Last week on Life Strategies with Nat for the Entrepreneurial Woman, I was joined by special guest Tatyana Hrechdakian to discuss the task of managing and juggling responsibilities as a female professional in the current day and age.
Every week I explore ways to improve wealth and wellness so we can feel more fulfilled in our life and business.
So let’s explore the first question posed during the discussion:
How do you manage to do it all as an entrepreneurial woman; family, business, finances? The list goes on…
As a woman in 2019 who is juggling a business, relationship, family, etc., I know how hard it is to keep everything in balance.
Trying to find time to suit everyone can seem impossible, but there is always one thing you need to remember: do not bite off more than you can chew.
You come first, no matter what. It is vital to maintain strong ties with family and friends, and having their back goes without question, but in the end you can’t put everything on your shoulders and expect to come out smiling.
Juggling work and family is a timeless task, one tackled by the overworked businesswoman who struggles to split time between her loved ones and her career, and ends up neglecting one or the other.
In most cases, she will neglect her family out of love, not intention, because a stable and successful career means more food on the table and a wealthier environment.
So what is an entrepreneurial woman to do?
There are many steps to keeping a healthy balance, but some people are too far deep into their career to take fewer hours or less work, so it is not straight forward.
Support is the key.
To juggle work and family, you must establish in a calm and constructive way to your loved ones that what you are doing is ultimately for their benefit and that you need their understanding and support.
Any decent spouse will understand and come to relish the time that you have available to spend with them, rather than use that time to complain about how you are never there.
Life is hard and for many women, it takes time to reach a point where you can kick back and relax, having built up a business that can be managed from the comfort of your own home and surrounded by your family.
That balance is a reward, something to strive for during the first few years of being an entrepreneur.
Before this more tangible balance can be achieved, one must first achieve a balance within the self, which brings me onto the next question posed during the episode:
How do you manage to keep a balance and take care of yourself?
Remaining healthy is absolutely key.
No job in the world is worth dying over, and believe me it can and has happened.
Stress is toxic, and releases a chemical called cortisol into the body which can damage cells and lead to poor health and premature ageing.
A pressured work environment is the number one leading factor, but there are ways to reduce stress and handle the pressure in a calm and collected manner.
The first thing I always start with is a good diet – as much as I don’t like diet, you’ve gotta start somewhere until it becomes a way of life #itsnotadietitsalifestyle.
Cut out the bad carbs, gluten, caffeine, sugar, dairy and alcohol.
Move to a protein, vegetable and low glucose fruit diet with one day a month to treat yourself.
By starting with a healthy diet, you take the first steps to feeling more energized and high vibe, as bad carbs and sugar only serve to cause inflammation, bloating and fatigue.
Here’s a great example of what to have for dinner: roast chicken breast seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika and seared on both sides for a few minutes in a pan with olive oil and thyme. After three minutes on each side, roast on a bed of broccoli, carrots, parsnips and fresh rosemary.
Voila! A healthy and easy meal. It doesn’t even take that long so there is no excuse for buying microwave meals and processed garbage.
As a strong and independent woman, you will also want to keep your mind and soul healthy.
You know what I am going to say, of course; yoga!
But it doesn’t just have to be yoga, any exercise that you find fun and cathartic is an ideal way to reduce stress and help you manage pressure in a calm manner, as it really helps to blow off some steam.
For added bonus points, trying getting the family involved and tackling it together, or incorporate aromatherapy like (real) Lavender. This is a fabulous way of bonding and helps you set milestones work towards as a team. Just try not to get too corporate about it!
Oh, and let’s not forget about that treat day.
Once a month, take the family out or plan a get together out to a nice restaurant and this time, DO order dessert. Whatever you want.
After a 29 days or so of healthy eating and exercise, it will feel like you have earned it and won’t come with the usual guilt.
Alternatively, stay at home and watch a movie together with a giant pizza. Have fun with it!
What do you do if you want to feel less busy and have more time?
The thing that never fails me is to do a brain dump… I just get it out of my head and onto paper so I can visually see what I’m dealing with.
Then, you go through that list of things and you ask yourself: What is a ROCK? A PEBBLE? And SAND?
Rocks are non-negotiables, things you MUST get done, and yes this includes self care!
Pebbles are important, but if it gets rescheduled, you’ll manage. Sand is the stuff like errands. they’re always there, but they can wait until you have some free time.
In other words, what is HIGH, MEDIUM, and LOW priority on your list. Mark them alongside each item, and then rewrite your list in order of priority.
Then SCHEDULE!
Put them in the planner. That High priority item like going to the gym 3 times a week takes you 1 hour plus drive time to and from x 3 days per week, so where does that fit in this coming week?
When you start to look at things by priority, time needed and when am I doing it, you’re developing this discipline. It’s strategy, organization and planning; the key to a successful life, my friends!
I know it seems like a lot, but if you want to be a successful woman in business, you’ve got to own your actions and time, and let go of habits, thoughts and beliefs that no longer serve you.
To listen to this episode click HERE.
Stay tuned for the next post for updates and guidance on how to achieve success and greater wealth as an entrepreneurial woman. Dream it. Think it. Live it.
