“Does it ever end?” she asked me…. frustrated at yet one more weekend where work commitments had seemingly taken over her whole life.
The life of an entrepreneurial business owner, with big dreams, and now even bigger commitments. Family life was now put firmly into it’s own compartment, and invitations were carefully managed to ensure everything was time managed to the nth degree. Money was coming in, and that was great, but tax time, admin issues, and even finding someone to help out would mean taking her eye off the ball that was being carefully bounced on the court that was now her life. Training an assistant was a mind numbingly painful thing to contemplate, but equally so, the thought of not having one soon was keeping her awake at night.
This was something I was intimately familiar with. That feeling of having a tiger by the tail as I balanced my need to be a Mum, soccer practice and games on the weekends, music lessons for the other son, and very late nights cramming in the admin work so I could spend the days hustling for new clients and serving the contracts of those I already had.
I went weeks without really checking the bank accounts sometimes and others logging into the BNZ almost hourly if automatic payments were due and my clients were paying late, again.
It took a few big hearty kicks up the bum by my mentor to realise that I was drowning in my dreams. Overwhelmed, tired, grumpy, and finally becoming forgetful if I didn’t write everything down. That was no way to life – I was self employed, doing my own thing, but had nothing in my emotional, and mental reserves bank to show for it.
I finally cottoned on to the fact I needed help. I needed to tame that tiger, and so took a big deep breath, pulled on my big girl breeches and rolled up my sleeves. Starting with a day off.
I realised that if I didn’t slow down, I was never going to be able to move forward at a realistic pace.
I then found some time – every week – to commit to my priorities list and moved everything of low priority off the list.
Then I called my accountant and mapped out a better plan for my taxes, banking, and invoicing so my admin was easier, and my money was being better managed.
And that day, I took the kids to the park before dinner, and apologised for my rash and sometimes harsh attitudes of the previous few months.
Sometimes it takes a big thing, and othertimes a series of small things, and finally a straw that just stops the madness of busy-ness in your business.
I got it. Now I get to help others who are just as stuck, and frustrated, and scared of not being able to keep bouncing those balls on the court they set their businesses up on.
If you are stuck, scared, or sleepless, you might also need some help, or even just a conversation about how to make the start towards doing things easier, better, and maybe even brilliantly.
This coming week, on Thursday, we’re going to be open for a FREE Q&A session for anyone wanting to just take a lunch break and contemplate what kind of help you might need most in your business. You’ll find the link on our workshops and webinars page HERE.
Come along and join in the conversation.
