#black girls in corporate

[b-courageous1010]

Day 16: Weekly Reflection and Week Ahead

Week ahead:

Context switching: I decided to try planning how to complete around my level of responsiveness needed. Going to use time chunking since I need to check my emails at least 3 times a day. This should reduce my anxiety about not being responsive enough. Between emails, I'll batch my tasks based on the project it relates to, but I have enough discipline to see each task through before I start another.

Proposed schedule:

Morning emails  

Tasks regarding Project 1 (Heavy Project) 

Afternoon emails – after lunch  

Tasks regarding Project 2 

Evening emails – 3:30 – 5 pm  

Wrap up from the current day 

Plan for the next day  

Wrap-up questions:

What did I accomplish?

What did I learn?

What did I struggle with

How can I do better?

Reflection:

What did I learn today?

I learned my fixed mindset triggers and new ways to foster a growth mindset. I struggle with facing setbacks and receiving negative feedback. I also realized that I struggle with seeing others succeed sometimes. This was important for me to acknowledge because it's something I try to deny that I do. It's not so much that I'm jealous of the other person (which is a normal emotion to feel, we are human) it's more like I'm still so hard on myself.

I compare myself to others too much, trying to disguise it as "benchmarking" myself because I feel like a late bloomer. I watched this video by and it made me realize it's not a bad thing. I’m a late bloomer for a reason. I took the time to do things the "right way," and I don't regret it; the problem is that I compare myself to others' career journeys when my journey is unique. I still made it to the same end goal: land a finance position.

I've been working on these triggers but came across new tips and perspectives. Everyone brings something different to the table, and everyone's path is different, as it should be!

How can I do better?

Separate my performance from my identity; I am more than my career.

Value growth over speed and effort over talent. Learning fast doesn't mean learning well. And hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

Acknowledge my weaknesses, I will know what I need to work on, and there is always room for improvement.

To cultivate a sense of purpose, I will strive to live in alignment with my higher self. Learning to love myself before I try to love others.

What did I accomplish?

Planning for the week ahead and updated structured app to create reminders to guide my week. I added reminders/alarms for my proposed schedule.

Note: I tried new methods for reminders. Setting them daily for 1 week, and I and going to log if I am stuck with them

[richarlotte]

Monday’s Watch.

[professionalfacesitter]

Do I look ok 🥺

[mermaidstylediaries]

[saydesole]

Corporate or Call Center Office Outfits

[celibatedreamer]

[softsimming]

#OOTD🖤

[altxclwn-faerie]

I just want someone to touch me under the dinner table..

[graveyardbunnii]

[cevansbrat0007]

I’ve been wondering this for awhile but I wasn’t sure how to sensitively ask: how did baby girl and Andy discuss disciplining their kids? Obviously they love spanking as an adult, consensual activity and part of their dynamic, but there’s so many different opinions now on whether spanking children is appropriate. How did they end up approaching it?

Spanking & Discipline in the Barber Household

Oddly enough, they hadn't really talked much about it until they witnessed a parent reach the end of their rope during a trip to a local park. Baby Girl was right around seven months pregnant with BiBi at the time.

She had insisted on getting out for some fresh air that day, claiming that she wanted to take advantage of the lovely spring weather they'd been having lately. And Andy, ever the doting husband, insisted on tagging along - as if she could ever leave that man behind.

So off they went. They walked the trails, took in the blooming flowers, and eventually, the conversation shifted to their hopes and dreams for the future. Not for themselves, but for their daughter.

They purchased a couple of hot chocolates and took a seat on a nearby park bench as they talked. That's when they noticed what they could only assume to be an overtired, overworked parent who was clearly out of patience with their children. But there happened to be one kid in particular who had earned their wrath.

And that little boy earned himself what seemed like a swift and powerful litany of swats for as long as it took that little family to make their way out of the park. It was loud. It was jarring. And it appeared to be an uncomfortable experience for nearly bystander who witnessed it.

For a moment, Andy and Baby Girl sat there in silence quietly sipping their cocoa. And then she leaned her head on his shoulder and softly whispered "I don't want to be that kind of Mom. I don't want either of us to be like that.". To be truthful, she wasn't so much judging as she was reflecting.

She knew that there would inevitably come a time where she might find herself at her wit's end with her own child. But she also felt that there were many other, better ways to enforce discipline without resorting to corporal punishment.

Because while a warning swat to the butt was one thing, actively and repeatedly spanking your child until they cried out in pain was something completely different. Especially when done in the heat of anger.

Andy felt inclined to agree. And so from that point on, they came to an understanding that the only spankings that would take place in the Barber household would be those dispensed as part of the special D/s dynamic found between a loving ogre and his brat!wife.

Hope that answers your question. And for the record, you asked it beautifully. Thanks!

[b-courageous1010]

Day 5: Workplace, Mental Health, and Prioritizing Yourself  

Wellness in the workplace should be talked about more. With how fast pace things can get, it's easy to get off your routine, and your mental health can slip. I had my monthly session with my mentor, and it was surprising that we touched on mental health and how it should be discussed more. It's the elephant in the room, especially since COVID and the shift to remote working. Although everyone knows that corporate culture can be very unhealthy, we also know that the work needs to get done. Realizing this is what pushed me to take my mental health seriously.

In my last position, I suffered from burnout and promised never to let it happen again. To prevent it, I need to find ways to stay grounded at work and in my personal life. It's essential that I set boundaries and limit my work hours. 

I do this by taking my lunch break daily unless I have something urgent. Taking that hour lets me catch my breath in a sense.    

I log in at 8 and am finished by 5, especially when working from home.   

On the weekends, I avoid opening my laptop so I don't get sucked into work. Instead, I keep track of important dates in my planner.  

I also neglected my personal life in my last position because I was also in school. Since that's no longer an issue, I've been focusing on myself and doing a lot of inner work. I learned that not prioritizing my personal life was affecting my professional life. Such as:   

Not working on my anxiety made me paranoid that I would make a costly mistake that overtook my entire being, and I would be so hard on myself.    

Not checking my depression caused my lack of self-confidence to ooze from my pores, and people could see it a mile away.    

Neglecting my spirituality and not being present in my own life.   

At one point, I reached a breaking point and finally asked for help. Since then, I've taken the advice of giving myself grace and taking time to relax. My focus has been improving my mental health to achieve my full potential.   

I started a journalling routine to reflect on my experiences and think through any issues.  

I introduced yoga as a form of meditation to keep me grounded and present. 

Each morning, I read an entry from a meditation book that helps me confront my codependency.  

I'm working on my inner self and confronting the parts I used to run away from.  

I've realized that it is okay to make mistakes and that growth is more important than perfection. As a result, I'm allowing myself to feel confident and happy in my abilities.   

Since making myself a priority and working on my inner self, I experienced a significant improvement in a short period, Situations that used to overwhelm me no longer affect me. I have gained control over my anxiety and improved my confidence. 

Completing assignments is easier 

I am confident in building relationships with my coworkers   

I can step out of my comfort zone and communicate through emails with ease 

I have also established a routine I can stick to at work and in my personal life.  

While I am still determining where I aspire to be, I am light-years away from where I started. During the conversation with my mentor, we discussed the importance of pursuing interests outside of work. She shared how she spent 3 hours drawing out plans for her backyard renovation project and how fulfilling it was to create something with her hands. This inspired me to think about how I can bring more sweetness into my life. I am considering the following activities: 

Enrolling in an acro yoga class  

Learning a new instrument or reviving my old skills.  

Spending more time in nature and capturing moments through photography  

Reconnecting with spiritual practices, I may have drifted away from. 

I'm grateful for the desire to improve and the willingness to never give up. I plan on having a long career in corporate, and while prioritizing my mental health is half the battle, I know I can handle whatever comes my way.  

Music Challenge Day 5: A song by an artist you’ve love for awhile.

Mine: I love me some Jon B 💜💜

My Aunt: She absolutely loves her and as it turns out we are both huge Tamia fans 🤗

[richarlotte]

Wednesday’s Watch.

[notesfromthepalace]

Looking…… studious. As always.

Face 💳 📬

With love,

Sarah Chanel

[blackgirldiariess]

Corporate Baddie

[golden444manifest]

How I Stay Organized

Task Management

Task application in Microsoft Teams

Keep track of important emails by flagging the email in outlook and using tasks in team to keep up with sub tasks and important notes

Also one off items I need to keep track of

Kanban

Create templates for routine processes

It helps to ensure I am completing all the steps without having to remember them.

Helps with visualizing my tasks

Inbox Zero!!

Used to ensure my inbox is not insane and ensure I am resolving emails

I have folders pertains to routine tasks

A monthly Folder to archive misc items that do not fall into a specific category

Color coding my Outlook calendar

Pink = In person meetings

Green = Audit

Yellow = Walkthrough

Orange = Important Meetings but are virtual

Purple = Team meetings

Physical Planner

Catch all for important dates and deadlines. Personal and work related

Has a spread for monthly intentions, goals and bills due

Weekly review

Clear out my inbox

Look at Calendar for the upcoming week

Ensure all tasks are logged in teams

Clean out folders on desktop and get rid of files I no longer need, place items in the correct folders

Clean up inbox in OneNote

[becomingher-era]

IG: candicecynthia.t