8 Boss-Girl characteristics every woman should adopt this Women's Day

 This week we are celebrating International Women's Day at Tech-Chic. This week is all about empowering women. With the growing importance of women in every field, be it medical, corporate, or technology, women are writing their own definition of success. 

For years together, society has reshaped women's lives to suit it's needs. Every time a woman tries to do something unusual, the patriarchy smashes her with the usual 'Ladkiya yeh sab nahi karti' or the 'Log kya kahenge'. Women have been serving the duties set for them by society for so long now that they don't think they are righteous of even a few of the basic rights. Most of them now live in a make-believe world where they have been manipulated into believing that cooking, cleaning, and looking after the family is all they are made for when in reality women are capable of anything and everything. Several inspiring women have proved this time and again. 

There is no better occasion than International Women's day to take control of your life and charge towards a life you desire. So, here are 8 Boss-girl traits we women need to imbibe this Women's day.

1. Be your own boss

Most of us feel like we are not in control of our lives anymore. Our actions and behavior are driven by societal obligations and the choices we make are restrained by fear. Consequently, life has become a series of things that happen to us rather than we doing things in life.

But it does not have to be this way. You can choose to be the CEO of your life. Do not let anyone dictate your life for it is your's alone to build. Take charge of what you want to do and truly take steps towards it. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise. If we let circumstances or what somebody said affect our emotions and actions, we are voluntarily making them in charge of our lives. We cannot control what somebody says or how life turns out, but we can surely control how we react and not get affected by it.

2. Be a Risk-Taker

I heard people say women are known to take fewer risks than men. But to burst your little bubble, this is a myth. The fact that women are a bit risk-averse does not have to do anything with our nature but in the way, we are raised.

As a girl, I am sure every one of us was generally under the protection of a male relative. In some households, women are not allowed to have an opinion on risky financial matters and are sent off to handle the 'kitchen work'. All the important decisions are supposed to be taken by 'Man of the House', while the woman is expected to quietly follow in his footsteps.

But we can be risk-takers too as this is not supposed to be just a 'manly trait'. Every human should be willing to take risks to get success. They say, 'A shark never outgrows its environment.' In the same way, if you keep yourself bound to a safe environment, you will never know what you are truly capable of. Make that choice and take that leap in good faith. 

Taking risks not only takes you one step closer to your goals but also enhances your abilities in decision-making and increases your confidence. The opportunities that may now seem out of your reach often come your way if you are willing to take that risk. Being a risk-taker always adds to your character and helps you stand out.

3. Be Financially Independent

'Paisa sab kuch nahi hota' is a total scam today. If it was not so, Ayesha from Ahmedabad would not suicide over dowry-harassment and you would not have rejected that rishta, because the boy did not earn well. Hence, money is an important aspect of everyone's life. But here's why it should be more important to you as a woman.

The cost of living for a woman is higher than those of their male counterparts. Even basic needs like clothes and sanitary napkins have become luxury items with their cost touching the roof. If you want to live alone or even with a friend of yours, the rent is going to be much higher because that's the cost of finding a 'SAFE' society. Because let's face it, women are more unsafe. I have just listed out the basic ones. There are several other things you need to pay excessively for such as make-up, accessories, etc.

And No! It is not good enough, that your father, brother, husband, or even boyfriend is paying for your expenses. It is as important for women to be financially independent as it is for men. 

Women need to free themselves from financial overdependence on family or husband. This helps them to guard themselves against dreadful situations like being forced into a toxic relationship or marriage, divorce, low standards of living, or death. Being financially independent helps boost your morale, confidence and brings in a sense of responsibility. 

Once you start taking charge of your finances, you develop skills like preparing an effective budget and sticking to it, dealing with stress, and planning ahead in time for adversities.

4. Self-care isn't SELFish

Self-care isn't a guilty pleasure anymore. It's a Necessity. You cannot pour from an empty vessel. In a busy life where we women take up multiple roles, at home we are mothers, sisters, daughters, at the workplace we might be a team-player, a lead, a boss, in-charge of guarding a bank, responsible for making someone reach their destination safely or any job where they are constantly challenged both physically and mentally. They hardly make time to take care of themselves or even think of it.

To keep up with a life where women constantly have their hands tied, it becomes a necessity that we make time frequently to relax and indulge in self-care activities. Self-care is important to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself. It helps to inculcate positive feelings and raises your self-esteem. On the contrary, taking time to relax with self-care activities, actually helps you to excel at your work, as a relaxed mind is more likely to coin an out-of-the-box solution for a problem where you might have been at a dead-end earlier. It also helps relieve stress.

5. Support women in your life

We have seen it enough in Indian cinema and television series, it's a woman who steals another woman's thunder. Be it the cruel Mother-in-law plotting against the innocent Bahu, the show's vamp mixing extra salt in food to create problems for the female lead. Remember when Rashi threw the beans into the trash to create problems for Gopi Vahu.

Real-life is not very different from reel life either. We often notice Mothers-in-law, Grandmothers, and sometimes even mothers oppressing the other women in the family. 

We cannot expect the other gender to respect us if we don't respect the women in our lives. This Women's Day takes an oath to respect the female around you. Help each other achieve great heights. Stop degrading another woman whose mindset does not match yours. Don't talk behind her back or bully her if she does not know how to apply proper make-up.  Don't pass a casual comment on her clothing if her shirt doesn't go with her skirt or shoes or the shade of her lipstick. 

You cannot grow as an individual if you have openly judged another female or even a human being for the life choices they made. If you think having an extremely successful career is 'Success', then that's your definition of success so stop judging another female for choosing to be content with a successful marriage and a happy family. Don't have the audacity to walk up to other women and criticize them for being too fat or too old or too young or too thin to be successful at something.

Stick to the women that matter to you and encourage them to be bold, brave, and beautiful. That makes you a true woman. Being jealous of women around you or criticizing them on artificial things will get you nowhere. Be the ones to fix each other's crowns and not the ones to kick each other down.

6. Maintain a development journal: Take control of your life

Maintaining a development journal is of extreme importance for every woman aspiring to achieve great things. It helps you track your progress and assure you that with every passing day, you are getting one step closer to your goals. It helps you keep your thoughts organized and make them seem achievable.

The act of simply writing down the plans and sorting out priorities for the next day or even for that week brings a sense of accountability. It becomes crucial to take 15 minutes of your day to plan the activities for the next day and set priorities so that, when you wake up the next day, you are ready to kick start your day. 

7. Pursue a Passion

While women are working hard towards proving their worth, it seems that most of them hardly find any time to pick up a hobby or passionately pursue an existing one. While it is important to strive hard to achieve the set goals, it is also equally important to maintain a proper work-life balance.

While the concept of 'having it all' actually seems unreal, all we can do is find the right balance between our professional and personal lives that works the best. One step towards achieving work-life balance is pursuing your passion on the sidelines. We need to make time for our hobbies and passions, no matter how tightly packed our work schedule is. 

A lot of successful women make sure they allow a window of time daily to nurture their passion. Marissa Bradley, who is the International Communications Director at Ford Motor Company and spends her weekends teaching Ballet says,

The art (Ballet) has left such an impact on my life that I am motivated to spend my weekends and weeknights after work sharing my love of dance with others. These days, with the 24-hour news cycle and an 'always-on' business environment, I believe everyone needs an outlet to break away and spend time focussing on something that stretches their mind (or body) in new ways.

8. Be Assertive

Assertiveness is the act of being able to convey and express your needs calmly without forcing them on others. Often women find it difficult to be assertive because they might be scared to come out as rude and demanding or they might have grown in an environment where they are taught, "Sharm aurat ka Gehana hota hai"(Women should wear shyness as an accessory). 

Hence, lack of assertiveness usually forces women to accept things they are not OK or do things for others that do not necessarily serve them. Not being able to communicate what you are comfortable with and whatnot sometimes results in missed opportunities which can have a terrible impact on your emotions and feelings. 

Deciding to be assertive helps you to set boundaries for certain things and realize what is actually ok and what is not. Once you define your boundaries it becomes easier for you to enforce them and be comfortable and strong. Also, assertiveness helps you to immensely increase your confidence, because you are directly communicating your needs. It also builds an impression that you are in control of your life and know what are you doing with it. It helps you practice saying the magical word 'No', unapologetically. You don't have to feel bad for turning down something or someone to respect the boundaries you have set for yourself. 

So, these were the 8 Boss-Girl characteristics you need to start carrying with yourself and get the happy life you desire.