Skip to main content

Notes on Self Management: Few Ideas for Women’s Network

Why is self management important?
Self management is important because it has an impact on our personal growth and reputation as it also influences how we are perceived. It is also a broad concept that is reflected in how we manage the different aspects of our lives for example Time, Finances, Relationships, Wellness, Careers, Spiritually etc.

What sustains self management?
1. Constant and ongoing review of how you are doing in the different areas of your life.
 I sometimes use a self-rating scale: For example let’s look at your financial management currently; on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being poor, 3 average and 5 being excellent. Where would you rate your financial management?
2. Understand the behaviors that are contributing to your current self-rating. 
If for example you rated yourself as 2 (close to poor) Ask why? It could be there is no budget in place or even if there is a budget, maybe it is not adhered to. 
3. Set goals to improve your ratings in the different aspects of your life.
Where would you like to rate yourself in future, let’s say maybe a 5 (excellent).Again ask: how will I get there?Again using Financial Management as an example:What behaviors will get me to 5 (excellent financial management)?
4. Have an action plan 
Write it down, with specific and clear timelines. If comfortable share your action plan with someone who is supportive and ask them to keep you accountable. 
5. Seek help/coaching/ mentoring and guidance from an experienced friend/professional.
Be vulnerable about where you are and where you want to be. Vulnerability to trusted people is a strength that is important for personal growth. 
6. Establish a network of people that help you to sustain your self-management. 
I found that joining running groups helps in sustaining my wellness management, WhatsApp groups that discuss finances also help me to learn and improve in managing my finances. 
7. Read widely (books and articles on finances, spirituality, wellness, psychological self-help, leadership) and do not be afraid to ask questions. 
8. Be kind to yourself 
There are times when you will not manage things well! Forgive yourself, start again and move on. It is also okay to relax and take time off and get on the game again or even change your strategy.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The impact of Stigma on people

Stigma is when we blame, judge, prejudice and discriminate people because of characteristics that they have or situations that they are going through. People are often stigmatised for situations that they already find challenging to deal with and sometimes it is situations they cannot change or have temporarily lost control over (i.e. mental health diagnosis like depression, diagnosis of HIV and people living with disabilities). So when we stigmatise people we place an extra burden on their already difficult journey. The following points highlight the impact of stigma on people. 1. Impact on mental health  Stigma results in feelings of isolation, rejection and guilt for people and it can contribute to the development or worsening of mental health challenges like depression and anxiety. 2. Obstacle in help-seeking  When we stigmatise people, it becomes more challenging for them to openly seek help because they fear judgement. As a result they either do not seek help at all or i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Part 2 of Stress Management: Beyond Self-Awareness

When you are aware of how stress affects your thoughts, emotions and behaviors then you are better positioned to manage it. Stress management is also a journey where you learn to manage your life through self-training. In the process be patient with yourself. Below are a few points to consider as you learn to manage your stress: 1. Thought management: We are all wired to think, therefore thinking is a very normal and an important process in our brains. However a challenge happens when we overthink, over-interpret, generalize and personalize situations. This tendency can negatively affect our emotions and behaviors and it can increase our stress levels. Therefore learning to discern and manage our thoughts is important in stress management.  Overthinking can be resolved by distracting yourself through engaging in healthy behaviors i.e. writing down your thoughts for a few minutes and closing the diary and engaging in something else, with plans to go back to the diary and writing at ...
Post a Comment
Read more

On adjusting to working from home during the lockdown

The lockdown period during COVID-19 came with an unexpected and unplanned working from home set-up for some of us. Although this transition was not a planned event, it is possible to manage it well, through implementing the following:   Structure It helps to keep a diary, set weekly and daily work goals that are aligned to your work responsibilities.   Time and boundaries Allocate time for work activities, breaks and knock off time and strive to keep to your allocated time. Separate time for home activities from work activities, avoid doing home chores during "work time" and vice versa. Time-off from work should be strictly adhered to.   Physical Space In your house have a corner or space on your table where you strive to create a work-like set-up that you work from. If you have an office strive to work from the office everyday.    Negotiating with family members Many of us share our spaces with family members who also work or study from ...
Post a Comment
Read more