Your Age: 49
Basic bio: Tanya Dalton is an acclaimed best-selling author, motivational speaker, and productivity expert. Recognized nationwide, she empowers female executives and entrepreneurs to embrace purposeful leadership and unlock their full potential. Tanya’s books have been translated into eight languages; notably, her debut The Joy of Missing Out, was honored as one of Fortune Magazine’s Top 10 Business Books of the year. Her podcast, The Intentional Advantage has been downloaded millions of times by listeners around the world.
Beyond the bio: I’ve been in a period of re-pacing and finding the rhythm of work that actually works for me. This whole shift in my relationship with time became the inspiration for my Oxford Talk. I no longer am feeling like I’m racing time and that feels amazing.
What makes you a grown-ass lady?
Feeling comfortable in my own skin and no longer worrying about what everyone else thinks (or at least trying not to). I think with age, you begin to feel like you know who you are and what you want and you aren’t afraid to talk about it out loud.
Here’s her TueNight 10 :
On the nightstand: My Kindle, several crystals, essential oils from Vibrant Blue Oils for adrenal support and a small bouncy ball I use for deep tissue massage on my hands.
Latest fav find: I love my MicrodermaMitt; it takes exfoliation to a whole new level.
First job: I donned a maroon polyester vest and blue bow tie to work at the local movie theater, selling tickets. While I felt like I constantly bathed in a perfume of buttered popcorn scent, it was hard to beat the perks: getting to go to free movies—especially since Thelma & Louise had just come out and I could conveniently go clean up the theater whenever that new actor, Brad Pitt, was on screen.
Misconception about getting older: That you are running out of time or that you’ve waited too long.
What you like about getting older: I love how much more I know about myself and the world. I think we’ve forgotten how, in our ancient past, old women were seen as the wisdom keepers of our communities.
Is there anything you’d like a do-over for in life: While there are lots of things I wouldn’t love to repeat, I don’t want any do-overs. I wouldn’t say I’m grateful for all my experiences, but I focus on appreciating the lessons those experiences gave me. It's through a lot of that hard stuff in life that I became who I am today.
Thing I miss: The sense that anything (or really EVERYTHING) is possible. When you are young, you feel like it’s all within reach; it’s so easy to dream impossible dreams.
Best advice you ever got: Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Wish I could have taken that advice to heart when I was younger; it took me several decades to get there.
Best thing that happened recently: I released my Oxford Talk on how Time Management is Killing Your Productivity. I am so excited that so many people have resonated with this message about how we use time.
Looking forward to: I am going sailing in the Caribbean this summer with just my husband and kids. No WiFi, no outside contact, just me and my three favorite people. I cannot wait.