Being a mom has been by far one of the most rewarding and challenging things I’ve done in my life. On top of that, I run my own business doing what I absolutely love: digital marketing. Both take up a substantial part of my life and I honestly wouldn’t want it any other way.
Long before I had kids, I had envisioned a life where I would be able to be my own boss, raising my babies, and being greatly involved with all of the milestones that came with both. Truth is, I wouldn’t trade my life for anything in this world. Of course, there are days I wish I had more time and energy to dedicate to growing my business; however, I also realize the time I have now with my babies is also going to fly by.
I’ve been very aware of what the tradeoff would look like for me. Should I choose to focus more on my business and grow it, I know that I will have less time with my babies. On the other hand, I know that solely focusing on just living up my #momlife would also render a great amount of unhappiness as well.
Therefore, merging the two as much as possible has become my new goal and pushing to make that work no matter how difficult some days can be. This isn’t to say I don’t have help because I certainly do. There are days where I will have childcare for my babies because I am on business calls, but for the most part, I am juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship as best as I can.
In today’s blog post, I’m going to share a few ways that I’ve been able to continue doing what I love as a mom and entrepreneur. My hope is that this post will serve as inspiration if anything, so let’s get to it.
Stop trying to do everything in one day
Trying to do it all continues to be an ongoing process for me and one of the things that I’ve pushed to become more aware of is to narrow down what exactly is in my control compared to what isn’t. Changing my framework to look at what truly needs to get done has drastically improved my productivity.
In other words, rather than trying to cram everything into one day, I do the top three things that are most important for the day and then list out three other things that would be nice for me to get to as well. This way, I don’t put a ton of pressure on myself and can wait on the things that don’t need my attention right away.
Here’s an example of what that looks like for me:
Plan out the week ahead
Create a simple action plan within any project management tool such as Monday or Trello to help you plan your weeks and even months out. Doing so will get you into the cadence of planning with the intentions of truly executing.
I typically do it weekly because it feels more doable and in terms of perspective I am able to really take the bigger picture and dissect it into smaller pieces that will enable me to achieve milestones along the way.
Be intentional about making time for just YOU
Sometimes I find the “self-care” and finding “you” time to be controversial. Mainly because a lot of girlfriends feel like it is impossible to do this. Here are top reasons why I have found it so important to be intentional about making time for just me:
- I get into a healthier mindset. This means that if I am able to block off even just 45 minutes to go out for a run, I come back feeling better and refreshed to be with my babies. As I like to say, “Running is my therapy and it slays stress to rest.”
- Mindfulness and just simply being present.
- Recharge because we all need it.
- Heightened sense of self-awareness.
- Feed your happiness and peace of mind.
Coffeeology: espressoself. ☕️
Sometimes “self-care” and finding time to just be alone without any distractions can be controversial as well as emotionally charged with guilt. I can’t speak for others but for me, being a mom raising babies and a business has its fair share of challenges.
There are days I certainly feel like I’m mediocre at both and then days where I am kicking ass and taking names. Most certainly, being a mom and business owner also brings me the greatest amount of fulfillment and joy. The fact that I get to merge my passion and purpose to make a living is something I continue to be grateful for.
Further, having a partner in life who understands the importance of self-care in order to be the best version of ourselves for each other has continued to push me to grow and be self-aware.
Given that it is #mentalhealthawareness month, I am going to be more intentional about making time for self-care and nourishing my 🧠 with an elevated perspective that renders optimism as well as happiness — while continuing to do what I love. Cheers! 💯
Discipline and consistency will be your BFF
Get rid making excuses that hinder you from reaching your goals. Don’t get me wrong, there are days I wake up and just don’t have much motivation to want to do anything. These are the days where I am more cognizant of whether or not I need time to recharge. I’ve also realized that these days call for some time to disconnect from the actual work.
Doing so doesn’t mean that you are any less disciplined or consistent but that you do need to step away to come back refreshed and ready to take charge again. Further, know that if you are truly doing something you love, you shouldn’t experience these days very often either.
Here are a few things that have helped me to stay disciplined and consistent:
- Creating a schedule so I know what I’m doing every hour during the day. There is time to check email, respond to clients, have lunch with my kids, go for a run, etc.
- Instead of finding reasons why I shouldn’t do something, I have a million reasons as to why I have to do it. This includes things I don’t always love about doing what I love such as paperwork.
- Get into the mindset of execution over just thinking. The more you do this, the more it’ll become a habit and natural way of just simply getting things done.
Wrapping it up
Know that you should always do what works best for you. I wanted to provide some tips on what has worked well for me, but this isn’t to say that this is the only way. As you continue honing your own schedule and navigating your own way of juggling motherhood with work, you’ll surely find something that will merge the two for progress.
