Personal and Professional Development Advice Series

I am introducing a new series of posts which will be a combination of personal and professional development topics. I have held several interviews with professional women whom I respect and I want to share some of the practical wisdom that was shared with me. Anytime I can learn, without paying for the knowledge, or falling on my face to acquire it, I am in a better place than where I started.

About the series:

As I was contemplating my blog series, I wanted to find successful women that I could glean knowledge from...  and that was part of the goal, but not the full goal. While I did want to know their secrets of success, I also wanted to know if these women are happy. What makes them feel successful? Did they have a mentor? Did they have a straight or zig-zagged career path? What challenges did they face? How are they like me? How are they different?

I was privileged that some of my interview subjects shared not only their wisdom, but also some personal stories that shaped who they are. I learned that some of these women were lucky in that they had parents and/or mentors who shared wisdom- that they learned early on. Some women KNEW what they wanted to do with their life from the time they were little, but not all of them had a straight career path.

I’ve determined from my interviews that the earlier you discover what really makes you happy and develop confidence in yourself, the sooner will move closer to your dreams. After all, you can't make your dreams come true, if you don't know what you want to do! Also worth noting is that people who were taught with wisdom earlier, developed that confidence earlier and even if their career path wasn't a straight line, they struggled less in their decisions... and had smoother transitions.

One of the best pieces of advice that I heard, came from Shernita Rochelle Parker, an Employee Relations consultant at George Mason University, said the best advice she was ever given was to "not base decisions from a position of fear." I know I can think of several decisions throughout my 30's that were strictly based on fear. How different my life might have been if I had learned that lesson in my 20's or 30's!

Because we each have unique experiences, education and career paths, and different family dynamics... we acquire wisdom at different points. Some people are lucky or blessed to have had strong mentors (or other relationships) that taught them the best way to proceed from the beginning. The rest of us learn through trial and error or not at all.

I desperately wanted to be in the first group when I was younger. Maybe I can make it to the first group now... by learning and absorbing all that I can. All I know for certain is that I will not be in the last group!