Written By : Donna Tweedale
We've had what feels like a long hot summer which has been fun. But. Working for yourself over the Summer Holidays brings so many more pressures, childcare, guilt.
It's time to Breathe.
There has been a shift in the weather the clouds are rolling in, the winds picking up and I for one am really friggin' excited about it.
To me, September 1st is more significant than New Years Day. It's a great opportunity for a new start. Take inspiration of the energy surrounding going back to school, new stationery, new term, new beginnings. And apply that to where my head is at with my business. Where I am. I get excited to implement more of a routine again and give myself headspace to look over and refresh in my mind what my goals were for the year. I push myself to not feel overwhelmed at the goals I'm still working towards but take pride in how far I've come and celebrate my achievements, however small.
If the last few months have delivered tough times don't wish the rest of the year away feeling you need to part ways with 2018 before you can draw a line under it. Take September as your new beginning.
Honestly?, I feel like this is the opportune time to grab Hayley for some of her bad ass level headed nuggets of motivation.
Hayley, What are your thoughts about the conflict we, as women in business feel. After all, We all started our businesses to have flexibility. To pursue what got us excited, what we felt passionate about and to make it work for us. And yet when we need the time, to have a break and maximise our flexibility to work around taking a break, the children being off school. We come down hard on ourselves. We feel guilt, are we working enough? Comparing ourselves to others and how busy they appear to be!
Oh Donna great points you've made there and I seriously think no matter if you have kids, don't have kids, juggling being self employed is a total roller coaster ride. There are always outside influences that affect our work flow. I wish we weren't so hard on ourselves, being self employed should work for you. For some that may mean working when the kids have gone to bed because it is the only to make it work.
I loved being self employed when mine were little because it meant I was at home during the holidays and could always go to school assembly's and sports days etc, But the reality of that is we would have to work into the early hours to claw back the time.
Nowadays it is a bit different for me as my boys are young adults and at university, although they have been at home making a mess since the middle of May and don't go back until the end of September. For me now it is about not beating myself up when I just can't find the motivation to come up with amazing ideas 100% of the time. I think as entrepreneurs we put so much pressure on ourselves to be amazing all of the time and in truth that is just not possible.
I try really hard to have a coffee meeting with someone that inspires me once a week. Remembering that those interactions are so important for stimulating creativity and new ideas. I always have a physical list and tick things off so I can see I am making progress otherwise that can get quite dis-heartening too. I stopped comparing myself to others a really long time ago, I know you will all laugh but I really do imagine myself wearing blinkers sometimes!
I think September is a great time to get back to it, so let's reconnect, inspire each other and celebrate our successes no matter how big or how small... xxx
For those of us coming to the end of the Summer and feeling overwhelmed by the to do list we've built up in our heads. Where do you start?
I think the thought of it is often more overwhelming than anything really! I always have a physical list, I love being able to see things being ticked off. I did try bullet journaling a few years ago and although I couldn't keep up with it I have carried on with the way the lists are created and you can carry things over etc. I love my Filofax so much, don't laugh!
I'm with Hayley, A physical list to tick things off of is ridiculously satisfying. A notebook by my bed for when I wake up remembering something, think of an idea . It's old school but it feels good.
Another great way to reignite the fire in your belly and give your motivation a kick start is to try and get to the Meet Ups. Talking to each other, and vibing off each others energy is so good for us. You can register for here. Or start a thread on the website Coffee Chat section if there's something on your mind. We're all in this together doll.
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