As an entrepreneur it can be difficult juggling life whilst feeling you are being pulled towards a career and away from parenthood.
You may feel that you often fall short as you are spread thin so our thought-provoking article takes a look at the 3 best ways to resolve this,
focusing on your two roles at set time
talking to others about your feelings
finding someone to care for the children
Finding someone to care for your children
Having time away from my 20 month year old son has been key to allow Tungsten MG to grow at the rate it has. I am fortunate to have his Nanny living locally so he can spend 1.5 days a week with her (before Covid-19). This time alone gives me a set amount of hours to get key tasks complete, and it is surprising how productive you can be when you need to be.
Looking for childcare options mainly comes down to finances and what resources you have. If you do not have low cost child care nearby like I do then you will have to look for external care such as a nursery. We are planning to send our son to nursery in September 2024 as we think nursery is a step towards preparing for school, encouraging play, interaction skills and listening to others beyond family members.
Having childcare is good for my son, myself and Tungsten MG.
focusing on your two roles at set time
Having allotted time for each role you hold can make you more productive rather than seeming busy all the time. There is no rule for everyone on what technique you can follow to achieve your maximum output. I prefer to get my tasks done in the morning to allow time for my family in the afternoon, but Winston Churchill was a night owl when it came to work.
I created a blog in January 2019 on how to achieve small milestones that help you achieve that large goal in 12 weeks and the bullet diary, so check out the link below. You may also want to spend time on Stephen Altrogge Master Your Time blog as he covers 5 solutions. I use a mixture of the Most Important Task Method and the Time Blocking Method. As I only have childcare for 1.5 days of the week, I use this time for the most important tasks which need my full attention. In these time periods I know the length of time I have so can dedicated a set amount of time to each task. However, the rest of the week I have adhoc working hours depending on my sons nap which are at random times and length. I usually do Tungsten MG admin tasks, jobs that require small time periods or household activities like making meals when he naps as the task can be stopped as soon as he wakes.
I am however getting stricter on when I am a business owner and a mother. At the start I tried to be both all the time and it did start to wear me down. Now I try to be a mother/wife to be/home owner whilst he is awake so I play with him, help him with speech and learning and see friends but when he is napping, asleep or with he’s Dad or Nan I am a business owner. This allows me to dedicated 100% of myself, my mind and energy to whoever or whatever is in front of me, so I feel I have natured that thing to the best of my ability.
In March 2020 the world was turned upside down by Covid-19 and as I write this article we are still in lockdown. In this time mental health and wellbeing as been more critical then ever before as are forced to isolate and seize enjoying what pleasures we loved.
Being surrounded by a supportive partner, friends and family and being an open and honest person allows me to lay my feelings on the table easier, but many people do not. Being in the 21st century places so many pressures on us that the generation before did not have to cope with. “Talking about your feelings can help you stay in good mental health and deal with times when you feel troubled” www.mentalhealth.org.uk. It does not matter who you speak to as you could talk your feelings out aloud to yourself, but having a sound board is vital to express feelings that you have been carrying around in your head.
Remember that “a problem shared is a problem halved” and talking about an issue or problem can usually makes it less daunting or troubling.
Our final thoughts?
It's essential to get yourself in the right frame of mind to start achieving the results you want. Once you are aware of these common drains on your time and results, it becomes so much easier to overcome them.
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