I get asked quite often how do I balance work, my businesses, and life. I have tons going on with work as a grocery retail manager, owner of 3 businesses, and mom. But there is no secret formula for me to do it all. I have a particular routine that I follow to ensure I’m balancing well. I’ll share a few tips with you that help keeps me grounded and successful in all I do.
Self-care and sleep are non-negotiable and they are not interchangeable.
Self-care is something we must practice every single day. Whether it takes a short walk or enjoying a nice bubble bath, we must love on ourselves every single day. S
leep revives you and allows your body to rest. It’s a must to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep a night. You cannot be fully functional and not get enough sleep. Self-care and sleep are not interchangeable, which means you don’t do one or the other. You must do both daily in order to fully take care of yourself. Both of them aid in good mental health as well.
Create a schedule.
You must have some idea of what you will do every single day. As an entrepreneur, you must set a daily schedule of tasks to complete to ensure the success of your business. Set time limits on tasks so that you don’t burn out while working. Take breaks in between tasks to give your mind a rest. Setting a schedule allows you to see what you’ll be doing when you’ll be doing it to so you can plan how to do it.
Set clear boundaries and make people respect them.
My boundaries are clear and they are communicated. I rarely if ever budge on them. To ensure that you can manage all of the things you must do, you have to set boundaries and dare anyone to cross them. Your “no” must be a complete sentence with no explanation. Period!!! When people try to break through those boundaries, stand firm on them, and don’t allow any pushback. You must teach people to respect your boundaries.
Do not work every day.
As entrepreneurs, we most times feel as if we have to work on our businesses every day. That is a myth and the quickest way to burn out. Just as you have off days at a corporate job, you must have off days in your business. At least one day a week you should relax or do something fun.
Be ok with not getting it all done.
You will not get everything done that you set out to do. It’s impossible and undue pressure that we put on ourselves. Create tasks to complete but don’t beat yourself up about not getting it all done.
Build a team.
The best thing I did for myself was to build a team by hiring Claudia and Briana. They both are independent business owners however I’ve out-sourced several aspects of my businesses to them. It’s no way I could possibly do everything I do without their assistance. Look at aspects of your business that you either hate or fail to get done properly and outsource them to professionals. It will totally change your life.
Just know that success in one area may feel like a failure in another.
Balance is a myth in the sense that most of us think about it. There is really no right or wrong way to manage all the things you have to get done. And there is no perfect formula to get everything done. You have to decide what works for you. But just know that success in one area may result in a failure in another area. If you’re focusing on your business, then your mommy duties may lack. If you’re at your corporate job, then tasks for your business may not get done or you may not be able to spend time with family. You have to be ok with this and know that you are not a failure.