Latest / Black Girls Consult TOO! / Episode 108: Navigating the Chaos: 5 Key Lessons on Resilience in Business

Transcript

Episode 108: Navigating the Chaos: 5 Key Lessons on Resilience in Business · Black Girls Consult TOO!

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: They say, the odds are stacked against us as women, especially women of color, trying to thrive in the consulting world.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: But rather than wait for a seat at the table that may never come, what if we build our own tables?
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: What if we channel our talents into guiding each other towards the success we deserve?
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: Welcome to the Black Girls Consulting Podcast.
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: I'm your host, dr Andrea Nadevis.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: I walk the path from healthcare consultant to a mentor for women like you, ambitious, unstoppable and ready to make waves in the consulting world, this podcast is your go-to spot for all things entrepreneurial consulting.
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: For us as women, especially women of color, think of it as your weekly coffee date with a friend who's here to dish out real talk on building a solid business, elevating your thought leadership and mastering that all important mindset.
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: And let's not forget, we're doing all of this while balancing day jobs, family life and running teams.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Yes, we can do it all.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: So if you're ready to dive into how you can grow a thriving consultancy or get strategies and insights that actually fit your busy lifestyle, then you're in the right place.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: Grab your coffee, tea or, hey, even a glass of wine, I won't judge and let's get started.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: Hello, hello, hello.
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: Welcome to the Black Girls Consulting Podcast.
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: I'm your host, dr Angelina Davis, and welcome to another episode.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: We are doing this a little bit different.
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: This week.
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: I have been working to record each episode as a video so that we can upload it to YouTube, and it has been a journey, to say the least.
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: I am thinking each of you have been tuning into both the audio version as well as the videos on YouTube as we get started there, and I just want to say that part of the delay that we've had in the most recent weeks has really stemmed from the fact that I ran into technical difficulties trying to get the video uploaded, and if anyone has been in the YouTube universe, you know that that can happen from time to time.
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: And so here I am back on the mic just having this conversation, me and you, because there's a lot to talk about and I felt like the whole video production and trying to first of all learn how to do it.
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: Being new, it takes me a lot longer.
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: Definitely it is not easy for me right now, but I'm doing all this because I want to build in public.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: I want to build in public.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: I want to really just show myself that number one I can do it.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: It's a growth exercise for me, but then two for any of you that may be inspired to do something that is a little bit uncomfortable this year.
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: I want you to go for it and know that it can look as messy as possible and still be a step toward success, and so that has been my rationale for trying to build in public and do this as openly as I could.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: But, with that being said, I don't want me trying to go online and have this video up be the reason why the podcast suffers, and so, for that reason, I am thinking about a lot of different shifts that I want to make, and that really led me to this episode, which is one where I want to talk about how to navigate the chaos, and I don't know if you've been feeling this way this year so far.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: I talked to a lot of people in 2024 really is bringing in a fast paced energy.
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: You know, it's not that things are bad, they're just moving swiftly.
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: Can you believe that right now, when I'm recording this, we're already in March?
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: We're about to close out the first quarter of the calendar year.
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: That is insane when you think about the fact that it seems like I don't know when we're toward the end of the year.
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: Last year, things were starting to slow down and move a little bit slower.
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: Now it seems like we're at breaking that pace, trying to just catch up and stay afloat.
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: So, in the midst of all of this movement, I think a lot of us have been experiencing a lot of change, a lot of change very rapidly and that can be a little bit uneasy to navigate.
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: It gives you the sense and this feeling of insecurity and doubt sometimes, if we're just all honest at least if I'm honest and I wanted to really have this conversation about the level of chaos and then the lessons on resilience that we can actually learn, in particular in business, when we enter into these more difficult seasons.
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: So I want to just use my experience as the case study for today as we walk through lessons on resilience.
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: This is something that I always like to work with clients on and I want you to know that I also do this work on and for myself as well, because becoming resilient in your business journey, especially as a woman and a woman of color in the consulting industry, which is hypermasculine, very competitive it is important.
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: It is what keeps you afloat, what keeps you moving forward, what keeps you making progress so that you can get to your end goal and achieve the success and longevity that we want.
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: So one of the first lessons that I've been learning in this one I feel I put it at the top of the list because I feel like if you don't have this, it's going to be difficult for you to master the other lessons and resilience.
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: But focus Focus is so important I just can't stress that enough.
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: And what I found is that by me venturing into a lot of different other areas so going into YouTube, doing more in terms of ghost writing and educational email courses I have begun to expand to a point where it was beginning to overwhelm my capacity.
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: And that often happens.
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: When we don't have focus, when we're not focused in on a particular project or goal or we haven't set effective priorities that really align with our desire and result, we lose focus.
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: And that lack of focus creates this uneasiness and this unsteadiness, because everything feels a little bit chaotic, it feels as if it's not following a set pattern or path and that is not settling, I know for me I like to have things mapped out and know what stuff I want to take next and the feeling of having to bounce around and jump from one thing to the next can be something that can definitely hinder your performance, because you're not able to implement things as swiftly, you're not going to be as effective in terms of the work that you're putting out, but then also, it just mentally causes a level of fog that's there because you're unable to see clearly.
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: So one of the first things I had to do is regain focus.
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: For me, this meant sitting down and determining what I am going to prioritize in this season.
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: What am I going to prioritize in this season?
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: And so for me, my priority became the podcast the podcast in audio format, as it has always been.
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: Now.
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: It doesn't mean that I'm going to stop building on YouTube.
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: That's going to continue on.
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: But when I'm thinking about prioritizing my time and how I focus my efforts, I needed to create a central focus or target for my energy so that I know where I'm going to make sure that I'm showing up week after week and then using that time to build the platform as I can while I'm moving along.
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: Now, once I'm able to master and be more efficient and more effective in the YouTube world, then maybe that will switch to more of the focus over the audio version, but specifically for the podcast I had to begin to focus in, and that focus helps you to number one calm your mind and begin to think more clearly so that you don't feel as scattered.
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: Another thing is that it's going to help you provide a level of self-care that you probably have been overlooking, because if you're not focused in on the things that need to be done and what you need to prioritize, then that also likely means that you have probably not put yourself on that list Right.
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: So we know, for us to be able to dedicate our time more effectively and appropriately throughout all aspects of our life, we have to have this level of focus as present.
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: So that was one of the first things that I needed to do is to sit down, focus on what I'm going to prioritize right now in this season.
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: So for me, podcast-wise, it's going to be the audio version.
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: Business-wise, it's going to be getting back to basics, because I think, as we begin to add on and expand which is something that I always advise against doing too soon sometimes it's hard to always practice what you preach out, to have to remind yourself, get back on task.
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: But this focus is something that is going to be a priority for me as I move forward, because I know that I work best when I am focused.
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: I perform best and have a higher level of performance when I'm able to focus.
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: So that is key to being able to perform better and then also be more resilient in the process, because I'm not wearing myself down.
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: So that's one of the first things is focus.
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: Now the second is establishing a routine.
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: You know routines are invaluable Because when you have a set routine, it helps you to move through your day with the ability to get those things that are necessary, important and required done without having to use a lot of your mental capacity in order to navigate that process.
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: I like to think about it like this when you are waking up and you're brushing your teeth every morning, that's something that you naturally do.
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: You don't have to think about it.
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: It doesn't take a lot of energy to go in your restroom and to pull out your toothbrush and your toothpaste and to brush your teeth.
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: It's something that we all have, hopefully, as an established routine.
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: So when we're able to build these routines in our lives that are very similar, we reduce the level of stress that we are also introducing into our life.
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: Because if everything, from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed, has to be a choice, has to be another decision that you have to make, you are expending a lot of mental energy doing those things, and so that is going to leave you with less energy to tackle the bigger problems.
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: And when we are working as consultants, that's so important because we have to use our mind.
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: That is our moneymaker.
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: So we have to be able to establish these routines so that we can save a level of our mental energy and mental capacity to be able to do bigger work, greater work, more impactful work.
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: And I think when I got out of routine, when it came to my day, a lot of it stemmed around the fact that I gained more freedom and flexibility, because my older daughter went to college and my younger daughter is getting a little bit older, she's now going to high school and they're able to do more for themselves, and so that gave me, as a mom, a little bit more free time to do more, and that is refreshing in one regard, but then also, in the same respect, it can be a challenge, because I broke my routine.
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: I no longer had a set time that I was waking up in the morning to take her to school and be able to work out and then get my day started and those things I was naturally doing before that involve levels of self-care and other aspects of health and wellness and whatnot.
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: I haven't been able to stick to that because of this new freedom and flexibility that threw my routine off.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: So now I'm on a journey to find routine, to establish a new routine, because things have changed, I know, in my life, and so if things have changed in my life, just if things have changed in yours, then it's time to revamp.
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think one of the biggest mistakes that we make is expecting for our lives to stay the same despite what has occurred in the newness of, maybe, our world and our lifestyle in the present moment.
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: So we have to begin to honor that and reestablish routines and find a new way of moving through our day, and that was something that I desperately needed.
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: So, you know, I've been working on how do I find a routine that works for me now to accomplish the goals that I currently have.
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: I have a lot of big, lofty goals on my list, as I'm sure, as you do so.
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: If you have a goal to do a lot of big projects or tasks, or maybe you are trying to roll out a new service, or maybe you're trying to write a book whatever you are trying to do in this season you need to build that into your routine.
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: So that means that probably what you're doing right now has a change, and that's something that I had to be honest with myself about.
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: I had to say listen, angelina, you have to change this up.
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: You have to create a routine that is going to allow you to, number one, incorporate yourself, as you used to, but then also to incorporate the work that you know is going to allow you to live in your purpose and to make the biggest impact that you can.
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: The things that you say that you truly are passionate about and that you want to do.
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: They have to fit into this new routine, and once that happens, it's a lot easier to stay committed to it because it is a routine.
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: It's not something that you're trying to find time for anymore, and I think that's one of the biggest factors that we often struggle with.
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: I did a survey of my email community very recently, and one of the common denominators from that survey is the fact that most people felt like they did not have the extra time that they needed, or at least the desired amount of time that they needed, to focus on their business, because they had competing priorities.
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: Whether that's a nine to five or if that's a growing family, it's a lot on their plate.
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: So in order for us to navigate that difficult space because our responsibilities are just a reality of life we have to find a routine that allows us to fit the things that we want to do, our dreams, our goals, our desires into our daily lives.
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: And once we're able to do that, the commitment becomes easier.
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: Once we're able to do that, the growth in our business will happen.
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: Once we're able to do that, things really do take off.
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: Because now you're not fighting upstream, you're not working against the tide, right, you're allowing yourself to be carried by the routine that you've established and those things that you fit in to your life every day.
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: So think about how you can break down big tasks into smaller, and how can you fit those small steps in the things that may only take you 10 minutes here or 15 minutes there, or maybe even an hour a day.
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: How can you break down a larger responsibility, task or project into something that can become a daily routine in your life.
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: I know that that is something that I am working on currently.
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: Right now, I have a couple of tasks that I want to complete daily, such as my writing habit.
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: I wanna make sure that I'm writing for a set period of time every day.
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: I want to get back to my exercise every day instead of two or three times a week.
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: So those are just two examples of things that I'm fitting into my routine and establishing a new routine around as I move forward.
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: But the thing about routine is that it calms the chaos.
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: So when you're thinking about being more resilient and you think about navigating the chaos, establish your routine.
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: Establish your routine.
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: A thriving consulting business is built on a solid business foundation and a consulting code that leads you toward your ideal business and your ideal lifestyle.
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: And the great thing about this code is that it works for any type of consulting practice, whether you have clients with professional development, business management, grant writing, it or something entirely different.
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: This consulting code is not rocket science and is not beyond your reach, and when you crack the code, it can jumpstart the growth of your solo consulting practice and is what you need to know to get started and lend your first clients, and nothing more.
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: This is a step-by-step process.
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: I wish I had so many years ago and that's why I wanted to share this with you and how you can do this too.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: So if you're interested in starting your consulting business and creating a desirable offer to generate leads for your offer and to make sales, then the consulting code is your solution.
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: Visit wwwexcelatconsultingcom for more information.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: So here's the next lesson that I've learned from this whole navigating chaos, journey and kind of building resilience is that change is inevitable, so we have to accept it.
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: We have to accept the fact that inevitably, there is going to be change, and change is scary.
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: I was actually talking with a client really just yesterday as they expressed their frustration with their team because no one wanted to follow the new procedure that she had outlined and make a long story short.
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: One thing I was sharing at that time was that we have to work to help people accept change, and I know it can be frustrating, especially if you're consulting with clients or if you're in a leadership position.
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: You're thinking, no, this has to be done, people have to do it now.
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: I don't have time and patience to help people accept the fact that they need to do their work.
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: I get it, but it's difficult for all of us really to accept change in most cases.
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: So we have to think about how do we ease people into the concept that things will not always be the same and that is okay, that we actually want things to change, because if they stay the same we all would be unhappy.
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: No one would move forward, there would be no progress, everybody would be upset, Everybody would be bored to tears.
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: So one part of this puzzle is helping others accept change, but then when we're doing our work.
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: But then we also have to do that for ourselves and our lives.
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: And that's the harder part to be honest about.
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: Because while we may get frustrated with others and think that it is very easy to accept that change will occur, most times we don't either, just in different aspects of our lives.
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: But change is not uncomfortable.
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: Change is rarely comfortable.
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: So one piece of the puzzle is knowing that change is going to occur, knowing that it's inevitable and being ready for it.
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: So part of resilience is understanding that you can plan and prepare for the things that may cause you discomfort.
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: You can plan ahead for that.
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: If you know change is inevitable.
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: The question is not whether or not change will occur.
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: The question is, what will I do when change occurs?
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: And so that's why I had to start asking myself.
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: You know, I knew change was going to happen.
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: I knew that there were going to be shifts in terms of, you know, some aspect of my business, or maybe how I'm showing up at the podcast or doing other work in my life.
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: I know that change is coming, so why had I not prepared for it?
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: That was the question I had to ask myself and just really, you know, give myself that firm kick in the butt because I needed to know better.
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: I should have known better.
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: I knew that change was coming.
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: So now I'm a little bit more thoughtful about this in this season and thinking about, especially when I think about the rest of the year, because things may be going a certain way now.
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: Does it mean that it's going to be that way later?
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: And if it is different, if this change does occur, how will I adjust?
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: And I already have game plans, and this is the thing I think.
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: A lot of times, when we hear about people having a plan B, we think that that means that they're going to give up.
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: You know, I think there's I don't know there's a quote or something that I've read before that talks about how you know they don't have a plan B because the NS is on, the plan A is going to work.
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: They're not going to give up on that plan A.
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: It doesn't have a plan B or C or D or whatever may be Doesn't mean that you are giving up on getting the desired result or achieving the goal.
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: You're not giving that up.
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: It just means that you acknowledge that there are different ways to get there and that sometimes, beyond our ability to make any change or shift the trajectory of how things are going, we have to accept that a change that maybe we had not intended to happen or desired has occurred, has happened, and figure out how we're going to still get to that same goal in spite of that.
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: And that's where the plan B's or the C's or the D's, whatever may be, come in.
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: So now I'm thinking as I move through this season and thinking about the rest of the year.
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: How am I going to navigate?
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: You know, if this doesn't fall into place, am I going to do that?
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: If that doesn't fall into place, am I going to do this other thing?
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: How am I going to move forward and navigate change?
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: And that makes me excited, because now, instead of thinking about it as a hassle or something that is going to be a roadblock or bottleneck, now I can think about it from the standpoint that this is an exciting opportunity for me to see how I'm going to switch it up.
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: Right, I'm going to give a plot twist, and having that attitude just is more powerful.
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: It empowers you to do more because now you are not the victim of change.
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: Instead, you are empowered by it because you know how to navigate it.
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: And that, in essence of itself, is resilience, right?
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: So that has been a big lesson for me.
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: I think that I had gotten out of the practice of thinking about a different approach and different ways to do things.
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: How am I going to shift?
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: How am I going to adjust?
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: And now I'm thinking about that.
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: I'm thinking about you know what I'm going to do if something falls through.
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: I'll give a good example.
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: I'm on a health plan, health and Wellness Plan for Health and Wellness Coach.
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: It was amazing.
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: But one of the things we talk about all the time the fourth week of the month, of every calendar month is very difficult for me.
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: I call it my health week.
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: It's the time where, like literally, my life goes into a dump, is a dumpster fire, and one of the reasons why is because I just have a lot on my plate between clients and projects and meetings and the whole nine, and so when I get to that week, usually what happens is that my exercise falls off, my eating goes in the toilet, and you know that that hinders my overall wellness journey and my weight loss, because I'm erasing all the progress that I've made for the past two to three weeks in one week, because I'm in a situation where things are stressful, they're more difficult, they're more chaotic and I'm not making good decisions.
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: But the one question that she posed to me and it just hit home because she held me accountable for something that I know to be true, that I share with others and that I wasn't applying to my own life was was that she pointed out you know that you have this difficult week every month.
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: It's been happening for how long, right?
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: It happened for months.
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: So if this has been going on for a long period of time and you know this to be the case every month, on the fourth week it gets difficult what's your plan?
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: And I thought to myself oh, that she hit home right there with that one.
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: Because, yeah, I didn't have a plan.
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: I did not plan for what I was going to do when I got home late at night and I didn't feel like cooking and I needed something to eat.
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: I had not made a plan as to how I'm going to get a workout in when I needed to be up early and out the door and then not back home until late in the evening.
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: I didn't have a plan for how I am going to do my meditation and my other thoughtful thought, mindfulness practices in the middle of the day or any part of the day, in the midst of all of those challenges.
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: I did not have a plan.
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: And because I didn't have a plan, guess what?
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: It didn't work out.
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: It didn't work out over and over and over again, and one of the things that I did this past month is that I had a plan.
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: I had a plan and so when I got home late at night, I knew exactly which meal I was going to pull out of the freezer and I was going to pop in the microwave to eat.
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: I knew how I was going to get in extra exercise.
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: That may not have been exactly what I had scheduled, so maybe I had a strength workout, but then instead I hopped out because it was warm weather one day and went for a 30 minute to 40 minute walk.
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: So I had a plan as to how I'm going to keep moving and keep following and moving toward my goals in spite of the difficulty.
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: So we have to do that.
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: When it comes to our business and our lives is that we need to go ahead and plan for that inevitable change that's going to occur.
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: So, right now, think about your difficult moment that you are experiencing on a consistent basis.
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: What is it?
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: And I want you to make a plan right now as to how you're going to navigate it so that you can stay focused on the goals that you have already established.
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: And, especially as women, we have tons on our plate to tackle, because if you don't have kids and you often helping someone else out with their kids, or maybe you're taking care of family or you have other responsibilities that are just on your plate you need a plan for how to navigate those difficult moments, as they committed to your journey to accomplish your goal, in spite of the changes that may happen.
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: So do that right now.
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: That is one takeaway right now from this lesson on resilience.
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: All right, we're getting there.
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: We're about to bring it on home with just two more lessons that I wanted to share with you.
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: This next one is big, though, and I think this one made the biggest difference for me, outside of just focusing in on what I'm going to prioritize, which was the first one.
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: This made the biggest difference for me over the past, you know, I would say two to three months, and that is be decisive.
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: Be decisive, make a decision, decide.
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: You know it's it's really hard sometimes to make a decision, because you're always fearful of making the wrong decision or making a mistake.
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: I know I am, and so, when, when we're indecisive, we spend a lot of time pondering the what ifs.
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: You know the well.
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: You know, if I do this, what if this happens?
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: What if that happens?
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: And what I want to just let you know is that, even if those things occur, you can still adjust, you can still make a pivot and and like I said, embrace change, embrace the fact that you had an outcome that you desire and still reach your goal.
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: So there is no risk or harm in being decisive, and what being decisive helps you do is it takes you out of these thinking circles that we often get in.
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: I know I get in.
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: I can ponder on something for so long because I am working through all of my plans and trying to dot my i's and cross my t's, and the thing is that that waits time, it wastes precious time, and so what happens is that you begin to eat up a lot of time doing all of this, this thinking and being indecisive, and then you have even less time to dedicate to those things that you need to get done.
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: So if you're overwhelmed in trying to navigate this chaotic space and oftentimes it's chaotic because we are at our capacity in terms of what we can actually carry out and do being indecisive doesn't help that.
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: It doesn't help that.
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: So one of the things that helps us to move forward, to be more resilient, so that we can, number one, protect and guard our energy, and that we can still stay forward, thinking and taking action and moving in a positive direction, is being decisive.
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: So, whatever this next challenge or this next step that you're about to take that you've been pondering over for days and weeks and thinking about, and I want you to make a decision about it.
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: I want you to think about what you are going to do next, decide and once you make that decision, no, that that decision doesn't have to be permanent.
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: There is nothing permanent about it.
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: There's no one forcing you to stick with this for the rest of your life.
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: So, although you're being decisive in the moment, it doesn't mean that you're committing to it forever, and I think when we can accept and embrace that aspect of it, it makes it a lot easier to move from this point of indecision to decisive action.
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: So be decisive.
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: And, last but not least, I want you to see the bigger picture.
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: One of the things that can make any challenge more difficult is not seeing the bigger picture and taking things out of context, thinking that something that is actually a small problem, a small obstacle, small challenge, is bigger or greater than it is.
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: We give it more meaning than it needs to have, and if we give it more meaning and more weight, then we can begin to internalize that and think about how that means more in our lives and actually does.
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: We may think of it as being an indicator that we are a failure or that we are unable to accomplish big things or we may not ever reach our dream goal, and it doesn't mean that Many times when we enter into these periods where we feel like we're navigating chaos, in the grand scheme of things, it's not as major as it seems in the moment.
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: It's not, and I know it feels like it, and one of the best pieces of advice that a former coach gave me is to release the timeline.
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: Let it go.
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: Whatever timeline and constraint you have put on yourself.
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: And if it's not a timeline, maybe it's a particular financial goal or target, maybe it is a certain number of clients on your client roster, maybe it is being able to publish a certain number of books or speak on a certain number of stages whatever goal you have given yourself and you have looked at not achieving that goal as being such a major failure.
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: I want you to see the bigger picture, and the bigger picture is you making a greater impact on your industry and think about whether or not that one thing, that one little thing that you're focused on, does that erase all of the work that you've done so far?
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: It doesn't.
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: Does it nullify anything that you have been able to achieve?
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: No, it doesn't.
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: So a lot of times we get very, very focused on things meeting a particular standard, and oftentimes it's a standard that we have set for ourselves which is much higher than a standard that anyone else would give us, and because we don't achieve that in a timeframe or exactly the way that we had envisioned it, we make it mean more than it should, and so part of this level of resilience is being able to put things in proper context.
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: Put it in context and see the bigger picture.
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: Don't focus so much on what is happening in the moment without understanding that that moment is part of a bigger story, and that allows you to have the continued drive to keep pushing forward to achieve bigger and greater goals, because you understand that this one downturn or maybe negative outcome or something that didn't go your way, is just a lesson learned.
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: It's literally a lesson in resilience, and really, to be honest with you that's all I wanted to share in this episode is that when you are navigating a chaotic period which will happen in all of our lives there are certain lessons on resilience I think can be really helpful.
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: Those are to focus in, to establish a routine, to accept that change is inevitable, be decisive and take action and then see the bigger picture.
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: And I promise you, if you do this, it will get better.
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: Not only will it get better, you will feel so empowered by it.
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: You really will, because in all of these challenging moments we learn so much about ourselves.
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: We learn how badass we really are, right.
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: We learn that we can do hard things.
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: We can accomplish big things if we just stay focused, stay consistent and be resilient.
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: And resilience is just a muscle.
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: We have to build it.
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: So you know, whenever we run into those challenges, it's just another bicep curl, another resilience curl.
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: That's all we're doing.
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: We're just building our resilience for those great things that are about to come ahead.
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: All right, guys, I hope you enjoyed this episode and thank you so much for tuning in.
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: As always, do not hesitate to reach out to me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: Also, if you enjoyed this episode or any other episode of Black Girls Console 2 Podcasts, feel free and I would appreciate it.
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: If you believe, your rating on Spotify and your review on Apple Podcasts Five stars will be amazing and help us reach more and more people who can truly benefit and utilize this information so they can grow their own successful consulting businesses.
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: And until next time, take care.
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: Thank you for tuning in to the Black Girls Console 2 Podcast.
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to leave your review on Apple Podcasts, subscribe and share it with a friend.
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: We're on a mission to increase the success and longevity of women in consulting, and you can help us do just that.
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: Also, I'd love to hear from you, so let's connect at Dr Angelina Davis on Instagram or LinkedIn, and don't forget to visit exceleconsultingcom for more information to support your consulting journey.
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: Until next time, keep breaking glass silly, all right, take care.