One of the BIGGEST topics I spend time on with my mompreneur coaching clients is how they can juggle all the priorities of running their businesses while being a Mom. Let’s face it, many of us are trying to balance business needs within minimal times daily. Our work weeks can be strangely different than they were when we had ‘traditional jobs’. Many of my clients have created very interesting ‘work hours’. Even I have opened my practice to include coaching clients one night a week.
There is one solitary truth however. Whether you’re an at home mom juggling the needs of your busy family, or whether you are in the launch, growth or leverage stages of your mom-run business, you represent the BUSIEST human population ever to walk the the face of this earth.
And – in order for you to be successful and manage the huge number of tasks you must on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, you have to get really good at what you’re good at. You also need to stay healthy by taking a stand and being ruthless with your own health and well-being. So at some point, to protect your own sanity, you are going to need to learn how to ASK FOR HELP.
What? Not Me! I can do it all by myself…!
Well – congratulations… and here’s your one-way ticket to the Funny Farm…
One question… would you ever consider opening a pizza shop, luncheonette or store without sharing the load and lining up people to help you?
One thing that is classic for mompreneurs is the wishful thinking that they can handle everything – effortlessly – without help.
Well, I’m here to break that assumption down for you. It’s really simple. You can’t. You can’t do it all. You can’t do it all well… and you can’t even do it all – poorly. You know why? You will suffer – at the expense of all the other things I’ve already listed…. You need help to run your business and to do everything that is NON-ESSENTIAL work.
Take some time to figure out the activities in your life and your business that are essential for your success and well-being. What are the parts of the business that ONLY YOU can do? Make a list – review the list – and ask yourself for each item on the list: Are you absolutely, positively SURE the task can ONLY be completed by you?
The truth is, you probably can delegate MOST things. The reality for most solo business owners usually shows up somewhere between ‘control freak’, ‘martyr’ and ‘burn out’. Typically for moms is that you are very capable… and so you HAVE done everything.
Step back, take the time to articulate what you do now and how you do it. Then, do a quick gap analysis and figure out how you would want it done by someone else if you could wave a magic wand and find the exact help you need.
Figure out the tasks, activities and items that you MUST do. DO THOSE…and DO ONLY THOSE..
I’m not saying that you should stop gardening, cooking or spending your time doing the things you love. In fact, when you begin to get help with non-essential tasks, you’ll actually have more time to do what you love.
Try it, and see how NICE it is to have support.
Do only what is essential.
Start today to make time for self-care, fun, family and your spouse.
Get help with everything else.
[…] of the first steps I recommend for business owners is to track your time daily to get a handle on what’s actually happening for you. It is […]