How Women Can Rethink—And Smash The Myths Holding Them Back

COVID-19 has played havoc with many people’s careers, but it may have been especially detrimental to women.

Research shows that working mothers are dropping out of the workforce much faster than working fathers, at least in part because many schools switched to remote learning and at least one adult needed to be in the home with the children. One study by McKinsey & Company and Lean In also found that one-fourth of women they surveyed at 317 companies are considering downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce entirely.

As a result, the disruptions 2020 brought could have a long-term impact on women’s careers as well as their family’s finances.

But all might not be lost. These difficult times could be an opportunity for women to rethink their personal journeys and decide who and what they want to be going forward, says Andi Simon (www.andisimon.com), a corporate anthropologist, founder of Simon Associates Management Consultants, and author of the upcoming book Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business.

“I often say if you want to change, have a crisis or create one,” Simon says. “A crisis forces you to rethink what has always been in your life so you can create new opportunities for your future. As we navigate these uncertain times, women can use them to rethink their own stories and to smash any myths that are holding them back from becoming who they want to become.”

Simon suggests a few steps women can to get them started:

• Tell a story about who you are today. Draw a picture or create a list to show what you love and don’t love; the joys and challenges of your life now; your interests; and your dreams. “Put that picture or list where you can see it for a while as a reminder of who you are now,” Simon says.
• Visualize yourself in the future. Think about what will make you become who you believe you can be. “Know what would make you happy and realize how you might be personally fulfilled,” Simon says. “Understand how you can be professionally accomplished, build a happy family, and enjoy the support of your friends and community. Know what matters to you and how you want your story to develop.”
• Keep a diary. Research shows that people who keep diaries achieve their goals and do so with extraordinary results, far better than those who don’t keep diaries, Simon says. “That might seem strange, but it is easy enough to try,” she says. “Whether you do it online or on paper, keep your story coming, write it, and re-reread it. Let it help you embrace your new focus and belief that ‘yes, you can.’ ”
• Stop your brain from undermining you. Every time you say, “No, that won’t work,” convert it to a “Yes, that’s a great idea.” “You can manage negative thoughts by simply thinking that you can,” she says.
• Build up your idea bank. Research also shows that  the more ideas you have, the more likely you will have “big” ones, Simon says. She recommends writing them down in an idea book. “Try to stay focused on the vision you have for yourself as you build your idea bank,” Simon says.

“Remember that you are writing a new story, so don’t let your brain delete great ideas because they don’t fit into your current story,” Simon says. “Keep saying to yourself, ‘Yes, that’s a great idea.’ Pretty soon, you will achieve the goals that you aspire to all through your life’s journey.”