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.
-
Mississippi Tax-Free Weekend 2025 Is Here: What to Know Before You ShopTax Holiday Just in time for Prime Day, Mississippi is celebrating a tax holiday in July. Find out how you can save on back-to-school essentials.
-
$280 Million Boost Revives Florida’s Home-Hardening Grant ProgramA major infusion of state funds revives Florida's flagship home-hardening grant program to protect homeowners and potentially lower insurance costs.
-
Key to Financial Peace of Mind: Think 'What's Next?' Rather Than 'What If?'Even if you've hit your magic number for retirement, it's hard to stop worrying about money. Giving it a clear purpose is one way to reduce financial anxiety.
-
Three Estate Planning Documents a Business Owner Can't Afford to SkipA business owner's estate plan should protect the company and its employees as well as the entrepreneur's heirs. These three documents are critical.
-
Financial Fact vs Fiction: Why Your 'Magic Number' Isn't Actually MagicalDo you think you're diversified if you're invested in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq? Do you think your tax rate will fall in retirement? Think again — and read on for other myths that could be leading you astray.
-
Opportunity Zones: An Expert Guide to the Changes in the One Big Beautiful BillThe law makes opportunity zones permanent, creates enhanced tax benefits for rural investments and opens up new strategies for investors to combine community development with significant tax advantages.
-
Five Ways Retirees Can Keep Perspective Through Market JittersMarket volatility is a recurring event with historical precedents (the dot-com bubble, global financial crisis and pandemic), each followed by recovery. Here's how people who are near or in retirement can navigate economic uncertainty.
-
I'm a Financial Strategist: This Is the Investment Trap That Keeps Smart Investors on the SidelinesForget FOMO. FOGI — Fear of Getting In — is the feeling you need to learn how to manage so you don't miss out on future investment gains.
-
Can You Be a Good Parent to an Only Child When You're Also a Business Owner?Author and social psychologist Susan Newman offers advice to business-owner parents on how to raise a well-adjusted single child by avoiding overcompensation and encouraging chores.
-
How Advisers Can Steer Their Clients Through Market Volatility (and Strengthen Their Relationships)Financial advisers need to be strategic when they communicate with clients during market volatility. The goal is to not only reassure them but to also help them avoid rash decisions, deepen your relationship with them and build lasting trust.
