The fact is, you can't have it all.

But don't feel bad about it… know you are in good company because no one can have it all.

Somewhere, somehow, we got this idea in our heads that we can balance running our own business, taking care of families and looking utterly fantastic while we do it.

Frankly, I blame Enjoli, one of the stinkiest perfumes in the early 80's. Take a look:

Look whether you go to work, run our own business or are a stay at home mom, you're busy! And something has got to give.

And most likely, that's your time.  On some of your busiest days it is easy for work to take a backseat to the needs of your children or emergencies at the house. The same thing can happen on the flip side. Family responsibilities can be encroached on by other commitments.

It's a roller coaster for sure.  At worse, both your business and your family can suffer, leaving you uncertain of how to fix things.

I know, I used to be a mom trying to balance raising twin daughters AND run a business. No, I didn't get rid of the girls – or my business. But what I did get rid of was the idea of balance. Once I did, things (for the most part) got a lot easier. I work only 25 hours a week (bringing home the bacon) and still am home for my family (frying it up in a pan)… and I didn't need some smelly perfume to do it.

What I did was harness the power of time.

Here's how you can too:

Ask for Help

There is nothing wrong with asking for assistance from your family. Your spouse and your kids can be instrumental in helping you to keep your sanity. You’d be surprised how eager little ones can be to give you a helping hand. Kids can clean their rooms and pick up after themselves in common areas. Your spouse can help with dinner, the kids’ extracurricular activities and putting kids to bed on occasion. (Hmm… sounds like the perfume advertisement, huh?)

Create a Daily Schedule

Calendars may seem “old school” but they are still the best way to keep up with upcoming events. Keeping a large one in the kitchen, for instance, gives each person in the family opportunity to record their events so that nothing is forgotten and any conflicts can be addressed before the day of the event.

My husband was very resistant to the big calendar idea. But one day, when he forgot to list a conference call he need to be a part of on the calendar, but then realized I had already booked something then… he had to suck it up and deal (meaning he rescheduled the call to take care of the girls).

Also, create blocks of time for different activities. The morning can be devoted to work activities on one day and then household chores on the next day. It would be easier to keep the same time each day for these activities, but often schedule changes don’t allow for that. Be flexible but still commit to a certain amount of time each day to run your business and also to spend time with family commitments.

Create Daily Milestones

You don’t have to finish every task each day. Set a list of priorities and then take steps to finish the most important jobs first. First thing in the morning, determine what you will focus on for that day.

You don’t have to schedule every minute of your day, but a level of time management will keep your daily life organized.

– Shannon Cherry

Find out more about how to create a life you love when you have your own business at https://mommy-inc.com. And don't forget to grab the free e-course while you're there!