You are a busy business owner, leader or manager. It is likely that you often feel like there’s too much to do and too little time and you are pulled in too many directions. Does that describe what your life feels like, especially now?
I see women entrepreneurs in particular struggle with this as they attempt to tend to all aspects of their business while maintaining some kind of home life that resembles something safe and sane. It can feel daunting as you try to make time for your partner, kids, extended family and still find a minute or two for yourself and not have all the spinning plates of your business come crashing down.
And it’s not just women with this predicament- I hear many others complain of feeling stretched too thin, failing to give adequate time and attention to partners, home life and /or their business. Being a business owner or leader is not for the faint of heart. It is challenging.
With that said, there is a way to think about all of this differently. And that is a good place to start – with your thoughts. Rather than get ensnared in the trap of “ I never have enough time” or worse, “ I am not enough” or “ I am not doing enough”, there are more accurate thoughts to chew on that can make a big difference.
Start feeding your brain truth- “ I am enough and I can choose to remember that”… you might ruminate on the thought “ I can accomplish all of my priority tasks and relationships and I will practice some new ways of doing that.”
If you keep telling yourself all the negatives, your brain will believe you and you will likely stay stuck in a negative and spiraling thought loop.
Take some deep breaths and consider taking a step back so you can take some steps forward more intelligently.
Try some of these ideas to begin a new game plan:
1. Wake up every day with taking some deep breaths and think about three things you are grateful for. Appreciation thoughts go a long way to starting the day on the right track.
2. Make a list of your top 3 priorities for the day. One should be related to work, one to home life, and one priority for yourself. Keep these simple. It could be “I will take 15 minutes to stretch or walk during my workday. I will read my child a story before bed or ask my teenager about the best and worst part of their day.” These don’t have to be huge time consuming goals. Keep them short and simple.
3. Fuel your body well in the morning and meal plan and prep so you are fueling up with healthy energy giving foods all day. One of the reasons you are likely feeling depleted is you are either skipping meals or grabbing what is cheap and easy- often not the best quality of food. Pack healthy snacks with you so if a meeting runs late, you have nourishing food like trail mix, yogurts, hummus and crackers ready to go.
4. Make a master schedule with regular obligations and tasks included. Keep your personal and professional schedule in one place if possible. Then you can see your life at a glance, being more thoughtful about what to add ( say yes to) and what to delete or delegate ( say no to). Be sure to put self care time into that schedule- so you get on a regular schedule of working out. Create days and times in your schedule that allow for flex time- whether you fill that with holiday shopping or coffee with a friend, is up to you.
With a little more planning, prioritizing, accurate thinking and execution of a new system of scheduling, you can get more done in less time and with less stress.
You are worth it and so are your relationships. Your business will likely improve in efficiency as well.
Enjoy the journey.