High achieving women are always busy striving to become their best selves in their careers and their businesses. This is all happening while also trying to achieve family happiness, satisfying relationships, create work and life balance, along with maintaining healthy eating and exercise. Many are often choosing to serve in their communities while helping others too. My head is spinning, as I know how exhausting and frustrating life can be trying to achieve it all.
Many high achieving women with advanced degrees, fancy corporate titles and CEOs of their small businesses are trying to sort through their challenges in the workplace and find meaning in their lives. Many are looking to climb the ladder of success while sharpening her skills to become better and better or trying to reach perfection of some sort in their lives and it forever evades them because perfection does not exist. And now these women are being reminded they not only need to be self-aware, assertive, show resilience and handle stress in the workplace to flourish, but also, they should be proficient in building and preserving wealth too?
Over my career as a Financial Advisor, I have met some phenomenal women. We understand one another because we have gone through the same journeys. We are constantly busy and always connected to work trying to achieve success – become better. Everything we do as high achieving women—whether it is settling into a career, raising a family, or attempting to be a super woman—is tied back to our confidence in ourselves, attempting to do it all and finally learning to delegate, rely on support of some kind and stop trying to measure ourselves against perfection.
Confidence paves the way for a fulfilling career. High achieving women are clear about goals. You believe they have a right to dream and achieve goals. Positive self-talk helps in the face of challenging circumstances we often face in the workplace. However, we must stop pushing ourselves for perfection and learn to trust in our abilities and our strengths. If we are following the right steps to achieve our goals, we must learn to be patient with ourselves and learn to delegate some of our responsibilities. I have found that, compared with men, women underestimate themselves and their abilities—especially when it comes to investing and managing money.
When it comes to investing; women may make better investment decisions than men. A 2021 Women and Investing Study by Fidelity, between 2011 and 2020 in the US, women’s returns were forty basis points higher than those of men. Compared to their male counterparts, women are more risk-averse, trade less often, research more diligently, are more disciplined and less over-confident. We have the tendency to tread with caution.
We need to stop picking at ourselves by believing we must be more knowledgeable to invest. We will become knowledgeable over time. We can use the same basic strengths we use in our workplace and raising a family to accomplish anything. When it comes to wealth, we are more focused on the financial goal and not just on the mere thrill of investing like men are. Women tend to connect their wealth to their life goals, family, and charitable goals.
As women, we have been taught early on that it is admirable to take care of others and put yourself last. This is a bunch of hogwash. You must take care of yourself first in all that you do. When you do so you are making room for you to thrive, stay focused longer, be healthier and stronger with added energy to achieve your life and career goals.
Putting yourself first is the beginning of true work, life, and financial balance. Furthermore, if you are making the high income that comes with being a high achieving career woman, you should get all the support you need to make your life easier. If you are forever trying to do it all – you are just going to be exhausted and ask yourself one day, what is the purpose of all this high achievement? We must begin delegating more and take some of the stress off ourselves. It starts with getting household support, finding activities and chores for the children. Invest in career or business coaches to improve on your strengths. And utilize life coaches or therapists for your personal and mental well-being. And finally, find a wealth management professional to manage your money so it’s being done effectively as well.
Let us talk for a minute about using the support of a Wealth Management professional or, in other words, a Financial Advisor. The Gender Wage Gap affects all women. Because of this inequality, women must work harder and save more to be prepared financially. Because women live longer than men, they must plan for those years of living longer—and living alone. There are key benefits of having the support of the “right” Wealth Management Financial Professional in your life.
Key Benefits
* Helps you get and remain financially organized
* Women may benefit from career and negotiation coaching from a Financial Advisor
* Those women whose partners oversee the money decisions need insight and knowledge – a Financial Advisor can help you understand and help communicate your financial goals and desire to your partner.
* You can plan for your life within a financial plan. It helps you be more prepared when unforeseen events in life come along.
* Helps you strive for financial goals, and helps you plan, accumulate, grow, and preserve your wealth while enjoying the life you want to live
* Your financial advisor can provide objective input and advice when making important financial or investment decisions
* You can benefit from the breadth of experience of the right financial professional who understands and communicates well with you.
* You can delegate your investment portfolio over to a financial professional
* Your Financial Advisor can help you plan to become financially strong if you become a widow or become divorced.
Think Outside of the Box. Use innovative and unconventional means to achieve your desired outcome to your goals. When you find right support for your life, you can be available for other rewarding life endeavors. When that support is a wealth manager, you will have someone who is proactively watching over your financial future, and this is another thing off your list of so many to do’s of life.
Kathy Williams, RFC is CEO, Family Wealth Advisor
Advance Financial Lighthouse • 4334 NW Expressway, Ste 268 • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma