The Tricky Task Of Balancing a Business And Being A Mom
I have a hunch your biggest struggle is getting it all done. You're overwhelmed and feeling pulled in so many different directions that you just can't figure out that tricky balance between business and being a mom. It's a lot to manage, especially if you haven't found a system yet.
There's hope, though, and I'm living proof. I'm a mom running a business full time and I get things done. Oh, and did I mention that I've nailed my productivity down so that I can take Fridays off every week? Guess what. You totally can do it all and I'm going to show you how!
Before I dig into this, I want you to know something. There are times when I get frazzled, feel overworked, get stressed out and more. This is totally normal. It's also normal if you don't have a good system in place yet.
I didn't use to be this productive. In fact, I think that it's important that you know that while I look like I "do it all," my house is sometimes a bit of a mess! And that's okay!
In order to make the most of my time, I use two different systems. Calendar Blocking and Batching. My planning routine is typically done one month at a time in order to ensure I’m always focused on the priorities.
Calendar Blocking is taking your calendar out and literally blocking off your day, hour by hour, to coordinate your time.
Batching is simply a form of time management that allows you to maximize your concentration and decrease distractions. You group similar tasks together in order to streamline the process.
The first thing I like to do is sit down and determine what my big projects for the month are. Steph Crowder from the Courage and Clarity Podcast calls these your "rocks." It's important not to overwhelm yourself so I like to limit myself to 2-3 big projects per month. These are your major focuses. For me, this includes filming YouTube content, things like webinars and projects of a similar nature.
Once I have my big projects figured out, I then move into listing out all the things that are associated with the rocks. These are the pebbles that will make things happen. They're not large enough action items to be considered BIG projects but they're not the general day to day tasks. So let's use my YouTube content as an example.
If my rock is YouTube Content, my pebbles would include
researching content
ideas scripting videos
creating titles and thumbnail ideas
shoot videos
create broll
Once I have all of that done, I can list out the tasks I need to complete for my clients and students during the month. Generally, these are tasks that need to be done every week so I've been able create routines with my clients. Mondays and Wednesdays are my client days and I batch all of the tasks for my clients into those days.
Did you like that segue there? Now we're going to dig into batching. Batching is one of those things that will really help make things go faster. Instead of switching back and forth between tasks, you can group similar tasks together in order get things done faster!
For example, if I'm releasing four videos in a month, I'll block time to research the videos. Then I'll have another time where I'll script all of those videos. I'll even film them all during a batching session. This saves SO much time and really does allow me to spend more time doing other things.
But I'm not leaving you there. I have some tips for success to make it even better!
Get Electronic.
Instead of writing everything down in a notebook or on post its, take time to move your systems to a digital platform. I know that notebooks are fun and it can be great to have them but they so easily made disorganized or lost.
I use Asana and Noteability to manage my brain dumps and my project lists. These programs really allow me to keep on top of things and ensure that I don't miss details because of lost papers!
Cut Out Distractions.
I'm talking to you, Netflix Watcher! In order to get things done, you need to cut the distractions. Your brain will actually start paying attention to things in the background and even if you think you're paying attention, you'll actually slow down because of the stimulus elsewhere.
This is why it's important to NOT multitask by listening to podcasts while you work or having a show on in the background. Personally, I have to have silence to get things done!
Set Time.
You need to have set work times and you need to stick to it. These boundaries are so important for your business and your life. If you can stick to them, you'll see that you accomplish your tasks faster and more easily.
Focus on What's Important.
You're absolutely NOT going to get everything on your to do list done. That's just a fact. So focus on the most important things that will help you reach your goals. This may mean putting off certain things until another time but that's okay!
Get Help.
I cannot stress this enough. Whenever possible, get help taking things off your plate. There are virtual assistants out there that are amazing and will really help you, all within your price range! Whether you need someone to work with you two hours a week or more, this will help relieve stress and overwhelm IMMENSELY.
Now that you know what you need to do to manage your time, you'll be able to make new video content, right?
