It’s the outward expression of confidence that popular culture loves to promote. The energised, ‘Are you with me?’, contagious type of external confidence. But this outward facing confidence is only one expression of the self-belief we need to realise our career and life ambitions. It’s arguably the self-confidence that resides insideus, that holds the most potential. And figuring out how to nourish it, is a life skill worth learning.

Rather than throwing a wobbly like I had become accustomed to, I decided it was time to make some changes. I grabbed my trustiest side-kick (my laptop) and furiously typed everything that was driving me wild about our home life. Within a few minutes of the most hectic typing I have ever executed, it was clear to me, not only that this camel was carrying more on her shoulders than was necessary, but also, that I was part of the problem.

Returning to work after taking some time to raise your family can be one of these times of change where a To Do list just isn’t enough. If you’re looking to push past your fear, reluctance or overwhelm when it comes to working and raising your family, cultivating 3 areas of your mindset might be the only thing you need on your To Do list right now.

The start of a fresh new year is the perfect time to capitalise on your renewed energy if you have been contemplating returning to work after a break or making a career change to pursue more fulfilling work. Ensuring you’re truly ready for this exciting change will ensure you make a success of the time, effort and energy you’ll need to put in. Asking yourself these 6 questions will help confirm if you’re ready to take the plunge!

If, like me, you weren’t born with the divine knowledge of the perfect career for your personality, family situation, professional history or values, or you feel that becoming a parent has changed your perspective on work and life, the following five strategies have been designed with you in mind. Creating some time to engage with them will get you started on a path towards career clarity.

So many mothers today seem to be carrying the weight of their families on their shoulders, and heading closer to burnout and overwhelm than ever before. On closer consideration, it’s not just the physical tasks they undertake that seems to be taking its toll, it’s the often unrecognised and unqualified weight of the mental tasks required to keep a household and a family thriving… ok, just surviving.

As a member of the half of the human race that must work more, to earn less, it’s days like today that remind me we still have some way to go. Whether you agree with the way the stats are calculated or not, it is hard to deny that women still suffer a penalty in the workplace, just for, well, being women. What’s worse, is that when we shift our focus to Australian home life, we can see, not only one of the main underlying causes of the pay gap, but an even bigger gap in equity when it comes to domestic labour.

Foggy. Confused. Unsure. Overwhelmed. That’s what contemplating your next career move can feel like at the start. 

Talking about housework with my partner and three sons is far from thrilling, but in many ways, it’s some of the most important dialogue we’ve had when it comes to my own sanity and wellbeing. As a starting point, if you’d like to have a positive and productive conversation with your partner about sharing the load at home better, and start to reduce the immeasurable tension a lack of equality can cause in relationships, consider these 3 techniques…

The middle of the year could be the perfect time to set some new or updated intentions for your life. With the (blind?) optimism of the start of the year behind you, and the intensity of the end of the year in front of you, July could be the ideal month to tune in to your inner-realist and start making things happen.

When Hillary Clinton addressed the sell-out crowd at Sydney’s International Convention Centre Theatre last week, her story was one of resilience and perseverance. The one-time F.L.O.T.U.S., who experienced an unprecedented and unexpected loss to Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election is in many ways the epitome of resilience and grace under pressure, and in this sense, a role model to many women…

So, was my answer a social media detox? Well, no – although it would have been a healthy thing to do nonetheless! My decision to let go of the temptation to compare was what really made the difference. Freeing myself from this soul-destroying habit, meant that I was still able to indulge in the benefits of social media, without feeling like I was failing in my most-important role, because of regular and unrealistic comparisons to others…

It’s hard to believe that a young woman leaving school today will have 17 different employers in her lifetime, and 5 different careers. And whilst 5 careers may not seem realistic to a woman in her mid-career today, a handful of career pursuits over a 52-year career is certainly feasible…

If you’re looking for more motivation, the most effective thing you can do todayis to take action. It doesn’t need to be big, grandiose, or spectacular. It just needs to be something. By temporarily suspending any automatic thinking that is preventing you from doing something, you can create the beginning of an upward spiral of motivation. Here’s how...  

Guilt is uncomfortable, and Guilt is confronting, but when you look a little deeper into the science of Guilt, you start to appreciate that Guilt is far from the dishonourable and wasted emotion it is often referred to. And here’s the kicker; figuring out the guilt that teaches you, from the guilt that simply taunts you, is what makes all the difference.  

When done well, these 3 steps help to shift your perceptions (read; reality) and to take action. And by feeling the fear, and doing it anyway, you’ll start to create more real life evidence that will further support you to reduce the power of your (old-no-longer-relevant) fear...

When it comes to the 3 main occupations that working mothers participate in; Primary caregiver, CEO of the household, and Employee or Business Owner, finding meaning in those occupations contributes positively to our wellbeing…

One of the smartest things you can do when preparing your career re-entry or transition, is to get re-acquainted with your signature strengths. By strengths, we don't mean the run-of-the-mill, everyone-says-the-same-thing kind of strengths...

In many ways, we’ve come much further in the boardroom than we have in the lounge room. Equality starts in the home.

Career-related decision-making can be complicated, and when you layer-in the compromise, negotiation and complexity that comes with combining your work, personal and family responsibilities, the whole thing can feel a bit enormous.

By focusing on 'petite' progress every day (not just on International Women's Day), your seemingly unachievable, impossible goals will fall within reach as the momentum of daily progress carries you forward. 

On the eve of International Women's Day 2018, all working mothers can draw inspiration from the stories of these four female game-changers.