Monthly Archives: March 2023

Every March, people in the United States celebrate the achievements and history of women as part of Women’s History Month.

How it started

Educators in Santa Rosa, California, first celebrated Women’s History Week in March 1978 to increase awareness of women’s contributions to society. Organizers selected a week in early March to correspond with International Women’s Day on March 8. Over the next several years, other cities across the country joined Santa Rosa in celebrating Women’s History Week.

In 1980, U.S. President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8 National Women’s History Week, urging everyone in the United States to participate. According to Carter, “too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”

The week-long event officially became a month-long one in 1987 when Congress passed a resolution designating March as Women’s History Month. Women’s History Month has been celebrated in the United States every March since.

Whom it honours

Among the notable figures often spotlighted during Women’s History Month are Sacagawea, a Native American woman who helped make Lewis and Clark’s expedition to map parts of the West in the early 19th century a success; Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, who fought for equality for women in the mid-19th century, more than 70 years before the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote in the United States in 1920; Harriet Tubman, a spy who led slaves to freedom during the Civil War; Amelia Earhart, one of the world’s first female pilots (she mysteriously disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937); Madeleine Albright, who became the first female Secretary of State in 1996; and Misty Copeland, the first African-American woman to be named a principal dancer—the highest level—in the 75-year history of the American Ballet Theatre in 2015.

Women’s history month today

Since the first Women’s History Week in 1978, other countries have joined the United States in honoring women and their contribution to history and culture, including Canada and Australia.

Each year the National Women’s History Alliance chooses a theme for Women’s History Month. Previous themes have included “Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet”(2009) and “Celebrating Women in STEM” (2013). The theme for 2020 and 2021 is “Valiant Women of the Vote.” (Learn about the fight for the right to vote.) And the theme for 2023 is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.”

Beyond the theme of the year, Women’s History Month continues the discussion of women and their contributions through activities such as museum exhibits and film screenings, and by encouraging the study of achievements by women year-round.

There are a number of important life skills that you master over time as you develop into a well-rounded successful adult. It is unfortunate that these skills are not adequately taught in schools. Regardless of your profession or role, these skills will increase your likelihood of success and help you maintain it.  Going through school helps us to become book smart; however, to be life smart, you absolutely need these essential skills.

1. Time management

Finding that balance between your professional and personal lives relies majorly on conscious time management; your ability to schedule and organize yourself. Effective time management enables you to prioritize tasks and effectively keeps you self-disciplined and focused on the goals at hand. It does not mean that you have to spend every minute working; it just implies that you should be able to allocate time for work, family, leisure, and self-development. Learn to eliminate distractions, delegate where you can, and plan ahead to maximize productivity. Determine your desired results before starting a certain task. Cure procrastination by planning your week and breaking down your daily tasks. Keep in mind that your enthusiasm and resourcefulness will fluctuate throughout the week. Do not compromise family time by failing to manage your work schedule.

2.  Money management

Do you know where all your money goes? Do you know how much money you spend when you go shopping or when you go out for drinks with colleagues after work? Living within your means and sticking to a monthly budget takes study and effort. Good financial sense allows you to accumulate savings and provides the resources to deal with unexpected expenses. You have to master how to identify bargains and avoid bad purchases. Most of us start to fail in this area when we fail to pay bills on the due date and always find ourselves broke at some time during the month. This eventually results in a constant state of worry about the future. Having a surplus of money can relieve this pressure. Bear in mind that the goal is not just about having huge sums of money stashed in the bank but also about investing and allowing that money to work for you. Being knowledgeable about money matters and business ventures is key to finding smart investments.

3.  Decision making

The main thing that separates the doers from the “wannabes” is the ability to take action based on available information. It takes analysis and being able to respond quickly and effectively. Overanalyzing and waiting for more information before making a decision can have costly implications. Making decisions is part of everyday life; ranging from trivial matters like which shoe to wear to life-changing issues like whom to marry. Examine your gut feeling and apply to reason using facts and figures for justification. Beware of vested interests and emotional attachments as they pose a crucial blockage to effective decision-making. When there is limited information, anticipate both negative and positive outcomes especially if the decision will involve the prospect of change. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Take responsibility for your actions. 

4.  Emotional Intelligence

Know yourself too well to be able to sense the emotional needs of others. Become a master at managing your own emotions. Develop the ability to look at a problem calmly and relate well with people with different personalities. This is crucial in managing relationships. Observe your reactions in your work environment and practice humility. Learn how to manage disputes and drive hope and optimism in situations where a solution is not found. Listen to other people with your full attention. To build self-awareness, find time to reflect on your day. You can meditate, go for a walk, pray, or journal.

5. Strategy

For you to succeed, you need to always think about your next move and have a contingency plan in place for when things change. This way, you will save a lot of time that would be put into starting from scratch. To be a great strategist, you need to be well informed. You need to know which buttons to press, when to press them, and when to withdraw. It also involves putting in place systems and structures for the realization of immediate and long-term goals. Strategy fosters a sense of direction and unity among people who work together. It is an important aspect of making a great leader.

6. Relationship management

Being able to relate well with the people around you will help get through tough times and celebrate good times. Getting to know people as individuals is vital in building strong long-term relationships. Find out what you have in common with your teammates and customers and build on those interests to deepen your relationship. Practice common etiquette. Develop trust by keeping your word on deals and agreements. On a personal level, understand that friendships are hard to maintain. Marriage, family, and kids require an intense understanding of commitment, love, forgiveness, and connection to pull through. As much as there are numerous wonderful things about family, raising one takes you through countless ups and downs. Every day offers a new lesson to learn. Be open and receptive to those lessons.