Who runs the world?! Moms!
Who runs the world?! Moms!
That’s right. Mom’s could totally run the world. Our multi-tasking skills alone qualify us for every position out there. Then you add in how calm, cool, and collected we are when our children get hurt or world war III erupts between siblings. Us moms, we got it going on. Every day we aim to set examples for our little ones. We work our butts off to intertwine kindness and love into everything we do. Our hugs and kisses are incredibly powerful. And our ability to survive while out in public with children is unparalleled.
All of these awesome qualities we possess as moms translate into how we run our businesses. We have a unique skill set that enables us to be effective and successful in the work we choose to do.
But let’s be honest. Maintaining the full time job as a mom and a part time or full time business is not easy. Stress and anxiety are often at the forefront of the many feelings that arise. I recently have been overwhelmed by stress and anxiety as I put into motion some of my big business and model team goals. As you know, growing and building requires more time and energy. When you are already stretched thin being the awesome mom you are, it is difficult to wrap your head around how to make it all work. You start to experience self doubt and question whether or not you are meant to be doing these things. Let’s also mention the obvious, mom guilt! It is so obvious, that I won’t elaborate. But what I will say, is that I have learned it is inevitable. I have learned to stop fighting it. It will find a way to creep in. So I must be ready for it so I can stop it short in it’s tracks.
I am a mom first and a business owner second. Affording to stay at home with my children until they were preschool ready is my priority. Noah is in school full time, so that is helpful. But Luke, who is 18 months is home with me.
Because I am literally right in the middle of these emotions and experiences, I thought it was the perfect time to share some of the strategies I am putting into place to maintain my awesome mom status and business sanity.
Take a time-out.
Sometimes you just need to stop, reevaluate, and regroup. In order to get clear on what I wanted and how I was going to achieve it, I needed to take a day off from everything. Now, while I can’t just stop being a mom or business owner, what I could do is slow down the hustle. I suggest you do the same thing.
Mark three days off on your calendar. These are your TIME-OUT days. Plan for only the following:
Day 1 Stop.
- Take care of your children, your self, and your spouse. Take care of the daily responsibilities.
- Fill free time with a slow pace. Today is about taking it slow, having fun, and not thinking beyond the moments right in front of you. Play with your kid(s) if they are in home with you. Dance, be silly, crank up the music, get outdoors, just do whatever makes everyone happy.
Day 2 Reevaluate.
- Schedule time to reevaluate the who, what, where, why.
- Continue with all of your awesome mom responsibilities.
Try not to overthink and keep it simple. Your answers are about what you want for you as a mom AND you as a business owner. I just took a sheet of paper and listed out who, what, where, why. I jotted down quick sentences and one word answers. This was my road map for Day 3.
Day 3 Regroup
- Create a plan of action for how you are going to live out your day 2 road map.
- Continue with all of your awesome mom responsibilities.
So how are you going to live out your road map? How will you achieve it all? That leads me to my next set of strategies.
Create lists and schedules
Mom brain, anyone? If you are like me than you lost part your brain with your first child. The subsequently each child continued to remove what was left. This is a fact. And until one has children, it is just never understood.
So lists and schedules written down are very important for us. I have a spot on my kitchen counter where I like to keep a running list. Whether its a to-do or the grocery list, it can be found in the same spot. I am a paper and pencil kind of girl, but you can create lists however it works best for you! I have friends who love their dry eraser boards, chalk boards, and digital lists on their phones or tablets. There are online options as well. You just have to do what is best for you and the functioning of your world.
When it comes to scheduling communication is the key. So chose a method that helps with the communication between you, your spouse, and your children if necessary. Creating a central location for everything is very helpful.
I foresee a future post on how I communicate effectively and the digital systems I use.
Be clear on your goals
If you are like me, you want it all and you want it now. This character trait is awesome because that means we are go-getters and do-ers. But it also means that we have to exercise a little thing called patience. That’s not the easiest for people like us. Patience is something I pray for everyday.
Goal setting has taken so much stress off of me because it paints a clear picture of what I want and need to accomplish. You want to set short term (days/weeks) and long term (months/years). The key is to keep it realistic and give yourself a little extra time because the unpredictability of children is inevitable.
Some goal examples are …
A daily mom goal is to get outside with my 1 year old. Assuming the weather is desirable I want get out to soak up sunshine and play with him.
A monthly mom goal is reorganize and rotate the toys in my house. We only keep so many downstairs, so I need to take care of this each month so that the toys are interesting and engaging. I rely on my 1 year to play by himself when I am cooking or cleaning up.
A daily business goal (aside from checking email) is to complete one more task related to a big project I am working on.
A monthly business goal is usually related to a project that is currently in play.
Goal setting puts everything into perspective and increases your success rate. The expectations for yourself and your business are now mapped out. This clearer picture sets you up for success.
PS: If you are unable to meet a goal do not stress. Remember you are in charge. This is YOUR life and business. Rewrite the goal, shift your timeline.
Use your time wisely
One of the best decisions I ever made was to set time limits for myself. I set time limits for social media scrolling/posting, exercising, meal prep, work tasks, tv, etc.
By giving myself a boundary (time limit), I was also giving myself permission. I don’t feel guilty now because I know that I have time to do it.
Guess what else I do. I set tv time for my 1 year old. With Luke, I am not guaranteed a nap every day. And when he does nap, there is no guarantee on the time. He is the complete opposite of my first child. So I plan for tv time everyday so that I can knock out some business work. In fact, as I type up this blog post, he is laying on
my lap watching a movie.
Do Not Disturb
Yes. That little feature on your phone. Use it. It is not rude, disrespectful, or uncalled for. Blocking technology in any form during portions of your day is very healthy.
If you are like me, that little ding or buzz gets you every time. You can’t control it. You MUST KNOW who is contacting you.
I have this feature turned on to some capacity everyday and night. This will boundaries and create the most beautiful peace in your life. I promise.
My do not disturb turns on at 9:00 every night and stays on until 9:00 the next morning. I also set text message conversations to do not disturb. When I really need to focus on work or I really want to give my children my undivided attention. I have it set so that my favorites are the only ones to break that barrier. And when I say favorites, I don’t mean just my most favorite people. 🙂 I love everyone. My favorites are the people that could be related to 911 info. My parents, my child’s school, my husband, etc.
Taking a time-out, creating lists and schedules, being clear on your goals, using time wisely, and setting up the do not disturb feature are all excellent ways to make the most of your time so that you can be both an awesome mom and business boss.
What else would you like to know about? Could I elaborate further on any of the above strategies? Would you like to know more about how I balance being a wife, mom, and business owner? What about how my husband and I find time for just the two of us?
Have you heard? The #mlhseniorrolemodels and I are hosting a walk-a-thon in November to raise money for The Ronald McDonald House in Charlotte! Come join our team and walk with us for a good cause!! Tap the picture to head to the event!
