Chaos in life can wreak havoc on our confidence level and sense of self. Global crises, breakups, breakdowns, job changes, moves and illness can be beyond stressful for many of us, and ultimately a catalyst for bringing us down. Often, in these chaotic times, what matters most is how we take on the event and what we do to stay true to ourselves.
Being a woman who was once affected by the curveballs which life threw, led me to thinking about how we navigate difficult life challenges without depleting our confidence?
This concept first came into focus when I started undertaking personal development work in the late 2000’s. When the financial crisis of 2007/08 struck, I was able to observe firsthand how the fashion industry was able to deal with challenges. What impressed me most, was how confident and calm leadership remained throughout the crisis, even in the midst of it all.
Lessons learned over the years
Throughout my career and my business, I have spent time with executives in high-growth firms who, when asked how they remain calm during a time of crisis, commonly responded with the importance of developing a growth mindset. Even though many crises are externally generated, it is the response and internal dialogue that has a significant impact on our life.
When I embarked on self-discovery to work out the behaviours that caused me to react out of fear when responding to life’s pressures, I found that it was the limitations that I placed on myself from early childhood, which became the self-limiting habits I carried through my life.
And even though I had very little money at that time, I decided to take a risk and invest in a mentor to help me uncover what my limiting beliefs were in order to build the confidence I needed to maintain control regardless of raging storms or what was happening in my life.
Investing in myself was one of the best decisions I have ever made! Not only was I able to uncover my limiting beliefs, I also learnt about the power of instilling healthy habits, routines and practices into my daily life to develop a strong foundation and push past boundaries.
Routines to help you build a rock-solid life
As a result, I am now a dedicated, highly accomplished entrepreneur and through my business, Finesse Your Style, am able to support other women to overcome their fears. I have created a movement of ambitious individuals seeking to develop CEO mindsets and attain world-class performance regardless of how chaotic life gets. Here are my top 5 routines and practices I attributed to building a rock-solid foundation within yourself:
Getting out of your comfort zone
Before we learn new habits, we first need to unlearn the old, which is not an easy feat. Learning new habits is uncomfortable. Think of the changes you may have already made like starting out on a healthy exercise regime or diet, or consistently staying on top of studies.
Most people spend their whole lives trying to avoid discomfort, but, as elite performers know, consistently building good habits leads to a more interesting, fulfilling and rewarding life.
Morning routine
While we are all guilty of over-scheduling our lives, when was the last time you scheduled something for yourself? Not only can a morning routine help you to feel calm, controlled and powerful, it allows you to prioritise yourself first before the day takes a hold of you.
I have found that beginning my day at 4:30am every morning allows me to dedicate my morning to prioritising self-care practices – including moving my body, meditation and reviewing my to-do list to ensure that my most challenging tasks are completed well before 9am. Setting a morning routine allows the rest of the day to run with much ease.
Disconnecting from the noise
In today’s digital age, it has become increasingly difficult to focus on what is important. Between the constant pings of emails, messages and social media notifications, the opportunity to do deep, focused work has become less and less achievable. When times feel overwhelming, I disconnect from social media and focus on listening to my intuition and expanding my energy to protect myself from being affected by outside interferences.
Investing in yourself
While it is human nature to for one to operate out of a place of fear during a time of crisis, making long-term decisions to continue investing in yourself will boost your confidence in your own abilities and have a positive impact on your self-esteem in the long run.
One thing I have come to realise is that in order to truly elevate your life, you need to invest in all aspects of it – from the way you dress, taking care of your health, your appearance, learning new skills, nurturing yourself and managing your finances…pretty much everything!
Going within
The most powerful and joyful practice you can adopt today is to set the goals that come deep from within. I do this by calming my mind with the practice of meditation, which allows me to listen in to what makes me feel the most inspired within that moment. As I meditate, I ask myself questions such as, “What do I want to focus on the most today?”
Answers will either come in the form of ‘aha’ moments, thoughts, feelings, images, or even sensations. Depending on what is happening in my life, I will rewrite my goals each morning. This allows me to be guided by intuition instead of focusing on irrational thoughts.
Are you ready to build a rock-solid foundation within yourself and not allow life circumstances to consume you? Are you ready to become productive in every aspect of your life?
My signature program, Grace and Sophistication will support you on your journey by providing you with purpose-driven tools to help you overcome your fears and skyrocket your personal life and career to a whole new level, regardless of what is happening in the world.
Jane Vandermeer is the founder of Finesse Your Style. Jane is also an Executive leader at C-Suite Network, the world’s most trusted network of C-Suite leaders.
