It’s been so exciting to write this series on the 9 skills & super-powers to master for 2021 and this new, unprecedented decade.
To check out all 9 of them, you can listen to my podcast interview on the FemmeLead Podcast, the podcast for female role models & business women with powerful stories from across the world: https://www.femmeleadpodcast.com/podcast/episode/4937d773/live-session-7-from-landd-to-life-skills-with-alina-buteica-attitudes-to-help-you-step-in-2021
Today we continue with the remaining 3 skills / super-powers, that can actually prove to be, at a closer look, at the top of your list:
7. Curiosity & Flexibility
This simply means having an open and curious attitude to change, instead of fearing it. Fear lowers not only our body immunity and overall energy to do anything, but it has been proven that it blocks certain neuro-receptors and areas of the brain associated with creativity and original thinking.
So if you do care about your own level of health, wellbeing and innovation, then you would do well to stay away from too much TV, drama and fear-inducing outlets and instead cultivate practices that increase your curiosity and make you stay flexible with regards to the outcome, in life and business.
A curious mind is a happy mind. And a flexible mind is a creative mind
Tips for unleashing more curiosity & flexibility at work:
Make time (even if it’s only once a week) to read about new developments in your field of expertise
Also, at least once a week, cultivate a hobby or passion outside your field of expertise. That has been proven to increase brain flexibility and overall joy (which stimulates creativity)
Connect every week to someone new in the business (that you value) and share a (virtual) coffee where you pick their brain and get to understand possibly a different perspective on the state of things. Work-based friendships have a positive effect on increasing your wellbeing and sense of connected-ness, feeling that you are part of the bigger picture, at work.
For small business owners, connect to networks of other business owners, exchanging ideas and experiences.
8. Creativity & Innovation
Now obviously, this is high on the menu of this decade, in business, life and for the sustainability of life on this planet. The ones who will be able to best ride the current wave of changes are the ones who will not cease to innovate, improve and find new ways of creating a positive impact.
Here are a few tips on how you can cultivate your creativity muscle:
Attend online seminars and read in your field of expertise, connect to other experts online and offline
Invest in your passions / hobbies, whether they are work-related or not. Some of the greatest inventors of the last century created when they were at “play”, pursuing their passions. When you are having fun, your brain’s frontal cortex and your creativity are positively impacted and you start making new correlations and ideas flow much more easily.
Join online circles in your fields of passion and expertise
Look into design thinking and other creativity-enhancing methods used by the biggest coaches and in various companies. One of my future posts will be directly related to this.
9. Prioritize Self Care
Probably the most important of all 9 attitudes. In a world where the only constant is change, if we are not in balance internally then we can be easily swept away by any big change or challenge.
Yet the question is, how to stay balanced? Long gone are the days where burnout was a badge of honor. Today more and more people as well as companies who want to build a long-term relationship with their employees are realizing the importance of investing in their own mental, emotional, physical wellbeing. Whether through counseling, coaching, wellness practices like yoga and meditation, recreational activities, there is a big shift that happens internally (and is visible externally) when one invests in dropping unhealthy patterns and connecting to their own wellbeing.
We all deserve to be well, happy and thriving. Yet often times we have been conditioned, by old paradigms that are now dying out to make way for healthier ones, to think that we are not enough. To think that we constantly have to strive, work hard, deserving no break and least of all connection to oneself. And we are now finally realizing, seeing the collapse of unsustainable systems – that it was that connection to self, all along, that was the most important piece of the puzzle. Because when you act from a full cup, energetically, emotionally, mentally, everything opens up and becomes more easy. You don’t have to strive nor burn out. You act purposefully, intently and with impact. You create impact on the go, when your cup is full.
This has been a huge part of my journey too and it is what I am relentlessly implementing in all my coaching and client online journeys. It’s also what constantly gets me back on track when I notice my own cup is emptying fast.
Tips for improving Self Care:
Proper sleep, exercise and healthy foods. Sleep-wise, we all have a unique chronotype and it is worth checking out Michael Breuss’s research on the 4 types of chronotypes.
Increasing self awareness: Journaling and reflecting on your recurrent emotional states and habitual patterns, what is their origin and if there is something unpleasant that persists over time, how can it be addressed and gently let go of. Life coaching and coaches that focus specifically on women’s cycles and wellbeing can be of great help. This has also been part of my own evolution journey and I have seen the virtues and transformative effects of introducing the deep connection to feminine wisdom and feminine cycles in my own coaching practice with women professionals.
Looking honestly at what replenishes and what drains your energy and making space in your schedule for more of the first. That looks differently for each of us, that is why I like to work with my clients on establishing their very own “Energy replenish map”. For you it may mean regular meditation time or yoga, dance, jogging, movies/book club night, and/or connecting to friends, women’s circles, etc.
Being gentle with yourself when things don’t go as planned, reviewing the lessons but not dwelling on the losses. Allowing yourself some down time when you need it, as well as time to replenish and look at things from a fresh perspective, that seeks for the silver lining and the opportunities in it all.
Each of these attitudes has been in my experience extremely impactful for people who have showcased them. They are attitudes commonly associated to high impact, highly driven professionals, in all walks of life and business.
I hope you have enjoyed this series on the 9 skills & attitudes to master for this new decade and I look forward to an incredible month of April, in which I have prepared a brand new surprise for you.
In joy & elevated impact,
Alina Cristina