by Solange Lopes | Aug 27, 2018 | Career
Disclaimer: Please note this post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you decide to purchase the products linked to this post.
Have you ever lost so much control of your time you found yourself rushing from one thing to the next ? I certainly have. Besides, I come from a long family tradition of running on adrenaline. As a child, I watched my mother run from one task to the other, as she strived to be both mom and dad for all four of us. Growing up, I thought it was normal to be constantly on the run, until showing up at the wrong address too many times was no longer cool. While my mom was particularly skilled at multi-tasking, I realized I was simply suffering from chronical disorganization, along with creating my own sense of time. And also that it was time to reclaim my time, as Auntie Maxine Waters says it so well…
via GIPHY
After a few particularly rough months of missing all my appointments, barely making it on time to pick up the kids, and burning dinner quite a few times in a row, I realized it was time to regain control of my time. No pun intended. As a busy working mom like so many others, there are so many competing priorities in my schedule that it’s easy to lose control.
When dealing with the demands of work and life, the biggest obstacle we may run into, especially as working women, is lack of time. There is never enough time to do it all. Yet, we can’t seem to take anything away from our schedules. On the very contrary, we keep adding to our list of to-do’s, praying the gods of efficiency and productivity to help us cram it all in while still looking and hopefully feeling the part.
There were times when losing control of my time didn’t just mean incurring late fees, missing client appointments, or having to explain to my kids what the meaning of “chronic lateness” really is. It also meant more stress than necessary, and not being fully present as a mom, spouse, and friend.
Ultimately, it meant having to take a good hard look at my schedule and committing to reclaiming my time, whatever it took. In my quest to regain control of the hours in my day, here are a few steps I took, which saved my sanity, edges and dark under-eye circles:
-
Assess how you use your time
Have you ever had a particularly busy day and been so exhausted at the end of it, only to ask yourself where all your time went? We face so many demands at work and in life that we often lose track of where our time goes. My quest at reclaiming my time started out with honestly assessing where my time went. This also meant sitting down with a blank piece of paper and my favorite “Girl Power” pen at the beginning and end of each day and take a serious inventory of my schedule.
As an auditor by trade, I was accustomed to filling out time sheets as related to my work. However, my personal life and time was a different story. What I found out, to my planning horror, was that how I envisioned my time, had very little to do with how I actually spent it. While I saw myself as being very effective at multi-tasking, what I was doing was actually delaying important tasks, over-committing and not being as productive as I thought. Can you say reality check?
To keep myself on track, I still assess the use of my time regularly. I do this by taking a “big picture” look at my monthly schedule and goals using the Erin Condren collection, especially the metallic monthly deskpad planner. It helps me take an honest look at how I had organized my schedule, and whether or not I’ve met my goals. The best part about this 17-month deskpad is that it holds enough room to take notes, make lists and keep track of multiple schedules and appointments, all in one place. I love having it on-hand wherever I need it, from my kitchen counter to my office desk. Being able to accessorize it with the 387 platinum stickers included with each pad is also a wonderful bonus!
Erin Condren Metallic Monthly Deskpad
Erin Condren Monthly Deskpad Planner
-
Commit to planning better
Once I faced the reality of my scheduling snafus, it was time to make a conscious commitment to planning and using my time better. It all begins with mindset. Eradicating the belief that one must rush and hustle at all times, and instead commit to being fully present and effective in everything we do, is key.
Erin Condren Life Planner
Erin Condren Life Planner
One of the best ways to committing to doing something is by writing it down first. There’s something about putting pen to paper that cements your decision and makes it real for you. As you write it down, you can also visualize it.
One of my favorite tools to keep myself on track is the Erin Condren Life Planner. More than a planner, it’s actually an experience personalized for your individual needs and schedule! I used to be frustrated at traditional planners because of their rigid format that didn’t reflect my life as a working mom! With the signature Life Planner, I can add my name and favorite quotes, plan for months ahead, list and follow up on my goals, while having control over the layouts that work best for me.
Erin Condren Life Planner
Erin Condren Life Planner
-
Use the power of technology
While I’m nowhere close to being a technology pro, I’ve learnt to use it as a powerful tool to get organized. This is why I literally take my phone with me everywhere I go, so I can access my favorite and most efficient apps, calendars and email. From apps to help me with directions to mobile banking, I have access to the tools I need to tackle the tasks on my to-do list.
It helps that I can protect my technology tools with practical and beautiful tools such as the Erin Condren phone wallets. These help me protect my phone in style, while allowing me the room and ability to store smaller important documents such as my license and credit cards. A great perk is the ability to customize it, add your favorite inspirational quote, as well as your name. This way, I’m efficient on the go without having to carry too many things, while still enjoying beautiful and motivating accessories.
Erin Condren Phone Wallet
-
Make organization fun again!
I used to think of planning and organization as one of the most boring activity, right next to dentists’ appointments and watching paint dry. However, I realized it takes the right mindset and tools to make organization fun again! The prospect of accomplishing your goals and objectives is exciting, and the process to get there should be too!
This is why I enjoy Erin Condren’s organizational tools so much. Some of my favorites include this stylish planner folio to carry your planner, as well a journal or notebook, business or compliment cards, and your favorite pen! If you’re often on-the-go, you know how important it is to have your essential planning tools in one spot. The best part for me is that it is customized with your name and favorite quote to keep you motivated and inspired! It helps when you can combine the useful with the stylish and fun too!
Erin Condren Planner Folio
Erin Condren Planner Folio
How are you reclaiming your time?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 27, 2017 | Career
As women of color, we face unique challenges in the workplace and in business. Being double minorities in work environments in which we are often the “only ones in the room” comes with its share of obstacles. There’s a reason why it is said that women of color face a concrete wall in business.
As a Black woman in Big Corporate, like so many others, I’ve experienced many of these obstacles. Yet, as much as they affect many a woman of color at work, they’re not usually widely shared. My girlfriends and I would discuss these, and even laugh about them at times; but we’d never share them outside of our small group. We were too scared of being misunderstood and adding even more grief to the whole situation. Besides, some of these challenges can be so subtle that it makes it hard to even demonstrate their existence.
Here are 7 unique challenges that women of color face at work day in and day out:
-
Being judged according to false stereotypes
The “angry black woman” stereotype is only one of the damaging images used to portray and unfairly judge many a woman of color. Many are the negative ideas that precede women of color before they even enter the room, speak up, or perform at work. It’s because of these very false stereotypes that many retreat in a professional corner, or get extremely defensive.
Being aware of these stereotypes is a hard realization, yet one that is necessary in order to combat them. Unrelenting dedication, commitment, assertiveness, along with a good dose of patience, are also key.
-
Playing the advocate to the entire Black race (along with other minorities)
Issa Rae’s hit series Insecure does an amazing job at exposing how women of color, and Black women in particular, are sometimes expected to be representatives of their entire communities. At the non-profit organization she works, Issa is pretty much considered an “urban encyclopedia”. Her best friend, Molly, is the only Black woman associate in her law firm, which prompts one of the senior partners to ask her to speak to one of the new Black interns whose boisterous ways are not aligned with the firm’s culture.
When you’re the only woman of color in your team or department, or one of a only a few, you can quickly become the advocate for the rest of your community. Which means being asked to pass along sensitive messages, like Molly in Insecure, or explain just about anything and everything that has to do with your culture.
-
Working twice as hard
Poppa Pope said it right in the hit series Scandal: “You have to be twice as good as them”, when referring to what Olivia Pope would have to do to be successful in her career. Sadly, it’s advice most women of color receive from their childhood on, and have to apply through most of their careers.
How many times have we seen women of color over-studying, overdoing, and outperforming everyone else at work; only to be passed over for promotions or asked to trained someone else they would later report to? As sad and infuriating as it may be, it’s very much a reality for many women of color at work.
-
Being the odd woman out
Have you ever found yourself in the midst of environments where you have no cultural references to contribute? For many, if not most women of color, it’s more the norm than the exception.
When you’re the only woman of color, or one of very few women of color in the room, your experiences, culture, entertainment are seldom discussed or shared. Instead, you may find yourself getting relegated to the silent corner. Or, on the opposite end of the odd spectrum, you may be at the end of interesting observations and compliments about your hair, skin, or even body shape. This is not always intentional on the part of colleagues and managers. However, it’s a hard reality that many, if not most women of color, deal with every single day.
-
Being at the end of double standards
There are many instances in which women of color are subject to double standards in the workplace. From differences in work expectations and perks to dress codes, these double standards can be as subtle as they can be disheartening.
-
Having to do the “voice switch” and other ways of watering ourselves down
If you’re a woman of color at work, you may have had to do the “voice switch” at work. You know that time when you water down your natural voice tone to sound more “professional”. Somehow, hitting the proper “business” tone may contribute to giving more credibility to women of color who are routinely considered unprofessional, from their natural hair to their assumed aggressiveness.
-
Being rejected by other women of color
When there is a belief that there are only so many spots available to women of color, it can create an atmosphere of prejudice between them. The same occurs when it’s also believed that these same women may not be competent.
The fear of associating with other women of color and being misjudged keeps many from mentoring and supporting their counterparts. Instead, they opt to stay away.
All in all, being a woman of color is a very unique experience that is seldom shared and discussed for fear of the lack of understanding or judgment that may result. However, it’s important that we start telling the stories that can change the landscape of work for the better. The more we can talk about the obstacles we face, the more we can share tools and find the appropriate solutions.
What unique challenges have you faced as a woman of color at work?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Oct 25, 2017 | Career
If you’ve ever found yourself wishing for more hours in the day, then you know that time is one precious commodity. Even more than money, time allows us to pursue our goals, live fulfilling lives and ultimately fulfill our purpose.
Not managing your time effectively can prevent you from accomplishing your goals, whether it’s through procrastination, distractions or endless planning. This in turn creates less balance, more stress and a general sense of frustration in our lives.
While a number of distractions are caused by apps, there are some out there that can actually help us manage our time more efficiently. Here are 7 apps that can help you create more time through the power of organization and focus:
- Workflow
Do you spend too much time on the same tasks every day. Workflow can help you create shortcuts so you can batch a number of tasks on your phone instead. It helps you create customized workflows to perform tasks such as pulling directions for an event, for instance. There are over 200 actions and integrations with and between apps such as YouTube, Uber and Facebook.
- Wunderlist
Does your to-do list look like a gigantic pile of deadlines, half-confirmed meetings and other open items? If so, Wunderlist can help.
This to-do list app actually helps you collaborate with friends, family and colleagues by allowing you to share your goals, assign tasks, due dates and reminders. It keeps your family, friends and team in the loop, while helping you remember important deliverables.
- Rescue Time
Spending too much time online? Rescue Time analyzes your online activity, and provides you precious feedback as to where you spend your time online. This is a great way to uncover the activities that are making you waste time, and actually block them.
You can get alerts when you spend too much time online, while also helping you focus on spending your time more effectively.
- Timely
Do you tend to under-estimate, or over-estimate, how long certain tasks are going to take you? Timely is a great tool to help you plan your week ahead of time, as you estimate how much time it will take you to complete your tasks. You’re then able to compare your own forecast with the reality and adjust your schedule accordingly.
It’s a great tool to keep you and your team on track, while holding you accountable to complete your goals.
- Pocket
If you’re a fan of saving links and content online, Pocket will save you enormous amounts of time. Instead of being thrown off by a great piece of content, this app allows you to save it so you can read it later.
It stops you from getting distracted, while making it easy and practical to save new content.
- Break Free
Break Free is another app that lets you control your digital life by helping you understand how you spend your time on your phone. This app monitors how much time you spend on the apps on your phone, and sends you a reminder when you exceed your “allowable” time on any of them.
- Cozi
If you have a hard time getting your family life organized, in between getting the trash out, dropping off the kids to soccer or shopping for groceries, then this app is for you. It stores all your information in one place, including your to-do list, calendar, journal and shopping list, which can be shared with the whole family.
Which apps do you use to manage your time more effectively?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Oct 24, 2017 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
If you look at your calendar as a working woman, you may be tempted to take a dive and just swim in it. As working women, our schedules can be closer to Madness Land if we don’t stop and actually re-focus ourselves every now and again.
I know my biggest struggle when it comes to being productive and effective is managing my time effectively. As a mom, a wife, an entrepreneur, a sister and friend, wearing the many hats life throws at me can be quite the juggling act. When you must be everywhere all at once, setting priorities is crucial.
Here are 7 questions to ask yourself daily to manage your time effectively as a working woman:
-
What matters the most?
It’s one thing to make a to-do list, it’s another to determine what matters the most. However you decide to rank your priorities, decide what matters the most in order to accomplish your goals and objectives for the day. What has the most impact on your goals and success? That’s what you should zoom in on.
This may also mean making peace with not getting every little thing done, but focusing on what matters most.
-
What can I say no to today?
We may tend to want to include just about everything that may fit into our calendar. However, mastering the art of picking and choosing what to say no to is crucial to meeting your goals. Every day, ask yourself what you can say no to, so you can actually say yes to what matters and has the biggest impact on your success.
-
Why am I doing this?
Identifying the “why” behind your actions goes a long way towards setting your priorities in the right order. What is the motive behind what you do day in and day out? If the reason behind what you do is not tied to improving yours or someone else’s success, then it may be worth reconsidering whether it shoud be part of your to-do list.
-
How can I do this better and faster?
Managing your time effectively also means creating systems and processes that allow you to perform certain tasks faster and better. Can you look at the tasks and responsibilities that fill out the bulk of your time and devise ways to execute them faster and better?
-
When do I have to get this done by?
Deadlines are important, not just as gatekeepers of our time, but also as mechanisms to help us organize ourselves better. What is more urgent? What needs to be completed first? Putting yourself in a position to complete your tasks within their deadlines will not only make you more fulfilled and satisfied. It will also free up time to tackle other tasks on your to-do list.
-
How much help am I getting?
Managing your time more effectively also means getting the right kind of support around you. How are you being supported in the achievement of your goals? Who in your network is offering their help and support? Answering this question will help you find out about your support network, and learn to ask for help as well, so you can save time and focus on your strengths.
-
Is this going to matter in five years?
Whenever I face a seemingly impossible obstacle, I ask myself if it’s going to matter in five years. What’s the impact of your actions? Is this impact short-term or long-term? If it won’t matter in the future, you may have to either push it to the bottom of the list, or take it out of your to-do list entirely.
How do you manage your time more effectively?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jul 26, 2017 | Working Mom & Woman Tips |
It's that time of the year again! Back-to-school season is in full swing, and with it what I like to call the "backpack fever". The other day, my little one pointed out the fact that his backpack's zipper was broken, so here we go!
In my household, it's a tradition to shop for new backpacks at the start of the year (or dust off the old backpack if it will be surviving another school year). We make it a family affair and love to browse fun, sturdy and reasonably-priced backpack options with the kids.
As a recovering nerd and eternal school lover myself, it takes me back to those days back home in Senegal when getting a new backpack for the school year had me partying for days.
I was raised by a struggling single mom at the time, and getting a new backpack was the closest thing to luxury back then. It's still one of my fondest memories of growing up.
Fast-forward decades later, and the whole "choosing a backpack" ritual is still very much close to mine and the kids' hearts. While I try to remind them that they're very fortunate to have so many options to pick from, I also enjoy the process to celebrate new school beginnings with them. Along with officially claiming freedom from the busy-ness of summer!
This is why I've curated a list of my favorite backpacks that take me back to being a kid and that your kids (and mine) will love:
My daughter is a huge fan of Wonder Woman, and so am I! This DC Comics Wonder Woman backpack is perfect to inspire the power girl in any school girl! It's $29.99.
This fun and colorful LEGO backpack will make your little master builder grin from ear to ear! I know mine will, and I personally love the practical knob-styled pockets and classic brick shopping. It's priced at $28!
With the
coming out in a couple of days, this
hits perfect timing! The water bottle pocket, padded straps and other extras make this a great choice for kids!
Who doesn't love cute monsters to take to school? This adorable backpack with monsters makes is fun to carry books to school. Oh and there's also the coordinated Monster pencil case, and Monster lunch box too…
Minecraft fans alert! This Minecraft backpack brings one of the most popular games to your kids' school routine, and they'll love it!
Got Pokémon? This cheery backpack just makes me smile! I love the roomy design, large front pocket and cute details.
If you're a Star Wars fan, you may hide out and occasionally borrow this backpack from your kids. The futuristic details are great, and it's roomy enough to accommodate all their school stuff too!
This dinosaur backpack is just great for any little paleontologist in the making (shoutout to my little nephew Khalifa)! It's a fun, roomy and just original pick for your future little scientist!
This Marvel Comics Super Hero Backpackis perfect for your little superhero, and includes a nice side space for their little water bottles too! I know mine is already hooked..
Why settle on one superhero when you can have the whole collection?
Unicorns have officially made their back-to-school debut! This fun unicorn backpack is for the unique, trailblazing girl who likes to dream big and…in color!
Which ones are your favorites? What do you look for in back-to-school backpacks?
The Corporate Sis
