Carving a Steady Path

Is this what you pictured while learning about the end of times in bible study? Toilet paper getting sold out, hand sanitizer becoming currency, homeschooler’s turning into thought leaders in communities nationwide? 

It’s not how I did… but I’ll take it. And no, I don’t think this is the real end of times, but it sure feels that way in the Gale household sometimes. 

Adding to our little slice of perfectly curated chaos, I decided to homeschool my children this year, and I couldn’t be more excited. But truthfully, I’m also freaking out a little bit. See, I don’t have six children – I have seven. And while the seventh child doesn’t need me to feed it, change its diaper, or bandage its boo-boos, I do have to keep it alive. 

The seventh? It’s my business. And sort of the middle-baby of our family. When I set out to do my own thing, my husband and I weren’t done planning our family. But with every new life we brought into this world, I continued to nurture my human babies and my baby business alongside one another. 

That was until… the C-word took over. Suddenly the extra curriculars I used to free up my time were canceled, the schools I sent my kids to shuttered their doors, and everything surrounding public health became very political – leaving little to no room for my digital baby to grow. 

It’s been a tough go; I’m not going to lie. But I’ve figured out some practical ways to continue raising my children how I feel is best and thrive as a bad ass woman in business. Yeah, I said it  

You can use these methods too so you can plant your feet once again in this topsy turvy world (quick! Before your school sends your little cuties home for you to teach — sort of kidding). 

First – Routine. We need it. Our kids need it. Our businesses need it. But to the anti-routine person reading this, that word sounds like a prison cell. Look, whether you already know it, or not, even the most ‘frolic-y’ person has some sort of routine in their lives. Some call it their daily rituals, others refer to it as time blocking – the point is if you want to make it through each day without losing your mind, having some routine is critical. 

“But how do I start?” you might be wondering. Well, you could start by setting the alarm. Eh, I know. Suddenly the sound of my mid-90s alarm clock is echoing in my head, and the damn snooze button still isn’t working. 

I don’t recommend you use that alarm to keep yourself on track (unless you’d like a new window in your wall). Try a gentler approach by using a radio timer or smartwatch that vibrates at certain times. 

Once you hear your favorite jam or a calming bzzz you’ll know to look at the time, then move onto your next task.

Next, you’re going to want to schedule in your “me time”, your kid’s school schedule, when you’d like to work, when it’s time to log-off for the day, the kid’s bedtimes, and then more “me time”. You can never have enough “me time”. 

The beauty behind scheduling these things is: you can repeat the same routine every day, week, month. Sure the tasks you complete will differ, but the timing most likely won’t. Repetition is a neat concept because it frees up so much brain space for you to think creatively. And that is what will help you grow your business. 

Remember baby #seven? As you repeat your schedule, you begin to improve your productivity until – what’s that? You’ve got an extra 30 minutes today? How’d that happen? That thirty minutes turns into forty-five, then an hour, and suddenly you’ve got enough time to think strategically about your next move to grow. 

Repetition breeds efficiency, which creates space to either work on growing your business OR taking care of your physical well being. 

Here’s my last tip – and it’s the most important one. Entrepreneurs and business owners are well-known offenders when it comes to pushing themselves beyond mental recognition. Don’t be a victim! It is possible to be incredibly successful and take care of yourself properly. That means make the time to go for a walk, eat a healthy meal, take a break away from the computer, yadda yadda.

Making time for your physical and mental well-being is the fastest way to becoming the rising star you long to be. Don’t brush it off! 

In all, the most important thing for you to remember right now is to: set your schedule, buckle down on healthy habits, give yourself grace, and prioritize what’s important to you. 

And listen, if you try over and over but can’t build a habit around marketing your own business consistently, reach out to our marketing team for a free consultation and marketing plan! Reallocating a portion of your responsibilities to a professional team could be the very thing you need to survive these next couple of months. 

Lisa M Gale Digital Marketing helps business owners improve their online presence and visibility to attract new clients. We develop websites, systems, and processes to improve digital marketing efforts and help entrepreneurs reach their business goals. Let's talk >>