When you become a mom, you have to consider how you’re going to manage your career and parenting. It’s when you have these thoughts that you start to wonder whether you’ll have to put dreams on hold and settle for less than what you really want in life in exchange for being a good parent.
Thankfully, in my experience, being a mom has had the opposite effect. I don’t believe in settling for less. My daughter inspires me to not only be a better person and a better mother but a better business owner as well.
Here are 5 invaluable lessons motherhood has taught me that make my business better.
Act With The Future In Mind
Since I’m not just providing for myself, I have to make decisions in my business that force me to look at how my current actions will impact my future self.
The actions I take today will have an immediate impact on my daughter, and they will still be felt 10 years from now, 20 years down the road, and even when my physical presence is no longer felt on this earth.
With that responsibility, I have to make business and financial decisions that push me toward achieving the level of success that I desire now and in the future. I want to give my daughter a head start in life, and that begins now.
I know that if I fail to do so, my decisions could one day become her burden, and that’s not a weight I plan to place on her shoulders.
Do What’s Best, Not What’s Expected
Before COVID-19 forced us into social distancing, I was already homeschooling my daughter, who is in kindergarten. So along with homeschool, our days were composed of karate class, trips to the Science Museum, art museum, nature exhibits, and more. Quite frankly, my schedule was built around supporting her and her interests.
Therefore, I had to craft my business around her needs.
I tried fitting what I did into the traditional 9-5 hours, but it was impossible. So, I found a solution that worked for us both.
Now, I do the majority of my work from 8 PM to 2 AM. This might be odd for others, but I was forced to come up with a solution that worked for our lives.
Instead of struggling to be productive while she’s up and active, I can complete the most essential tasks when the house is quiet, which makes me better at what I do.
Practice Makes Progress
I purchased my daughter a game that teaches her entrepreneurship and financial skills by letting her run her own pizza shop.
On the first day we tried, she got frustrated and quit within a few minutes. By the end of the first week, she started to enjoy playing but still needed some help. One month in, she was filling orders, meeting sales goals, upgrading her shop decor. I could do nothing but sit back and smile at the progress.
Frequently in business, we expect immediate results, but that’s generally not how life works. There are no true overnight successes. Instead, it takes practice. And the goal of practicing is not to reach perfection, but to make progress.
Every day in my business, my goal is to progress. I’m not perfect, and I don’t strive to be, but with continued effort, I can make the progress needed to build the business of my dreams.
Never Forget to Find Joy
Listening to my daughter squeal with joy as she goes higher and higher on the swing in our backyard or seeing her run up to me for a high five after she finishes her favorite Youtube dance video (for the 10th time in a row) brings my heart such delight.
It’s that joy that she experiences that I strive to regularly have in my own life.
The grind – The 24/7 go go go mentality – The hustle hard never sleep belief system – these don’t work for me.
I believe that being a happy woman who continually finds ways to experience joy in life makes me a better business owner.
I believe that getting enough rest, eating balanced meals, finding time for work and play is crucial. I never want to get so caught up in achieving business goals that I forget to laugh and find joy in simple things. No money is worth that.