Women do not have to do things in the same way as men – we have amazing superpowers within our cyclic nature to do tasks with a uniquely female approach that is equally successful and productive.
In fact, when we look at what women have already achieved working in the same way as men – against their female nature – imagine what we would achieve if we could organise our work to fit our cyclic nature. We would be ‘Optimized Women’ – women who are living and working at their full potential!
So how do we start to use our superpowers? Here are some ideas from my book ‘The Optimized Woman’:
Dynamic (pre-ovulation) phase optimizing:
We have increasing levels of physical energy, so we can do more. We have enhanced ‘intellectual thinking’ powers so we can apply them to tasks that need concentration and logical thinking – writing reports, creating invoices, planning and organizing.
If you are in your Dynamic phase today:
Superpowers in action: Challenge yourself mentally and physically. Stand up for what you think is right and give your point of view logically. Start new projects and enjoy the sense of achieving.
Things to look out for: You may be less empathic, and appear very demanding and project driven, with a high expectation of others.
Strategy: You need to be extra aware of your lack of empathy, how you interact with people and the effect it has on them. Work alone if possible.
Expressive (ovulation) phase optimizing:
We have good stable levels of physical energy that we can rely on. Our ‘emotional thinking’ is dominant, so we have naturally enhanced empathy enabling us to build more positive work relationships, manage people better, work in a team, network and create marketing materials.
If you are in your Expressive phase today:
Superpowers in action: Talk to people. Support co-workers and customers, be a mediator and counsellor, and feminize your work space.
Things to look out for: The willingness to offer long-term sacrifices for others, feeling guilty for not being more dynamic, and sharing too much.
Strategy: You need to be extra aware that your self-worth is not solely dependent on others and be careful that you don’t agree to do too many things – your pre-menstrual phase is next!
Creative (pre-menstrual) phase optimizing:
Our declining levels of physical energy often affect our reactions to things. We have enhanced ‘subconscious thinking’ abilities of inspiration, creativity and intuition that we can apply to stagnant projects, activities and problems, and to creating new ideas for products and projects.
If you are in your Creative phase today:
Superpowers in action: Apply your creative abilities to projects and problems. Work alone to be productive. When tired, work on simple tasks that would be boring in other phases.
Things to look out for: Communicating in a negative / critical manner, having an unrealistic list of tasks and deadlines, and impulsive behaviour.
Strategy: Don’t react when tired – remove yourself from the situation and rest before responding. Meet your needs. Apply your creativity and inspiration.
Reflective (menstrual) phase optimizing:
In this phase we often just want to stop and sleep for the first few days, so plan for this! Our ‘soul-level thinking’ is dominant, giving us a natural sense of the bigger vision, of legacy and of our core values. This is the time for comparing projects with our core values and for day-dreaming the future.
If you are in your Reflective phase today:
Superpowers in action: Make time to reflect on core issues. Day-dream ideas and future plans and be open to intuitive knowledge. Be in meetings only to give the ‘bigger picture’.
Things to look out for: The lack of interaction with people and projects. A viewpoint that is difficult for others to understand. A need to have time to review before making decisions.
Strategy: Ask others to manage everyday things for a few days and only be available to urgent and important requests. Plan to take action on your decisions in your pre-ovulation phase.
To find out more about optimizing your work life, I have created The Optimized Woman Daily Plan in my book ‘The Optimized Woman’. It guides you through three daily exercises for the month, helping you to apply your superpowers practically to creating wellbeing, achieving your goals, and enhancing your performance at work. The book is available in Spanish (Las 4 Fases de la Luna Roja), French (La Femme Optimale) and in Czech (Cyklická Žena).
