I am in a season of life where we are constantly making shifts in our routines because either my kids are entering new stages, my husband has a change of job/ schedule and my business demands more of me at different times of the year.
Is this you too?
One thing that I have learned over the past few years of building a business while raising my young kids and homeschooling is that change is inevitable.
To adapt to this reality I have learned to have a daily schedule that is fluid and flexible and be loyal to our non-negotiable boundaries that I have set in my business & family.
Non-negotiables:
- Homeschooling my kids and being present. I don’t want to be on a phone in front of them all day or them sitting behind a tv screen for me to get work done. Little pockets here and there sometimes are inevitable, but try to schedule in my work hours.
- Daily scripture study to some capacity. Whether that be reading and studying in a quiet moment, or listening to a podcast on the go.
- Working on or in my business every day. Sometimes that looks like designated work hours while my kids sleep and sometimes it happens in little pockets of time throughout the day.
- Continuous education in the business development and real estate industry
Here are some systems that I put into place in my family and business so that I can set boundaries and protect my non-negotiables.
Business:
- When working with real estate clients, I give them my available times and ask them what time works for them. That way my clients aren’t running my schedule.
- I don’t schedule appointments the day of, because I can’t always find a babysitter on the same day and I don’t need that kind of stress in my life.
- I have email templates ready to go so I can rinse & repeat a smooth process with my clients.
- I know my husband doesn’t work on the weekends, and so I know to schedule my bigger tasks for those days.
- I don’t always have time to read a business development or real estate book, so I listen to a lot of podcasts. Getting ready in the morning or in the car are my prime podcast times.
- Also using my Mompreneur Planner has also really helped me stay organized in my business so I can give it the attention it needs while focusing on my family.
Family:
- We have a consistent daily rhythm with my kids, so they know what to expect and I know when I can probably squeeze in some time to work in the little pockets of my day. A daily rhythm also allows us to be flexible if needed when different last minute events pop up.
- I try to schedule out dinner for the week and then do a grocery pickup. I don’t enjoy cooking and so this is a big struggle for me. One hack we learned is to buy a bunch of chicken breasts and my husband marinates and grills them in advance on the weekends and then freezes them to make dinner time a lot more smooth and efficient.
- My almost 6 year old has chores to help the family and household run more smoothly. He is responsible for unloading the dishwasher, picking up his toys around the house before bed, putting away his laundry, etc. He is motivated by money so he has a list of house chores he can do to earn extra money.
- 30 minutes before bed, everyone helps picks up/ straighten up the house so we can start fresh the next day.
- Some days my kids are in a funk and have bad attitudes, I find that (after tummies are full) if we just go outside to play or go on a walk, it fixes a lot of the behavioral problems.
Your business and family doesn’t need to be chaotic and unorganized. Staying firm to your non-negotiables and creating systems in your home can help you stay on top of your family & business.
I have to remind myself quite often that I am in an incredible season of my life. I get to raise 2 wonderful, healthy boys and homeschool them. This is my dream. I also realize that owning my own business whether that be real estate or this new planner business has also awakened a passion in me and being able to grow it on the side of my family has been amazing. So I am trying to enjoy this stage of my life where my boys need a lot of my attention while I am trying to remember the bigger picture of laying the foundation of my business for future success and counting my blessings along the way.
You’ve got this mama!