The school holidays loom long and already you feel like packing your bags and leaving home!
No matter how much you love spending time with your gorgeous children, it’s tough – REALLY TOUGH – to keep your business going over the break.
You lose all routine. You’re working much shorter hours (thank goodness for scheduling tools like Later and Canva’s content planner) while trying to keep customers happy. The house looks like a bombsite as soon as you’ve tidied it, the fridge is permanently empty and you’re under pressure to keep your brood happy, entertained and not too full of sugar for WEEKS.
I remember those days so well when my daughter Chloe was young. But don’t worry – it’s not as bad as all that.
Here are 5 fab tips to get you through without you or your business falling over.
1. Eat The Elephant One Bite At A Time
BIG tasks never get done – they just sit on your to-do list glaring at you. This is even more frustrating when time is short.
Break every big job down into bite-sized chunks. Instead of “do my newsletter”, try: decide on topic, write 5 bullet points, write content for each point, choose an image, pick a title, import into your email platform. Bite-sized chunks ROCK!
2. Become A 10-Minute List Addict
Take your bite-sized chunks and write them on a list while you have your morning cuppa. Stick the list in your pocket. Every time you get 10 minutes free – kids watching TV, waiting at soft play, unexpected nap – dig out your list and do one task.
Before you know it you’ll have crossed loads off, which will make you feel awesome!
3. Set A Timer
If you struggle to get focused when precious windows of time appear, set a timer on your phone. It’s amazing how a deadline focuses the mind.
Give yourself 10, 20 or 30 minutes, get your list out and start working through it. No faffing! Come on, Productivity Queen – you can do it!
4. Outsource The Horrible Jobs
Sometimes certain jobs are nigh on impossible to tackle when you’re short on time – especially the ones you hate, which is why they’re at the bottom of the list.
Find someone to do them for you. Yes it costs money, but not as much as you’d expect. Get those jobs off your desk and you’ll feel loads better – and you can use the freed-up time on things that actually make you money.
5. Manage Expectations (Including Your Own)
You’re a mum. You have kids. Anyone who is a mum knows how hard it is to manage a business over the holidays, so give yourself a break.
Plan ahead. Assume you’ll manage a tenth of your normal work. Let clients or customers know well in advance. Be realistic – don’t over-promise and under-deliver.
And here’s a novel idea – why not have a rest and have some fun with the kids? Stop putting all this pressure on yourself. The world won’t stop if you take a few weeks off. This is your chance to recharge and reconnect with those little (and big) people who are the reason you’ve got the business in the first place!