As a smart and driven professional, you’ll have to make
sacrifices. But your relationship
shouldn’t be one of them.
Your work life and love life are not separate. In fact, they are intricately weaved together
and perfectly complemented. Your
relationships give you the external accountability you need to expand and
refine yourself.
There’s no such thing as “perfect” in business or in love. You must be willing to start
where you are, seek out information and mentors, and strategize if you want to
succeed. You don’t have to do it alone
and you don’t have to choose one area of life over another.
Love provides the best space to nurture, cultivate and share
your unique purpose. Practicing these
four strategies helps even the busiest most driven women strengthen their
intimate and professional relationships to make the journey as sweet as the
destination.
1. Mindfulness
I know the ideas never stop coming and
there’s always work that needs to get done, but taking time away from your work
can actually help your business. Setting
a time to work and a time to connect with your love is vital for true work life
balance. Mindfulness in your
relationship lets your love know they are wanted and it lets you enjoy the moment
without stressing over the past or worrying about the future. Mindfulness is also important in your
professional tasks and work contributions because it produces excellence
through focus versus measuring volume in quotas or time.
2. Intimacy
Intimacy is all about quality over quantity. As a busy professional, you make sacrifices
to make way for your vision but intimacy shouldn’t be one of them! Love is service. Make the time to learn your partner’s love
recipe and serve it up daily. Put your
love life on your to-do list by doing one thing each day to let your love know
how special they are to you. And
remember, your professional expertise comes not only from mastering the
techniques of your trade, but also from an intimate understanding of the
emotional and psychological needs of your clients.
3. Purpose
Be as purposeful about your love as you are
about your business! Set relationship
goals like you set business goals. Choose
a skill you want to develop and read the book, find the mentor or attend the
conference that will help you get to the next level. Take inventory, track your progress and don’t
forget to celebrate your accomplishments.
Being true to your purpose helps you stay focused on why you do what you
do. Purpose lets you define your own
definition of success in both love and work.
4. Communication
Everyone says communication is important to a
successful relationship. But what
exactly does that mean? We often know
WHY we want love … but we don’t always know HOW to communicate our wants and
desires so they are understood. Practicing
great communication involves mastering self-expression, male/female
communication, and conflict resolution.
Knowing how, what, why and when to communicate to partners, current
clients and potential clients helps you cultivate strong relationships and
build community.
When our relationships are thriving they give us the fuel to
drive through disappointments, the energy to recharge our commitments and the
courage to face our fears. When they
aren’t, we miss the connection to others that make it all worthwhile. The best way to ensure you thrive is to be as
passionate about your love life as you are about your purpose.
Nwasha Edu is an internationally recognized best-selling author and relationship expert who serves women of color in their intimate, personal and professional lives. She is passionate about ending misogyny and helping women master the art and science of soul-mate strategy. She is the author of Akoma Day: Guidebook onto the Sacred Science of Soulmating & Cultural Alternative to Valentine's Day and You Are What You Cheat: Guidebook into Understanding and Overcoming Infidelity. She has been featured in national and international media, including Essence Magazine and the Oprah Winfrey Network. She is the co-founder of Akoma House Initiative, a culturally-based counseling firm, and co-creator of Akoma Day presently celebrated in 13 countries. www.akomahouseinitiative.com
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