4 STEPS OVERCOMING MUMPRENEUR’S GUILT

It is such an exciting time to be a mumpreneur! Perhaps you’re already running your own business, or are in the early stages of creating your brand. There are many gifts along this chosen path—to live life on your own terms, with flexibility and creativity—and there is often so much fulfillment that comes from creating something new. However, often lurking in the background is that gutwrenching ‘G word’ … Guilt.

It’s the feeling that there just isn’t quite enough time to be there for everything. And that leaves a feeling of sacrifice … the dread that you haven’t been able to get everything done, or to have been there as fully as you would have liked. That same feeling can come from needing to make just one more work call, or racing about when you wish you could just stop and be present with your child for a bit longer.

This juggling act of being so many roles for so many people in one day—a mother, a wife orpartner, or a supportive friend, a daughter,

carer to our pets, who all want our love and attention—as well as being the practitioner, the advisor… and the list goes on. All you are trying to do, is be there for people … but the reality is, there is only so much of you to goaround.

It’s the act of consistently remaining in that place that can leave us overwhelmed, tired, and often we turn to escapism: Netflix™, alcohol, scrolling on our smartphones, or overspending—just to try to escape this feeling. Which compounds the feeling by leading to more guilt. All we want, is to be the best version of ourselves, but sometimes, we feel like we are just falling short.

How can we overcome this feeling and keep it in check? I have four points to remember:

1. What is your WHY and VISION?

Go back to basics and ask yourself –Why you are doing what you are doing?

What is your vision for yourself and yourfamily? Perhaps it is to have more flexibility; or to be your own boss, for financial growth; or to live in alignment with a workplace that resonates with your purpose and values.

2. What are your VALUES and what are you ROLE MODELLING?

Go back to basics and ask yourself –

What values are you teaching or modelling to your family by you being a Mumpreneur?

By giving yourself permission to follow your dreams and ambitions, perhaps you are leading the way for your children to do the same—if they choose to, of course. Are you giving them the courage to follow their ownarrow?

3. Do you need a differentPERSPECTIVE and do you need PERMISSION?

Go back to basics and ask yourself (put things in perspective) –

If you were to not do this now, how would you be feeling in one weeks’ time?

What price would you pay by not following your heart?

To give yourself permission to live life by your own design, and permission to not be perfect – we are often way harder on ourselves than necessary—or than anyone else is for that matter.

4. Do you have CONNECTION and and where is your PRESENCE?

There was a brain study that showed that when you hold a hug[1] for at least 20 seconds, the hormone oxytocin is produced, and a feeling of connection occurs.

There was also a study by the University of Wisconsin, which proved how hearing a person’s voice also released oxytocin … so in real terms, people feel more connected after receiving an actual voice message or a phone call over just a text[2] message or email.

From the above, we could say that the best form of communication is face to face. It’s the quality over the quantity of time. So remember to be as present as possible in each moment.

Just to conclude: take a lesson from a juggler—someone who knows just how much attention to give one ball versus the others, so that they all keep moving. The beauty and balance of juggling may mean that each ball has just enough of what it needs until its time comes back around tobe held once again.

Melissa McLeod

REFERENCE: 1. https://bit.ly/2RLE5P9 2. https://bit.ly/3b04lgd