On Becoming an Intentional Career Woman

So many times, it feels like we are drowning in a sea of "to-dos" and end up not crossing off half of what we have on our plates. It's either we just do not have enough time, or maybe we are financially constrained. 

Don't you just wish sometimes that the hours in the day could be extended or that someone would just send you an unexpected sum of money so you could settle that urgent need? I must confess that it feels this way many a times.

This past week I did a lot of inward thinking, soul searching and praying of course and all that keeps coming to me is "Be Intentional". 

How often do you actually take out time to plan your day/week? Or plan your finances and spendings? Have you thought out what meals you are going to make this week? What about your work clothes, have you picked them out? Oh what are your plans concerning that book you're yet to finish reading?

Whew! These are some of the things I still struggle with and I hope to overcome and get a mastery of!

The good news is that I have found an insight on things I can start doing to make everything come together beautifully. They are really very easy steps to follow, all you need is your determination to follow through.

1. Have a "code" word for each day.
My sister sent me a post on this about "naming your day". This is so powerful because it is what you name a thing that it becomes. So you want a productive day? Why not name it "Monday, 9th of April: My day of productivity". Simple isn't it?

2. Keep a journal:  You want to  be intentional? Go old school and start keeping a journal. Journals are really helpful because they help you keep track of yourself. They also help you track your thoughts, an average human being has about 50,000 - 70,000 thoughts per day! Imagine losing track of all those thoughts because you didn't pen them down. I am recommending a journal by Temitope Olagbegi, it's called "The Intentional Living Journal". You can contact her on Instagram @temitope_Olagbegi

3. Download and follow a time management application: Time management is very crucial. Why not plan out your week at least to the extent to which you have control over it? There are routine activities that we all do everyday and there are some we should be doing that we just do not seem to have the time for. Using a time management application helps you to streamline your activities and put a structure to your day. I am currently using an application called "TimeTune" and so far so good, I think I might stick with this one.

4. Download and Work with a Finance Management Application: You'd be surprised how much of your income is unaccounted for because of impulsive buyings or pseudo-emergencies. With a finance management system in place, you'd be able to track how much is coming in and how much is going out accurately and it also helps you plan and cut off on excesses. The application I use presently for this is the "Finance PM" application.

All in all, for everything you do, let there be a reason for it. That's being intentional. Don't let life happen to you, let life happen through you.

Have a splendid week!

- Love Truly, Molz

Instagram: @diaryofacareerwoman
Email: diaryofacareerwoman@gmail.com

CW Crush - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: A True Ambassador of Africa

Dear CW Reader,

Welcome to another exciting week!. I wish you a productive stress-free week.

Our Career Woman Crush this week is none other than Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala or Mummy NG as she is fondly called by many.

Mummy NG

You'd hardly ever see her in anything other than her native attire and definitely not without her signature head gear. I am not going to bore you with so many details about her many achievements and accomplishments, thank God we have Google and Wikipedia for that.

A two-time Minister of Finance in Nigeria and former Managing Director at World Bank, Mrs Okonjo-Iweala is definitely living a life of achievements.

 Here are some fun facts about Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala:

Married to her childhood sweetheart

Married to her childhood sweetheart, Dr. Ikemba Iweala who is a neurosurgeon, they are blessed with four children. Ngozi proves that it is indeed possible to be successful both on the family front and career front

Ngozi at 19 with her husband

A woman who is not afraid to challenge the status quo

While serving as the Managing Director at World Bank, she ran for World Bank Presidency, a position that has only been held by US candidates. Though she did not win, she definitely challenged the status quo.

Leaders Challenge the Status Quo!

Her Education was delayed due to the Civil War

The Civil War in the '70s caused  a delay in Ngozi's education, however, this did not slow her down. She went ahead to complete her education and had her first degree at Harvard University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude (With Great Honor).

How many of us get discouraged when for some reason or the other, we cannot immediately complete our education or finish that professional exam? Guess what? It's never too late to pick up where you left off. Your dream is valid!

She is a Princess

She is from a royal family in Delta State where her father was the Eze (King). If you know a thing about royalty, it means you really do not have to work or earn a living. Everything is done for you by servants, all you have to do is simply exist (remember "Coming To America"?). By now I'm sure you know she really could have chosen to live out her life as a princess but young Ngozi knew there was more to life than having everything done for you. 

Now, what's your excuse for not pursuing that dream?

With so many achievements and a penchant for challenging the status quo, do you think Ngozi Okojo-Iweala can be Nigeria's first female president?

What's your take on this guys?☺.

Follow us on Instagram: @diaryofacareerwoman
Email: diaryofacareerwoman@gmail.com

Love Truly - Molz

Why we love Career women (And you should too!)

Hello CW readers,

You know most times when you say "Career Woman" most people automatically tend to bring up the not-so-pleasant aspects to it. We are not going into that today, instead I asked a few people what they appreciate the most about career women and here are some of their responses;

FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE:
In his words, "career women don't beg for money".  I actually had a good laugh with this because this person's response was more like an outburst. In his opinion and experience, a working woman (job or business) is less likely to ask for Airtime or cab fare.She can take care of herself and anything done for her is just an added advantage.

SPACE:
"I like that career women are not clingy and are most times too busy to be all up in your space". According to this person, there is something attractive about a woman pursuing her goals be it in an office environment or as a business person as opposed to seeking attention at all hours of the day.

LOL!

HIGH SELF ESTEEM:
"Most of the women I know who are about their careers most often do not need validation, they know what they want and how to get it. You're lucky if they ask for your help". This particular one really got me feeling fly

GREAT CONVERSATIONS:
"Career women are pretty smart and great conversationalists. I have a couple of them as friends and whenever we talk, we have meaningful conversations. With them, I do not feel like I have wasted my time". Hmm this one is deep!

To be honest, I never knew there were so many good sides to being a career woman, I hope this post makes you feel as good as it makes me feel.


Disclaimer: This post is not to shade or discriminate any woman as I believe we are all beautiful in our uniqueness. Being a career woman is not all about working in an office. If you have dreams and aspirations and you're working towards them, you are a career woman so own

Your comments mean a lot us!☺.
Follow on Instagram: @diaryofacareerwoman
Email: diaryofacareerwoman@gmail.com

Love Truly - Molz

CW Crush for the week - Osaretin Afusat Demuren - A Woman of Many Firsts

Hello CW readers,

I'm particularly excited about this week, I'm sure there are lots of blessings in store for every one of us this week...receive it!

Monday is the first work day of the week,so I thought, "why not have a weekly motivation kick-starter for our readers?" Hence, Career Woman Crush was birthed!!! ***drumrolls***

Mrs. Osaretin Demuren

You know how you can be sitting and talking with greatness and you might not know?
That was my story the day I met this woman. I was opportune to be in her home for official purposes and while we were in her living room, as the wonderful host she is, she asked "so what can I give you people?", she brought out a Gtbank branded notepad and pen and out of curiosity, the person I went with asked her if she works with Gtbank.

She smiled and said "I am the Chairman of the board".  WHAT? Immediately, I rearranged my posture and my antenna went up.

One of the many qualities I picked up from the very short time I spent with her that day was her "realness". She is a very practical person and you could tell she is not given to sentiments. It is no surprise she has gotten to and exceeded the peak of her career.

Mrs. Osaretin Demuren did not just become the Chairman Board of Directors at Gtbank overnight, she started her career in the banking industry as a clerk in Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) working as a Research Assistant and rose through the ranks to become the first female director at CBN.in which capacity she retired December 29, 2009 after 33years in the industry.

Mrs. Osaretin holds a Masters Degree in Economics and Statistics at Moscow Institute of Economics and Statistics on a Federal Government scholarship,she has a Diploma in Russian Language and she is a graduate  of some of the top business schools in the world like Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, Upenn Wharton Business school, amongst others. She is a fellow of the Nigerian Statistical Association, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management and Affiliated with the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and Society for Human Resource Management of America.
She was appointed Chairman, Board of Directors at Gtbank in April 2015, six years after retirement from CBN,

She speaks Russian, French and Latin amongst native languages.

On family, Mrs. Osaretin Demuren is married (yes, you guessed right), to former Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dr. Harold Demuren (this man is humble to the core! let me not even go into that) and they are blessed with 6 (SIX!) children (did I hear somebody say career women can't have too many children?)

Yes, you guessed right again, she is mother to Capt. Tunde Demuren and Mother-In-Law to Toolz, one of Nigeria's leading On Air Personalities.

Mrs. Osaretin is definitely a woman of many firsts;

• First of four female clerks to be employed by CBN
• First Female Director at CBN
• First female Chairman, Board of Directors at Guaranty Trust Bank
• and of course, First Career Woman Crush on this blog!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mrs. Osaretin Afusat Demuren

Credit: wikipedia.org, punchng.com, allafrica,com

Your comments mean a lot us!☺.
Follow on Instagram: @diaryofacareerwoman
Email: diaryofacareerwoman@gmail.com

Love Truly - Molz

Work-Life Balance, the formula that works

Is Work-Life Balance a Myth?

When I first started out as a CW (Career Woman), I told myself "Molola, this job and this career is what you make of it not what it makes of you". I have seen and personally witnessed a lot of career women who are struggling to find the perfect balance between work and personal life and this has pushed me more to determine to be different.

Now, I'm not saying it's all rosy and I have the balance thing all figured out like ABC, not yet. But I have found out a little glitch in the equation of this balance.

What is Balance?
According to Oxford dictionaries, balance is a situation in which different elements are equal or in correct proportions.

Correct proportions! That's the key. Many times we think of work-life balance in terms of equality 50-50 and so everyone tries to run with this formula and finds out it just doesn't work.

Dear CW, your work and your personal life do not have the same weights. For some, what works is 70-30 for others it might be 60-40. Now the onus is on you to find out the perfect formula that works for you and run with it.

Also let me say this, it is not enough to find the formula that works and go to sleep, what you don't work out will not work out. Find the formula and work it out everyday. Some days you might think you finally figured it out only for you to struggle with it again a few days later.  It is a continuous process and it does get easier.

As a budding CW, I always had exhaustion written all over my face. When people saw me, they would always ask if I was okay and I would always blame it on the job, until I made a decision never to let the stress of the job appear on my face. Now when I go out for a meeting or some other engagement after work, instead of asking me "are you okay", I am being told "you look great".

Your personal life doesn't have to suffer because of work neither does work have to suffer because of your personal life. I hope this post will steer you into finding that perfect balance.

Remember, your career is what you make of it not what it makes of you, you're the pilot of this career plane so you own the controls.

Please share this post with every Career Woman you know. You can also contribute in the comment section.

Thank you for reading.

- Love Truly, Molz