Cultivators do a lot. They’re the folks who are going above and beyond in their role to make a positive impact on their company or team. And that means that staying motivated and preventing burnout are necessary parts of how they succeed. Every Cultivator is different, and so our curiosity got the best of us…we decided to ask them just how they do it!

Continuing our How Cultivators Work series is Karima Moustafa, Social Learning Coach at Mars Global Services, and a member of our Cultivators Community. She was also a speaker at CultivatorCon 2023 where she discussed the importance of embracing discomfort to build vibrant, inclusive communities.

Here’s what Karima had to say about staying motivated and supported at work:

As a Cultivator who is committed to creating positive change at work, how do you stay motivated?

Celebrate ALL your successes: When you’re working so hard towards a larger purpose, especially when it comes to community management, it’s easy to get blinded by the larger goal- make sure you stop and celebrate every win, no matter how small. Even if you have impacted just one person, that will have a ripple effect throughout their whole life!

Don’t lose yourself in your journey to help others: It’s very easy to de-prioritize your needs and wants when you are trying to create positive change, especially in the inclusion & diversity space. Make sure you are still considering the impact on you, and what is best for you and your career throughout.

Prioritizing is a must: As change-makers, we are always keen to try and change the whole system all at once. It isn’t possible (trust me, I’ve tried!). Prioritize the easy wins and remember that slow and steady wins the race. Most of the time, you must have a holistic view of the whole picture, and this means you’ll have more time for your self-care throughout.

Get a sponsor, a mentor, and someone to vent to -you’ll need it!: Not to sound stereotypical, but a mentor and a sponsor are a must, as well as an advocate, that will say your name in rooms when you aren’t there. However, something a little different, is that you need someone you trust to vent to! Making positive change isn’t going to be stress-free most of the time, and it’s important to be able to lift some of the emotional burden.

What's one way you practice self-care during your day/week to support you in doing your best work?

Hula hooping: This is probably going to sound strange, but as a disabled person there are limitations on how I can get my adrenaline pumping and get some more endorphins! So, I like to hula hoop for 30 mins to an hour every day. It’s a way to not only get exercise but also listen to some good music and daydream about happy things!

Eating!: I’m a big comfort eater, but I’m also a big believer in doing things that make us happy! So, whether it’s baking, cooking, or eating, it’s a way to get stress out and enjoy the little things in life (my happy place is when I have a donut in my hand!).

Spending time with family/ loved ones: My family and my pet bunny, Schneebles, provide me with more support and happiness than anything ever could. The benefit of working from home is the time I get to spend with them, to not only enjoy their company but know why I work so hard- they give me a purpose.

Absolutely nothing: The most underrated self-care technique is stepping back and doing nothing! Whether that’s in bed watching TV, or just scrolling through videos on my phone, I love having space to do nothing and think of nothing! It creates space in my brain for the more important stuff when I have to be in action-mode.

Okay, now we just want donuts and a hula hoop! Connect with Karima and get inspired by other changemakers like her by joining our Cultivators Community.