What has the 20+ Years of Leadership Taught Me? Wellness Matters.
To all the girls (and boys) — I have questions for you, and…
In turn, I will share with you my 20+ years of mentorship advice and learning. I started Genetech as a woman entrepreneur project back in 2004, and now it’s a leader.
Here’s how I made sure that my ambition, my goal, Genetech, happens.
How many times have you wanted to just go into your room and shout at the empty walls because no one understands you?
How many times have you wanted to sign up for that Sunday cycling or that marathon happening somewhere, but your mom thinks it’s a bad idea for a girl?
How many times have you saved money for something that you love, and your family has convinced you to keep it for your dowry?
How many times have you attended a workshop and tried not to sit in the first row?
Please raise your hand and share your experience in the comments if you can connect with at least one of these incidents.
It all boils down to how connected you are with your well-being.
There are many types of well-being, but today I talk about three:
a. Physical well-being is knowing
- how to be healthy, and
- how to stay healthy!
b. Mental well-being is
- meeting your true self,
- knowing how to handle relationships,
- how to manage in the face of adversity, and
- how to say no.
c. Financial well-being means to have a good relationship with money.
Chances are that you think you need to work on all of these — and that’s quite normal. But for now, let’s focus on what should be your topmost priority. And you decide that for yourself.
Ask yourself: what is it that I need to focus on right now in the time and space (and headspace) I am currently in?
Just focus on the now moment. What is your “now worry”?
Keep that thought, and I'll give you the best top tips for… well… each category.
Yes, because I am (quite sadly) only a mentor and not a mind reader magician counselor (Ah, I wish… or do I?), and as much as I would have liked to solve your specific ‘now worry’, I can’t 😔 — unless of course, you share in the comments 😊
But the good part is that you can still find the top tips for your ‘now worry’.
And, the gooder part is that since ‘now worry’ changes with time and space and headspace, you can refer to this story then and again whenever a new ‘now worry’ hits! Keep finding your solutions below!
a. How to cope with Mental Well-being
- Learn to know yourself. Who are you? What do you aspire to become? What are your dreams?
Don’t shrug away from what you think is important because it is important.
- Tell yourself that You are the best thing in the world. Because you are.
- Learn to say No. You are not being disrespectful, you are looking after yourself which is a good thing to do.
- Crying is not a bad thing. Get it out of your system. Meditation / Prayers help.
- Take out ‘me time’ and do what you enjoy the most or something that you’ve been craving to do for a while.
- Do not fall for the family drama trap. No one is a bad person should be your mantra, and you should give everyone the first benefit of the doubt. But that’s it.
- In tough situations, take a back step and contain yourself before you speak.
- Do not be loud; be stern and confident, and be honest.
- Do not EVER play the sympathy card. You have no idea what the other person is going through.
- In the end, people will judge you, mock you, and push you back. Bounce right back like a rubber band and come back stronger with a bigger impact.
b. Physical Well-being — All that you need to do
- 30 minutes of exercise every day is all it takes
- Do one sport and fall in love with it.
- Eat healthy and count your calories
- Play mind games to keep your senses sharp.
- Don’t wait for obesity to start a healthy lifestyle. (Let’s stop PCOS before it stops us)
c. Financial Well-being — top 5 tips
- Study hard.
- Learn what gets you better jobs and better money; don’t follow the herd.
- Get a bank account and control your money. Help others, but don’t lose control of your money.
- Save. Invest in your future.
- A financially independent woman has a voice that gets heard. Don’t lose it in emotional sacrifices, but do not become apathetic.
Some things I have understood over the years…
These three types of well-being are interconnected. You cannot be physically unwell and mentally healthy. Similarly, you cannot be financially unwell and mentally healthy.
So here are the four things I want to leave you with:
- Only you know your capacity, and you can be the best version of yourself. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
- Your primary job is not to get married and bear children. That is just a phase in life. Your real job is to… be the person you want your children to be because children learn best through observation.
- This is the time to pursue your passion. If I could rewind the clock to when I was your age and had someone tell me that my dreams matter, I would have landed in NASA. Or better still, I would have brought NASA home! 😊
- And in the end, look after your well-being because only then can you look after your loved ones.
That’s all from my side to you all, dear readers.
Everyone has a story. Mine is in the becoming.
Today, I am a technologist with nearly two decades of technology experience that started from training and then turned into founding and running a thriving technology company. We are currently an award-winning team of over 100 technologists, and we work with some really fantastic businesses worldwide.
It started with a one-woman company (me, haha), and now we are too many, and I am glad. We have come a long way!
But my job is far from done. I want to help as many women (and people) step up the ladder of their success.
This was my mission back in 2004 when I started tech training for women, and it is my mission today.
I hope you can benefit from my learnings :) Please share your stories/queries with me in the comments, and let’s all encourage each other.
Want to know more about me or connect with me? Here’s my LinkedIn.
Want to know more about Genetech Solutions? Check out our story here.
