We’re often called the "untapped workforce"—the highly qualified, educated, and motivated women who are moms who work at our careers and businesses while balancing a loving and compassionate family. WOW that’s a mouthful!
After 16 years of being an international Ford model, little did I know the best role model that I was to become was that of a loving parent and very busy business owner! You may already have experience at being a working woman while executing the duties of a full-time mom and understand it is not only entirely possible, it's desirable for many women who have extraordinary qualities and don’t mind working smart and hard!
I know you have been asked, “How do you do it all?” The answer is, “We just do it”! Sound familiar?! And if you are a girlfriend out there pondering that question—How do I get the urge to rev up the energy engine every day and discover the woman I was meant to be…successfully?—it takes a sense of self-honesty, goal setting, and balance! Once you harness that—get ready to look behind a new door. Step inside and you'll find balance and see your goals achieved—day in and day out!
I attribute all the success that my team and I have acquired to setting goals with balance. Don’t think you can do it all alone—be there for one another—surround yourself with like-minded women. I am a true believer that as women we should empower each other to live the life we dream—and do it in a way that allows us to be the best we can be, for ourselves and for the ones we love and respect.
Here are a few tips and trade secrets on how to set goals, build strategies, and create action plans in alignment with your personal power to achieve:
DESTINATION—KNOWN! Goals are no place to waffle! No vagueness! When you are specific, you harness the power of your dreams and set forces into action that empower you to achieve your goals. You need to know what you’re shooting for! Then, make sure your goal is in line with your personal values—your INTEGRITY! Think about what will bring you the most fulfillment. If you lack a truer commitment to your goals, you will most likely lack the motivation to reach them. Choosing challenging goals helps you work through setbacks, which are particularly important when everyone and everything needs your attention—from family and your community, or those weekly baskets of laundry that beckon you for attention.
KEEP TABS! Consider if you are advancing in your goals, and by how much. Whether it is by hours, dollars, or another measurement, you should be able to see exactly how you are measuring up. CELEBRATE each time you hit a new increment. It will keep you focused, and the good vibes you get will increase your desire for the next step.
TAKE A RISK! The higher the goal, the higher your performance is actually increased. Smaller goals cause most of us to under perform. So, DREAM BIG! A good rule is to find a goal that is somewhere between difficult and impossible. The satisfaction you will feel is knowing that you are stretching yourself, and it is far more motivating and rewarding than doing the minimum.
ARE WE THERE YET? A dream is just a pretty dream. A goal is a dream with your plan of action and deadline attached! Every goal should have a time frame attached to it. One of the most powerful aspects of a great goal is that it has an end to the time you are shooting for to accomplish it, and then you can ultimately cross it off your list. Love a list—use check marks—you will love the feeling of seeing those check marks, it is an awesome achievement! Vision boards really do help too—please do this exercise—our team does two vision boards each a year. See your dreams every day posted in a prominent space in your home or office. It helps you to really see its success! It allows you to visualize the goals you have in your mind—you see your dreams becoming reality! The subconscious mind is so very powerful—go ahead girlfriends: close your pretty peepers and enjoy the moment where you’ve met your goal as many times as your little heart wants. When you see these dreams and goals in your head and feel them in your heart, you are 50 percent there!
BALANCE, BALANCE, BALANCE! After we’ve set all our dreams into goals, we're ready for the biggest challenge: BALANCE! There’s a fine art to balancing life and work. When we got into business for ourselves, our children were very young and at home with me. Making specific “monthly calendars” for everyone on your team and family is a must—color coding them is a necessity. To this day we still live by them—the girls are older and their needs are different. Creating your family’s schedule and putting your work priorities in order keeps everything in line for you. Putting things in plain sight is the key—no guess work—this gives you balance and harmony. Nothing ever happens when it floats around in our head; it has to be on paper for everyone to see, and it sets expectations!
TIME FOR YOU! WHAT? How? When? Where? You absolutely need time for self—this is a priority! Mark your SELF times on your calendar and label them as appointments, or you’ll never follow through on them. Daily meditation is a great way to start, gym/yoga time, a walk, brunch, or a sporadic girl's night. This helps your body, mind, and spirit to stay balanced—not only for you, but for your family and your business too! Before you know it you will be feeling like your SUCCESSFUL, beautiful best, inside and out—all this helps you capture that sense of balance and purpose. Always remember: when Momma’s happy the whole world is happy! Don't let anyone take your happy. I am applauding the strength in YOU to stay in line with your personal values. Congrats on being fearless in your convictions and limitless in your potential—each of us, when on the right path, is UNSTOPPABLE in our God-given destiny! Unharness and master the tools that power your goals and set forces into action that ensure you will achieve all you desire with balance—financial freedom will always follow!
Stacey Schieffelin is founder and president of ybf (your best friend) cosmetics. As a former Ford model for 20 years, renowned beauty expert, and highly successful entrepreneur, she is frequently sought by national magazines such as Self, Glamour, Allure, ELLE, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, and Fitness, and has been featured and quoted in countless beauty books. Stacey was named one of "America's Power Women" by Ladies' Home Journal. Stacey's most stand-out talent is the ability to teach other women how to look and feel beautiful. She can change the way you look and feel about yourself in 5 minutes flat.
Email this page to a friend
