Being a mom is no easy job. Once you bring a little person into this world, your life ceases being your own. Throw a marriage and business on top of that and you officially have the toughest job in the world – being a “mompreneur”.
Truth be told, being a mother, wife, and businesswoman all at the same time can be overwhelming. If you find yourself in such a position, you can probably attest that sometimes it feels like your mind is going to explode. While mompreneurs have arguably the most hectic lifestyles, the good news is you can still thrive in your business and motherhood. Not only is it possible, it’s also one of the most rewarding experiences a woman can experience.
In order to be a successful mompreneur, you have to adopt certain habits and ways of doing things that make you productive on a daily basis. So, with that in mind, here are 11 awesome productivity tips for busy mompreneurs.
- Set Goals
Being productive begins with setting personal goals. Goals are an important component to achieving success in any endeavor, especially when it comes to running a business. When you are clear about what you want to achieve, this will motivate you to do more than the bare minimum. What’s more, goals prevent you from becoming distracted by unimportant matters and keep you on course even during tough times.
As a mompreneur, you need to set goals in your personal and professional life. Once you set your priorities right, it becomes easier to plan and get things done.
- Plan Ahead
Speaking of planning, this is one of the important skills of remaining productive. Planning ahead enables you to stay organized and work efficiently. Itemizing your priorities is a good way to avoid overwhelming yourself or putting off important things that might drag you behind.
There are many ways to plan ahead. For instance, you can make a to-do list for the next day every evening before going to bed. Alternatively, you can plan a weekly menu, stockpile groceries, then precook dinners and vacuum pack or freeze food to save time on cooking after a busy day at work. Cutting back on meal preparation can help you to spend less time cooking for the family and get more work done during the week.
- Do Not Try to Be Supermom
Being a mompreneur can feel overwhelming when you try to do it all. If you often feel like you don’t get enough time for family or fall behind on business targets, then ask for help. Consider hiring a sitter to watch your kids when you’re busy with the business or a house help to keep the household running smoothly. As soon as you can afford it, hire an assistant or employees who you can delegate tasks to. You can also include your kids in the business and ask them to lend out a helping hand during their free time in exchange for an incentive. Don’t hesitate to pay people to do tasks that are not in your zone of expertise as this allows you to focus your time on high revenue activities and become more productive.
- Define Your Boundaries (This is Crucial!)
This is an important tip for the stay at home mompreneur who has a home office. Although working from home has its many perks, there will no doubt be many distractions that can make you unproductive. It’s therefore important that you set clear boundaries for work and family time and stick to them. For example, avoid distractions such as TV, chores, and checking social media messages during work hours. The family must also know that mommy should not be interrupted during work time unless it an emergency. In return, be committed to quality family time when you’re not working.
- Take Frequent Breaks
When talking about getting more done in a day, taking frequent breaks may sound counterproductive. After all, most people think that increasing effort and time in something equals more work done and better results.
However, studies show that taking frequent breaks increases your capacity to do more work. Just like muscles need to relax after they tense up, you also need to relax and rejuvenate after short bursts of focused work.
Therefore, to become a productive mompreneur, remember to take frequent breaks in between tasks. Think of it this way: rather than increasing the time you work, you’ll be improving the quality of the time you work. By taking breaks, you will avoid fatigue, work more efficiently, feel energetic throughout the day and get more done.
- Limit Multitasking
Doing two things at the same time may seem like a great way to get more done, and sometimes it is. But science shows that productivity drops when multitasking because the brain cannot fully focus. As a mompreneur, multitasking may feel like you’re leveraging your time but the truth is you’ll be more predisposed to error and take longer to complete tasks. The lesson? Try to focus on one task at a time because you will work more efficiently this way.
- Keep to Your Schedule
It’s imperative to manage your time if you want to be a successful mompreneur. This means you need to establish a routine and stick with it. Being consistent with your routine will not only allow you to feel focused on what you need to be doing, it will also help you feel less overwhelmed.
- Exercise Regularly
Between raising kids, being a wife, and running a business, most mompreneurs rarely have time to exercise. In fact, hitting the gym or going for a jog might be the last thing on your mind when you have a pile of things to do. However, exercising regularly keeps you fresh, sharper, and energized for both your business and family. More importantly, excising often will make you less prone to falling ill, which can be a big setback for a mompreneur.
- Get Adequate Sleep
It’s easy to turn into a workaholic when striving for more productivity, but be wise and resist the urge. If you want to become an effective mompreneur, you also need your beauty sleep. Strive for at least 7 hours of sleep every night. Getting adequate rest will allow you to be at your best when running a business and being a mom at the same time.
- Let Your Motivation Drive You
One of the keys to success is staying motivated. As a mompreneur, remind yourself everyday why you’re in business. The reason could be anything from finding more time to spend with your kids, to striving for financial freedom or providing your family with a better quality of life. Be clear on why you chose to be a mompreneur and use it as rocket fuel to get moving and doing your best every day.
- Maintain a Positive Attitude
Being a mompreneur can be both physically and emotionally draining. You need to maintain a positive attitude at all times because that’s essential for success. Negative thoughts can keep you down and prevent progress. Therefore, you need to stop them in their tracks and instead embrace a positive attitude. One way to achieve this is to associate with like-minded women who are inspirational and provide moral support. Remember that positivity lets you keep sight of the bigger picture and pushes you to strive for success.
Conclusion
Becoming a successful mompreneur is no easy feat. As a mother, wife and entrepreneur, your work never ends. But if you manage your time well and follow the tips outlined above, you’ll soon learn striking a balance between your family and business’s needs are not that elusive after all.
Author Bio:
Uyo Okebie-Eichelberger, Serial Entrepreneur, Wife, Mom and Duke MBA, has successfully built a seven-figure empire in the maternity industry with You! Lingerie and Preggo Leggings, two leading designer brands of chic maternity/nursing intimates and apparel cleverly made for fashionista moms.
The former Kraft Brand Manager and her brands have been featured in several publications and TV shows like The New York Times, Glamour Magazine, Cosmopolitan, The Huffington Post, CNBC, The Today Show, E! News, OMG!, The Daily News UK, Pregnancy & Newborn, American Baby and Fit Pregnancy.
Currently, Uyo Okebie-Eichelberger’s brands are sold online and in over 120 stores in North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. Uyo Okebie-Eichelberger recently partnered the world’s largest retailer, Walmart.com to launch an exclusive line of maternity/nursing lingerie called Love Xoxo by You! Lingerie.
She shares business tips on her blog: www.UyoOkebieEichelberger.com. Follow her social media pages on Twitter: @UyoEichelberger and Instagram: @Uyo