Having been a business owner while being a wife and mother, only now can I look back and reflect on the years that I let pass without truly being present in the conversations with my girls when they were telling me a story that happened at kindy or looking at a butterfly as it crossed our path. Spending a romantic evening under the moonlight on the back deck with a glass of wine once the children had gone to bed, was merely a pipe dream engulfed by the need to attend to business demands to keep the money coming in!
I remember reading a story about Janine Allis (Boost Juice founder) wanting to look into her childrens eyes while having a conversation with them and not being distracted by thoughts about her business.
The question is how do you overcome this?
How do you continue to be present, devote quality time and truly invest in relationships of your nearest and dearest when your business and livelihood seems to need you more?
My suggestions:
1.Stop being the technician in your business; identify your strengths & do those well. Delegate the rest. Minimum award wage activities can be outsourced or done by others and this leaves you to focus on your clients and building your business.
2.Have dinner at the dining table with all the family; this is great time to ask each person what happened for them in the day. Make this a time for genuine questions directed to your loved ones, not complaining or dissecting your work day. This time is a time to reconnect.
3.Book in Special Time; allocate time to spend with your partner, or children just as you would an important meeting. Take the time to share in an interest that is about your child or partner.
4.Clear boundaries on family v’s work time; if you are working from home, then commit to your work hours as you would if you worked at another location for a boss. Make agreements with your family on when work starts and finishes for you so they can be assured of quality time when you are finished your day.
In my experience, true happiness comes when aligned with meaning. You can have both!
Charmian Campbell, The Driven Business Edge
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