Both the small and big things in life inspire me: nailing a recipe on the first try, mastering a tough yoga pose, getting new opportunities and responsibility at work. Â On the work front, I’ve been very blessed to work on some incredible projects and with an amazing team (amazing really doesn’t begin to cut it). Â That said, my life is pretty limited outside of work, graduate school, and spending time with friends and family.
I’m always looking for ways to do more in the 24 hours I have in a day, and also continue to advance in my job (as are we all). Â I stumbled across two items last week that both inspire and offer advice:
Cynthia post this TED Talk of Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook. Â Sheryl focused her talk on motherhood and the workplace, but her point of sit at the table really resonated with me. Â Too often I sit in meetings mute, simply observing rather than participating. Â Granted, I’m still rather green in my role and have a lot to learn, but speaking up and asking questions will teach me far more than sitting in silence. Â I highly recommend watching this video. Â And then watching it again. Â Thank you for posting it and for your excellent analysis, Cynthia!
Say what you will about Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP, but I’ve found many the great recipe, workout regimen, and odd tip from her website. Â Last week, GP enlisted the help of two of her overachiever mummy friends and had them write a Life In The Day. Â Juliet de Baubigny, a venture capitalist and mother of two, took the assignment to heart and offered really helpful advice:
- Waking up early for some alone time and for fitness is a habit I’m still desperately trying to adopt, but it seems to be the secret to a good morning for many successful women – Juliet herself, Gwyneth, Ivanka Trump.  With my graduate school class and work travels starting this week, getting up an hour or two early to exercise and study would certainly get my day to the right start  – and I’m going to certainly start.  Tomorrow.
- Juliet’s aforementioned friend Sheryl shared with her the power of the list, and now Juliet keeps countless life lists at her fingertips – packing guides, grocery staples, etc. Â Having a easy business trip packing list at hand (rather than my head) will certainly help keep my busy life in order.
- “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” Â Crossing off tangible accomplishments, both little and small, is both fulfilling and critical for continuous development. Â Juliet evaluates her accomplishments at work, home, and with her husband on a weekly basis. Â I like that her husband is ranked up with her work and home lives in importance, and as a newlywed workaholic (married to a fellow workaholic) I need to remember to put the BlackBerry away and just hang out with my husband (or Facetime while watching the same movie on Netflix…but you get the point)
These two snippets and the remarkable women behind them were the perfect inspiration for me as I eased back into work and helped me focus for a frantic and exciting 2011 ahead. Â What did you take away from Sheryl’s speech and Juliet’s GOOP post?
