On this Mother’s Day, I have been reflecting on what it really means to be a mompreneur. Running a business can be very time consuming and challenging. Now you add running the kids to practice, coordinating summer camps, volunteering at school, planning play dates and birthday parties, making time for your significant other, grocery shopping, cleaning the house and, oh yeah, finding time to care of yourself to the list, and you are going to have days that feel not so successful. Actually, you will most likely feel exhausted, burned out and questioning your life decisions. Then there are other days that you feel like Wonder Woman after she drank ten Red Bulls because you are able to get more done than you ever imagined. Those super productive days help to balance things out a little bit but can leave you feeling like you just got off a monster roller coaster ride.

Struggling to find a balance between your home life and business? Here are some tips to help.

1) Find time for yourself.

I know. I know. You are swamped with work, housework, and the family. Why would you worry about yourself? Honestly, if you don’t take time for yourself, you are going to run yourself ragged and possibly get sick. No one benefits when mom is not feeling well.

Whenever I had to cut something from my busy schedule, it was always my workouts. I was tired and cranky and found it difficult to focus. A couple of months ago I made a commitment to walk every day and work out with my trainer twice per week. I’ve done by best to keep that commitment (shit happens) and it not only makes me a happier person but also increases my productivity.

So whatever that means for you, whether it’s working out, getting a mani/pedi or just sitting alone with your own thoughts, do it. Making that time for you, will do wonders for your business.

2) Have the kiddos help out

If the children are old enough, give them daily chores. It teaches them responsibility and also takes away some of the tasks that you feel like you need to do. It can be small like setting the table, feeding the dog, or just picking up their Legos (so we don’t step on them with bare feet!) and more. Several small tasks add up, giving you more time. Here is a list of age appropriate chores from Psychology Today. Our son loves helping out. He knows that Mommy and Daddy work and he likes having his own way of contributing. Tip: Fight the urge to go right behind them and fix how they perform the chore. It will defeat the purpose of giving you time and teaching them responsibility.

3) Spend quality time with those you love

As a mom and business owner, our brains just do not shut off. However, you need to make some quality time with the people that are important to you. Leave the business in the office (or on the dining room table). Your loved ones need and appreciate time with you. Now, this is where it can get a little tricky as you can sometimes feel like there is only so much of you to go around. I spend most of my free time with my family but I make a point of also carving out some time for my friends. Sometimes that is just putting aside some time to chat with my bestie about the latest episode of Real Housewives.  The key is to look at the relationships that need the most nurturing and create a game plan to get some time on the calendar.

4) Ask for help

Remember that 90’s movie with Michael Keaton when he clones himself? I think it was called Multiplicity. Wouldn’t that be nice?Since cloning isn’t possible (except maybe for Barbara Streisand’s dog), we need to find other ways to cross things off our to do list. That might include hiring a housekeeper or assistant. Or hiring someone that can help with the parts of your business that you don’t like doing. Leaning on other Mom’s to help with rides to and from games and practices can be a big time saver. Sometimes we hate asking for help but you will be surprised how willing people are to lend a hand. What’s the saying? It takes a village.

5) Get organized

You can’t work if you have clutter everywhere. Make it a point to keep stay organized. I spend every Monday on organization. I make sure every file is labeled and stored correctly in GoogleDrive. I toss anything on my desk that isn’t of importance (like those Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons that I will NEVER use). I also spend Sundays planning my content for the week. I know what I will post each day and on which platform, what blogs I will write, which articles I will share etc. I like to take some time on Sunday evening and plan out my entire schedule. Now that my son is older and playing multiple sports, it’s so important that I keep track of everything so we aren’t running around frantic at the last minute trying to find his baseball glove.

Starting my own business and working from home is the best decision that I have ever made. Finding a balance between being a mom and an entrepreneur can be wonderful. I can work at home around my son.  If he has a doctor appointment, I don’t have to request to take off work. I can take the time to volunteer at his school. I can enroll him in after school activities and not worry about how he will get there. I can watch every game (almost). I can meet a friend for coffee in the middle of the day or just Netflix and binge if I’m not feeling the creativity flowing. It’s a bit of a balancing act, but it’s totally worth it.