Finding the perfect balance between life and work can be a struggle for all of us — but it becomes even more challenging as a mother caring for her children and building their launching pad for the future.
Things can get out of whack quickly and it is very easy to lose balance and focus in our lives.
Mothers who are able to balance everything become known as ‘supermoms’
It shouldn’t just be a select few — All moms have these superpowers inside of them, but I think its fair to say that many mothers struggle with guilt, especially when it comes to their careers.
Mothers want to be able to do both and do both well!
For this piece, I spoke with Nadine Dumas, former accountant turned health and wellness entrepreneur, mother and industry influencer. With almost a decade in the fitness industry, the forefront of Nadine’s world-wide coaching is creating transformations in the average, everyday individual from the standpoint of not only the physical but an emotional level. She has graced the cover of numerous international magazines and has been featured by entrepreneurial platforms such as INC. and The Huffington Post as well as a contributing writer for Influencive and some of the top international fitness magazines.
Here are Nadine’s top 6 tips to help you balance your business pursuits with being a mother. “While there is no one solution that will work for everyone, there are some commonalities among successful moms that can help us keep that work-life balance a little easier with kids,” explains Nadine.
- Use a planner — No if, ands or buts. Use some sort of planner and write everything down, you will forget! Think about how many times you made yourself a coffee only to find it had gone cold, go and heat it up in the microwave and find it there the next morning. I am notorious for to do lists and I write one every day. There is something to be said about checking things off, plus, it will keep you organized.
- Delegate — As business owners, we know the advantage of delegating jobs to others. We can’t do it all ourselves and it can become very overwhelming. This goes for motherhood and our home lives too. If you know you don’t have time to clean the house, put away dishes or even cook dinner, ask for help. Hire someone that can do some of these things for you so that you can concentrate on more important areas and keep stress levels at bay. I find for a lot of moms we have trouble asking for help and think we should be able to do it all, but asking for help is not a bad thing and won’t make you any less of a mom.
- Hours of operation — As mompreneurs, there never seems to be enough hours in our day to get everything done. Commit to getting up before the family wakes to either work or dedicate a bit of time to yourself, because we all know once those 2 little feet hit the ground, our day doesn’t stop chasing the kiddos. If your children still nap, use that time to work and dedicate time later in the evening once everyone has gone to bed. Use the time outside of ‘regular work hours’ to complete the tasks that don’t necessarily need to be done within the regular 9–5 time period. That way, when the children are awake, you know you can focus more on them. Its about finding that balance and one that works for you. For most entrepreneurs, our days are not 9–5, they are 24/7 which enables us to pick and choose our times that work best for the whole family.
- Stay ahead of the game — Spend 15 mins before bed making lunches, setting the coffee maker and putting out school clothes. We have all been there before when we have forgotten and it becomes manic the next morning rushing around trying to get these things done. This little amount of time can help for a much less stressful morning.
- Exercise — It’s a must! Make it a priority. Schedule it in just like a meeting, put it in your calendar and take care of you. In order for you to perform in your career and as a mom you need to be healthy. Make sure you are on a proper fitness regimen, whatever that might be for you and are taking proper supplements and vitamins to give you that boost you need to get through the day.
- Encourage independence — Like I said at the beginning, there is no one solution for everyone but one thing I did find effective in raising my son was encouraging his independence. Each day I would give him a small window of time to do something on his own. Now, depending on how old they are will depend on what they will be doing but even now, I allow him some alone time to watch his iPad or do something creative. It’s proven very effective for me to find a bit of time to answer some pressing emails but as well its encouraged him to do and learn things on his own.
As a mother, you have the ability to achieve your business dreams and build the best future for your children by leveraging these strategies.
Don’t be discouraged
Have patience — Start by building daily habits — try a new strategy everyday and find what works best for your routine. Before you know it you’ll have set the foundation to conquer your dreams on both fronts. Start today!
Originally published at medium.com