The fact that you have children does not necessarily have to put an end to your professional aspirations. If you want to be both an amazing mother and a career-driven individual, you should go ahead and do it regardless of what anybody has to say on the matter! Make no mistake about it, you will be sure to face many challenges in your attempt to balance parenthood and mompreneurialism… but it will all be worth it in the end when you eventually reach the pinnacle of your field.
Here are eight things you must do to take your career in business to the next level:
Keep on top of your schedule
You’re not going to get very far in your attempt to become a successful mompreneur if you fail to keep on top of your schedule. Once you get to grips with the challenges and demands that you face daily, you will find it much easier to devote time and effort to both your career and your role as a parent.
There are many actions that you can take in your bid to remain on schedule, one of the most effective being to set yourself hourly alerts. Regardless of whether you use your cellphone or a good old-fashioned alarm clock in this instance, performing this all-important task will make you more conscious of the passage of time. This will help you to stay on top of your to-do list, simply because it will make you more aware of how long you are spending on certain tasks. With this knowledge at hand, you will then have the capacity to tailor your schedule around the times of the day in which you are at your most productive.
Learn how to multitask
Once you are confident in your ability to stay on top of your schedule, you need to start pushing the boundaries of your day-to-day work ethic. You can achieve this by learning how to multitask effectively and efficiently. It may require a lot more dedication, determination, and concentration on your part, but learning how to juggle many challenges at the same will no doubt help you to get more out of each working day.
If you are serious about improving your multitasking skills, be sure to put the following advice into practice:
- Make use of online multitasking tools
- Accept that you do have limits (you cannot work 24 hours a day, there are only a certain number of resources made readily available to you, your budget is not endless, etc.)
- Learn how to distinguish the level of urgency (some tasks cannot be balanced with others and will command your uninterrupted focus)
- Boost your concentration skills by embracing mindfulness
- Become an effective delegator and never be afraid to share your burdens
- Set yourself time limits
- Attempt to group related tasks together
- Keep your brain sharp (without relying too heavily on caffeine, preferably)
- Limit all the distractions and interferences in your working environment
- Most important of all, plan ahead
Separate your roles
Learning how to multitask does not, however, mean that you should attempt to blur the line between motherhood and entrepreneurialism. At certain points throughout each day, you will have to wear either your professional hat or your parent hat. Some work-related tasks will demand your undivided attention, and so will some of your parenting duties. To ensure that you give each of these two distinctly different roles the time, effort, and respect that they individually deserve, you must find a way to separate them as best as you can.
Never stop learning
The world of business moves forward at a frightfully fast pace. If you want to keep up with the latest entrepreneurial trends in your field, you must commit yourself to continuous learning. No matter how much experience you have, it would help if you always were on the lookout for ways to expand your expertise.
Concerned that your already hectic schedule is going to hold you back from learning more about your industry? Fear not, as there are plenty of different routes that you can take in your attempt to balance learning, working and parenthood. You could enroll yourself on a part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) online course, for example, as doing this will allow you to study in your own time and at your own pace. If going back to university isn’t something you are particularly interested in doing, you could do something as simple as read the five insightful operations management books listed here instead. No matter what pathway you choose to embark down in this instance, be sure that you devote an ample amount of time and effort to your education. The more you learn about your field, the better placed you will be to provide a service that is truly befitting of today.
Take breaks
As counterproductive as this might sound, you must step away from your workstation at regular intervals throughout each working day. Pushing yourself too hard will inevitably result in you tiring yourself out, and this fatigue will then hold you back from being able to optimize your performance as both an entrepreneur and a parent.
Quite simply, if you want to become a successful businesswoman and a dedicated mother, you need to resist the urge to work all hours under the sun. When you do decide to pull yourself away from your daily tasks, be sure to make the most of your downtime by putting the following advice into practice:
- Take a short break at the turn of each hour to hit your brain’s reset button
- Distract yourself from the tasks that you have at hand by engaging in an immersive pastime
- Go for a walk and enjoy the great outdoors
- Fuel your mind with snacks that are full of protein
- Avoid eye fatigue by embracing the 20-20-20 rule
For more advice on what you must do to take an effective break from your work, be sure to check out this helpful Inc. article.
Invest in quality childcare
Of course, the fact that you perform two vastly different and incredibly demanding roles in life means that your time will be stretched. Unfortunately, this means that you will not be able to spend as much time with your kids as you would no doubt like to. To ensure that this does not impact the relationship that you share with them or their ongoing development, you must invest in quality childcare.
To ensure that you leave no stones unturned when performing this crucial task, you must:
- Find a childcare service that meets your exact specifications (will you need an occasional babysitter, a part-time tutor, or a full-time nanny?)
- Check reviews and heed recommendations from other working parents who are in a similar position to yourself
- Never employ anybody to look after your kids if they cannot showcase proper licenses, certifications, and background checks.
- Before you commit to a long-term childcare solution, perform a trial run and be extra vigilant during this time
Make use of top tech tools
Should you fail to take advantage of the top tech tools that you have at your disposal, you will make your life as a mompreneur ten times harder than it needs to be. If you want to find the perfect balance between parenting and professionalism, you must make use of quality resources.
If you feel that your work-from-home productivity levels are currently leaving a lot to be desired, you should seriously consider investing in a web blocking software solution. With this tool at hand, you will have the capacity to block particularly distracting websites. Whether you are partial to online gaming or whether you are prone to checking your social media feeds every ten minutes, you can block these unnecessary distractions and, in turn, lead a far more efficient lifestyle.
Be present
Being present is the most important task that you must perform in your attempt to balance parenting and professionalism. When you are at home with the kids, be there. Put your work phone down, resist the urge to check your emails, and spend some time quality time with your little ones. Chasing your professional goals and reaching the pinnacle of your career will bring you joy in life, there is no doubt about that, but your children will be sure to bring you more. You do not want to miss out on their growth and development, which is why you must be fully engaged whenever you spend time with them. If you do not, you might live to regret it when they have grown up and flown the nest…
Want to take your career as businesswoman/mompreneur to the next level? If so, you must heed all of the advice laid out above, and you will have an easier time of finding your feet and getting your business up and running in no time.
