Plan Your Best Year - Entrepreneur Moms Share Their Tips

Let's face it, being a mom is hard. Owning a business is hard. When you combine running a business and being a mom, you might wonder how anyone does it.

There is no one secret to balancing work and motherhood, so we asked several entrepreneurial moms to share their tips for planning your 2019 and beyond.

Choose to be you!
Melissa Jensen, owner of Legacy Images

"People buy from those they know, like and trust.  So I'm putting myself out there, and stepping into this new year with boldness and confidence.  I started the new year with my own personal branding photoshoot, which can be a rare thing for a introverted photographer like me to get in front of the camera!

I have started planning out weeks of social media captions, all with the goal of letting my followers get to know me better.  I will be sharing personal insights, behind the scenes, how I stay productive, what motivates me, and my "why", because customers connect with these type of stories, not sales pitches. 

​What sets you apart are all the unique things that make you you. By showing up as our authentic selves we are able to build connection and trust by allowing people to get to know us."

Use Your Calendar
Jessica Hansen, the Systems Magician

"When you’re a MOB, life and business lines often are blurred and you’re doing both momming and businessing at the same time.  But there are a few things that can help you take control of your calendar.  

1) Put EVERYTHING on your calendar.  Electronic or paper.  Scheduled or listed. Write it down - if you don’t, you’ll forget. 

2) Pad your schedule.  Especially as a mom, you know doing things with kids in tow really does take twice as long as you planned.  So don’t schedule your appointments or errands back to back.  

3) Forgive yourself when something goes undone.  We’re under intense pressure to do all.the.things, and sometimes it doesn’t happen.  Apologize to yourself, and start over tomorrow.  You got this!

Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First
Dr. Alicia Hart, Vitality NW
​
Take a minute to check in with your body.

Are you tired? Put yourself down for a nap. Sleep is nonnegotiable, and so often the first thing to go to the backburner. Adults still have to sleep, ideally 7-10 hours every night. At least 4 of those hours need to be in a row to count as a decent chunk of sleep.

​If you’re consistently not getting enough sleep because of kids, you might consider some creative sleeping arrangements like sleeping at a friends house or swapping childcare nights with your support network. If the kids are sleeping but you’re not- maybe it’s time to check in with your doctor to rule out other causes of poor sleep like thyroid issues, sleep apnea, anxiety, blood sugar problems, etc. Getting enough sleep is critical for your health!

Setting the scene for sleep can be an important first step to getting some zzz’s- routine is key for many. Have a bedtime, and actually go to bed! Try to avoid using screens 1 hour before bed, as the blue light disrupts brains making the sleep hormone, melatonin. Soft music or white noise can be a helpful buffer, as can listening to a guided meditation via an app like insight timer, or an audio book. 

Did you eat something healthy? What do you need to eat to get strong? You can’t make a body out of missed meals and stress chocolate.

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Do you need some low sensory input space so you can think? A glass of water? More movement? Less screens?

What things are you telling your kid to do for their health that you’re not following as guidelines at all?

Make a habit of treating yourself like someone worthy of care, because you are. 

Picture Your Future
Selena Maestas, Life Coach and Speaker 

"Creating a plan is like having a map to your gold treasure. And we all want to find our treasure! Like any good adventure, the most important step is believing you will make it. Now, before you roll your eyes at what sounds like “magical thinking”, understand that when you believe in yourself, your service or product, and your client, you will have laser focus to allow you the most direct growth.
 
One of the most powerful ways to guide your planning is to use the perspective of the woman you are trying to become. What will this woman look like, act like, think like, speak like, and what will she believe about herself and her business. Once you have her in mind, you can begin to create goals and find the belief to take massive action! She’s got your back! Cheers to your best year yet!"

Outsource Where You Can
Jamie Schertenleib, 503 Clean 

"So many mom business owners are trying to juggle every aspect of business and family life and seem to be barely treading water. 
 
Many women have found that by outsourcing things such as house cleaning and other tasks they can free up more time to be able to work on things that can keep forward momentum going for the growth and profitability of their business.
 
Remember while outsourcing helps free up your time you are also provided with the opportunity to help support another local mom owned business in the process!"

Choose Harmony
Susan Bender Phelps, Odyssey Mentoring
 
"Most of us have multiple competing commitments.

We run a business and have a family - BOOM! We might also have a day job - BOOM! If we are doing either of the above and taking care of a chronically ill child, spouse or parent - BOOM! If we have our own chronic health problems - BOOM!

Thinking we can balance it all is a nasty myth. It’s easy to achieve balance, but once you do, you can only sustain it if you stay absolutely still. If you’re really talented, you can move but veeeeerrrrry slowly. Trying to balance it all causes more stress and reduces our focus to standing still. Harmonizing keeps us in motion. When you are planning and taking action – consider how what you want to accomplish can be done in harmony with your life. The freedom will be worth it!

Prioritize Self Care
Sarah Nelson, Ancient Fern Medicine

No matter what your goals are for 2019, you can bet that planning ahead for your self care will go a long way in helping you achieve them.

I recommend scheduling ahead as many aspects of your self care that you can. Waiting until you're sick, in pain, or suffering from burn out to schedule care for yourself often leads to injury, illness, and a resulting lack of momentum in whatever it is you're hoping to achieve.

Sit down with your calendar and schedule weekly things like exercise, social time, quiet time, and any other ongoing aspects of your self care routine.

Schedule weeks and even months in advance for appointments like massage, acupuncture, and follow ups with your doctor. Not waiting until last minute to schedule will ensure that you stay feeling energized and ready to take on whatever you have planned for 2019. Future you will thank past you for prioritizing your self care.