In the past fifty years, mothers’ working hours have shifted dramatically. While in 1965, mothers spent twice as much time doing housework as childcare and career work combined, by 2010 career work became the most time-intensive task. (Fathers’ time use, on the other hand, has changed little.)
Imagine a three-way tug-of-war with the mother in the middle and three different ropes pulling her in three different directions. Balancing work, home, and family becomes an intricate juggling act. Yet, a mompreneur's purpose is fueled with passion.
Here are the three vital aspects of self-management for mompreneurs who are driven with purpose. These practical keys to grow your business are broken into accessible daily practices for easy application.
Prioritize your tasks. Weigh the timeliness and how long each task will take to complete, then rank the tasks in order of importance. Now you can go through in order without using valuable time to decide what to do.
One helpful tool is Laura Pasquini’s interactive lesson on writing to-do lists and tracking where your time goes.
Plan your day the night before.
If you work at an office space, this might mean turning off unnecessary notifications that distract you from work. Facebook banners, other people popping in, mail deliveries or personal e-mails are tempting distractions but can waste up to 2.5 hours of work time every day. Either way, set yourself up for success by creating a work environment that works for you.
Start as early as possible.
You don’t have to be the earliest riser, but discipline yourself to start your work as early as you can. There will always be other tasks to do and distractions urging you to push work back. The sooner you start; the better your chances of completing.
Tackle challenges first.
It’s tempting to put off the hardest tasks until last. Challenge yourself to tackle tough work first. This gives you the most time possible to complete the task and provides a sense of accomplishment that propels your day forward.
Give yourself deadlines, and stick to them.
Being time-crunched is not a comfortable feeling, but for most people it is incredibly motivating. Social expert Kelly McGonigal gives a wonderful explanation in her speech How to Make Stress Your Friend. If you need to, put a time next to each task and do your best to hit each goal. The point is not perfection, it’s motivation.
Practice 50/10 timing.
For every 50 minutes you spend working, give yourself a 10 minute refresh period. Use that refresh time to do something that will continue your productivity: watch a motivating lecture, look at photos that inspire you, practice deep breathing, eat something you enjoy or do physical activity.
The 5-minute rule.
Even if you feel stuck—especially if you feel stuck—commit to working on the task for 5 minutes. Set a timer and do whatever you can, as long as the action focuses on that task. This might be identifying the problem, thinking of a different approach, reading educational materials or free-writing. You never know what might come up. And if you're looking for ways to manage stress at your home office, this technique can also be a huge added bonus.
As with any new habit, mindfulness and consistency are key (see our recent blog about building healthy brain habits). Carefully equip yourself, whether that’s investing in a calendar app or setting aside 15 minutes before bed to reflect. Then consistently practice these behaviors. Creating successful habits takes time—challenge yourself to follow-through, but don’t be hard on yourself if you’re not 100-percent efficient right away.
“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges and less than perfect conditions. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.” ~Mark Victor Hansen
Being successful in business as mom entrepreneurs is a multi-faceted challenge. And every mompreneur's purpose is unique and makes the world a better place. However, balancing work and family can be a full-time job in itself!
For tried-and-true business advice from a mompreneur veteran and to get support on how to create a great work life balance, contact us at 406-577-2100.