One of the areas I’ve been really struggling with as a Boss Mom is managing my time and space with my family.  The literal integration of my personal and professional worlds became a constant mental battle.  For example, at 9 a.m., I would feel compelled to head to my home office to begin to tackle my to-do list.  But, mornings also present an opportunity to be able to participate in the morning rituals with my kids.  How do I decide?  Either choice would typically leave me feeling a twinge of guilt.  When I was working outside of the home, these choices didn’t present themselves.  But now, I’m placed with dilemmas like this daily.  And if you’re like me, this can be agonizing.

Well, here’s my tip for getting through this mental battle…SHIFT YOUR PERSPECTIVE!!  The main thing I did was adjust how I was thinking about this dilemma.  To do so, I revisited a list I initially created of reasons for starting my own practice.  And there it was, plain as day… I wanted to have the flexibility to show up for my family in both quantity and quality time.  Whoa!  Even though I wrote that at the start of creating Lead By Design Lab, I completely forgot about that intention and the importance of creating time to be there for my family.  I realized that I get to choose to spend time with my kiddos because it aligns with my intentions.  I shouldn’t feel any guilt about it and instead should create a schedule that incorporates time with my family.  This integration should not be an afterthought for me but instead should be an important part of my day just as cleaning out my inbox.  After I got that clarity, I no longer felt guilty about participating in the morning routine but instead added it to my calendar three days a week.  I also added a break to feed my daughter while watching my son master a new lesson.  It feels great to create a schedule that allows for these things throughout the week.  Now, that’s leading on purpose and intentionally designing my organization.  

So, if you have experiencing angst in integrating family and your business, take an internal assessment of your initial intentions.  Look for where you can make mental adjustments to free yourself and allow you to live out your intentions as a Boss Mom.

Don’t forget to share this series with the Boss Moms in your life!