Having a family is all fun and games until you become an entrepreneur! -Gigi Love

When I first became a business owner I was excited! I believed it was my answer to everything. I felt empowered, strong, independent and fulfilled. Never did I realize how much planning, personal development, and organization would have to be put in place in order to have a successful career as well as being a mother and homemaker.

There are days like the past week where I feel like I have to choose between the two and of course being a mother and homemaker always wins. But the truth is, that I NEED that fulfillment of working. I want to be more than just a mother and homemaker. I want to make my own money as well as fulfill my own dreams so no matter what goes on in my personal life, I have to fit in work and just make it all work.

“Treat your business like a hobby and it will pay you like a hobby. Treat your business like a business and it will pay you like a business”
I read that quote on one of my women entrepreneur facebook groups. Ever since I read that, it has encouraged me to continue to push forward through all the tough choices I have to make. It has pushed me to make the time for my business even if it means waking up at 5 am and staying up until midnight in order to get work in. It has also pushed me into going full force towards many other projects.

HOW DO I DO IT?

How do I work on multiple business ventures AND be a mother and homemaker? How do I work from home while having a toddler? What is my schedule like?

Those are some valid questions and the answer is simple. SCHEDULE EVERYTHING!! Seriously! I schedule every second of my day. I know right now block scheduling is super popular, but it does NOT work for me. I have tried it and right now it just does not do what I need it to do because I work on multiple projects at once and run a home all while taking care of a toddler, so needless to say staying on track is a MUST.
Not to mention right now I am not in a place where I can hire out some help and that is ok because I can handle it which means that for me scheduling is MY LIFE!

HOW DO I SCHEDULE IT?

I use Time Tune for my work life at home, Cozi for my family, and Monday.com for my business. And girl let me tell you!! If it wasn’t for those three apps, my life would be a hot mess and nothing would get accomplished!

TIME TUNE:

With Time Tune I am able to give myself a routine for working from home. It alerts me when it is time to move on to the next thing so that I am not wasting too much time on one project and losing valuable time for another. I am able to clean my home, work, spend one on one time with Matt, spend one on one time with the boys, as well as my daughter and last but definitely not least myself. I am also able to fit in a full workout (from home of course)
Those are all put into my Time Tune app and it breaks it down in such a simple way that it really does not feel like I do as much as I do. It is becoming a habit to follow those dings and at the end of the day I can look back and be content with the amount of work done overall.

COZI:

With Cozi, I get my main home organization taken care of. There I am able to break down what needs to be done in my home, such as meal prep, laundry days, kids chores, Honey Do Lists, grocery shopping, home shopping, deep cleaning etc.

It is an easy way to assign those tasks to a specific person in my clan. My man can check from his phone what groceries he needs to pick up on his way home, or maybe wipes and diapers etc. My boys are able to see any extra chores they need to accomplish for the week. And I am able to add any extra to-do’s that need to be done for that week all in one app.

A plus side to the app is that you can cross off any tasks done as you finish them and the rest of the family can access it. Which is a nice touch when you live on a four-floor townhouse and your children are on the fourth while you are cleaning the garage on the first floor. It avoids me screaming at the top of my lungs for them to let me know where they are.

MONDAY.COM

I absolutely love this app! My business partner and I use this every single day! I add any tasks that need to be done for the week, month, or next month. I am able to give it a timeline and check on the status of the project.

So if she started on the book review we agreed to do for February first, I am able to see exactly where she is because it clearly states “Started” on that projected line. Once she is done and it’s ready to be reviewed it says it in the same place. All the way until finished and ready to post. Even if she is stuck on a project, we have a button for that as well so we can help each other out.

I know having multiple apps may sound like a lot to others and Cozi maybe the only one you need. But for us, this works out perfectly.

A FEW TIPS:

During my time as an entrepreneur, I have learned a few tricks to having my family and business organized.

• Be consistent!

You would not believe how many times I have had my schedule completely moved around for one reason or another, and how on those days so little gets accomplished! So be consistent. Be consistent with kids chores, laundry, dishes, workouts, posts, project timelines etc. Have a set date and time for it all and stick to it. You would be surprised how quickly your body and mind get used to doing things on certain days/times and how easily it is for you to jump into that specific tasks because you already know it is coming.

• Do it anyway!

No one ever really feels like cleaning or working out, eating healthy or working but do it anyway! Push through on the days you don’t feel like doing something you know you should. Especially waking up early. Just get it done and be done with it. You will feel so much better that you did.

• Wake up early.

I know, I thought this was stupid too! But waking up early has dramatically changed my life forever! There are times when I sleep in (6:30) and I regret it every single minute of that day! Just wake up early, get your workout in, or coffee, journaling, whatever you need to accomplish in the mornings and get your day off on the right foot. For me, I put in most of my work during the mornings. So waking up early is non-negotiable.

• Watch who you speak to during your working hours. Watch who you keep around you in general.

We have all heard the saying “You are who you hang with” and that could not be truer! People who distract you or are negative will never understand what it is you are trying to accomplish and distract you from your goals So say no to Susie Q who always wants to talk about the newest gossip at church, or Negative Nancy who kills your vibe every time you mention how amazing you feel from your workout or diet and all she wants to do is feel sorry for herself and complain about her life, yet do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT IT! It is not worth it girl! Keeping those people in your life will slowly start to infect your mind and soul. Get rid of them or keep them at a far distance, and continue to focus on yourself and other like-minded people who will help you elevate.

• Elevate yourself!

Girl!! How are you trying to become successful if you are not consistently working on elevating yourself? What do I mean by that? I mean, always work on yourself. Eat healthy, workout, read more books, journal what is going on in your feelings. Schedule things out, go to the dentist and doctors appointments, do a morning routine, a nighttime routine, take care of your relationships, try and be a better version of yourself every single day!!

Knowledge is power girl, so if you don’t know something learn it! Read about it, do research, watch youtube videos, etc. Do whatever needs to be done to move up in this world. No one is going to hand you your dream job, dream house, or family. You need to work for it and build the life you want!

• Take care of your house and car.

Always keep a clean space. Make it a home you want to be in! Have a specific place to study, read, write, and work or pay bills. Paint it, make it pretty and just live a clean life! There is something so special to coming home to a clean home rather than a dirty home with dishes piling up in your sink and a funky smell coming from your bathroom floor because you haven’t washed it since moving in. As for your car, keep it clean, throw out all those nasty Starbucks cups that are piling up in the back seat girl! Wash it and feel good when getting in.

• Dress for success.

LOOK THE PART, FEEL THE PART, BE THE PART! Change up your style if you have to. Do whatever you feel you need to do in order to physically feel better about yourself. It is ok to take care of yourself, it is NOT selfish to take time out to do your nails, hair, or buy a little makeup even to wear a nice panty although you’re not showing it off to anyone except your gorgeous self in the mirror!

• Last but not least. Love yourself!

Love yourself on days when you are not creative, productive or upbeat. This is life. It is going to have ups and downs. It is ok, to be sad when going through a break-up. It is not ok, however, to sit there and allow some Ahole to bring your entire business down because he left you for his new co-worker. It is ok to feel lazy some days and just lay around the house and binge watch Netflix or the Bachelor and eat chips and dip. It is not ok to lose track of your dreams and goals and just give up on yourself. It is ok to feel angry and go punch a pillow or my favorite, the punching bag! It is not ok to lose your temper on everyone around you and ruin important relationships. BUT IT IS OK TO BE HUMAN! Love yourself anyway!

You want to know how I do it? I do it one day at a time. I do it one small victory, one small win for the team, one kid getting an A at a time. I do it by simply trying every single day to be a better version of myself, in every single aspect of my life.

I hope this helps one of you get inspired that if a simple Latina from Mexico, a mother of three, a homemaker, a woman in her 30’s, a blogger, a book reviewer, a writer, a girlfriend, a girl with a past, a boutique owner, can do it……. YOU CAN TOO!

XO,

Gigi Love

About the Guest Contributor

GiGi Love is 32-year-old mother of three kids and a homemaker who loves knowledge, personal development, health and fitness, cookies, books and spicy food. She is also a freelance writer, a brand representative, a book reviewer, a boutique owner and a DIY newbie. Gigi Love is the author of Style by Gigi Love Blog.

Connect with Gigi Love:

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