Women play many roles in their daily lives. We are loving mothers, adoring wives, dedicated daughters, driven professionals and caring mentors, to name a few. Success in all these sections of our life depends on keeping a healthy balance between them. Author, mentor and mother, Zanele Mbokazi, tells us how she manages to find inner peace through balance. Zanele is a passionate believer that faith plays a core part in success. Encouraging people to have faith and believe that everything they have ever dreamed is possible, is the cornerstone of her workshops. Her ability to add a uniquely feminine touch to the process of dream realisation has earned her the title of ‘Midwife of Dreams’ from her past students.
Here are Zanele’s top five hacks for other budding superwomen:
Dream big and start small
If you don’t know where you are going, how are you going to get there? Life-altering actions always begin with dreams, big dreams, that are based on a big picture of what you want and why you want to achieve what you want. Once you are grounded in your dreams, you need to translate them into goals that are simple, achievable, measurable and time-bound so that you can see your progress and stay motivated.
Plan everything and write it down
Any successful woman knows that planning is essential. Zanele’s to-do list includes everything from family time, business commitments, self-care rituals and much more. She knows from experience that detailed planning allows her to fulfil all her roles, be there for everyone who needs her and still reserve some energy for herself. Attention to detail, quickly executing each task and having a written record of your plan is key to avoiding getting side-tracked.
Prioritise and focus
To make sure you are working towards achieving your goals you need to take a step back often to check if what you are doing every day is in line with them. Ask yourself if what you have planned to do today, is taking you closer to your dream tomorrow. Only then can you prioritise which to-dos are most important and focus your energy on a realistic path to achievement.
Recognise your inner voice
We all have that inner voice that can be our biggest critic. It is important not to ignore it; instead recognise it and accept it and you remove its negative power. Zanele has given her inner critic the nickname ‘nunu’ and will repeatedly tell that negative voice ‘not today, nunu’ as a way of claiming power over potentially negative thoughts and reinforcing faith in herself.
Find your tribe
No woman is an island and you cannot do everything for everyone all the time. Pay attention to those around you who are able to help and delegate them responsibilities and tasks in your home and professional life. Empowering those around you, creating a sense of agency and giving gratitude to those who help you, makes them feel valued and gives you a way to balance your time. If you can’t pick up the kids from school, somebody in your tribe should be able to. In life and business, your tribe will support you and make sure you don’t buckle from the stress of trying to do everything.
Zanele’s story is, without doubt, one of resilience and dedication. It is her faith, her ability, her family and her tribe that allow her to see possibilities in places of crisis. Zanele believes in leading by example. She wants to make us aware of the powerful influence we have over our children, our colleagues and our confidants in what we say, how we carry ourselves and what we do professionally. When speaking of her family, Zanele bursts with pride not only for her children but for herself and the faith she had to be capable of raising giants. Self-belief propelled her to be able to stand on any stage in the world and helped her see herself as more than simply Zanele from Thornwood.
Zanele Mbokazi, is a change enabler who has a passion for empowering people and has seen it all. Originally from the streets of Thornwood and KwaNdengezi in KZN, Zanele is a fearless TURNAROUND life and business coach who knows first-hand that it does not matter where you come from, if you take hold of your destiny, you can change your life for the better. It is her holistic approach to mentorship that has proven invaluable in creating sustainable positive change in the lives of her clients. Her course focuses on empowering people by showing them how to start their dream profitable online business, helping them turn around their professional, personal and spiritual lives. Through her work, Zanele strives to change her clients’ mindsets so that they may have the practical knowledge and sense of worth necessary to achieve their dreams. Always looking for a way to make a positive change, Zanele takes great pride in walking the walk through her involvement as a patron of Future Leaders – a youth organisation that teaches entrepreneurship and life skills.
Zanele’s humble beginnings and personal journey gave her a tenacity that cannot be found in any textbook. The guidance she provides is not only grounded in a deep theoretical understanding but is gilded by her personal experiences. She credits her journey of success to her creativity, dedication and steadfast faith. By sharing her own story, she hopes to show thousands more women and youth that they can evolve beyond their circumstances and achieve beyond their wildest dreams.
