Jill O’Boyle is the wife of Jack (true story) and a boy mom who says she “lives for taco Tuesdays, live music, being outdoors, and sipping on red wine or coffee.” She is also the owner of Jill O’Boyle Communications, which was founded to support high-achieving, working women. In addition, Jill is the host of the “Your Life Your Story – Rise Up” podcast, a podcast that aims to provide “relatable, honest, and personal conversations about our journeys through life and the battles we face.”
From her own struggles and life experiences, Jill has found solutions that she believes will help women live a successful and purpose-driven life. Indy Maven caught up with Jill to find out some of her best tips for personal and professional success.
Tip #1: BE STILL
I know what you’re thinking: “How can I be successful if I’m not moving and producing?” That’s exactly the point. The more that you can practice the power of stillness, the more balance and success you’ll welcome in your life both personally and professionally.
Clarity may come from action, but it’s only after you’ve taken the time to be still. I became more productive, creative, and energized in my life when I started realizing the power of taking the first 30 minutes of the day for me. This was my time to enjoy my cup of coffee in peace before the rest of the household and chaos woke up.
Prior to realizing this, my mornings were typically spent racing to my phone, checking my calendar of meetings, and filling my morning with the noise of social media feeds within the first 15 minutes of waking up. My anxiety levels were through the roof before I even walked through the office door.
I decided to make a change, and it was extremely helpful for my success and productivity. The first 15-30 minutes in the morning was devoted to meditation, reading, listening to an inspirational podcast, scripture, or prayer. This is now my #1 go-to for anyone who is looking to thrive in their professional and personal life: Whatever will start your day in a place of relaxation is exactly what you need for success.
Tip #2: FILL YOUR CUP UP
Much like the power of stillness, I am a huge advocate for self-care. A badass woman in our Indy community named Rebeccah Hession once said: “Self-Care isn’t selfish, it’s badass.”
I couldn’t agree more with this statement. If you want to be known as a woman of influence, power, or success, knowing the value of your self-care is the key. To serve others from the highest level, you must fill your cup up first. You cannot serve from an empty cup.
Just as you would schedule your department meeting, staff meeting, or client meeting, your self-care meeting should be no different. Put it on the calendar and do not snooze it or cancel it.
A few easy ways to do this would be to block time on your calendar when you’re driving to work. This is your self-care time for “inspirational learning” via a podcast, talk radio station, or audiobook on the way to work. It could also be looked at as your time where no calls are allowed, so that you can pump yourself up and listen to your favorite jam.
As an alternative, you can block out your lunch hour and close your laptop. Walk away from your desk and have lunch with a friend. Connection and laughter are great forms of self-care.
You could also schedule 30 minutes of exercise either before or at the end of your workday. Regular exercise enhances your physical and mental state, which lifts all the other areas of your life as well. Lastly, when was the last time you booked a spa appointment? It’s not selfish, it’s badass!
When you are rejuvenated and are constantly filling your cup up, it will naturally overflow to others. It will radiate off of you and spill over, making you known as the woman that brings positive light, energy, and success to others.
Tip #3: WAIT: “WHY AM I TALKING?”
God blessed us with two ears and one mouth for a reason! The most successful people that I have met have mastered the skill of listening. Success is achieved when you can be truly present with the people around you and give them a listening ear. People want to be heard, so make sure to give them the space to talk freely.
Listening opens you up to being trusted and respected and can bring you success in both your personal and professional situations. As a manager, one of the areas I strived to succeed in was being fully present and available for my team members. Listening intuitively and minimizing my distractions when I am in the presence of my team members has always been important to me. It shows that you care and you’re willing to take the time to let them fully express their concerns.
In your personal life, listening and tuning in to the needs of your friends and family members is just as important. I don’t know about you but listening to my husband and what his needs are can usually come full circle with a nice backrub for me. That’s success in my opinion — just saying.
I love to talk and share stories, and my #1 strength is communication — I’m a natural conversationalist! And while that’s true, I also know that I have to practice the power of listening. I use the “WAIT” acronym (“Why Am I Talking”) as a quick reminder to myself to shut up at times.
Success means you listen more and talk less.
Tip #4: AFFIRMATIONS & MINDSET
I absolutely love affirmations; there is so much power and success in positive affirmations and a healthy mindset. Think about this for a minute: How do you think your week would start if you started every Monday standing in front of the mirror saying how much you hate your job, your body is disgusting, and your marriage is pathetic? Do you think you’re going to have a successful week? Do you think you’ll walk into work ready to crush it? Will you be heading to the gym after work or grabbing the bottle of wine instead?
You change the way you start your workday by starting it with positive affirmations instead. A few positive affirmations that I love to add to my mornings are:
“I am successful.”
“I am worthy to receive.”
“I am enough.”
“I am beautiful.”
“I am blessed and grateful.”
“I am loved.”
There is so much power in saying affirmations. You not only want to say it, but you need to believe it!
You can also create a vision board and put everything you desire on the board and manifest it. Believe in the power of a positive mindset and I promise you’ll start attracting more and more positive things in your life.
See if success starts coming your way by starting your day with a high-five to yourself in the mirror and saying a few of these affirmations each morning.
Tip #5: KEEP A TO-DO LIST
Oh, how I love a great to-do list! There is an instant gratification for me when I can cross something off that list. Let me be honest, I’ll even add things that I didn’t originally have on the list just so I can scratch them off. Anything you can cross off is an extra reward in my book.
Although to-do lists are awesome and help you stay on target and schedule, they can also be inefficient if not used correctly. The number of things you put on your to-do list is key. You must realize that you are only one person, and you only have eight hours in a workday. Being mindful of your time is a huge tool for building success in your personal and professional life.
The maximum number of things I recommend putting on your to-do list is five. Be mindful of the projects and things you are putting on your timeline. If you know one of the projects will take you four hours to complete, then you probably will only need to have three things on your to-do list for that day. I have found that with my detailed-oriented personality and my love for crossing off my to-do list, I was feeling really depleted at the end of the day when I would only cross off three of the 17 things I had on my list.
17 things could never be done in one day! So why list it all? I started realizing I was leaving the day feeling unproductive and inefficient, but I was putting unrealistic expectations on myself.
Mastering your schedule is key to success. Blocking time on your calendar for priority work is also crucial and making sure you stay firm when someone wants to try to interrupt your productivity hour. (You know they will.) Successful people know that their time is valuable, so don’t be afraid to speak up and have that person reschedule for a time when you’re available.
Success is knowing what is capable for you to complete and what work can wait or be delegated.
In my personal life, I love to-do lists and making a schedule — anything that can help keep the household structured and healthy is a win-win for me. So that could be meal planning, daily chores for the children to complete, or scheduled date nights … because come on ladies, if it’s not scheduled you know it’s not happening!
Success is balanced living, which means making sure that both your personal and professional to-do lists are giving you a life that aligns with you and what you desire.
I’m fortunate that my work and personal life are one: I love what I do so much, so it never feels like work. My goal is to help women find that same love and joy for what they do.
Success is achieved when you find your purpose, you’re doing meaningful work, and you’re living a meaningful, purpose-driven life!
RELATED: 5 TIPS FROM A RESUME EXPERT TO GET YOU HIRED
Jill O’Boyle is the owner and founder of Jill O’Boyle Communications and the host of the Your Life Your Story – Rise Up podcast.
All of our content — including this article — is completely free. However, we’d love if you would please consider supporting our journalism with an Indy Maven membership.
