Copyright (c) 2006 Mary Foley
Do you ever feel like Wonder Woman? I have. As a woman juggling a ton of things I've wondered "what the heck happened to my life?"
In fact, there have been times when I wondered if I had much of a "life" at all.
You know what I mean. As a woman you play multiple roles. You're a daughter, grand daughter, sister, niece, girlfriend, wife, business woman, gal pal, volunteer….and sometimes community leader, politician, or in the ministry. And you're exhausted! You want to do it all and do it all well. You don't want to let anyone down, and yet you're losing it. Okay, so maybe you don't need to be checked into to a hospital, but your energy and enthusiasm is slipping, your health is waning, and you wonder if you can keep it all together.
The solution to the problem I've often heard is to have "work-life balance." I understand the intent, but striving for balance hasn't worked for me. The idea of balance is that I evenly divide up my time and energy for every area of my life, like a see-saw with a whole bunch of sides to it with equal weights. But, my life isn't divided up evenly, nor do I think it should be. Right now for example, to grow my business takes a better chunk of my time than, let's say, making dinner, working out, or taking care of pets.
I say forget "balance". Strive for sanity instead! Sanity is feeling at the end of everyday feeling internally satisfied that you used your time and energy on what's most important to you. Here are seven secrets to getting there.
Secret #1 is Know What You Want
Be clear about who and what's important to you. Then make choices to support your decision. If you don't know what I want, there will always be someone who will try to determine it for you.
Secret #2 is Say "No" Without Apology
When you're saying "no" to what you don't want you're saying "yes" to what you do want. Saying no doesn't mean you're being mean or hurting someone else. It means you're taking care of yourself and, often, those you most care about. That's something we should never apologize for!
Secret #3 is Focus on What's Going Right
Focusing your attention on those things that are working and helping you feel good about yourself gives you the necessary self-esteem and staying power for dealing with difficult situations and creating sanity.
Secret #4 is Stay Away From Whiners
Life is too short and requires too much of us to be spending lots of time with people or in situations that don't cheer us on to the best we can be and go for our dreams.
Secret #5 is Get Someone Else to Do It
You really don't have to do it all! Get someone to do the things in your life that really can be done by someone else.
Secret #6 is Take Care of You and You and You
Take care of all of you - the physical you, the emotional you, the mental you, the social you, and the spiritual you. Taking care of yourself gives you staying power. You're not only worth it; you are the only you you've got.
Secret #7 is Be Serious About Not Being So Serious
Don't miss the fun along the way. Be playful! Laugh as much as possible and find the humor that's begging to be discovered. The demands of your fast, full life temporarily melt away.
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During a successful, demanding, rising through the ranks 10 year career with America Online Mary learned that the only way to thrive in today's world is to be bold, positive, and courageous - bodacious! Today Mary inspires women everywhere to be bodacious in their lives, careers and businesses. You can be inspired, too! Get a free copy of Mary's e-book "How to Be Courageously in Charge of Your Life and Lovin' It!" at
http://www.gobodacious.com !
Occupation: Woman in Charge
Mary Foley has been increasing her own sanity, confidence and fun since her freshman year in engineering at Virginia Tech. Thankfully, her university experience didn’t put her over the edge, but it did cause her to search for a career she loved. She didn’t anticipate she would find it as an $8 an hour customer service rep at then-unknown America Online.
During Mary’s 10 year AOL career she thrived on the company’s intense hyper-growth, being promoted four times and becoming the company’s first head of corporate training. Even while experiencing success, her sanity was tested again and again. She survived six layoffs, a difficult marriage, and bumped her head on the glass ceiling (even though she’s only 5’ 2” tall).
Not satisfied to settle, Mary reached deep inside to find her inner courage - the bodaciousness - to reinvent her life. That decision set her on a path where she has never looked back. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Organization Development, became co-owner of a human resources company, started her own company, and wrote her first book, all by the age of 36.
Today, Mary is the author of three books, a popular national speaker, and former co-host of the Girlfriend We Gotta Talk! radio show. Her latest book, Live Like Your Nail Color, Even If You Have Naked Nails became an instant Amazon bestseller. Now, instead of solving engineering problems Mary inspires women with practical advice to create sanity for their lives and confidence for their careers - all while having a bit of fun!
Mary is an active member of many local and national organizations including the National Speaker’s Association (NSA) and the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA). In 2010, she was honored as the ABWA Richmond Business Woman of the Year. Mary has appeared on the cover of Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine and spoofed on the E! Entertainment TV Show The Soup.
Spoofed or not, Mary takes life in stride, declaring “Wearing red nail polish really helps!”
What Others Are Saying About Mary:
“Bold, funny and inspirational!”
– Kimberly Trimbell, Merrill-Lynch
“I got the adrenaline shot of courage that I had long been searching for.”
– Leizel Parks, Booz Allen Hamilton
“You were fantastic! Inspiring, right-on-target message, plus fun!”
– Vicky Carr, Lockheed Martin Women’s Network
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