Are you a solopreneur/entrepreneur who is also a parent of school aged children? If the answer is YES then more than likely you have experienced a busy and perhaps challenging summer. Running a business while organizing and enjoying your children during the summer months is a feat. Congrats!

August brings with it new challenges. While savoring the remaining days of summer, it is also that time of preparing for back-to-school. In A Great Start to the School Year I share six tips to help you as a parent, and your kids transition from summer to back-to-school. Yet, you as an entrepreneur will also transition once your family is back to the fall routine. Taking time at the start of September to breath, refresh and restart will enhance the probability of a healthy you and a healthy business.

Imagine, your children are back-to-school. You finally have the house to yourself for a few hours each day…Ahh a sigh of relief. This means you have time and opportunity to focus. The question is how will you use that time wisely? Not only do you want to determine your business schedule/routine, but also how to integrate this with your personal relationships as well as you personal well being.

Here are the 4 Tips to Get You on Track this Fall

I. Take time to Breath and Refresh 

The summer has been hectic and you have earned some “me time”. Before diving right back into work and the planning and integration of various schedules, pause. Take some time to enjoy the peace and quiet. Kick up your feet, have a coffee or go for a walk. You may find your body would like a much needed nap. Whatever you do, make it productive for your mind and body. As will be discussed later, you may wish to make this a regular part of your fall routine.

II. Take time to Re-examine Work Related Areas

Ask yourself which of the following needs to be tweaked?

1. YOUR RHYTHM: The first area to consider is your daily rhythm. All of us have a work rhythm that consists of a Peak, Valley and Rebound time. If you haven’t discovered your rhythm, now is the perfect time to explore. When you have your groove, your day will feel a lot less like work.

2. YOUR ROUTINE: Second, based on your rhythm, re-examine your daily work routine. If it is great, enough said. However if not, decide how you’ll re-organize your work days. Create your daily, and weekly schedule in such a way as to maximize upon your natural rhythm. Be sure to slot your to do items according to those that require focused, medium, and minimal energy. Furthermore, make sure to include breaks for both Peak and Rebound time. Breaks, when taken purposefully enhance productivity.

3. YOUR WORKSPACE: Third, be sure you are happy and productive in your workspace. This area should be both comfortable, inspiring, as well as practical and enhance productivity. You will also want to be sure you have all of the materials you require in order to run your business smoothly. Perhaps now is the time to go shopping for some additional supplies.

4. YOUR SYSTEMS: Fourth, you may wish to change/update some of the systems you have in place for automated tasks. One such system that assists with bookkeeping, which is a struggle for many solopreneurs, is Pro-ledger Online.  It allows you to do your bookkeeping from anywhere.

5. YOUR GROWTH: A fifth area to consider is how you will grow as a solopreneur/entrepreneur. Perhaps gather some materials such as entrepreneurial magazines , articles, and educational materials. Also consider looking for some experts and influencers to follow. Furthermore, explore if their is an online course you can take. Finally, consider networking. By attending events, workshops and related business groups, you can acquire new contacts and stay updated in your industry.

6. YOUR MARKETING AND FINANCES: Sixth, take time to review your marketing strategy and budget. Determine if you are on track or whether some adjustments need to be made. If necessary give your accountant a call.

7. YOUR CUSTOMERS: Finally, take some time to re-connect with customers/clients. Perhaps send them a short email asking about their summer experience and sharing a little about yours. Also, let them know you are available should they have any questions and concerns.

Just like your children need to get ready for the school year, now is a good time for you to get your business ready for fall. By taking advantage of this transitional time you will enhance your fall experience.

III. Take Time to Determine Your Work/Life Integration

Those of us who are solopreneurs/entrepreneurs often find it challenging to maintain a healthy work-life balance. That is because it is impossible. Impossible you say?  Yes. I recently read an interesting article that addresses this very issue. Work-life balance implies equal weight given to each of these areas, which according to the author is impossible. After reading her article I agree. No wonder we experience unnecessary stress and sometimes guilt.

In this article the author suggests a work-life integration rather than a balance. She writes “there are ways to be successful with work and family/friends if we are flexible.” Just like you schedule tasks, meetings and various other work-related items, schedule time for family and friends. If you are not intentional it may not happen. This may require some creativity, but there are ways to connect with your children, spouse, and friends.

Here are a few suggestions to help create a work/life integration:

Children

• When driving to and from school with your kids be sure to converse with your kids. Be sure to listen, and not just bombard with questions. Also be sure to share about your day.
• Book a “Date Night” with each of your children once a month. This is a precious time to just communicate and be with your child on their own.
• On a child’s given birthday, allow them to select their favorite meal and activity to do with the family.
• Volunteer at your child’s school when opportunity presents itself or schedule a regular time in their classroom.

Family

• Have supper together as much as possible. There should be no distractions at the supper table (no cell phones).
• Once a month have a family night. Watch a movie, play a game or go for a walk together.

Spouse (Just you and your partner)

• Date night 1x/month
• Every Friday or Saturday morning have breakfast or coffee together to discuss those issues that arise during the week or to just share your thoughts/emotions.

Friends

• Be intentional about spending time with your friends, individually and as a couple. I made it a practice to get-together with a couple of girlfriends every Friday for an afternoon walk. As a couple, my husband and I make Sundays the day to visit with friends.

For each of the above be deliberate/intentional. Mark it in of your calendar as a “to do”.  Do not let other work related items get in the way. It is easy for this to happen as life has a way of telling us that we need to work harder, faster, longer. Don’t feel guilty about having to schedule some of your work around your family and friends. We all have the same amount of time, we just need to prioritize, be committed and flexible.

IV.  Take Time for YOU!

As a solopreneur you wear numerous hats not only at work, but also in life (parent, partner, friend, volunteer).  As such, it is easy to forget about oneself or at least put yourself on the back burner. After all, just look at the lists above. However, it is critical, not only for your business, family, and friendships that you be intentional about taking time/paying attention to yourself.

It is proven that self-care avoids burnout, and enriches every area of our lives. At the outset of this blog I wrote about taking the time to breath and refresh. These are two things to integrate into your daily routine/rhythm.

By beginning to practice the following self care ideas you will enrich your life as you grow your business.

1.  Make personal time a part of your everyday routine. For example start your day with reflection/meditation. Go for a walk. Step away from your computer at lunch.
2. Prioritize Sleep. Have proper sleeping hours, and if necessary take a power nap during the day.
3. Eat Right. Nourish your body with healthy food and do not skip meals.
4. Exercise Daily.
5. Have time for Relaxation
6. Have a hobby. Do something you love.
7. Learn to say NO!
8. Practice Mindfulness. This means being fully present in the moment.
9. Go on Vacation.  It does not have to expensive or for a long period of time. You can even have a Staycation. Be sure to schedule some time to physically distance yourself from work.

Once your children are back in school, plan on taking some time to re-examine your work, relational and personal schedules. No doubt it will take practice and some discipline to integrate these areas of your life. However, taking this time now in the aftermath of a busy summer, will result in a healthier you, healthier relationships and a healthier business.

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