Breakdown, Breakthrough: Overcoming the 12 Hidden Crises Professional Women Face
Breakdown, Breakthrough: Overcoming the 12 Hidden Crises Professional Women Face
You are not alone.
According to my research—a yearlong national study in partnership with the Esteemed Woman Foundation—seven out of 10 women today, particularly those in their middle years, say they are facing a major turning point in their professional lives. After devoting years to building successful careers, they feel that their professional lives and identities no longer work. As a result, most are facing at least one of 12 hidden work-life crises, including chronic health problems, financial bondage, and painful losses of the “real me.”
There is good news, however. A professional crisis—or “breakdown”—is sounding an important wake-up call that, when answered, can lead to real and lasting change in how you work and live. In other words, breaking down opens the door to breaking through.
Breaking down—identifying the crises
A true professional crisis is more than a “tough time.” For most women, it feels like a no-turning-back situation—a point in time that demands reckoning and reevaluation. So how do you know when you’ve reached that point? If you frequently find yourself saying, “I can’t do this”—the desperate cry, or negative mantra, of work-life crisis—and consistently have deep-down feelings of disempowerment, you may be experiencing one or more of 12 hidden crises. Among them:
- Suffering from chronic health problems
Failing health—a chronic illness or ailment—that won’t respond to treatment
The mantra: “I can’t resolve my health problems.”
- Losing your “voice”
Contending with a crippling inability to speak up—unable to be an advocate for yourself or others, for fear of criticism, rejection, or punishment
The mantra: “I can’t speak up without being punished.”
- Facing abuse or mistreatment
Being treated badly, even intolerably, at work—and choosing to stay
The mantra: “I can’t stop this cycle of mistreatment.”
- Feeling trapped by financial fears
Remaining in a negative situation solely because of money
The mantra: “I can’t get out of this financial trap.”
- Wasting your real talents
Realizing your work no longer fits and desperately wanting to use your natural talents and abilities
The mantra: “I can’t use my real talents.”
- Struggling to balance life and work
Trying—and failing—to balance it all, and feeling like you’re letting down who and what matters most
The mantra: “I can’t balance my life and work.”
- Doing work you hate
Longing to reconnect with the “real you”—and do work you love
The mantra: “I can’t do work that I love.”
Breaking through—getting started
A professional crisis is telling you that change must occur—now—but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. (Most likely, it won’t.) Still, one step at a time, you can begin to create your own breakthrough. Ten tips for getting started:
- Listen to your body.
Your body is always communicating, but are you listening? From minor aches and pains to major forms of disease or malaise, pay attention to what an ailment may be saying to you—not just about your body, but your mind and spirit, too.
- Heed your hunches.
Your intuition, or inner voice, is an invaluable source of information. Start developing
a keen awareness of the “dialogue” within you—even asking questions and waiting for the answers. Rarely, if ever, will your gut-level hunches lead you astray. Follow them!
- Say “no” to an either-or life.
Are you focusing on just one aspect of yourself? Don’t do it. This is not an “either-or” life—it’s an “everything” life. Reconnect with a talent or dimension of yourself that you love, but has gone by the wayside while you over-identified with a single role or function.
- Speak up.
Speaking the truth sounds simple, but it’s not. Still, it’s essential to learn to express yourself, or you’ll feel stuck. Throughout the day, at home or work, ask yourself, “What do I want to say here?” Then take a risk and put it out there.
- Embrace “good enough.”
Many women strive, even slave, to be the best—driving themselves crazy in the process. If you’re one of them, “practice” accepting good enough. Sooner or later, it will be just that—good enough!
- Figure out what you’re most afraid of.
Get in the cage with your fears. One by one, take them on and face what you’re most afraid of. How is it driving you, limiting you, and wearing you out? Deal with these issues once and for all, and you’re sure to get unstuck.
- Get real about money.
Money is simply an energy form—with no particular qualities in and of itself—yet it can be the means to either limiting or expanding yourself. Take time to understand your own beliefs and history around money. (Are they healthy?) And even if it’s not the ideal situation yet, find a way to balance what you need to do with what you want to do—honoring your integrity and your heart along the way.
- Stop making excuses.
We’re all good at making excuses for not acting on our dreams. Take a long, hard look at your own excuses, see them for what they are, and let them go.
- Be open to angels.
Odds are, there are a number of “angels” in your life—people who love and support you, believe in you, and will give you the gentle push you need to venture into the unknown. Be open to their help and act on it. You might be steeped in doubt or fear, but they’re not.
- Find a role model.
You might already have a role model—from your own mother to Mother Teresa. If not, get serious about finding one. Look for someone who brings to light the qualities and successes you admire and aspire to, and whose story resonates.
Breaking down—breaking through
Finally, relax! It’s not all up to you. There is a “higher dimension”—someone or something bigger than you—to help you break through and reach for your dreams. Step back, let go, and say “Yes!”
Breakdown Breakthrough Overcoming the 12 Hidden Crises Professional Women Face - To learn more about this author, visit Kathy Caprino's Website.
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Are you a professional woman longing for a radical change?
You are not alone.
According to my research—a yearlong national study in partnership with the Esteemed Woman Foundation—seven out of 10 women today, particularly those in their middle years, say they are facing a major turning point in their professional lives. After devoting years to building successful careers, they feel that their professional lives and identities no longer work. As a result, most are facing at least one of 12 hidden work-life crises, including chronic health problems, financial bondage, and painful losses of the “real me.”
There is good news, however. A professional crisis—or “breakdown”—is sounding an important wake-up call that, when answered, can lead to real and lasting change in how you work and live. In other words, breaking down opens the door to breaking through.
Breaking down—identifying the crises
A true professional crisis is more than a “tough time.” For most women, it feels like a no-turning-back situation—a point in time that demands reckoning and reevaluation. So how do you know when you’ve reached that point? If you frequently find yourself saying, “I can’t do this”—the desperate cry, or negative mantra, of work-life crisis—and consistently have deep-down feelings of disempowerment, you may be experiencing one or more of 12 hidden crises. Among them:
- Suffering from chronic health problems
Failing health—a chronic illness or ailment—that won’t respond to treatment
The mantra: “I can’t resolve my health problems.”
- Losing your “voice”
Contending with a crippling inability to speak up—unable to be an advocate for yourself or others, for fear of criticism, rejection, or punishment
The mantra: “I can’t speak up without being punished.”
- Facing abuse or mistreatment
Being treated badly, even intolerably, at work—and choosing to stay
The mantra: “I can’t stop this cycle of mistreatment.”
- Feeling trapped by financial fears
Remaining in a negative situation solely because of money
The mantra: “I can’t get out of this financial trap.”
- Wasting your real talents
Realizing your work no longer fits and desperately wanting to use your natural talents and abilities
The mantra: “I can’t use my real talents.”
- Struggling to balance life and work
Trying—and failing—to balance it all, and feeling like you’re letting down who and what matters most
The mantra: “I can’t balance my life and work.”
- Doing work you hate
Longing to reconnect with the “real you”—and do work you love
The mantra: “I can’t do work that I love.”
Breaking through—getting started
A professional crisis is telling you that change must occur—now—but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. (Most likely, it won’t.) Still, one step at a time, you can begin to create your own breakthrough. Ten tips for getting started:
- Listen to your body.
Your body is always communicating, but are you listening? From minor aches and pains to major forms of disease or malaise, pay attention to what an ailment may be saying to you—not just about your body, but your mind and spirit, too.
- Heed your hunches.
Your intuition, or inner voice, is an invaluable source of information. Start developing
a keen awareness of the “dialogue” within you—even asking questions and waiting for the answers. Rarely, if ever, will your gut-level hunches lead you astray. Follow them!
- Say “no” to an either-or life.
Are you focusing on just one aspect of yourself? Don’t do it. This is not an “either-or” life—it’s an “everything” life. Reconnect with a talent or dimension of yourself that you love, but has gone by the wayside while you over-identified with a single role or function.
- Speak up.
Speaking the truth sounds simple, but it’s not. Still, it’s essential to learn to express yourself, or you’ll feel stuck. Throughout the day, at home or work, ask yourself, “What do I want to say here?” Then take a risk and put it out there.
- Embrace “good enough.”
Many women strive, even slave, to be the best—driving themselves crazy in the process. If you’re one of them, “practice” accepting good enough. Sooner or later, it will be just that—good enough!
- Figure out what you’re most afraid of.
Get in the cage with your fears. One by one, take them on and face what you’re most afraid of. How is it driving you, limiting you, and wearing you out? Deal with these issues once and for all, and you’re sure to get unstuck.
- Get real about money.
Money is simply an energy form—with no particular qualities in and of itself—yet it can be the means to either limiting or expanding yourself. Take time to understand your own beliefs and history around money. (Are they healthy?) And even if it’s not the ideal situation yet, find a way to balance what you need to do with what you want to do—honoring your integrity and your heart along the way.
- Stop making excuses.
We’re all good at making excuses for not acting on our dreams. Take a long, hard look at your own excuses, see them for what they are, and let them go.
- Be open to angels.
Odds are, there are a number of “angels” in your life—people who love and support you, believe in you, and will give you the gentle push you need to venture into the unknown. Be open to their help and act on it. You might be steeped in doubt or fear, but they’re not.
- Find a role model.
You might already have a role model—from your own mother to Mother Teresa. If not, get serious about finding one. Look for someone who brings to light the qualities and successes you admire and aspire to, and whose story resonates.
Breaking down—breaking through
Finally, relax! It’s not all up to you. There is a “higher dimension”—someone or something bigger than you—to help you break through and reach for your dreams. Step back, let go, and say “Yes!”
Breakdown Breakthrough Overcoming the 12 Hidden Crises Professional Women Face - To learn more about this author, visit Kathy Caprino's Website.
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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