article by Tiffany Johnson of Vasppro.com
Please enjoy this article I wrote while traveling on a family vacation last month. Just a simple reminder of how we can get a bit out of balance if we are not careful and intentional ~ Tiffany Johnson
Literally as I am writing this article I am in the car driving with my family to our vacation week in Florida! Few experiences are more amusing than locking yourself up in a car for 9 hours with a 9 yr old and a 12 yr old (hubby too, of course). Currently a very competitive game of I-spy is keeping the 3 of them entertained as I take a moment to share with you something I have recently been struggling with in my OBM business.
Of course, I am sure having just explained the reality of my surroundings you can guess my dilemma? If balance between family and biz was your first thought you were so RIGHT!
I love being a business owner; specifically, I love the service I offer as an online business manager. Unfortunately my passion and love for this industry and my services are beginning to wane due to what is starting to feel like choices of sacrifices I am really not willing to make.
As an OBM it is just in my nature to get things done, take care of the to do’s and make sure the balls are going in the direction they are supposed to be in… specifically, not ending up on the floor! But what do you do when you look around and realize the balls that are getting dropped aren’t the ones your clients have tossed in the air but instead the ones your kids, hubby, church, or friends are tossing around.
All of a sudden I look around and there is a mass of laundry desperately needing my attention, my daughter is talking about her new best friend (and the only name I remember is her ‘old’ best friend), and my son just wore the same pair of shorts to school 2 days in a role! Trust me when I say I am completely embarrassed to be sharing this with you… but at the same time feel I am not the only one, so I am hoping this can be an encouragement to other devoted business owners who have to make the hard choices!
(Daughter just asked hubby “what if we run into a tornado”… my husband replied “I would just outrun it!” The good news is if you are reading this article means all is well and we did not have to play chicken with a tornado!… sorry I just had to add that.
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Okay, where was I? Ah yes, devoted business owners have to make hard choices. So when is enough, enough? And too much, is simply too much? Well, to be honest I wish I had an answer to that… I believe each us have to determine those answers for ourselves. But I wanted to share with you my 5 point balancing commitment:
- Take time out daily to pray and meditate so that I can BE, with all of me in every moment. Full of purpose, passion and persistence! This is where I find the source hope for the to do’s of my day!
- Plan and work a manageable schedule that includes reasonable work hours, family quality time, and household chores (which admittedly I do not LOVE and tend to procrastinate!).
- Forgive myself for all the ways I wasn’t “Super OBM, Super Woman, Super Mom, Super Wife, well… just not super!”
- Take time in the evenings to lay out the next day’s activities – 15 minutes today will save an hour tomorrow (if you fail to plan you plan to fail ).
- Live with absolute gratitude for the blessings and favor I have in my life, my faith, my family, my biz and my health!
In closing I am challenging each of you to assess your priorities. Determine what is needed for the balance of your life and be faithful to the commitment you make to yourself to see it fulfilled. I believe in you! I believe in me and I know we will give an amazing industry greater service when we serve ourselves authentically this way.
Comments, thoughts?
