Let’s get real: running a home and running a business at the same time is really hard. What do you do when you’re the captain at the helm of both, and you start feeling like you’re going under?
In this episode Dana and NJ are exploring their strengths and struggles when it comes to running their homes while running businesses, and you’ll hear them share some practical strategies that you can steal from the world of business and apply to how you run your home.
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Staring at the wide space between where you are now and where you want to be in terms of how you’re running your home can be completely daunting. So, here are some practical ideas and ways to shift your approach and begin tackling things step-by-step.
Assess the Situation
You can’t figure out how to get to your destination if you don’t know where you are to begin with! Take a few minutes to brain dump out a huge master list of all the things you do in a day, from morning to night. Then, assess what areas you feel like you have under control and what areas you’re really struggling in, then you can begin tackling each area of struggle one at a time. Remember: you can’t change everything all at once, but you can significantly improve things by focusing on one area at a time and building out from there.
Establish & Communicate Expectations
Just as employees perform best when their job description and responsibilities are clearly outlined, children (and people in general) thrive when they know what is expected of them. If you find that your family often operates in a state of chaos, consider whether or not you’ve clearly outlined everyone’s “roles and goals,” as NJ suggests.
Figure out how each person thrives best, and what the family needs as a whole to operate as optimally as possible. Make sure that each person’s role within the family is clearly defined, as well as the goals you’re all working toward, so each person can take ownership for their behavior and attitudes as members of the same family.
Implement Automation
It’s a well-known fact that implementing automation in your business saves you time and makes you more money because you’re able to spend more time doing those things that make you more money. Implementing automation in how we fun our homes can produce equally beneficial results in terms of saving you time, energy and stress.
One great place to get automated is in your household finances. There is so much great technology out there today that allows you to set up things like automatic bill payments and automatic savings transfers. Utilize them to save time and keep you on track with your money!
Shopping online can also save you boatloads of time and hassle as well. There are tons of great online grocery delivery services like Amazon Fresh, Amazon Prime or Thrive Market, and many regional grocery stores offer online shopping with pickup or delivery as well.
Get Organized with Systems
As with automations, having the right systems in place in your home can be the difference between constantly feeling like a chicken running around with its head cut off and feeling like the Superwoman you really are.
Think about some of the bigger or recurring things you do in your life and figure out how to break them down into a system to keep things organized and streamlined.
For example, NJ suggests putting together a master list of important annual family dates (birthdays, anniversaries, etc) and buying cards and stamps in bulk for the year so she’s always prepared and never gets in the weeds.
There are also great tools out there like the My Proxy Fox app that allows you to outline your rhythms, routines, systems and important information related to your home and family, store it all in one easy-to-access place and share it with other family members, home service providers or caregivers.
Figure out what systems will make the greatest impact in your home and family life, and schedule in some time to get those systems set up – we promise, you will thank yourself!
Know (& Uphold!) Your Boundaries
It’s important for everyone in an organization to know what the boundaries are, and for the leader to uphold those boundaries. Our children need to understand what the boundaries are and we need to be consistent in enforcing them for the wellbeing of everyone.
Invite your kids to take an active role in respecting boundaries and explain to them why boundaries exist so they feel empowered to rise to the level of the expectations you’ve set.
Affirm & Nurture Your People
Everyone needs to be reminded and reassured from time to time that they are loved, valued and appreciated. Make sure that you are intentional about carving out time and space to connect and grow in your relationships with each member of your family. Building trust and depth of relationship will help ensure everyone wants to work together and there is a mutual understanding that everyone’s end goal is the same.
Referenced in the Show:
(Just FYI, some of these links may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the links I may receive some love in return!)
Episode Sponsor: The Biz Chix Podcast
BizChix.com encourages, educates, and promotes entrepreneurial women with educational content and training, a community support system, masterminding, coaching, and events.
Natalie Eckdahl, MBA, is a business coach, professional facilitator, keynote speaker and host of the Biz Chix Podcast which iTunes featured as a top New Business Podcast in March 2014.
You can listen to the podcast here.
Connect with Dana & NJ
Dana: Instagram / Boss Mom Facebook Community (her total happy place)
NJ : Website / Instagram (her total happy place)
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