4 Ways to Seek the Support of Others as You Pursue Your Goals  

Successful women are big thinkers, go-getters, and hard workers. But behind every successful person is a great team. As women, we’re often made to believe that we have to do it all – we have to be a working professional, a mother, a spouse, a sister, a friend – and being anything less than perfect is a failure.

Guess what? We CAN do and be all of those things, with the love and support of those around us—our village. We often hinder our own growth by thinking we can’t, or shouldn’t, ask for help; a pattern that leaves us tired and unable to fulfill completely any of our roles. But it’s ok to ask for help and to delegate. You don’t have to take on the world alone or know everything. If you seek knowledge, support, and advice from others, you’ll experience success in all aspects of your life. Here are a few ways to find the support you need:

1. Take grocery shopping and cooking off your plate
As a busy professional, you are likely spending your day in front of your computer screen or running at high speed from meeting to meeting. If you don’t take the time to consume healthy, nutrient-dense meals, you will quickly drain both your brain power and the energy your body requires to be successful both in and out of the office. How we nourish our bodies at work is vital to how productive and healthy we are in other parts of our lives.

A meal delivery service can provide you with healthy lunches, dinners, and snacks that sustain your brain, improve your mental and physical performance, fuel your workouts, and keep your energy up throughout the day. Feeding yourself, your partner, and your family well can be tough when you are busy. Instead of falling back on takeout or the fast-food drive-thru, look for a service that is customized and provides organic, nutritious meals tailored to your needs.

2. Delegate home and personal tasks to others
Daily tasks around your home and in your personal life might seem manageable, but add up the time you spend tidying the house, booking appointments, and running to Target, and suddenly you’ve lost many productive hours of your week. You don’t have to do it all! Hire a cleaning service, a personal assistant, and/or a nanny to run errands, answer your phone, pay bills, make appointments, grocery shop, and transport your kids from school to sports practice and music lessons. Delegating these obligations once a week, or even once a month, can free up time and space for you to focus on your professional obligations—and be less stressed and more present for your friends, family, and co-workers!

Referrals are the best way to find others to help you. Call your neighbors, friends, and fellow female professionals for recommendations. You should also look in your community—the women you come into contact with on a regular basis might make great part-time helpers! Always think about your specific needs and how they can be filled.

3. Invest in a trainer and/or lifestyle coach
We can all use accountability and support when it comes to our health and wellness. Regular sessions with a trainer or coach one to three times a week can help you reach your goals and sustain your preferred lifestyle. A trainer will design and execute a workout plan, track your progress, and hold you to your commitments. A regularly scheduled fitness class with friends or a favorite teacher is another way to hold yourself accountable—we’re much less likely to bail when someone is expecting us to show up! A trainer or coach can also act as a sounding board and help with stress reduction.

4. Find love
This doesn’t mean just a romantic relationship, although a great partner can be an incredible source of support for your success. First, learn to love yourself. Set aside 10 minutes of every day to reflect on three things you appreciate about your life. Go to a great spa or your favorite yoga class. Pamper yourself simply by taking personal time. Then, find a community of people who can build on that self-love. These can be friends, family, a partner or spouse—people who believe in you and are there even when you don’t ask them to be. We all need people who build us up and support us.

Your village is your foundation. Be confident in your own abilities, and then let those who love you help. When things get hard or overwhelming, find the inner strength that tells you that you CAN do this. And you will!