Beautiful, I know you are tired. I know that chasing kids, caring for your home, and working at your goals can sometimes make you feel bewildered and overwhelmed. You feel like you’re stuck in this cycle of never being able to catch up. I’ve been feeling it too. I thought what I needed was to define a better work-life balance. The problem with my thinking is that there isn’t such a thing as a work-life balance. Balance requires equal distribution of time, resources, efforts, etc. As busy mamas, we know all too well that there are days when our children and family need more of our time and days when our business needs our hands and eyes. Instead of trying to create the perfect balance between work and life, our energy should be spent encouraging harmony in our lives. These are the steps I’m taking to help me create harmony in my life as a mompreneur.
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Work-Life Balance Tips from a Mompreneur
- Giving Myself Permission to be Human
- Managing My Time Wisely
- Accept the Support
Give Yourself Permission to be Human
When you’re a mompreneur, the boundaries between work and family life can quickly become blurred. And if you’re not careful, that can lead to feelings of overwhelm and frustration. I’ve been here many times – in fact, I’m pulling myself out of this chaos as I write this. In a recent blog post, I wrote about how as I mom, letting go of perfectionism is essential to surviving. Especially as a mama who not only runs the house but is also taking action on her dreams. Letting go of perfectionism allows us to say “today was challenging, and that’s okay” Allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from them, and then try again tomorrow.
Giving ourselves grace is life-changing. A big element of grace that I’ve been leaving out in my own life is rest. Allowing myself time to destress and unwind instead of running on autopilot 24/7. You don’t have to work around the clock to run a successful business — and giving yourself time away from work and the house is good for you AND for your business in the long run! So mama, take that break. What’s helping me realize that it is okay for me to be human is refocusing on my WHY – the reason behind me doing what I’m doing. For me, it’s my family and my faith. To provide a better life for my children and to be an encourager to women walking the walk of faith. When I refocus, not only am I reminded of my earthly priorities, I’m also reminded of my heavenly promises and it becomes easier to accept that I cannot do it all at once.
Manage Your Time Wisely
As a mom, owner of a business, a wife, and a woman who wants to do more in less time while not sacrificing quality in any aspect of my life, time management is non-negotiable. I know that it’s possible to do these things, but not without hard work and careful planning. In order to have a proper work-life balance, you need to manage your time wisely. You should know how much time you have each day, and use it accordingly. Setting aside specific times throughout the day where I will spend time with family, and other times where I will focus on working helps me make a smooth and complete transition of roles instead of having my body in one room and my mind in another.
If you’ve been here for a while or follow me on Instagram, you know I am a BIG fan of planners and calendars. (These are two of my favorites – Franklin Covey & Full Focus) This may seem elementary, but planning out your day will help you prioritize your tasks and reduce the feelings of anxiety. I listed my favorite tips for improving time-management skills here. Don’t forget to also schedule in or leave space for your downtime…something I’ve been forgetting lately. Having a place to make a plan that lives outside of my head is a major key to encouraging harmony in my life. We know that when we add family, work, and the daily grind together, it has the potential to add up to one big mess. If we aren’t careful, these three parts of our lives can quickly become unmanageable.
Accept the Support
As a woman who does a little bit of everything, I know how hard it is to say no or ask for help. The truth is that we can do it all – be a wife, a mom, an entrepreneur, etc, but we cannot do it alone. Don’t be afraid to ask your support system (husband, parents, friends) for help. At the same time, don’t be afraid to say no. There will be seasons when your life is busier than others – during the startup of your business, while your children are young, etc. Setting boundaries is healthy for you and everyone around you.
Likewise, communicating with your support system instead of stretching yourself thin allows you to accept the support without some of the guilt that often comes with asking for help. Talk about what your goals are as a family. Let them know what your schedule looks like for the week. Together you can determine who has to pick up the slack when one of you is busy or overwhelmed.
Work-life “balance” may not be a thing. But by focusing on what matters most, hitting goals, and taking steps forward every day we can create a harmonious life. You have to have the right mindset and approach to take on everything life throws your way. Take the time to evaluate where your life is heading. Ask yourself (honestly) what your priorities are, what you want from your business and/or family and friends, and how you are going to get there. If everything is working for you, let it go – have faith that the way forward is pretty obvious. But if things aren’t as they should be, don’t panic. Instead, look at how you can change things to make life work for you. Don’t sacrifice who you are or what you need.
Encouragement for Today
Before we go beautiful, I wanted to encourage you to keep going. Keep praying and keep praising. As women of faith, we’re not blind to the circumstances happening all around us. Wars, pestilences, you name it, we see it happening. I know it can be hard and confusing to wonder if we should still be putting time and effort into ourselves when there are so many signs around that point to Christ’s return for His children. The best advice I’ve read comes from Jimmy Evans(author of the Tipping Point) on his blog, in short; he says “Plan for Christ’s return, but do the right thing today.” I would encourage you to keep looking up as you continue to grow and be fruitful here and now.
How do you do it as a busy mama? What do you do to encourage harmony in your life? Comment below!
XOXO, JD
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T.Bradley says
Thank you for the Work-Life balance tips. I read that article twice and took plenty of notes. It helped me tremendously. It helped me realize that I can be a wife, mother and entrepreneur. It’s not uncommon nor is it an unreachable goal. I took everything into consideration and made changes to my life. Thank you ❤️
JasmineDiane says
Yes, you can! If God has called you to it, He will prepare you for it. I’m so happy this post helped!