Thursday, July 23, 2009

Is Your Rubber Band About To Snap?

Let’s face it…..mompreneurs are expected to juggle alot! We have the uncanny ability to transform from a savvy executive to a soccer mom in a matter of seconds; all while talking on the phone, carrying the baby, planning dinner, confirming client appointments and loading the dishwasher. Let’s see a man do that!

What’s this word called “lazy”…certainly can not be used to describe a mompreneur! Why does it have to be so tough? I can’t answer that. What I do know is that as each day passes by, there seems to be more and more demands, pressures and requests on our time and our lives.

And, more demands = more stress. We find ourselves not only physically exhausted and depleted, but emotionally as well. This added stress is directly related to the troubles that we experience in our businesses, our marriages, our finances, and our relationships. You are not alone if you feel like you just can’t take it anymore and that you are about to snap!

What can we do? Well, before we can do anything, the first thing that we need to do is take a moment to ourselves. Yup, you heard me right….take a moment for ourselves to put up our feet and breathe.

Did you know that we were created and have the ability to withstand a certain amount of pressure? And, that each and everyone of our tolerance levels are different?

It’s really not the tasks at hand that are causing us undue stress. The problem lies when we try to over-extend ourselves and when we try to be superwoman. It’s OK to have a full to-do list once in awhile. But, when you have a full to-do list every single day, it becomes overwhelming. And, when we become overwhelmed, we become inefficient. As a mompreneur, we can not afford to have that happen.

So, where does the balance come in?

It’s starts by asking yourself four key questions:

1. Do you control your days, or do your days control you?
2. Are you stressing yourself out by trying to be someone you are not?
3. Are you striving for perfection in all areas in your life and business that are simply unrealistic?
4. Are you letting the pressures of everyday life take over your life?

There is one sure thing that you can be guaranteed to receive every single day that you are alive-and that’s 24 hours. No one gets more and no one gets less. We are all on the same playing field. And, it's critical to our health and success that we balance this time to ensure that we nurture ourselves both physically and emotionally.

This is where you need to be kind to yourself. Most likely, you have been living in a chaotic schedule for many years now and it’s going to take some time to adapt to a new schedule, but if you want gain happiness and lose the stress, a new schedule is just what the doctor ordered.

Start by asking yourself where can you loosen the reigns a bit? What events can you start saying “no” to. Where can you start delegating – i.e. hire a maid. Where have you been striving for perfection and making yourself crazy where, really, good is good enough?

The bottom line is that we can not fully complete our purpose if we are stressed out. Our vision for our businesses and lives become cloudy, our health suffers, we become a certified emotional basketcase because we are running around taking care of everything and everyone, except ourselves.

Take time to care for you.

You are the most important person in the mix. If you are not running at your best, neither will anyone else around you.

Always remember that you are an amazing mompreneur and nothing is to hard for you to handle! So, go out and start taking care of YOU!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Never Give Up!

How many times have you said "there is no way I can do this?" If your like the rest of us, probably more times than you would like to admit.

I want you to know that there is always a way. It's been said that "if you can't find the door, look for a window." It may not be easy and it probably won't be convenient. You may find yourself walking through a maze of going up, down, around and over. But, if you set your faith, keep your determination, and refuse to give up, you will find a way.

How many of us give-up just before we reach a breakthrough? Someone once told me that it takes 20 years to become an overnight success, and now I know what they mean. That's why I want to tell you the story about the chicken and the eagle.

Once upon a time, a farmer found an eagle's egg. He took it home and placed it under the care of a hen. And, lo and behold, the egg hatched with a brood a chickens. The farmer tried to raise the bird with patience and tried to tame him. However, the eagle just never seemed to fit in. It didn't "mingle" with the other chickens and always seemed to walk his own path.

As the eagle grew, he realized deep down inside, that something just wasn't right. Even though all he had ever known was life in the chicken yard, it just didn't feel like home. He craved freedom, the open skies and the feeling of wind beneath his wings. He wanted to leave the chicken yard and take flight, but the farmer had clipped his wings to keep him just where he was.

Since the eagle was stuck in the chicken yard, he just sat there looking up into the sky. One day, a storm rolled into the chicken yard; the skies grew dark and the winds started to kick-up. All of the chickens were scared and they began to run around in circles looking for cover. The eagle just sat there watching the craziness going on in front of him with the threat of the storm not bothering him in the least.

At that moment, he stretched his wings and realized that the farmer forgot to keep them clipped. That's when he saw another eagle riding majestically in the wind above him. He looked around at the frantic chickens and then back at the eagle in the sky, took a deep breath, spread his wings and took flight.

You see, eagles are majestic creatures. They are a bird that refuses to give up. The only thing that an eagle has in common with a chicken is that they are both birds.

The bible uses an eagle as an example of strength, perseverance, and determination. Eagles soar above troubles and have a winning spirit. They are creatures who crave freedom and refuse to give up on their destiny. They are loyal mates, and devoted parents. They are not afraid to work hard and be who they were born to be.

Chickens are lazy, skittish, fearful, and rarely reach their potential. Chickens need to be kept in the confines of a fence and are completely happy to do so. When the storms come, chickens huddle together with fear "hoping" to find some food on their way back to the hen house.

So, when the times get tough, step into your power and rise above your perceived limitations. You were been born with a winning spirit and were given all of the tools you will need to fulfill your purpose.

So whether it's not going as planned in business in life, you are an eagle and will rise above the storm and soar into success!