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Times are tough, the cost of living is at an all time high and childcare costs are through the roof. Here are 3 life skills that every successful Momtrepreneur has mastered and why you should do the same if you want to start your own business or add extra income through a side hustle.
What separates a Momtrepreneur from the rest of the entrepreneurial world and why is it so much more difficult for us to get started with our own business or side hustle?
As a Momtrepreneur you’re not only raising a family, nurturing relationships, focusing on your personal well-being and probably already working a regular 9-5 job. You’re also taking on entrepreneurship which is one of the most intimidating and scariest journeys to embark on.
If you want to join the ranks of some of the top reigning Momtrepreneurs, you’re going to have to master 3 life skills first.
Discipline
I have always said that discipline is the first and most important life skill to master. Without it, you’ll probably fall short on many of the goals that you set for yourself both personally and professionally.
Do you want to build positive habits? You need discipline.
Do you want to be more organised and have a tidier home? You need discipline.
How about self restraint and not eating that 3rd slice of cake? Yup, you guessed it, you need discipline.
Let me give you some food for thought. This had the biggest impact and mindset shift for me when it came to discipline:
Every time you set out to do something or make a commitment to yourself that you don’t follow through with, you’re training your brain to ignore your true intentions and instead distract you with more enticing activities that don’t require you to step out of your comfort zone.
Every time that happens, you lose more confidence in yourself and your abilities to achieve your goals. A simple way to overcome this and train your brain to work with you and not against you is to set yourself small wins.
Something as simple as drinking a glass of water first thing after you wake up will give you a sense of accomplishment and will prepare you mentally to take on bigger tasks.
The most difficult part of owning your own business is the fact that no one is going to hold you accountable to get things done. That responsibility sits solely with you.
Without discipline, you’re more likely to shove things aside and procrastinate, so starting today, I want you to make the commitment to yourself to do at least one thing every single day, no excuses.
Start small and you’ll see big change!
Time Management and Organisation
As moms we understand the importance of good routine and structure for our kids. As Momtrepreneurs, we need to apply those same rules and principles to our business.
The reality is, we already have so much on our plate and while we are more than capable of taking on more, we need to manage our time carefully to avoid burnout.
At the end of the the day our kids and family take priority and we need to set clear boundaries between work mom and home mom. Those lines can be easily blurred, especially when you work from home or use your spare time in the evenings to work on your side hustle.
Time management and organisation is not just important when it comes to balancing your work and personal life. It’s about making sure that you’re blocking out time for yourself as well!
You need a break from work, from kids, your business, and even your partner. And that’s completely normal and necessary in order for us to keep our sanity.
Feeling a bit stressed out? I’ve compiled a list of a few easy to implement stress management tools with working moms in mind.
Resilience
When starting any business it’s so important to understand that nothing ever goes to plan and therefore resilience is an especially vital life skill to learn. Resilience is what will prevent us from throwing in the towel before we even had a chance to get to the good stuff.
Imagine spending an entire day, planning your tasks, time blocking, and thinking you’re going to go to bed with at least half your to-do list checked off. Feels empowering, right?
Now imagine your toddler decided that today was the day that they would refuse to nap, or has managed to use your well-structured daily planner as their colouring in book. It happens to the best of us.
What’s important for us is to switch up our mindset when things don’t go according to plan. My grandmother had this saying that I keep going back to every time my troubles seem too big for me:
“It’s not about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain”
At the end of the day, while we will be moms for the rest of our lives, our kids will grow up and things may become a little bit easier. For now, enjoy this crazy journey, but don’t forget your vision.
You may not have achieved what you set out to do today, but you have tomorrow to try again. And if you’re feeling like you may have taken on too much as a mom and momtrepreneur, cut back a bit and take things in smaller chunks.
It’s not about getting it right the first time, it’s about staying consistent and trying again and again.
Wanting to earn more money for your family and having that financial security can be very overwhelming if you don’t have a plan of action. You have to remember that being a mom is a full time job in and of itself, so do what you can without burning yourself out. Even the smallest of actions can lead to big change.
My last bit of advice and probably the most important; “a positive mindset is your most valuable asset in any business”.