Consistency! – a blessing

Every day we strive for perfection and greatness. But, credibility is gained by showing up consistently for the things that matter most to us, even when it gets tough. Each and every person is fighting a struggle. My home town, like many other places in SA currently, has no electricity or water supply. The economy is so stressed at the moment; jobs are hard to come by, families are struggling, couples are not as present. It is hard to be a woman right now and equally if not harder being a man - all because the world is so busy being ‘great.’ But we are not being consistent. 

Being a single young mom and thinking back on the defining moments in my career, life was hard. I was young, proud, fiercely independent and not readily accepting of help. I wanted to own my choice of being divorced. I wanted to be present and raise my son. So, how do I build credibility as a young Finance Manager so that no one ever profiles me as a single mum, not being able to show up and deliver consistently? At the very same moment, how do I show up and build credibility with my son? How can he know that he is loved so much, that he never feels my absence while I spend long hours working or travelling. 

14 days after my son was born, he developed severe GORD (gastro-oesophageal reflux disease). When I went to see the pediatrician, he turned the questions onto me instead. What was I eating, what did my day look like, where was my energy spent. He looked at me and said: “ You are overworked, pleasing everyone.” As a new mum, I went on to list everything I had to do and all the guilt I was feeling. The pediatrician said he will give me one piece of advice: “A happy mum is a happy baby.” So I started the journey of finding just that. I know me - I am balanced, consistent, even the spontaneous, the adventurous and routines are all in sync. 

I built consistency in my home and at the office. This built credibility and trust with everyone in my life and with a very open dose of honesty. My best friend often says she knows me - I will be a little late but I always show up with everything I promised to bring and do. That is what love is - accepting who we are and respecting each other’s responsibilities. Many would say I am disrespectful of time, and in a way, I am. But at the same time, I met all the commitments to my partner, my son and everyone in my life.

Last week I had a business trip to India that involved 36 hours of travel. On the night before my trip, I worked a full day to have my team aligned, closed off any outstanding actions, did three loads of laundry, packed a bag, planned a meal schedule for a week and ordered groceries online, cleaned my home, sorted out the recycling and went to bed at midnight to wake up at 4am, finish what I didn’t the night before and catch a train at 8am to complete a full day at the office with an 8pm flight!

Here’s what helps me through my days: 

Finding meaningful moments 

My mornings start with coffee, of which I am a huge snob! Watching the sun rise with a perfectly hot cup of coffee, a rusk and my thoughts. My evenings start with a perfect glass of wine, where I can reflect on my day and reward myself for flowing through the ups and the downs of it!

Connecting to a purpose

Knowing why you are doing something and truly connecting to it. I am an entrepreneurial academic! I love business, I love the chaos amid a 1000 decisions a day. I love that what I do impacts the team I lead, the organisation I am a part of and the consumers we serve! I love that I can look back on 24 years and see that I have mentored, coached and always left my teams happier and the P&L’s stronger than I found them. That is my legacy.

Celebrating the chores

Chores keep you grounded. They remind you of your primal purpose of raising a home and serving the people you love. My son always tells me that while he is eating breakfast I am already asking him what are we doing for dinner. It’s my favourite part of the day. Doing groceries, keeping the fridge stocked, getting laundry done - it all reminds me that a life depends on me and I am incredibly blessed I get to be a mom! 

When people ask me for my one word - it’s consistency! It’s not sexy by any means - but it delivers lasting rewards. I think my point is: keep life simple. Be consistent.