Superwomen Can Only Be Super When We Get the Support We Need
One secret to success that more women (even those with seemingly super powers) should embrace? Delegation! Here are some suggestions for working women on enlisting the help of others across the universe of their lives.
This column is part of a special series Halbert Hargrove produced in honor of March being Women's History Month to highlight women's accomplishments and challenges.
Being a superwoman doesn’t equate to superhuman strength. In whatever roles you play in the workplace and your personal life, feeling buried and stressed is probably all too familiar. We all need to acknowledge when we’re taking on too much — and ask for help when needed.
We women are so capable, and our brains are hard-wired to capably multi-task juggling a multitude of responsibilities. Why not delegate some of those tasks instead of running ourselves into the ground?
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Massive strides, but more are required
Today, we’re seeing women in the workplace reaping the benefits fought for by the generations before them. In the U.S., women have already passed men in the likelihood of getting a college degree — including graduate degrees. And we’re increasingly taking on leadership roles in previously male-driven professions like finance, law and medicine.
But there’s still a lot of controversy in our culture about gender inequality, not the least in terms of women’s pay and share of upper-level management positions. And how about our share of drudgery?
One of the clearest indicators of not-yet-vanquished inequality is that women still do the majority of domestic work — cleaning the house, cooking dinner and caring for their kids. Fact: In the U.S., women who work 35 or more hours per week spend on average 4.9 hours per day on unpaid household duties, while their working male counterparts spend an average of 3.8 hours per day. Studies show that this disproportionality not only inhibits women’s employment options, earnings and economic stability, but also impacts their health and happiness.
The key to keeping your sanity and health is enlisting help and building trusted partnerships.
Help in managing your financial life
As a working professional, you’re in the process of perfecting your own craft. Outsourcing to other experts should be a no-brainer.
As a wealth adviser, I daily see the benefits of the planning, investment advice and discipline that pay off for our firm’s clients. So here’s my bias: The first professional you should seek out should be someone to help manage your financial life — maintaining a livable income, saving for retirement, growing your wealth, saving for children’s college. If these represent priorities in your life, you should place these critical responsibilities in the hands of an expert.
A financial partner is not only beneficial in terms of helping you invest and grow your savings, but also in providing advice on the tough decisions. Like when it’s time for your parents to make the move to nursing home or tell your adult children they need to pay their own way. Or when you need to hang in there during difficult market periods. A financial adviser can also recommend other experts who have your best interests at heart.
What do you need, and who can provide it?
A great place to start mastering superwomanhood is making an assessment of your biggest stressors and challenges, and where you stand to benefit most from partnering with others. Here are some suggestions of additional experts and resources you might consider:
- A therapist. Your mental health is your foundation. This should be step one of asking for help — many times, even before you realize you actually need it.
- A career or life coach. For help (and an outside perspective) on reaching for goals and keeping yourself accountable to them.
- A CPA. For many, online tax software has made it easy to file taxes. But there’s still a lot of value and advice a tax professional can provide, especially for those in a unique situation like owning a small business.
- A specialized attorney. Looking to finalize your will? Hire an expert. Looking to sell or expand your small business? Make sure to connect with a business attorney.
- Mortgage brokers and real estate agents. Buying or selling a home is a huge financial move. You should rely on the expertise of professionals.
- A personal trainer or health coach. For all those reasons you already know.
- Home help. Last but not least, ask for home help! Hire a nanny, a professional cleaner, a home organizer or declutterer and/or a dog walker. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your significant other — they signed up to share this life with you, make them earn it!
Remember, you may be successful, but you’re not a lone warrior. Perpetual displays of superhuman strength and abilities exist only in comic books and movies.
To continue reading this article
please register for free
This is different from signing in to your print subscription
Why am I seeing this? Find out more here
Julia Pham joined Halbert Hargrove as a Wealth Adviser in 2015. Her role includes encouraging HH clients to explore and fine-tune their aspirations — and working with them to create a road map to attain the goals that matter to them. Julia has worked in financial services since 2007. Julia earned a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in Economics and Sociology, and an MBA, both from the University of California at Irvine.
-
GM Stock Accelerates After Earnings Beat
General Motors beat expectations for the first quarter and raised its outlook for the year. Here's what you need to know.
By Joey Solitro Published
-
Georgia Has a New Income Tax Rate for 2024
Tax Cuts Georgians now have a tax package containing income tax cuts, childcare relief, and potential property tax caps.
By Kelley R. Taylor Published
-
Four Tips to Make Your Sales Presentation a Winner
Being prepared and not being boring can go a long way toward persuading a potential customer to buy into what you’re offering.
By H. Dennis Beaver, Esq. Published
-
Pros and Cons of Waiting Until 70 to Claim Social Security
Waiting until 70 to file for Social Security benefits comes with a higher check, but there could be financial consequences to consider for you and your family.
By Patrick M. Simasko, J.D. Published
-
How to Stop Boredom From Ruining Your Happy Retirement
Retirees who explore new interests and have an active social life are more likely to find joy — and even greatness — in the newfound freedom of retirement.
By Richard P. Himmer, PhD Published
-
The Life-or-Death Answers We Owe Our Loved Ones
How our life ends isn’t always up to us, but that question too often must be answered by loved ones and health care workers who don’t know what we would want.
By Joel Theisen, RN Published
-
Is 100 the New 70?
Eating well, exercising, getting plenty of sleep and managing chronic stress can help make you a SuperAger. Funding that long life requires longevity literacy.
By Phil Wright, Certified Fund Specialist Published
-
Nine Lessons to Be Learned From the Hilton Family Trust Contest
Disclaimers, good communication, post-marital agreements and more could help avoid conflict in a family after the owners of a wealthy estate pass away.
By John M. Goralka Published
-
Strategies to Optimize Your Social Security Benefits
To maximize what you can collect, it’s crucial to know when you can file, how delaying filing affects your checks and the income limit if you’re still working.
By Jason “JB” Beckett Published
-
Don’t Forget to Update Beneficiaries After a Gray Divorce
Some states automatically revoke a former spouse as a beneficiary on some accounts. Waivers can be used, too. Best not to leave it up to your state, though.
By Andrew Hatherley, CDFA®, CRPC® Published