4 Habits I’ve Learned To Help You Reach Your Goals While Juggling Motherhood

| Lifestyle

Being a working mother is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.

It’s hard for any woman to juggle all the duties of motherhood along with the guilt, exhaustion, sleep deprivation and deadlines. But the reality is this: Us women can conquer anything. We are great multi-takers. And we’re passionate, loving beings. So what are some tips that I’ve learned along the way that can benefit any working mom? Here’s my momtrepeneur top-five list:

1. Prioritize.

It’s important to prioritize your tasks every single day. But accept that your priorities will shift constantly depending on what needs to be done. Every night, before I go to bed, I write a list of the next day’s tasks in order of importance. But I know I will need to revise that list as the day unfolds. Because there are some days when my kids are 100-percent my priority, and other days when I need to organize things to make work my priority. If I have a school trip to go to, I have to rearrange my work to make sure I can dedicate my focus to my daughter’s school activity. But if there’s a day when I have an early call time, I make arrangements with my husband and caretakers to ensure my children’s needs are addressed while I’m at work in the morning. Being a working mom means procrastination is strictly off-limits, and it’s crucial that everything is organized to the max.

 

2. Set limits.

It’s easy to get burned out if you don’t set limits on your daily to-do list. I’m a very social person by nature. I love to always be out in the scene. But with a full-time job and two kids, I have to be selective about how I spend my my time socializing, choosing exactly what I do and where I go. Even with my career, I have to set limits on what I can and can’t do. I used to be that person who would say yes to everything. Now I’m very picky about what I say yes to, always making sure I leave enough time and energy to devote to my family. If you as a mom get burned out, you are not going to be there for your children. And they’re the ones who need you the most to be fully present.

3. Ignore the guilt.

It is so easy to get caught up with mother’s guilt. Just last night, I had an anxiety attack over whether or not I was doing a good job as a mother of two. I was freaking out, coming down hard on myself, telling myself I was failing as a mother. Sometimes I feel like I keep messing up. The truth is, it’s absolutely normal for mothers to feel that way. And it’s OK. But when negative self-talk starts to take over, you have to remind yourself is that no one is perfect, and we’re all trying to do the best job we can. Life is tough enough without beating yourself up. So when you have one of those days when you hit a low point and guilt starts to overwhelm you, carve out 10 or 20 minutes to relax, meditate and recenter. This is the hardest thing to do…ignore the guilt. I struggle with it daily, it’s just something that you take one day at a time. You’ve got this.

4. Set deadlines.

When you’re a working mom, setting deadlines is vital for organizing your life. Especially for someone who is an entrepreneur. If you are your own boss, it’s very easy to miss deadlines. I like to set realistic deadline dates, but with some with some cushion to allow for life’s many surprises.

What do you guys think? If you have any tips, please share them in comments below. And let me know what topics you would like me to talk about on this blog.