Never stop learning.  That’s what we’re told but as an adult there can be limited opportunities to learn new things.  If you’re a business owner however, there is ample opportunity and any opportunity that does arise should be grabbed with both hands.

It took me a while to realise this though!  My husband and his business partner spent some time learning and growing with Kerwin Rae which they found very valuable.  While the stories and lessons that came home with them were amazing; I didn’t see them as relevant to me even though I was running my own business working from home.  I now know I wasn’t taking my business and my personal growth very seriously.

My Business Pivot

Then at the beginning of 2019 I decided to pivot with my business and move into the online sphere. I found a real passion in me to want to help other mums in business with their productivity and businesses.  

Once I found the passion, I found the desire to grow and improve. We all know that growth takes effort but it takes a little financial investment too.  

Read on to see the ways in which I invested in myself and my business in 2019.

1. Pinfinite Growth – Melyssa Griffin

I had watched a couple of webinars of Melyssa’s and decided if I was going to have an online business then Pinterest would be a necessary part of my marketing strategy to drive traffic to my website.  I purchased her course Pinfinite Growth and have found the lessons very valuable. I continue to follow Melyssa online as she talks a lot about mindset and personal growth as well as about the various animals they have rescued and adopted!

3. The Passive Project – Gemma Bonham Carter

Perhaps the most valuable investment for me and my business has been joining the membership group, The Passive Project.  Gemma Bonham Carter is a warm and friendly woman who is rocking the online business world. She describes herself as a Digital Entrepreneur and delivers valuable lessons and content to her members on how to succeed online with digital products.  Having a supportive place to ask all those pressing questions regarding tech, funnels, launches and more is amazing. I have been a member for 7 months now and love the support.

4. Live Your Inspired Life weekend workshop – Inspired Results

I recently spent a weekend delving into my intentions and mindset to live my inspired life.  This weekend gave me clarity of focus, allowed me to learn more about myself and where I want to be in life and led to me choosing to further my studies in hypnotherapy and NLP.

5. Living My Best Life!

On a personal level I took working on my mindset and my personal growth much more seriously in 2019.  I realised that to achieve success I needed to commit to taking action, have better systems and live an intentional life.

Here is how I am living my best life:

Morning Routine 

– I started getting up at the same time every day and prioritising exercise in the mornings.  For years I told myself I wasn’t a morning person but by finding my magic time of 6.24am, I have proved myself wrong.  It’s all in changing the story that no longer serves you well and taking action.

Self Care

– I have prioritised self care by having a system of daily meditation, doing yoga or a workout in the mornings and by being better at asking for help when I need it around the house.

Mindset

– this is an ongoing process but i’ve been working on manifesting, abundance and belief in myself.  For me, this looks like writing down 3 things i’m grateful for daily, setting my intentions and manifestations in a journal, reading my positive affirmations every day when i sit down at my desk and making sure my negative self talk is kept in check.

Of course, I am not perfect and sometimes things slide but with the right mindset, I can bring myself back to my systems and daily rituals.  In the past, I would have thought myself a failure and all but given up.

I hope you have seem some value in reading about the 5 Ways I Invested in Myself and in my Business in 2019.  I’d be interested to hear how you invest in yourself so feel free to leave me a comment below.

How are you coping with December working mummy?  It’s a time when there is more to do, more places to be and what seems like less time to do it.

Work can be more busy with deadlines needing to be hit for the Christmas rush or just so you can take a break over the festive period.  Your kids are more busy with their end of term activities and Christmas ‘stuff’. And we are more busy because let’s face it, the majority of present buying and organising for Christmas falls in our laps.

To help keep us sane; my early christmas present to you is the 12 points below in my ‘Working Mums Survival Guide For December’.

1. ASK FOR HELP

Rather than tie ourselves in a knot with everything that needs doing, we simply just need to ask when we need help.  So often we get caught up in thinking we have to do everything when we don’t. Some husbands and kids simply don’t see all the things that you know need to be done – so ask!

3. SHOP ONLINE

Avoiding the shops is a good idea but we may have left it a little late for online gift shopping.  Food shopping however is a dream online so if you can’t face the crowds at the supermarket on Christmas Eve, do it online.

4. SELF CARE

Keep looking after yourself.  What does that look like to you? Exercise, meditation, getting enough sleep; do what it takes to have some ‘me time’ to help keep you sane.

5. KEEP PRESENT BUYING TO A MINIMUM

I promise you the kids do not need ALL the stuff that is being marketed to them at this time of year.  I promise you, they won’t remember the plastic toy that you gave them when were 6. What they will remember is the ‘time’ you spent together and the ‘feeling’ of Christmas.

If you have a large family, do a Christingle or arrange beforehand for each family to buy one present for another family so you all get one present each.

This will save you the massive headache of coming up with ideas for everyone as well as save your bank account from running dry.

6. DO THE BARE MINIMUM

Seriously guys, do not get sucked into the Insta worthy family photo shoots with everyone in matching pyjamas and think because you’re not doing it then you’re not ‘doing’ Christmas.  Take away the comparison game and pick a couple of traditions that feels right for your family.

Keep it simple.  We have a Christmas Eve box.  That’s pretty much it for our Christmas tradition.  It contains 5 christmas cards, one for each member of the family.  We write messages in them to each family member to be opened on Christmas Day, a Christmas movie, a new decoration for the tree, some Christmas craft activities and a jigsaw puzzle.  Too easy.

7. BE SELECTIVE

Learn to say no.  You cannot attend every event for either work or fun. You don’t want tired and grumpy kids so sometimes we have to say no.  Also be selective about the people you see if at all possible.

8. DON’T GO ANYWHERE NEAR SHOPS WITH KIDS!!

Honestly, if you want to keep your sanity DO NOT go anywhere near shops with your kids in tow as we get closer to Christmas.  I try to sneak out to go late night shopping when my husband is home with the kids. How much quicker and easier is it when you’re on your own?

9. BUY FOOD

Do not feel like you have to home make every little morsel to be eaten over the festive period.  It is far too time consuming and way too much pressure. If you have to take food to school activities, gatherings or such, then buy it.  Lie about it if you have to! At the very least keep it really simple. It’s summer here in Australia so dips and veggie sticks or a selection of the most delicious summer fruits are always winners.  If it’s winter for you, then grab some store bought mince pies.

10. PLAN 

Get everything out of your head and down into lists.  Plan for gift buying, plan the meal for Christmas day, plan what needs doing for work from now until the new year, plan what outfits everyone is going to wear for Christmas.  I cannot emphasise enough how much planning will help you not to lose your shit.

12. GET EXCITED FOR THE NEW YEAR AND WHAT IT WILL BRING FOR YOU, YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR BUSINESS

Finally, at some point over the festive period, take some time to plan ahead to get excited about what is coming up in 2020.  This will really help with your enthusiasm and motivation to get through Christmas and into the exciting things that lie ahead.  Woot Woot!

Don’t let December get you down.  It is a crazy time of year, but with this working mums survival guide you can have a lovely stress-free, fun-filled family time.

I’d love to hear from you about how you celebrate your Christmas and how December goes.

Much love for now…
Nicola

Some days I just don’t feel like it.  Some days it’s a struggle to get out of bed, get the kids organised for school and get everyone out the door with shoes on that all motivation seems to have flown out the window by the time I sit at my desk.  Do you sometimes feel like this too?

Motivation is a funny thing when you work alone at home.  I love working from home and I love being my own boss but it does mean that there is no one to keep me on track.  I am my own champion, my own goal kicker and to do this I need motivation to have a productive day.

As many working mums do, I work during school hours so my working day is significantly smaller than the norm.  It is for this reason that I have focused my energies on supporting mums with home based businesses to be productive.

I know that productivity is the secret sauce to being a mum and a successful business owner.  Discover your greatness by having your most productive day every day using these 5 ways to motivate yourself.

1. Go Back to Your Why

If you have delved deep into why you are doing what you do then that is a huge motivation to keep achieving.  When you feel in a slump, simply remember your why and that will give you a kick start to get going again.  

My reason for showing up everyday and doing my 4 hours alone at my desk, is to allow me to have the time and financial freedom to be there for my kids.  To take them on adventures, have the odd meal out and provide for our future. We are all different, so take the time to work out why you have chosen to have your own business.  And come back to it regularly.

For motivation to increase, start achieving your list of tasks and get that sense of achievement.  If you know you are showing up and taking small steps towards a bigger goal, you’ll be motivated to do more of the same.

TIP 1!

Work out if you are a pen and paper or digital person when it comes to your to-do lists.  I love using Asana and now write everything down there.

TIP 2!

A good way to organise your tasks is to have 7-10 big annual goals, then 2-3 quarterly goals, break those down into monthly tasks to help you reach those goals and then have around 3 outcomes per week plus a daily win.

3. Stop Procrastinating 

If you are procrastinating then you are letting your fears put a dent in your motivation.  Procrastination is the habit that develops when we feel scared of a task. As humans we want to keep ourselves safe so we will always take the easy option rather than put ourselves out of our comfort zone.  The ‘stuff’ we do to stay safe often looks like; scrolling social media, spending time on household tasks rather than work, or doing work tasks that are easy & familiar rather than digging deep into the jobs that challenge you.

To have an awesomely productive day, my advice is to break the task that is causing you to procrastinate down into bite size chunks, face the fear and take baby steps to get it done.

4. Reward

If you are the type of person that works well when there is a reward upon completion then implement a system for yourself.  Whether it’s a food reward, a self care treat or a trip to the shops if you reach your goal; do what it takes to motivate yourself to get your tasks done.

5. Take a Break

If you’re feeling unmotivated and tired, my advice is not to work through it but to change things up a bit.  Sometimes we simply need a break. Doing some exercise, taking a walk around the garden, listening to a guided meditation, making a cup of herbal tea (or coffee!) can all be enough refresh and refocus.   5 or 10 minutes of doing something away from your desk will work wonders to get that motivated feeling back.

Hopefully these 5 ways to motivate yourself to have a productive day will help you have your best day every day.  Go working mumma, go get it done! If you have any other suggestions of what works for you; I’d love to hear them so drop a comment below.

Much love for now…
Nicola