The Success Rituals Women Often Have

We continue to live in a male-dominated, patriarchal society. However, women are becoming more vocal and they are starting to take up increasingly important leadership positions. Women are changing the face of the business world by adding their own unique perspective to it, not in the least because they are able to achieve a greater work/life balance.

Rituals Women Have

Men often wonder how it is possible that a woman can do it all: hold a job, manage the household, get the kids where they need to be on time, and more, and all that without suffering from a burnout. Successful women like Karen Phillips, wife of Infor CEO Charles Phillips, believe this is due to seven rituals that they incorporate in all elements of their lives. These rituals are:

1. They know and embrace solitude. Strong women are never afraid to be alone, and they cherish those special moments they have for themselves.
2. They meditate. Men reflect, something women do as well. Reflection and meditation is different however. In reflection, you think about specific topics. In meditation, you think about absolutely nothing.
3. They avoid and dissipate negative energy. Negative energy is draining and must be avoided wherever possible.
4. They place quality over quantity, understanding they cannot have them both. As such, they ensure that whatever they do is done to the fullest and with the greatest pleasure.
5. They take the time to focus. This can be part of their reflection, or it can be when they need to put their full attention on whatever they do. Women can multitask, and multitasking is about more than just doing several things at the same time. Rather, they are actually 100% focused on several things at the same time.
6. They have coaches and mentors and, as they progress, they become coaches and mentors themselves.
7. They ask questions. Women know their own limitations and they accept these. They know that if they do too much, their health, their wellbeing, and their quality will suffer. So they ask for help. What still needs changing, however, is the response to this request for help. Other women have the right response, helping where a sister needs it. Men, however, continue to see asking for help as a sign of weakness, or proof that she couldn’t quite cut it after all. This is why, when a woman has the confidence to ask, you know she is 100% confident in her own abilities and genuinely cares only about changing perspective.

Successful women are always proactive. They understand the collective struggle women of all ethnicities, cultures, and social groups have had to go through in the patriarchal society. But they are not about placing blame. They are about being empowered to go after what they want, and about trying to show men that this is the only way forward. Charles Phillips, for instance, fully understands the strength of his wife Karen, and understands how important and valuable her leadership roles are.