Creating Balance in Your Business and Home
Terilee Harrison (from Inspired Living Magazine)
As a mom entrepreneur, I understand how easy it is to become overwhelmed by life's demands. I face the same challenges you do and I have found solutions to help you "get a life" as you juggle running a business and raising a family. Schedule in a little "me time" every day. Plan early "me time" before your day gets out of hand. Schedule it in your calendar as if it were a dentist appointment.
For example, after you drop your children off at school, you could schedule work to start at 9 AM to have an hour for reading, meditation, soaking in the tub, exercise or _____ (you fill in the blank). Plan for fluctuations in your schedule-some days you might only have 30 minutes-but you will still have some time to get centered for the day. Of course, moms of younger children may need to wait until someone is taking a nap.
Separate work and home. Keep your work area "strictly business." Eliminate anything that can subconsciously pull you out of the game.
When you have incomplete tasks pending, anything related to the task can be a trigger and distract you. For example, let's say you need to pay a bill, and seeing it immediately brings the unpaid bill to your mind and distracts you. When working at home, create a work zone in your mind. Don't be distracted when you walk past the kitchen and see the unfinished dishes.
Play with your kids.When you are overwhelmed by the demands of life, it doesn't seem productive to be playing hide and seek or to be engaged in doing a puzzle. But most of us started our businesses to have more time with our children. Don't forget to set aside time for fun with them and to enjoy them.
If driving kids to school, be present in the car to them, not thinking about work. Set aside time when they get home from school to visit about their day while they have a quick snack. Then you can work for another hour or so while they finish their homework.
As a mom entrepreneur, you should not be too hard on yourself. Remember, it is impossible to "do it all" well!
Do not pressure yourself to run a successful business, be a great wife and mother, and be Martha Stewart all at the same time. Set your priorities, concentrate on doing the things you do best, and delegate the rest!
Terilee Harrison, known as The Business Mom, is an entrepreneur's coach, author and speaker. She is the author of The Business Mom Guide Book: More Life, Less Overwhelm for Mom Entrepreneurs (Wyatt-MacKenzie, Sept. 2006). Visit www.thebusinessmom.com to receive The Business Mom's Ultimate "Get A Life" Guide as our gift to you.
This article is from Inspired Living Magazien (www.inspiredlivingmag.com)
