Being a mompreneur is one of the hardest yet most fulfilling jobs to have.  It’s not perfect and it has its ups and downs. Working from home allows us to be closer to our loved ones and available in times of need like when one of our kids is sick or to chaperone a field trip.  But it can also be stressful and overwhelming at times. Learning to balance work and life is challenging. After working from home for the past eight months, I’ve definitely learned a thing or two and I’d like to share them so that you too can make your way off the mompreneur struggle buss.

Photo courtesy of nappy.co

1. Plan your life away

We’ve all heard the common saying “fail to plan, plan to fail.”  It might sound cliche, but it is a golden rule when it comes to being organized and staying on task as both a mom and business owner.  Between household chores, work, errands, and school activities, the life of a mompreneur can be both tiresome and overwhelming.  Planning out your day, week, and the month ahead can save you from so much headache.

Break down your day into blocks of time for different tasks to complete.  It can also be easier to choose certain days of the week to focus on one specific task.  For example, Monday can be your day to strictly focus on editing blog content and Tuesday can be your day to clean out your emails and respond to those emails that ended up in the weeds.  Doing it this way will help you to focus on one task at a time rather than being overwhelmed by the struggle of taking it all on at once.

2. Don’t cry over spilled milk

Although you may plan out your entire day consistently, there may be times when you just don’t get things done and that’s okay.  Don’t beat yourself up if that planned meal turns out to be pizza because you forgot to thaw out the chicken.  Maybe you didn’t have the time to fold clothes or meet the deadline for that blog post.  Whatever the case, you did what you could and that’s what matters most.  Tomorrow is always another day.  We’re not perfect people and we have to be okay with that.  Twenty four hours can pass by pretty fast and there may seem like there are more things to do than the actual time to complete them.  Don’t stress over things that will ultimately be there for you when you get back to them.

3. Sleep on it

“Team No Sleep” is not a team I’d want to be a part of, amiright?  I tried it out and honestly, I was no good to anyone.  My kids were late to school every day and I couldn’t stay awake long enough to tackle my goals for the day.  Besides, bags under my eyes just don’t look appealing.  So, let’s just throw away the whole team no sleep concept.  In order to function properly as not only a business owner, but a mom, and wife, we have to ensure that were taking care of ourselves.  A huge part of self-care and actually getting those zzz’s in.  Make sure you get to bed early so you can start your day off bright and early.  You’d be amazed at the amount of tasks you can accomplish just by waking up an hour or two earlier than you normally would.

4. Involve your children

Try to find small tasks for your children to do so that they feel involved rather than feeling in the way.  Explain to them what it is you’re doing and why along with how it benefits them.  I my children know that their opinions are needed and valid rather than leaving them left out when it comes to my business ventures. My oldest helps me create shipping labels and prepare packages to go out.  The kids even come with me when I travel to events and the cute faces are always a plus when gaining sales or engaging with potential customers.  I also let my children know why we have a business and that they are a very important part of it. My daughters are always providing suggestions for our business being that one of my businesses is for children.

5. Set office hours

You may not physically have an office and that’s totally okay.  If you’re anything like me, your office can easily go from being your bed, to the kitchen table or even a local coffee shop.  Wherever you decide to get work done, be sure to create hours for yourself to break free from the keyboard and live life.  It can become very easy to allow yourself to get lost in a rabbit hole in the World Wide Web.  It can also be easy for others to take advantage of your time.  You need to be able to establish boundaries between yourself and your clients or potential clients.

Choose certain days of the week when you consider yourself “closed” to be able to spend time with family without checking emails or responding to DMs.  Ensure that there is a specific hour of the day that you cut off work so you’re not still communicating with clients in the middle of the night.  No one will respect your time if you don’t.  You can easily become burned out and overwhelmed if you’re constantly working around the clock. It can be detrimental to not only yourself, but you family as well.

It’s not perfect, but it’s worth it!

Working from home has been a great part of the bonding experience with my children and I’m grateful for the time that we have together, even if it is while sitting behind computer screen.  I’ve learned to create a flexible schedule for myself when enjoying the freedom of being my own boss.  Is it easy being a mompreneur?  Nope!  Not at all, but there’s no other way I’d rather make a living.

Do you work for yourself? What tips and tricks can you share for mastering the mompreneur life?

Don’t forget to Pin this!