? You’re running the same important race, but tied to your ankle is a small footstool. You have to run in a really awkward way to avoid stepping on the footstool and it keeps banging into your other leg. Now imagine, that the footstool becomes a sofa tied around your waist. You’re running as hard as you can, but making such little progress and using so much energy that you often have to sit down on the sofa to rest. You can’t even see the finish line. Our bad habits are just like the footstool or the sofa (or perhaps even a refrigerator!), wasting our energy and preventing us from finishing our race with energy and joy. What are your bad habits? Make a list.
ENERGY QUICKSAND – worry.
When you think of worry, think about your garden hose in the backyard with the tap turned on. If you worry a little, the water just trickles out endlessly, if you worry a lot, it gushes out flooding your whole yard and making it impossible for things to grow. Here’s an exercise for you. Draw a line on a piece of paper, with 1 at one end, 10 at the other, and 5 in the middle. Then rate your self on this ‘worry scale’. Put yourself closer to 1 if worry doesn’t impact you much – if you find yourself worrying, you take action to solve your problem. Mark closer to 5 if worry affects you somewhat, impacting your sleeping or eating and other things in your life. You're closer to a 10 if worry affects your life daily and your sleep, eating, moods and relationships are regularly affected. If you mark yourself above a 3, you likely have a worry leak that needs some attention.
So, now that you’ve identified some of the leaks that you’d like to take care of the question is what do you do to plug them up?! April is Plug Your Leaks month at the Balanced Living Journal, http//:www.balancedlivingjournal.blogspot.com (my blog - remember). Throughout the month I will be posting some very specific ways for you to tackle your leaks and hoping that you will also post what works for you. So go there frequently during the month to get and share information about your energy leaks.
Some leaks are easy and some are much harder to plug up, but I'm quite confident that you can do it. Awareness and persistence are your tools in this task.
About the author:
Copyright 2005 Catherine A. Bruns. This article may be reprinted in full with the following attached: Life Coach Catherine Bruns coaches women to success in their personal and professional goals. For more information visit http://www.coachbalance.com
ENERGY VAMPIRES – the things we just put up with and tolerate.
Just think of a vampire – it sucks the life out of you! And that’s just what all those little things in life that you’re simply putting up with do to you. Look around your home or office right now. Is there a pile of paper or clutter that you’ve been walking by thinking that you’ll get to it later? Do you hate the color of the wall? Is your computer slower than molasses and it drives you crazy? These are great examples of tolerations. Every time you walk past that pile and think you should do something about it, a bit of your energy is drained away – the toleration has occupied space and taken some of your resource. Here’s the challenge – make a list of everything in your world that you are tolerating. It can be stuff, or people, or attitudes – things you can do something about or things you can’t. Keep that list handy; you'll be using it later.
ENERGY WASTERS – our bad habits.
Picture this. You are running a race, an important race. You are effortlessly bounding towards the finish line, exuberant and full of energy. You gloriously leap across the finish line to celebrate your great accomplishment. Nice picture, huh? OK, how ‘bout this one? You’re running the same important race, but tied to your ankle is a small footstool. You have to run in a really awkward way to avoid stepping on the footstool and it keeps banging into your other leg. Now imagine, that the footstool becomes a sofa tied around your waist. You’re running as hard as you can, but making such little progress and using so much energy that you often have to sit down on the sofa to rest. You can’t even see the finish line. Our bad habits are just like the footstool or the sofa (or perhaps even a refrigerator!), wasting our energy and preventing us from finishing our race with energy and joy. What are your bad habits? Make a list.
ENERGY QUICKSAND – worry.
When you think of worry, think about your garden hose in the backyard with the tap turned on. If you worry a little, the water just trickles out endlessly, if you worry a lot, it gushes out flooding your whole yard and making it impossible for things to grow. Here’s an exercise for you. Draw a line on a piece of paper, with 1 at one end, 10 at the other, and 5 in the middle. Then rate your self on this ‘worry scale’. Put yourself closer to 1 if worry doesn’t impact you much – if you find yourself worrying, you take action to solve your problem. Mark closer to 5 if worry affects you somewhat, impacting your sleeping or eating and other things in your life. You're closer to a 10 if worry affects your life daily and your sleep, eating, moods and relationships are regularly affected. If you mark yourself above a 3, you likely have a worry leak that needs some attention.
So, now that you’ve identified some of the leaks that you’d like to take care of the question is what do you do to plug them up?! April is Plug Your Leaks month at the Balanced Living Journal, http//:www.balancedlivingjournal.blogspot.com (my blog - remember). Throughout the month I will be posting some very specific ways for you to tackle your leaks and hoping that you will also post what works for you. So go there frequently during the month to get and share information about your energy leaks.
Some leaks are easy and some are much harder to plug up, but I'm quite confident that you can do it. Awareness and persistence are your tools in this task.
About the author:
Copyright 2005 Catherine A. Bruns. This article may be reprinted in full with the following attached: Life Coach Catherine Bruns coaches women to success in their personal and professional goals. For more information visit http://www.coachbalance.com
Plan A Wedding You Can Be Proud Of - Without Breaking The Bank!
A wedding is probably going to be the biggest event that you will ever plan in your lifetime. When you are making such a commitment to the person that you love and plan to spend the rest of your life with, you will want everything to go just perfectly.
Weddings are always a welcome addition to everyone’s circle and they can a great source of joy to all people involved.
These days, most couples would prefer to spend the majority of their money on a great honeymoon, but still they want to have a memorable wedding. This will be your comprehensive guide to having the best and nicest wedding on a budget.
Just because you don’t have the money to be able to afford the fanciest of everything, you can still host the wedding of your dreams. People throw weddings on a budget every day, and with this book handy, you will be able to do it too.
You Can Throw The Wedding Of Your Dreams On A String Budget. http://www.getwhatever.com/nccwc/
About the author:
For more information, check out http://www.getwhatever.com/nccwc/
Weddings are always a welcome addition to everyone’s circle and they can a great source of joy to all people involved.
These days, most couples would prefer to spend the majority of their money on a great honeymoon, but still they want to have a memorable wedding. This will be your comprehensive guide to having the best and nicest wedding on a budget.
Just because you don’t have the money to be able to afford the fanciest of everything, you can still host the wedding of your dreams. People throw weddings on a budget every day, and with this book handy, you will be able to do it too.
You Can Throw The Wedding Of Your Dreams On A String Budget. http://www.getwhatever.com/nccwc/
About the author:
For more information, check out http://www.getwhatever.com/nccwc/
Personal Visibility: How to Take Charge and Create Buzz for Yourself or Your Business
Personal visibility is critical for success no matter what business arena you work in. Many women make the mistake that if they work hard and do good work, that they will be recognized for their efforts. This is just not so.
Take a look around you at the people who seem to buzz with success, no matter what they do or what they touch. These are the people you read about in the paper and who seem to be at all of the right networking events and know all of the right people. They are also the people who are in demand to speak at events and whose articles appear in your local paper.
What do these men or women know that you don't? They have mastered the art of personal visibility. I spoke with a woman that fits this description shortly after she had signed on to do her own radio show with a local station. I asked her what her secret of success was in terms of personal visibility. The main thing she told me was that you can't sit back and wait for visibility. Instead, you have to go out and find it.
Here are some practical tips you can use:
1. Send News Releases:
Send out a news release for anything noteworthy that you might do. Signed a new client? Appointed to a new board position? Remember, local papers are often searching for stories with a local angle. Be sure to include a photo.
2. Write Articles or Editorials:
This is a great way to become recognized as an expert in your field. Remember to develop relationships with your local editors. Contact them with your ideas and help them when they are looking for resources.
3. Speak at local events:
Many chambers of commerce, professional organizations and other non-profit organizations look for local speakers knowledgeable on a range of topics. Find the organizations that might be interested in your area of expertise and get on a panel or facilitate a program for them.
4. Allow reporters to interview and quote you:
Reporters are always looking for third parties to corroborate or refute information that they include in their stories. Many women do not like to be quoted because they fear that their words will be misconstrued or misrepresented. Women need to get over this fear and make themselves more available to be quoted in public. This serves to position you as an expert in your field and gets your name into the public eye.
5. Volunteer for visible projects or committees:
This can be either internally at your organization or externally within your community. Then use this opportunity to advantage by using tips 1-4 above.
6. Get nominated for an award or recognition list:
Typically women sit back and wait to be nominated by someone. However, if there is an award or recognition that you think you are worthy of, let someone know that you are deserving and ask if they would be willing to nominate you. Even if you don't win, you will still receive visibility.
7. Teach a college class or seminar:
This allows you to get out in front of your peers or a target audience that you are interested in getting exposure from. This not only gives you visibility but may also provide you with your next business referral or job opportunity.
These are just a few ideas. If you have other ideas, we'd love to hear about them. Email them to us at info@redladder.com and we will share them in next month's newsletter.
In the meantime, remember, to get ahead in business you need to take charge of your own visibility. For those that do, the possibilities for success are endless.
About the author:
Regina Barr is a management consultant and speaker with a special passion for helping women achieve leadership success. Regina helps companies develop strategies to attract, develop and retain women leaders. Her consulting firm, Red Ladder, Inc., also helps organizations and their leaders develop their full potential through strategic project management and coaching. For more information visit http://www.RedLadder.comor http://www.RedLadder.blogs.com
Take a look around you at the people who seem to buzz with success, no matter what they do or what they touch. These are the people you read about in the paper and who seem to be at all of the right networking events and know all of the right people. They are also the people who are in demand to speak at events and whose articles appear in your local paper.
What do these men or women know that you don't? They have mastered the art of personal visibility. I spoke with a woman that fits this description shortly after she had signed on to do her own radio show with a local station. I asked her what her secret of success was in terms of personal visibility. The main thing she told me was that you can't sit back and wait for visibility. Instead, you have to go out and find it.
Here are some practical tips you can use:
1. Send News Releases:
Send out a news release for anything noteworthy that you might do. Signed a new client? Appointed to a new board position? Remember, local papers are often searching for stories with a local angle. Be sure to include a photo.
2. Write Articles or Editorials:
This is a great way to become recognized as an expert in your field. Remember to develop relationships with your local editors. Contact them with your ideas and help them when they are looking for resources.
3. Speak at local events:
Many chambers of commerce, professional organizations and other non-profit organizations look for local speakers knowledgeable on a range of topics. Find the organizations that might be interested in your area of expertise and get on a panel or facilitate a program for them.
4. Allow reporters to interview and quote you:
Reporters are always looking for third parties to corroborate or refute information that they include in their stories. Many women do not like to be quoted because they fear that their words will be misconstrued or misrepresented. Women need to get over this fear and make themselves more available to be quoted in public. This serves to position you as an expert in your field and gets your name into the public eye.
5. Volunteer for visible projects or committees:
This can be either internally at your organization or externally within your community. Then use this opportunity to advantage by using tips 1-4 above.
6. Get nominated for an award or recognition list:
Typically women sit back and wait to be nominated by someone. However, if there is an award or recognition that you think you are worthy of, let someone know that you are deserving and ask if they would be willing to nominate you. Even if you don't win, you will still receive visibility.
7. Teach a college class or seminar:
This allows you to get out in front of your peers or a target audience that you are interested in getting exposure from. This not only gives you visibility but may also provide you with your next business referral or job opportunity.
These are just a few ideas. If you have other ideas, we'd love to hear about them. Email them to us at info@redladder.com and we will share them in next month's newsletter.
In the meantime, remember, to get ahead in business you need to take charge of your own visibility. For those that do, the possibilities for success are endless.
About the author:
Regina Barr is a management consultant and speaker with a special passion for helping women achieve leadership success. Regina helps companies develop strategies to attract, develop and retain women leaders. Her consulting firm, Red Ladder, Inc., also helps organizations and their leaders develop their full potential through strategic project management and coaching. For more information visit http://www.RedLadder.comor http://www.RedLadder.blogs.com
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