My daughter Ashton plays tennis. She works hard and is fun to watch. Last year during her senior year of high school I was determined to make every match – I wanted to be there to watch her and cheer her on with no regrets. That was no easy feat for any busy mom – but add in the fact that I am also CEO of a multi-million dollar company and I knew it would take some expert planning. Because it was important to me, I treated it as such and put it on my calendar like I would any other business meeting. When the year ended, I had made it to all but one of her tennis matches. It was wonderful to see her compete and have that time with her.
The reason I am sharing this story is that I am often asked, “How do you do it all? How do you find time for your family and your business?” It isn’t easy, but it is possible if you follow a few key steps and are intentional in all you do:
1- Say NO: That’s right. N-O. It is hard for many of us, especially women, as we want to please everyone and help out where we can. Chose to be intentional in the things that matter to you. Are the things that you are spending your time on, getting you closer to the goals that you have for yourself? Remember, we all have the same 24 hours in a day so when you do say “yes” to something, that means you are giving up something else.
2- Plan your “downtime”: Whether it is time with family, friends, working out or alone time, you need to plan it and put it on the calendar. I schedule my time with family, friends, my workouts etc. and stick to them. I am very protective of my “me” time.
3- Ask for help: When you run a company or have a demanding job, you can’t do it all. It is impossible. Surround yourself with a team of people to help get the work done. Determine what your time is worth and outsource tasks such as errands or housekeeping.
So take out that calendar or smart phone and schedule some family or fun time today!
Enjoy – Shannon
By Shannon Wilburn, CEO of Just Between Friends Franchise Systems, Inc. @ShannonWilburn (Twitter and Instagram)
Just Between Friends is actively seeking franchisees throughout the U.S. and Canada. Click here for more information on joining the JBF team.
I love this idea, I need to do these more often, especially planning all my time. I use to be better at it then I am now.
Thanks for the reminder how to be better organized and productive, Less time wasted that way
xx, Michelle
http;//rosetolife.com
Thank you for reading the blog and I am so glad these were helpful! Have a great and productive week
Shannon