I’ve been thinking about my Board of Directors…
Some of you may know that I appointed my first Board in July of 2018. It’s time for a refresh!
I came up with this idea after attending the Creative Problem Solving Institute, where one of the tools they teach to inspire new thinking about a challenge is to imagine how someone else would solve it. I thought, what if I think of people whose lives can inspire me to achieve my specific goals?
The people need not know me personally, nor do they even have to be alive! Rather than regular, in-person “board meetings,” it’s up to me to channel them and their wisdom to keep myself on track.
(I later learned this concept of a personal board of directors is not new. Forbes proposed a more career- and reality-based approach, if that better suits you.)
My first Board in 2018 consisted of 6 people. This time around, I’m intentionally going smaller, as I am focusing on fewer goals that are going to have a big impact. Two of the members from 2018 remain, though for slightly different reasons than their first appointments:
P!nk, for her body positivity, down to Earth parenting/marriage views, commitment to artistry and creativity, and her athleticism. One of my favorite mantras comes from a line from her song “F*ckin’ Perfect”: Change the voices in your head / make them like you instead.
Brené Brown, for her urging to choose courage over comfort, her guidance on bravery and necessary conversations, and her push for expanding our emotional vocabulary (have you read her latest, Atlas of the Heart?!).
Tererai Trent, for her calling other women to dream big, tap into their innate wisdom, and think about community impact. Her book The Awakened Woman: Remembering and Igniting Our Sacred Dreams, has become a bible of sorts for me.
These amazing women will sit on my Board until I need different support. I’ll let you know when my Board needs shifting.
What support do you need to achieve your goals?
Whose voice do you need in your head?
Whose presence do you need in your life?
If you were to appoint your own Board of Directors, who would be on it and why?