Juggling Many Roles While Running A Business Is Hard, But It's Doable
Starting, running, and growing a business is hard, but it’s especially hard when you are juggling many roles. Whether it’s being a mom, partner, caretaker, etc. Juggling these roles while running a business poses many challenges.
There were countless moments when I found myself drowning in the endless tasks of trying to grow my business, serving clients, taking care of home, and caring for my daughters. For a while, I felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel when it came to finding harmony among my roles.
I will never forget the turning point for me. It came summer of 2020. I was at the height of my business celebrating my first five-figure month, and honestly, I wasn’t too happy. In fact, I was worn out.
At the time, I was on “vacation” with my family on a road trip to Texas to visit my parents and then to the beach in Florida. This could have been the best vacation, but you know why it wasn’t?
Because I was still finding pockets of time to work. I even took a client call during that time.
I felt terrible because I wasn’t able to truly enjoy the time with my family.
I really had a come to Jesus moment.
How was it that I was having the biggest month in business up until that point, on vacation with my family, and STILL unhappy?
I realized that my business consumed so much of my time, and because my priority was family, there was no time left for me as an individual.
If I was going to find harmony among my roles, I was going to have to do something different. Because family will always be my #1 priority this meant I would need to restructure things in my business, so I could have more time to myself and even more time for my family.
Running a business is hard enough on its own, but when you add in our other responsibilities, the challenge can feel overwhelming. Balancing work and home is never easy, but it is definitely possible.
As a business owner and mom of two, I understand how difficult it can be to juggle multiple roles, so I want to share three ways I stay on top of things and manage to make it work.
I always have a clear outline of what needs to be done during that day.
One of the most effective ways to stay on top of things is to have a clear outline of what needs to be done each day. It's easy to get bogged down by the multitude of tasks that need to be accomplished, so having a list of priorities can help to ensure that the most important tasks get done first. Prioritizing your work also means you'll be able to manage your time better, which is critical when you have many roles to fulfill. When it’s time to get work done, be sure to eliminate distractions as much as possible. Because my daughters are in early schooling it’s really helpful for me to get tasks done while they are at school. When they were younger I tried to get a lot of work done while they napped or were occupied by activities.
I intentionally take time off consistently for self-care and to spend time with my family.
As a mom and business owner, it's easy to fall into the trap of working 24/7. However, taking time off is crucial for your mental and physical health, as well as your family relationships. I intentionally take time off consistently for self-care and to spend time with my family. This looks like having a weekday off every week, planning activities for my family each week, and making time to rest. By having this regular time off, I'm able to recharge and come back to work feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day. My work days aren’t as stressful, and having plans for myself and my family gives me something to look forward to.
I have a small team and my systems are forever evolving.
As a business owner, it's important to have evolving systems in place to maximize efficiency and productivity. However, the key to success here is having a clear vision of what needs to be done and how you want it done. Lack of clarity can cause misdirection and yield little to no results when you start building your team. I know this from personal experience. I started building my team earlier than I needed to because I was a new mom of two and at home full-time with an infant and two-year-old. However, I quickly learned that without clear communication and direction, it was difficult to make the most of my team's efforts. Therefore, it's important to invest the time upfront in developing a clear vision and outlining the tasks that need to be done along with processes. This way, you can maximize your investment when outsourcing and ensure that your team is aligned with your goals.
Juggling many roles while running a business is hard, but it's doable. With a clear outline of what needs to be done, intentionally taking time off for self-care and family, and having a team with evolving systems in place, you can manage your business and family responsibilities effectively.
Remember that it's okay to ask for help and delegate tasks when necessary. You don't have to do everything alone.
If you’re not in a place to build your team YET, don’t panic. Start documenting how you do things and your preferred way of doing things so that when you start building your team you have some structure in place to help them get things done.
With the right strategies and mindset, you can find the balance you need to thrive both as a business owner and a mom.