High-Achieving Women

Want to Increase Your "Luck?"

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:42:00 GMT

Check out my newest article that just posted at Associated Content on extraversion, chance, and intuition and their relationship to "luck."

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5541172/extraversion_intuition_and_happenstance.html?cat=5

Stressed Out? There's an App for That - New Article on Excelle

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Tue, 25 May 2010 23:09:00 GMT

Here's an excerpt from a new article written by Darragh Worland and published today on Excelle.

"Ever wished you had access to your therapist 24/7, without the high price tag of all that supervised navel gazing? Well, help is on the way in the form of what some psychologists are calling “mobile therapy” — applications you can download to your cell phone to help you track and manage your moods between therapy sessions. Dr. Margaret Morris, a clinical psychologist and health technology researcher at Intel Corp. is designing a cell phone app to help patients manage stress levels, with a view toward reducing cardiovascular disease, reports NPR."

Check out the entire article at: http://excelle.monster.com/news/articles/4756-stressed-out-theres-an-app-for-that

Here's a High-Achieving Woman!

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:04:00 GMT

Okay, no more excuses from all my high-achievers who say they're too tired to work out--

Here's an inspiration ... a 73-year-old high-achiever who looks great and has an amazing story to tell.

Watch the video.

http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/04/22/ernestine-shepherd-fitness/?icid=main|welcome|dl5|link5|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bvonsports.com%2F2010%2F04%2F22%2Fernestine-shepherd-fitness%2F

A message from NOW

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:35:00 GMT

Act Now to Appoint a Third Woman to the Supreme Court

The retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens, a champion for women and social justice, gives President Obama an opportunity to appoint a new Supreme Court justice who will also stand for equality and fairness -- and there are many qualified women who fit that mold.

Tell President Obama

After taking action, please support our work!

Send an e-mail urging President Obama to nominate a woman to the Supreme Court who will advocate for equality and fair treatment under the Constitution.

Here's the link: http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5996/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1650

Background:

Women's rights advocates cheered the appointment of Justice Sonia Sotomayor last year, who joined Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to raise the representation of women from 11 to 22 percent of the Supreme Court. Researchers estimate that women achieve critical mass when they make up at least one-third of a group's membership of a group. Now we have an opportunity to create that critical mass and get one justice closer to gender parity on the Supreme Court.

But any woman won't do. Women need a justice who will stand up for women's fundamental rights and freedoms. Given the role played by Justice Stevens, it is both acceptable and preferable that his replacement be a woman who will stand for:

Fundamental privacy rights
Enforcement of fair pay laws
Equal opportunity and affirmative action laws
Abortion and reproductive rights
Full rights for all people regardless of sexual orientation

With radical right-wing activists attempting to codify marriage discrimination, overturn Roe v. Wade through fetal personhood laws and even criminalize miscarriage in the states, it is absolutely critical for the next Supreme Court justice to stand on the side of social justice. President Obama should choose from the list -- and it's a very long list -- of qualified women who fit that description and throw the full weight of his presidency behind her during the confirmation process.

Send an e-mail urging President Obama to nominate a woman to the Supreme Court who will advocate for equality and fair treatment under the Constitution.

NOW and Florida NOW Conferences

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:59:00 GMT

The NOW Conference is July 2nd through 4th in Boston this year. You can register at https://www.now.org/registration.html?srce=emaa040610. And for those in Florida, the Florida NOW Conference is April 30th to May 2nd in St. Pete Beach. You can register for the Florida conference at http://www.flnow.org/conference/index2010.html.

Hoping to Find Happiness Through Your Work?

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:34:00 GMT

A recent analysis of 223 studies conducted between 1967 and 2008 published in the March 2010 edition of the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, suggests that if you're happy and satisified with your life, you're likely to feel the same about work. On the other hand, if you're unhappy and dissatisfied with life, you're likely to be unhappy and dissatisfied on the job. These findings suggest that if you're feeling unfulfilled and are hoping to fill that void through work, you may not be starting in the right place. Try to make changes that will make you feel happier in life, and the rest is likely to follow.

Just in Time for Easter ...

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 21:04:00 GMT

Just in time for Easter and a story near and dear to my heart--apparently in more ways than one. A new study out of the German Institute of Human Nutrition has found that one small square of chocolate a day can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk for heart disease. Studying the diet and health of close to 20,000 subjects between the ages of 35 and 65 for at least ten years, researchers found that subjects who ate an average of 7.5 grams of chocolate a day had lower blood pressure and were 39% less likely to have a heart attack than subjects who are only 1.7 grams of chocolate per day.

But chocolate lovers shouldn't get too crazy. To give this some perspective, six grams of chocolate equal one small square of a 3.5 ounce chocolate bar. Researchers also caution the obvious--chocolate intake should not take the place of healthy foods or add extra calories to your diet. They're just suggesting that it might make sense to exchange another similar calorie "snack" with a small daily dose of chocolate (the darker the chocolate, the better) to take advantage of what may be chocolate's health benefits.

The full press release describing the study, published this week in the European Heart Journal, can be found at: http://www.oxfordjournals.org/news/research/2010/03/30/chocolate.html.

So enjoy your square of chocolate and have a happy and save weekend!

Writing "to-do" lists that get your "to-do"s done!

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:27:00 GMT

I just finished reading an article by Gina Trapani, author of Upgrade Your Life and founding editor of Lifehacker.com, that was published on-line at the Harvard Business Review. It's so basic and simple that I almost didn't write this post, but then I thought that high-achieving women often make things more complicated than they need to so I thought a little reminder to keep it simple wouldn't hurt. In fact, I'm hoping it helps.

Trapani's article has to do with writing to-do lists that actually work. We're all guilty of having tasks on our to-do lists that we keep pushing further and further down the list because they're a bit daunting, right? It would take so much work to get the task done that it just keep getting buried underneath easier things to accomplish. And therein lies the problem!

Trapani suggests that all too often our to-do lists are actually lists of projects or goals rather than simple, one step tasks that need to be accomplished in order to complete a project or goal. Yet that's exactly what a to-do list should be - tasks that move you closer to the ultimate goal. For example, instead of writing, "Plan the Houston trip," which is a goal, you should break it down into smaller steps, such as "Go on-line to check flight schedules for 5/25/10 from Fort Lauderdale to Houston." Once that task is done, scratch it off and move on to the next step.

Trapani also suggests that your to-do list should be action-oriented and as detailed as possible. Instead of "Get tickets," the to-do should read, "Call the box office at 1-800-430-3030 and order four tickets to Les Mis for the matinée on 6/23/10." It's a specific action, it's detailed, and it makes it easier to do so you can scratch it off the list!

What's the point of having a list if nothing gets scratched off? It just becomes another source of stress in your already stressed lives. So keep it basic. Keep it simple. And get it done!

High-Octane Women

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:24:00 GMT

I've been missing in action for a while because I've been writing my book. But I am happy to announce that I finished it yesterday and it's in my editor's hand at Prometheus Books as we speak! Hopefully, it will be in the stores by the end of 2010!

I'm also happy to announce that Prometheus and I have agreed on a title. The book title is going to be High-Octane Women: How High-Achievers Can Avoid Burnout. I'm looking forward to working with my editor over the next month to get it ready for print.

Thanks for everyone who follows the blog. And I promise to be more active now that I've got the bulk of that exciting project finished.

Hope all is going well with you!

Gender Discrimination Alive and Well

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:20:00 GMT

Just when you think gender discrimination has sunk to the depths of hell where it belongs, it rears its ugly head. Check out this article on a law firm who questioned a female attorney's ability to "commit" to the firm because she was a new mother.

http://www.abajournal.com/weekly/article/firm_hit_over_partners_hiring_question_how_can_we_identify_new_moms_commitm

New Sites for My Articles on Stress

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:59:00 GMT

Many of you may have seen all or some of these articles, but I just started publishing my articles on two new websites: Associated Content and Helium. Check them out if you have a chance.

Check out my article here on the stress of achieving work/life balance on Associated Content

Helium Articles to check out:
How to Become More Productive At Work
Can Stress Hurt My Health?
Why Some People Choose Not to Write for a Living
Cost-effective Ways to Reduce Stress
How to Reduce Financial Stress
Ways to Avoid Burnout
How to Talk to Your Children about Financial Problems
Tips for Staying Positive When Laid-Off
Seven Things to Avoid When Laid-Off

New Book on Double Standards

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:50:00 GMT

I wanted to write a quick note about a new book by Washington Post writer Anne Kornblut on presidential politics and why gender matters. The title is "Notes from a Cracked Ceiling: Hillary Clinto, Sarah Palin, and What It Will Take for a Woman to Win."

I've only read the Washington Post article about the book: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011202768.html?wpisrc=nl_pmheadline, but it looks very interesting and I ordered the book today.

Thought you might want to at least check out the article and possibly the book.

Women Really Are Gaining Momentum

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:16:00 GMT

I know it seems painfully slow, and in many respects, it has been, but women really are gaining momentum. Forty years ago, women accounted for only a third of all workers in the US, and although forty years may seem like a long time to wait to go from 33.33333% to 50%, for the first time in history, women and men are equally represented in the U.S. workforce. Female business owners represent one of the fastest growing markets in this country. Madonna was numero uno on Forbes' highest earning musicians' list for 2009, and I hear Sandra Bullock has been named 2009's top-earning Hollywood star. Hillary is kicking butt as far as visibility and influence as Secretary of State in the Obama Administration. In fact, an article by Mary Jordan in yesterday's Washinton Post made reference to the "Hillary Effect" as the reason behind the unprecedented rise in female Ambassadors to the U.S. According to the article, there currently are 25 female Ambassadors posted to the U.S., the highest number in history, and a five fold increase from the late 1990s. Jordan writes, "A key reason is the increase in the number of top U.S. diplomats who are women, what some call the 'Hillary effect.'"

Of course, there's a lot of room for improvement. Female Ambassadors remain a distinct minority. And unfortunately, a lot of gender bias still exists in the world. For example, the article cites a story told by Heng Chee Chan, the Singapore Ambassador, who had dinner reservations under "Ambassador Chan." When she arrived at the restaurant to be seated, she was told, "Oh, he hasn't arrived yet." Another Ambassador, Meera Shankar from India, told Jordan, "Even when I say I am ambassador, people assume I am the spouse." Got to work on that, America!

But I thought I'd share this positive story with you, especially when so much that appears in the media is negative these days. We're making progress on the equality front, slow but sure. Let's keep it going, ladies.

Here's a link to the article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/10/AR2010011002731.html

Enjoy!

Domestically Challenged? So What

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:17:00 GMT

After leaving a holiday party recently, a friend of mine commented: “Okay, how inadequate do I feel? That woman,” she said, referring to the party host, “cooked everything on that buffet, her house was spotless, there wasn’t a thing out of place, and she did it all herself. Dream on, huh?”

“Dream?” I responded. “More like a nightmare if you ask me.”

“What do you mean?” my friend asked. “Wouldn’t you like to be able to do that?”

“No,” I answered. “And neither would you. You can barely stand going to the grocery store for milk.”

My friend reflected for a moment. “I guess you’re right. It just seems like it’s something I should be able to do.”

Seems like something I should be able to do? I thought. Where in the world do we come up with these scripts?

Just because you're not "as good" at or don't enjoy domestic stuff as much as you enjoy work or other things doesn't mean you're inadequate or bad or unworthy or whatever negative word you’d like to fill in … unless, of course, you define it that way.

I, for one, have never been domestically inclined … so much so that I refer to myself as "domestically challenged" (since "retarded" is no longer a socially sensitive term). But thankfully, I have never felt guilty about it. Whenever someone makes a comment to suggest that I "should" be more domestically inclined, I simply say that my strengths lie elsewhere. In fact, I had friends over for dinner the other night and one of them needed to heat up a dip they brought over. She asked me how to work the oven and I truly had no idea. I'd never used the thing. But with a little help from my other friends who were more domestically inclined, she figured it out and we all had a good laugh over it.

A lot of successful women feel guilty, or worse, see it as a failure if they don't excel in everything they do. But that's just not true! I know a lot of exceptional women and not a single one excels in every thing they do. We all have strengths and weaknesses, but how many women kick themselves for not enjoying chewing tobacco? Or not enjoying sitting in a tree and shooting at defenseless animals? Or anything else they might not enjoy or might not be good at? My point is - who defines what you "should" be good at? YOU (and others if you allow it)!

The only woman I know of who excelled in everything she did was Superwoman. And I often have to remind my high-achieving friends, colleagues, and clients that Superwoman is a fictional character! As good as you may be at the thousand things you do, you're not Superwoman. Can't be. She's not real.

So if you’re beating yourself up because you’re not floating on air, humming a happy tune in the kitchen, like June Cleaver, let it go. There are a lot of other things to stress out about in today's world. Not being June Cleaver is not one of them. So when you're home, do what you can do. Who cares if it's perfect or not as good as what others can do or what you can do at work? Simply stated, don't define home and work using the same standards. For many successful women, the two don't compare, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy something you're not "as good" at. Give it a chance without the pressure to excel at it; just enjoy it for what it is or grin and bear it without the guilt. Most importantly, don't be afraid to laugh at yourself. Laughter is a great stress reliever if you allow yourself to use it. If you try something domestic and mess it up royally, so what? Laugh about it. At least you tried. Remember ... sometimes the journey (for example, making the pie) is more important and more enjoyable than the final destination (what it tastes like).

Enjoy Yourself

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:27:42 GMT

Do you ever worry that you worry too much? I know it sounds funny, but I’m serious. I never actually stopped to think about it until recently when a friend sent me an email. Some of you may have seen it before, but I never had. As far as I can tell, it was anonymously written, but the writer recalls how she was dying to finish high school, then dying to finish college, then dying to start working, then dying to marry and have children, then dying for her children to grow up so she could return to work, then she dying to retire. Then she hits you with: “And now I am dying, and suddenly I realized I forgot to live. Please don’t let this happen to you. Appreciate your current situation and enjoy each day.”

I wanted to put this out there, especially at this time of year, because we all spend a lot of time pushing ourselves to do more and more and more, and then worrying that we haven’t done enough. There’s nothing wrong with pushing yourself to achieve your dreams … just make sure you take the time to appreciate and enjoy what you have and what you’ve done before it’s too late. Good resolution for a New Year, isn’t it?

Happy holidays to all of you! Enjoy yourself.

Where have I been?

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:46:00 GMT

Hi everyone! Sorry about the long lapse between blogs! I wish I could say I was on an extended vacation in Europe, but the real story is actually even better! For the last couple of months, I have been writing my fingers off. Why? Because my wonderful literary agent, Grace Freedson, worked out a book deal with Prometheus Press to publish "The Dangers Lurking Above the Glass Ceiling (working title)." I'm thrilled to be working with Prometheus on this exciting new project. If all goes as planned, the book should be on book store shelves sometimes in late 2010 or early 2011. I promise to keep you posted as things develop. Now your turn. What is going on in your life?

The Place of Women on the Supreme Court: A New York Times Article

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:13:00 GMT

Here's the link for a NY Times interview with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, offering her perspectives on the impact of women on the highest court as well as other feminist issues.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/magazine/12ginsburg-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&8au&emc=au

An Advocate for Women: New White House Advisor on Violence Against Women

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:50:00 GMT

New York Times Editorial on Obama's decision to appoint an advisor on violence against women. Here's the link to the story: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/opinion/01wed4.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Here's an excerpt: omestic violence is a serious law enforcement and public health problem affecting as many as one in four women in this country. Yet Washington has devoted too little attention to reducing domestic violence and sexual assaults generally. We welcome President Obama’s decision to create a new post, White House adviser on violence against women, and his appointment of a seasoned advocate for victims to fill it."

Congratulations to Lynn Rosenthal, former executive director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, for her selection!.

To Those Who Dream to Be a Writer

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:01:00 GMT

I've been getting a lot of emails lately from women who identify with some of my articles at www.High-Achievingwomen.com and at www.WomenCo.com where I'm a featured writer. The emails take two forms: that either I'm living their dream of being a writer, or that their lifelong dream is to be a writer. It started me thinking ... what is a writer? Actually, the answer is quite simple ... until, of course, we complicate it, but let's stay with simple for now.

Simply (and, in my opinion, correctly) defined, a writer is someone who writes. So for those of you who dream to be a writer because it's your passion, it's what you love to do, then it's hard to imagine that you haven't already accomplished your dream. If you love to write, then chances are you have written in some way, shape, or form all of your life, and therefore, by definition, you are a writer. But of course, that's the simple definition, and as we humans are prone to do, we often complicate simple things.

Some of you ask, "How can I call myself a writer if I've never had anything published?" or "Every time I submit something to an agent or publisher, it always gets rejected." And those are good points ... as long as you understand that you changed what you're defining. Here's what I mean. When you start talking about publishing and agents and getting paid for your writing, you're no longer talking about writing. You're talking about the business of writing. Those are two very different things, and therefore have two very different definitions. Would you define a dog and a wolf exactly the same way because they're similar? I would hope not. They're very different animals.

Well, the same holds true for being a writer and being in the business of writing. These are very, very different animals, and it's important not to confuse the two simply because they look a lot alike. If you do, you're taking a very big chance of being eaten by a wolf that you've mistaken for a dog.

As someone who has spent time with both of these animals for many years and am still alive to tell about it, here's my advise to avoid being eaten by a wolf as you pursue your dream of becoming a "writer."

1) Writing is a very personal thing. If you write about what you love, then the rest will fall in place. If you write about "what's hot" or what you think will "sell" best, it's almost certain to fail.

2) Make sure you understand how you're defining your dream before you start pursuing it. If you want to be a writer, then that's very easy. Start writing. Write whenever you can catch a few free moments - before you go to bed, when you wake up, on your lunch break. It doesn't matter when you do it or how well you do it because you're writing for you.

3) There is no "good" or "bad" writing until you start judging it or you allow someone else judge it. In fact, if juding isn't a part of the picture, writing can be very stress-relieving, especially if you write just for the love of writing.

4) If you decided that your dream is not simply to be a writer, but to be in the business of writing, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that ... as long as you understand what that means. As I said above, when you''re writing to be a writer, there is no "good" or "bad" writing. However, when you submit your writing to the publishing world, that changes. You're allowing other people to judge your work (that's right, in the business of writing, it's called work), and their view of "good" and "bad" is always (yes, always) based on how many books they think they can sell or how many more readers they think they can draw in with your work. Remember, it's a business just like any other, and all businesses have to consider the bottom line. It's also one of the most competitive businesses in the world so even if you're "good" at the business of writing, you should expect to get many, many more rejections of your work than acceptances.

5) AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, there is no reason you can't pursue two dreams at one time - being a writer and being in the business. People do it all time. In fact, I've done it and I continue to do it. But know this, if you succeed in the business and your writing (or at least some of it) switches from writing to work, then all the stress of a regular job (and usually more) are going to come with that work - demanding deadlines, working with agents and/or editors who want to change what you think is already perfect, finding the time to market your work, traveling to promote your work, expectations for more great (as defined by how many people will buy it) "work" from you, etc. Hopefully, you can see how quickly what you thought was a dream can become a nightmare, and how something that once was stress-relieving can become stress-generating (if you're not prepared for it).

So to all my readers who dream to be writers ... as long as you keep the wolves in check and the dogs close to your heart, I predict you'll do just fine!

Women's Keys to Self-Empowerment - Free Teleseminar

Sherrie Bourg Carter — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:54:00 GMT

Personal safety expert Kelly Rudolph and empowerment expert Maritz Parra are hosting a free teleseminar called Women's Keys to Self-Empowerment on Emotional Self-Defense for Women on July 2nd, 2009 at 5:30 PST/8:30 EST. Topics covered will include identifying your excellence and how to nurture it with other positive women, decluttering your mind and emotions to focus on empowering yourself, and using frustration to get out of the rut and into the groove. Register for this free teleseminar at www.telewomenars.com.