Prioritizing Your Board Journey

Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, prioritizing your goal of board service can be challenging. It’s crucial to understand that to succeed in this journey, you must first prioritize yourself. Here’s why and how you can do it.

Putting Yourself First

The question that needs to be addressed is: When are you going to put yourself first? Many of us are conditioned to prioritize others’ needs before our own, whether it’s family, friends, or work commitments. While this is noble, it can often lead to personal goals, like board service, being sidelined. 

Happiness Fuels Success

If you’re not happy, you aren’t going to be able to be your best self. Personal fulfillment is a cornerstone of professional success. When you pursue what makes you happy, you bring a more positive and energetic version of yourself to every role you take on. For aspiring board members, this means carving out time to pursue your boardroom aspirations can significantly impact your overall effectiveness and satisfaction both professionally and personally.

Make Time for What Matters

Everyone makes time for the things they want to do. The key to prioritizing your boardroom journey lies in recognizing its importance and making a conscious effort to allocate time towards it. Here are some steps to help you achieve this:

Set Clear Goals: Define what you want to achieve in your boardroom journey. Whether it’s landing your first board seat or enhancing your boardroom skills, having clear, actionable goals will keep you focused.

Schedule Dedicated Time: Allocate specific times in your calendar solely for board-related activities. This could be researching potential board positions, attending relevant webinars, or working on your board bio.

Leverage Resources and Networks: Utilize available resources such as professional organizations, like Women In The Boardroom, that offer webinars, networking events, personalized guidance and accountability partners. We’re here to assist you by helping you create your board bio and hone your value add. Our on-demand webinar library discussing current boardroom topics makes it easy to advance at your own pace.

Seek Mentorship and Accountability: Connect with mentors who are also on their boardroom journey or a board expert for accountability. Research shows that the secret to a 95% success rate of reaching your goal is to have an accountability partner you schedule regular check in’s with to ensure you are working towards hitting your goal!*

The Power of Prioritization

We’re all busy, but we get done what we prioritize. Prioritizing your boardroom journey is about more than just time management; it’s about valuing your aspirations and taking actionable steps towards achieving them. By putting yourself first, focusing on your happiness, and consciously making time for what matters, you pave the way for a successful and fulfilling boardroom career. Remember, it’s like I always say “if mama ain’t happy, no one’s happy!” 

Reach out to me directly to find out how to take the first step on your board journey or prioritize your current journey.

Sheila Ronning, CEO & Founder, Women in the Boardroom

© 2024, Women in the Boardroom. All rights reserved.

*Research done by Association for Talent Development