Memorial Day Weekend is upon us which means Summer Is Here. Summer is difficult for many parents in small business. Schools let out, Camps are pricey, Babysitters take vacations, Schedules change, and well, let’s face it – we want to be outside sharing time with our kids (myself included).
On the flip side, the 2nd quarter of the year is coming to a close as summer hits, and parents in business are no different than anyone else. We want our momentum to keep going into the 3rd quarter without interruptions. I definitely do.
In my opinion, summer and business growth and productivity do not need to work against each other. In fact, greater productivity can lead to greater enjoyment of summer.
I have a sneaky suspicion the busier I am, the more I achieve and fit in to my day.
Think about it – When you have large chunks of time that are unaccounted for…What do you do? My guess is daydream, play with apps, doodle, waste time, or grab a coffee.
When we are busy and have a really full schedule, we actually fit more in because we are diligent about scheduling. We make time for each task and responsibility, hopefully blocking out time for our families and fitness and sleep. We map out our days out of NECESSITY, so we can cross everything off not leaving a spare minute to doodle.
A few weeks ago, I had the distinct pleasure of hearing Samantha Ettus speak about work family balance on a panel for Hot Topics for Moms in Business. Samantha imparted us with one tiny little tidbit that stuck in my mind because it is the way I live. “Run your life like train schedule.” Samantha dramatically changed her entire family’s schedule so both she and her husband could run their businesses and spend time with their children.
Operating on that schedule allows Samantha to fit in everything that she and her husband prioritize. This is how I live year-round, but especially in summer. During summer, most of us have the benfit of warm weather and longer days, which lets us squeeze in an early morning run or evening walk for ice cream with all of other responsibilities sandwiched in the middle.
I hope each and everyone of you enjoys your holiday weekend, and as it comes to a close set some goals for your summer. Outlining both business and family goals are important. Then, take a look at your schedule week by week and draft up a timeline for those goals. Insert tasks in your calendar along with time to enjoy your kids, dogs and the summer weather.
Reach out to friends and other parents in your neighborhood to arrange a childcare swap, carpools, or information on local kids’ programs. Go over plans with your spouse and partner and put it all in the schedule!
I am training for a half-marathon, and I think the discipline used in my training can be applied to business. I have a plan mapped out with goals I want to hit and how much I need to run, stretch and rest/reinvigorate to get to my goal. The same goes for business. I know where I want to go, which includes how many nights I need to work to get there and how I can take the weekends off to replenish myself and my family.
I would love for you to share your top summer goal with me and how you have scheduled to make it happen! Keeping one another accountable is always helpful!
Here is to an amazing summer for you and me both. I hope your business rises like the heat (Don’t forget to cool off with an ice-cream).
For more on ‘summer tricks of the trade for moms and dads’…read here.
Rachel
