This article was republished with permission from Gail Gensler.
Female collaboration is an incredibly powerful force. This is what women in their midlife can use to combat institutional ageism. It’s how we can force advertisers to stop pigeonholing us into stereotypical, traditional ideas of mature women. But most importantly, it’s how women improve themselves, as one.
Who Are You Really Competing With?
The most successful people compete with one person and one person only: themselves. The woman in the mirror is the one you are trying to outdo day-in and day-out. External motivators can be useful, sure. But they can unreliable; they’re always changing. Not you, though. You will always be you, so you will always be the best person to compete against.
Focusing on outdoing yourself is an effective way to become a better employee, athlete, mother, and friend. Competing against yourself and garnering support from your peers to do so (more on that below) are excellent ways to produce consistent, noticeable results — something I’d love to talk to you about!
The Power of Female Partnership
Consistently staying motivated to compete against yourself is key — you have to find what encourages you to keep becoming a better version of yourself. One of them is collaborating with other women in order to make that happen!
The saying “A rising tide lifts all ships” applies here. For example, if you need help with your nutrition and another person needs help with her workout plan, this is a perfect opportunity to come together! Your workout tips and her nutrition tips can end up making both of you better versions of yourselves. No man (in this case, no woman) is an island. More women can succeed in whatever way makes them happy when we all join together.
Plenty of Success to Go Around
There is plenty of room in this world for everyone to thrive and achieve success. You’re not hurting your own chances by partnering with other women. On the contrary, you’re bettering yourself at a higher rate than if you went about it alone.
You tend to learn this as you get older and your sense of self-awareness develops. Now that I’m in my midlife, it’s easier for me not to care about what others think; I may not be specifically gifted physically, but I know how to challenge myself to perform better. Everyone, including me, has their own set of talents and weaknesses, the latter of which can be strengthened with a little help from our friends (in the words of The Beatles).
As a pro-aging fitness enthusiast and lifestyle influencer, it’s my mission to break down the ageism barriers and change the narrative about aging. Let’s aim to succeed as an individual group, instead of a group of individuals. That’s where progress lies. That’s how we get to a world where women in the midlife are not forced into a mold we did not choose.
That’s where female collaboration can take us.
The future is female and all ages are welcome — tell us what you think in the comments!
About Gail Gensler
I am sixtypreneur Gail Gensler, changing the narrative around aging through fitness and embracing a healthy lifestyle from a “real woman’s” perspective. My personal philosophy is that age should never determine one’s lifestyle, appearance, and most certainly, what type of workouts you do!
My goal is to change the narrative around aging so that younger people can realize that it’s something to embrace and look forward to, and to inspire and motivate my peers to never take their wellness for granted. A vibrant, healthy life is achievable, regardless of age!
I believe that age should never affect how we dress, what we enjoy doing and how we should be portrayed in society. I am here to break down the barriers of institutional ageism and change how brands look at midlife women.
Facebook: @gailgenslerofficial
Instagram: @gailgenslerofficial
TikTok: @gailgensler
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