Build self-awareness by looking back on last year

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.

You're probably thinking about next year right about now. Questions such as "What do I want? Where should I go? What should I do?" are bouncing around in between work and to-do list items.

Our problem isn't the goals themselves. Instead the mistakes we continue to make are the optimistic assumptions about how we're going to be different in working towards these goals. If we don't change anything about ourselves -- how we prioritize, manage time, and say yes or no to distractions -- we shouldn't expect different results. Knowing where we got stuck before can help us get unstuck in the future.

Looking back at last year, ask yourself the following questions.

• What was harder than I thought it would be this year? Why?
• What accomplishments did I make that I wasn't expecting?
• What percent of my time this year was dedicated to day-to-day activities at work and home? How much time can I realistically devote to something new?
• If I take on something new, what else can I take off my plate?

The answers will help you identify patterns and habits that are holding you back. Address these before diving into this year's goals.

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com

Flip Negative Self-Talk

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Too many working moms beat themselves up. Negative self-talk can be so much a part of the running dialog in your head that you don’t even notice it. All of that negativity can ruin your day and hold you back from achieving your goals. Research shows while negative emotions can create short-term motivation, they’re not effective in creating lasting changes in your behavior.

To flip that negative self-talk, start by paying attention and noticing when you do it. Then ask yourself, "If I heard a child say these words, how would I respond?" 

As adults with responsibilities and experiences, we forget to be kind and encouraging to ourselves. We lose touch with the knowledge that pep talks work. While there is a time and place for tough, reality-checking conversations, the day-to-day dialog we have in our own heads needs to be focused on what’s possible—not excuses for what we don’t think we can accomplish.

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com

tour your city

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Be a tourist in your city. Take time today to visit someplace new that you'd normally only consider taking an out-of-town guest. Snap a picture and send an electronic postcard to a neighbor for fun.

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Have a bowl of cereal

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Have a bowl of cereal… for fun. Certain foods can take us back in time. If you're like me, you haven't had a sugary cereal in a while. So just for fun today, enjoy a bowl of Trix or Fruit Loops (and the memories that come with it)

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Notice your blessings

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Take little moments today to make a mental note of your blessings- as you see or experience them. You're more likely change your mindset and outlook if you make gratitude a continual process instead of saving it up for the end of the day or end of the week. Here's a quote from Oprah Winfrey: “If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.”

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Stop trying to separate work from home

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

We all do work at home and "home" at work. Many resent the blurred lines and pursue the impossible work-life balance. But there's an alternative. Mixing our responsibilities isn't bad or good.  It just is the way things are. Getting nostalgic about the past doesn't help. Yes, there used to be clearer boundaries between work and life but we had fewer opportunities back then too. Trying to separate the two can't be done and just leads to more frustration. Instead, accept the mix and make the most out of the chance to get things done- no matter where you are.

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Meditate for 10 minutes

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Meditate for 10 minutes. No, make that 3. That's good enought. Nearly all high performers share some kind of meditation practice. Meditation can and should be simple. It’s take a few minutes out of your day to calm your mind and reconnect with yourself. Try using one of the free apps on your phone- like Headspace or Calm- to get started.

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Just be you

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Trying to be someone you're not is a stressful, losing battle. Instead, spend a little time each day noticing things about yourself and your preferences. Focus on being the very best you you can be.

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Change with the seasons

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

As Fall approaches, think about ways you too can change with the seasons. From author Victoria Moran, "When we change with the seasons, we put ourselves in harmony with nature. This helps us flow with the current instead of fighting against it."

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Decide now is the right time

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Decide now is the right time to start. Here's a quote from author Bill Murphy Jr, "Fortune doesn't favor the prudent. It favors the bold. And yet, most of us are waiting for something else to happen before we follow our dreams. We're waiting for opportunities to present themselves, or for conditions to change--or for the timing to be right. We're waiting for whatever that single factor is that we we think will make us happy, or put us on track, or bring us success. Guess what? It's probably never coming. And unfortunately, it's often the waiting itself that prevents us from succeeding."

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Find your voice

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Find your voice. Here's a quote from Melinda Gates: “A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.”

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

believe in yourself

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Believe in yourself. Here's a quote from Sheila Murray Bethel: “One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in and where you want to go.”

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Honor your calling

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Honor your calling. Here's a quote from Oprah Winfrey: “I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.”

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Stand up for yourself

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Stand up for yourself. From Elizabeth Gilbert: “Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be.”

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Seek equality

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Seek equality. From Susan B. Anthony: “We ask justice, we ask equality, we ask that all the civil and political rights that belong to citizens of the United States, be guaranteed to us and our daughters forever.”

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Get curious

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Get curious. From Eleanor Roosevelt: “I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.”

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Be courageous

Hey Mama! This is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Be courageous. From Ruth Gordon: “Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it by use.”

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Take a day off from complaining

Hey mama, this is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.

Together, let's take a day off from complaining. We complain more than we realize. Notice every time you feel like saying something negative and instead just accept it and move on. When we avoid complaining, we make ourselves feel more powerful and in control of our circumstances.  

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Be brave

Hey mama, this is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.

Be brave. From Anais Nin: “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com
 

Write a letter to your future self

Hey mama, this is Robin Camarote with your Working Mom Tip of the Day.    

Write a letter to your future self. Congratulate her on her hard work and accomplishments and share some encouraging words to help her get through the next big challenge she’s facing.  

Thanks for listening. You got this! For more, head over to my blog at robincamarote.com