Lately I've been asked how I juggle both being mom and my work as an entrepreneur. And honestly this has been a question I've even asked myself because I am still figuring out the best ways to do it all. I am a stay at home mom with a 5-month-old daughter, I'm married to a military man, and has been working this entrepreneur like since 2013 and I JUST now feel like I am getting the the swing of things.
These are a couple things I do to help me juggle this mompreneuer lifestyle:
-Staying Organized: So I'm the type who literally needs 4-5 planners EVERYWHERE to stay updated with what is going on. If its not in my planner, it's on our home calendar, if its not on our home calendar, theres a notification that goes off in my phone. What helps me, is making sure I have everything written down from personal events to family events to make sure I don't loose track of whats going on. Now, things happen and I would be lying if I said I never missed something, but for the most part having more than 2 planners and/or calendars helps me juggle this lifestyle.
-Me Time is THE BEST TIME:
As a mom, it is soooo natural for us to put others first. It's in our blood to nurture and to care for others before ourselves. But man, YOU are just as important as everyone else and thats something I had to learn. Better yet, I sometimes ask myself, "How can I take care of anyone else if I can't even take care of myself?" So ever so often, I take a step back, make sure the baby is fed, dinner is made, and sometimes make sure the house is clean (we all know sometimes the house can become our last priority) and take myself out to get a Jamba Juice, sit in the car, and just clear my mind. I personally have seen the importance of pressing my restart button and it has been so refreshing being able to return home, not feeling overwhelmed because I took 20-30 minutes for me.
Taking Breaks in Between Work:
Have you ever been in the rhythm of writing a paper, or responding to emails and you're just on a roll of working.. And then you look up and notice that the sun has set and that it's been hours that you have been on your computer?? You haven't ate, maybe didn't even drink a glass of water.. Well sis.. TAKE A BREAK.
I notice that the best times for me to work is during nap time, however at 5 months old those only last for about an hour, which essentially isn't enough time for me to finish my work. So what I do, is plan out my day from morning to evening, and squeeze in work in between. The reason I do it like this is because it allows me to get work done little by little so I don't crash and overload my brain. This also helps keep my patience in tack and still allows me to entertain my little one while I'm working from home. So by the time that nap time hour is over, I've started a task, and within another hour or two, I can complete whatever I was working on. All in all, as moms, it seems so unrealistic to feel like we can complete work in a 3-4 hour sitting. Unless we want to work after bedtime and be up until 2 in the morning and nobody has time for that!
Ask for help:
Although mothers are known as superwomen and with circumstances, we legit can do it all, all by ourselves, still ask for help! If you have the opportunity or the funds to get a sitter, or hire interns to help grow you business, whatever you need to do to get the help you need, please do it. We were very fortunate enough to have family live here in San Diego to help with Dalise, but I do understand that this may not be the case for many of us. But even if you don't have help with your child, other areas where someone can offer their assistance, just take it. Sometimes our pride gets in the way and we feel like we cant ask for help, but just imagine if you had someone helping with your next big business venture, or maybe a friend who also has a kid and you can set up a playdate to help get some work done. If you don't have to do it by yourself, then don't. And if you are reading this has no kids, but know someone who does, give them a call and ask them what they need.
These are a few things that have helped me juggle motherhood and being an entrepreneur. But I am always looking to expand my ways and help become better at what I do. So if you have different ways on how you juggle this lifestyle, or agree thats these work, comment below!
Thanks for reading!
Mariah
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