For most of us, success means finding our true calling, living the reality of what we always dreamed. But finding that calling isn’t always a clear path. Experts say that true happiness comes more from finding your “voice,” the unique way in which you express your values and desires. Discovering your own process is rarely streamlined and can be awkward at times. Life coach Natalie Gahrmann shares how a woman can stay focused and move ahead in her goals -- no matter what challenges may arise.

1. Break the goal down.
Create an action plan that emphasizes the smallest steps toward achieving your goal. “Get a calendar and plan a series of projects that will take you in the direction you want to go,” says Gahrmann. “But be realistic about what can really be accomplished in your busy life.”

2. Write your goals down and state them out loud.
Written goals are more concrete and achievable. Reading them aloud will not only make you more excited and committed as you listen to yourself, but also give you clues toward the life you really want and the things you want to accomplish.

3. Maintain a positive attitude.
Drawing strength from your past successes is vital to staying motivated and feeling successful. Focus on your accomplishments, but don’t be afraid to assess your past mistakes. “Your failures are a learning opportunity,” says Gahrmann. But don’t dwell on them. Feeling successful is more about how you think than what you achieve.

To find career success, experts say we must first navigate the winds of controversy that blow through an office. Helen Torres, executive director and CEO of Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), a California advocacy and education organization dedicated to developing Latina leaders, shares time-tested tips that help you keep the harmonious environment where your talents -- not your tensions -- can flourish.

1. Maintain a professional attitude. Small offices tend to become informal settings. “Be consistent about things you can easily control, such as greeting your colleagues every morning, dressing appropriately and meeting deadlines,” says Torres. “You may become friends, but deadlines are still there at the end of the day.”

2. Be clear about your job description. “Office output runs smoothly when each person knows the specific tasks they have to complete,” says Torres. It’s helpful to check in with your supervisor to review new and old duties he or she may want to delegate. Otherwise, confusing scenarios and competition may rise from colleagues duplicating each other’s work.

3. Be a semi-Luddite. We’re not suggesting that you thrash your office computers. But do maintain a human level of interpersonal communication. As workers increasingly rely on email and instant messaging to communicate, the opportunities for misunderstanding also rise. “People attach emotions to emails, so check in to make sure that person understands what you are saying,” says Torres.

4. Be a team player. Nothing brings down office morale like critical remarks about a coworker can. Keep the work environment a gossip-free zone by politely recusing yourself from a toxic conversation. “One person can help set a positive tone.”

Asking for a promotion can be difficult in a recovering economy. But if you’re skilled at what you do, consider persuading the powers-that-be that you’re ready for your next challenge with these nine work secrets.

1. Speak directly with your boss about your career ambitions. “Working late and putting in the extra efforts in hopes of being rewarded rarely yields desired results,” says Natalie Gahrmann, a professional coach and author. “It’s a passive approach.”

2. Ask for specific things you need to do to earn an opportunity.

3. Find a mentor or peer to help you become visible. “An advocate in a higher rank can pull you in the direction you want,” says Gahrmann.

4. Be a leader. Help your co-workers with work that’s relevant to the position you want. “It’s an opportunity to practice the skills, abilities and potential you want to develop,” says Gahrmann

5. Toot your own horn. “Creating a strong personal brand helps others notice your accomplishments and contributions.”

6. Ask for feedback and accept constructive criticism.

7. Be a team player. “It’s a great way to earn people’s trust.” Never sabotage or disparage others.

8. Dress and act as if you already have the position you want, even if you have to splurge on a few executive-quality tacones. It’s worth it!

9. “Don’t be irreplaceable,” says Gahrmann. Instead, have a succession plan in place. Keep a list of associates who can replace you, and make a training plan for a quick and smooth transition.

From Mami’s unreturned phone calls to the pileup of work emails, there’s always someone demanding your best attention now and your finest response yesterday. But what’s the first thing to get shoved to the side? Ever-important “me” time.

“I always tell people to picture their life like a pie,” says Lauri Burns, founder of The Teen Project, a nonprofit that helps homeless and foster teens create balanced, healthy lives. That pie should include everything: romance, la espiritualidad, family, work, leisure and hermana time. “The goal is to nourish the multiple parts of your life consistently in order to feel joyous and confident.”

According to Natalie Gahrmann, a women’s leadership coach, we have to prioritize what we value most, and then make choices to support those decisions. Here’s how to bring balance and confidence to your daily life:

1. Identify Priorities “Determine what’s most important to you and align yourself with those areas of your life,” says Gahrmann. Look for the things that give you a feeling of wholeness and satisfaction, such as maintaining your Latina identity or searching for your true calling.
 
2. Get Organized “A balanced life involves planning and prioritizing my daily tasks,” says Cynthia Warden, a self-employed publicist. Each night, write down your activities and priorities for the next day. Make sure to plan for personal time-outs.
 
3. Build a Support Network Our first reaction is often to figure things out on our own. But, says Gahrmann, we can keep stress in check by asking an amiga, a colleague or even a tía for help with projects.

Throughout Rosie Molinary’s writing career, one question has consistently preoccupied her: How do Latinas reconcile the seemingly conflicting messages between mainstream America telling them to be themselves versus la familia telling them to strive toward beauty and femininity?

Molinary’s discoveries about living within two cultures appear in her critical books, Hijas Americanas: Beauty, Body Image, and Growing Up Latina and Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self Acceptance, which are “empowerment guides” to help Latinas love and accept themselves.

 “Women are hungering for affirmation of what they inherently know to be true, and guidance for letting that truth shine out,” says Molinary. Here, she shares four rocking body-image boosters:

1. Break negative pensamientos: “Our whole lives are affected by how we think and speak about our bodies,” says Rosie. “Find a bowl or piggy bank and deposit a quarter each time you knock yourself. Watch your self-awareness soar and your habits change.” Then treat yourself to a gift with the money or donate it.

2. Talk back: Do family or friends make jabs about your appearance or weight? Prepare a comeback, and practice it out loud. “Let that critical person know that your body is off limits for discussion,” says Rosie.

3. Make eye contact: “Much of our confidence is projected through our eyes,” explains Rosie. Avoiding eye contact communicates that you want to be invisible.

4. Stop body-checking: How often do you check yourself in mirrors or windows? Each time, “take a breath and change your focus,” says Rosie. By curtailing obsessive behavior, you train yourself to turn off [negative] tapes in your head.”

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/sdominick