Sunday, May 9th is Mother’s Day, both here in Switzerland as well as in many other countries worldwide. If you’re a mom yourself, you know how unique a mother’s love is. There is nothing like it. Parenting is the greatest gift of all, and the biggest challenge of a lifetime. Playing on repeat every single day.
Adding a business to the family equation may be crazy, but my family is the reason I decided to start my business in the first place. I wanted to be able to spend more time with the kids during the week and be able to be a part of their daily life, like my own mother used to be when I grew up . As a child I wanted my mom to go to work like “all the other moms” but isn’t it funny how we may have disliked parts of our childhood as children but we grow up to love them as adults? For the past few years being a mompreneur, which is short for mom and entrepreneur, I have through trial and error, sweat and tears, become both painfully and happily aware of what works and what doesn’t in terms of combining these huge roles. Voilà, I present you my biggest learnings and why becoming minimalist has been the best solution ever.
Work less, work smarter
There’s only so much we can do in 24 hours. Lowering expectations and prioritising becomes essential. What do you need to get done daily in the business and in your home?
List max. 5 realistic business tasks that move your business a step forward. Then list all the necessary (no, not the nice to haves!) things that need to happen in the home to get through the day. Share some of the tasks with your partner (mine cooks), if you are able to, hire help and/or delegate some of the home chores. Order your groceries online, get help with meal planning or cleaning, and only do laundry once a week. Whatever works for you. We don’t need to be superwomen, even if that would be super cool..!
Minimise your schedule
Minimise your game and plan ahead; daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly. Schedule your day the day before and make sure you’re able to finish the tasks you’ve set for the day, even if it’s only one or two business tasks. Otherwise you will forever feel behind and not enough on any level. This took me a long time to feel at peace with.
However, every time I minimised my to-do list, I felt better and was able to accomplish what I really needed to steer the business in the right direction. And it freed up valuable time to spend with the kids in the afternoons. It’s certainly not always 100% undistracted time, but moms are only human, and we do the best we can. Always.
Becoming minimalist
Becoming minimalist was nothing I ever strived for. After having trained with Marie Kondo to become a KonMari Consultant a few years ago, my personal minimalism grew, developed and thrived within and beyond me. And maybe my minimalism actually is something I define in my own way? But it most certainly isn’t about depriving oneself of anything or owning only 2 pairs of shoes or 5 books.
On the contrary, minimalism for me is all about being present, authentic, raw and real, with yourself and people around you. It enables you to deepen your relationships. Knowing what your true core values are and focusing on what matters most in your life. Being surrounded only with the things you love. My minimalism is all about curating a minimal, simple lifestyle with maximal purpose. It creates positive changes and makes life solid, satisfying, rich, easy and open for more true connectivity, love and experiences.
Simplicity is key when ru
nning a business and managing a home and family at the same time. It’s a little bit like pushing the reset button of your life and getting a whole new, fresh start. Your whole life and mindset changes. You become more aware of what makes you happy and joyful, as well as what your kids and loved ones need from you. Start with letting go of things that no longer serve you, may it be physical belongings, social media, attitudes or relationships. Say no to everything that doesn’t take you closer to your ideal lifestyle or where you aspire to go in life.
Lagom
means not too much and not too little, in my native language Swedish. It’s the perfect definition of how any busy mom is able to juggle all these roles we’re supposed to carry on our shoulders. You don’t need to be anything else than you already are, lagom is the new now.
When you feel loved you have more strength than you know
As moms we tend to juggle so many roles that we’re all worth medals for just that! If you want to care for your busy mom friends, entrepreneurs or not, make sure to send them a text, ask them how they are, take them out for a walk, offer them a cup, or bring them fresh flowers for no reason. If they struggle maybe you can offer a helping hand with their kids or cook a meal, or even better, take them out for a drink. No matter how small the deed, it might make a world of a difference.
Yet, despite all the struggles, we wouldn’t want to have it any other way, would we?! The same kids make us totally lose it as well as hold it all together. For love.
Small kids shower you with their love in return, while older ones might be turning their teenage backs at you for a while. Whatever life throws at you, love never ceases to exist.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you Super Moms out there!
This article was first published on the expat blog My Swiss Story, where I am part of the expert editorial panel as the Home and Lifestyle Expert. Would you like to contribute as a guest writer? Please contact me.