Mom/Spouse/Owner/ and oh ya...a Woman too!: Week 2
Hope everyone is having a good week. I love a Thursday, it is a day full of hope and promise as the weekend is almost here! Today I am continuing with my series on how to juggle being a mom/wife/and business owner. I must confess it has been a little difficult lately as my kids have had one illness after another this season! Seems like it is more like MOM/....Spouse(he got sick too)/...........business owner/ .......woman??? More on the mom side than anything else here lately. That brings me to today's topic Outsourcing !
As women we feel like we can do it all....we can watch the kids, cook healthy meals, clean the house, run our business, and look good while doing it too! It is alot of pressure....and impossible to maintain every day! This hit the fan (so to speak) for Dana this past wedding season! I remember walking through the grocery store and having a real discussion about the merits of a house cleaner once a month. That it was really a a burden for her and she felt like it was one of those things that wasn't worth the time away from kids/business/self etc....I was not in a place where I could afford one and it wasn't one of those things keeping me awake at night, but I encouraged her to do whatever it is she needs to do to make her life more fulfilling and meaningful! If it was causing stress and could be easily eliminated, why not?
Even if a housekeeper is not in your budget there are a couple simple things that you can do to lighten your load through outsourcing.
1. Buy a go-to ready prepared meal each week and cook it or pick it up on your busiest days. This could be a prepared Lasagna, a microwave entree, or a call to the Pizza Man! It saves you time in cooking AND time in the clean up! It allows you to spend that 30 minutes before dinner and the 30 minutes after (dishes) with your kids or your project or God forbid with you!
2. Phone a Friend! We are so slooooow as women to admit we need help or to inconvenience someone for our benefit. We feel guilty, selfish, unworthy even. Well your not, get over it and ask for help! I remember when I had Nora, Mason had just turned two and was potty training! On top of that he was an active kid to put it mildly. I called up my sister two or three days in and told her that my toddler was driving me crazy....could she watch him for awhile? Well, they picked up Mason on a Thursday and didn't return him until Sunday! While I missed the little booger, I LOVED my time with Nora. Mikhail and I got to spend some time with our new baby girl and I actually read a book...the whole thing! I love my sister for it..and I don't have any guilt associated with that decision. It was best for all parties involved (except maybe Dana).
Outsourcing does not mean defeat or failure! it means we are human and have to prioritize our time to make the most of it. Those priorities look different for different people...so don't begrudge someone else's choices, make your own to make YOUR life easier!
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As women we feel like we can do it all....we can watch the kids, cook healthy meals, clean the house, run our business, and look good while doing it too! It is alot of pressure....and impossible to maintain every day! This hit the fan (so to speak) for Dana this past wedding season! I remember walking through the grocery store and having a real discussion about the merits of a house cleaner once a month. That it was really a a burden for her and she felt like it was one of those things that wasn't worth the time away from kids/business/self etc....I was not in a place where I could afford one and it wasn't one of those things keeping me awake at night, but I encouraged her to do whatever it is she needs to do to make her life more fulfilling and meaningful! If it was causing stress and could be easily eliminated, why not?
Even if a housekeeper is not in your budget there are a couple simple things that you can do to lighten your load through outsourcing.
1. Buy a go-to ready prepared meal each week and cook it or pick it up on your busiest days. This could be a prepared Lasagna, a microwave entree, or a call to the Pizza Man! It saves you time in cooking AND time in the clean up! It allows you to spend that 30 minutes before dinner and the 30 minutes after (dishes) with your kids or your project or God forbid with you!
2. Phone a Friend! We are so slooooow as women to admit we need help or to inconvenience someone for our benefit. We feel guilty, selfish, unworthy even. Well your not, get over it and ask for help! I remember when I had Nora, Mason had just turned two and was potty training! On top of that he was an active kid to put it mildly. I called up my sister two or three days in and told her that my toddler was driving me crazy....could she watch him for awhile? Well, they picked up Mason on a Thursday and didn't return him until Sunday! While I missed the little booger, I LOVED my time with Nora. Mikhail and I got to spend some time with our new baby girl and I actually read a book...the whole thing! I love my sister for it..and I don't have any guilt associated with that decision. It was best for all parties involved (except maybe Dana).
Outsourcing does not mean defeat or failure! it means we are human and have to prioritize our time to make the most of it. Those priorities look different for different people...so don't begrudge someone else's choices, make your own to make YOUR life easier!