I was talking to my accountability partner the other day about the struggle we have to find balance in our businesses. Some days, we work like our hair is on fire, not taking time to breathe. Other days, we feel like we are completely burned out and end up just vegging (or in my case, reading Christian romance novels!). As mompreneurs, we need to find a way to balance that crazy activity with rest and time with our families.
How can we do that?
One important step is setting boundaries. Consistent action over time brings results. It’s better to do a little each day then to burn yourself out in spurts. Even if you work from home, set working hours. If you work on the computer, like I do, that might mean turning off the computer when you’re not “at work” so that you force yourself to take some time to live your life. The beauty of being a mompreneur is the ability to set our own schedules and achieve great things while being present with our families.
Especially for moms with little ones, it’s important to take time to do the things with our families that make us feel like a real mom–reading stories, playing games, making dinner. And whether we are working up a storm or zoning out due to overwhelm, we’re missing out on those important times with our families.
Take some time to think through your goals. Decide what actions you can take each day to reach those goals & schedule your work day accordingly. Even when you don’t feel like doing anything, you’ll know exactly what you need to do to keep moving forward. And when you feel like continuing on like the Energizer bunny…well, don’t forget to close up shop for the day!
Okay I will take this as a direct message from the Lord! Just yesterday I decided that no matter what, I was going to shut my computer down by 6pm. I did so good yesterday. Yet here I find myself at 10pm….
A few years ago, I had to bring my computer into the shop, and the computer I had to use was out in the garage–in the heat! I was amazed at how quickly I got my work done and how much time I had on my hands. There’s something about shutting down the computer and putting away the smart phone that frees your mind to focus on the people around you and on living life.
Wow this resonates with me! I do everything full out, full steam ahead! I am the burn out queen. After reading your article I realized that I can still get the job done in short spurts without BURNING out! Thanks for the great advice…I plan to include more breaks in my day! This should help me attain my goals in my plan to blast stress from my life!
One of the great leaders in my company did an exercise once that really brought the truth of this home for me. He divided the conference center into halves and had one person from each half stand up. Each person was to turn around and touch two people, who would then stand up and touch two people. The difference was that one side of the room kept going, while the other had to stop every few seconds–just for a second. It was amazing the difference those itty bitty stops made. After less than a minute, one half of the room was standing–and the other half had not even made it half way. Consistency will bring more results over time than starting and stopping. 🙂
Setting boundaries, perfect. I do certain things in the morning before I even allow myself on the computer.
I agree. I love doing things when I’m motivated but need to be consistent even when I ‘don’t feel like working.’ Like today, for example :).