Impact, passion, challenge, talent: the formula for female excellence (which also applies to men)

“Work Mules. In spite of stereotypes, Italians and Italian women really work hard. It takes us many more hours to achieve personal and business results than our foreign “competitors.” I am talking about hours of paid work. But if we look at the work done by women we find that compared to men they have an additional burden in terms of unpaid work.

Certainly society has changed. Family patterns and couple dynamics in Italy are not what they were 40/50 years ago, but several legacies and beliefs rooted in the past still persist among working women.

They do more and agree to do more and more. And it ends up that it seems normal, in the 24 hours given to everyone, that they have to do more diversified activities than men: personal fulfillment, career, caring for themselves, home, family, children. Continually seeking a balance that is often difficult to achieve with serenity.

Comparing with Laura Basili and Ilaria Cecchini, founders of the Women At Business community( You can review the interesting live broadcast I did with them and Millionaire journalist Silvia Messa here) some tips for working women emerged (but which should be followed by men as well!).

Lean Lifestyle Strategies to identify those few, but important, activities that create value and lead toward excellence, personally and professionally.

And it is implied, that all other activities will have to be eliminated or reduced in order to gain time to carry out what we can call our “gold activities“.

The strategy consists of 5 steps that correspond to as many questions:

1. How do I want to feel, where do I want to go, and what do I want to achieve in the next 6-12 months?
   There is always a hidden but unbreakable link between how we feel, what we achieve in life and the activities we do. The first step in identifying gold activities is aimed at getting us to lift our heads and look straight toward our desired end point. We cannot talk about gold activity by staying to deal only and exclusively with tasks to be completed today, tomorrow or by next week at the latest.
   
2. Critical analysis of how I use my time: are the actions I perform getting me where I want to be?
   Practical tip: Make a list of activities that you do predominantly, not forgetting even those that are short-lived but that added up take up a relevant amount of time in our weeks. You will be faced with a generally long list of activities performed, both in the business and personal spheres. This is the starting point for critical analysis and relief through bold delegations, reductions and eliminations. Some of these activities will have the power to promote the achievement of desired results, others exactly the opposite. And most likely some potentially “gold” activities will be almost, or completely, absent.
   
3. High-impact gold activity research: what should I do more or differently than I do today to get what I want and feel the way I want?
   After completing the list of prevalent activities you will find that some activities are already “gold,” but you probably do not devote enough time or energy to them. At the same time, you will find that you do not routinely perform some activities that would be necessary to achieve what I clarified in answering the first question. We must judge the impact of each activity for us, our group and our company. We can measure impact both in tangible terms (e.g., money, sales volume, measurable performance) and in intangible terms (satisfaction, gratification, professional growth, recognition). You will find that many activities are necessary, but with small or at least questionable impact; others definitely linkable to an absolutely important personal or business outcome.
   
4. Unlocking one’s potential: in which activities am I most skilled and do I harness my talents?
   This question makes us take a deep dive inside ourselves and confronts us with who we are and our limitations, but more importantly with our strengths. You need to go after the activities in which you definitely feel you can put your best resources, knowledge, talents, and skills accumulated over the years. Recognizing the activities in which we are most skilled can open up a world of opportunities in the direction of achieving greater results with less effort and more fluidity.
   
5. Living with the wind in my sails: what activities am I most passionate about?
   Now room for identifying activities that make you feel positive emotions and that you would never tire of pursuing. It is essential to incorporate seemingly inconsequential but joy-giving and good-humored activities into your routines to fill your weeks with positive energy.
   It takes courage to live daily the emotions that deep in our hearts we desire most.
   But this is the passage that will most of all make you feel happy today, no longer putting off until tomorrow the search for your full well-being.