It is rightly said that having a child puts the world into perspective. When you realize that a small baby is entirely dependent on you for its survival, it makes you question everything around you. As a working mom and the founder of a startup, I’ve always tried to strike a balance between the demands of my work and finding a support system to look after my young daughters. Here are six things that I rely on, to find my balance as a mother and founder and CEO of a startup.
Screen your calls when you are with your kids
As a mom to two young daughters and an entrepreneur, it is easy for me to fall short of time. Both my daughters and my venture are very young and require my undivided attention. I have grown to find my balance by taking out time through the day that’s exclusive for both. Once I am home, I avoid calls and spend time with the girls and they know of times when we have scheduled team meetings in advance.
Children love routines, create as many as you can
Children love routines and find tremendous comfort in them. It’s very easy to not find time for home when you are running a start-up and there is always so much to do and having routines helps for those times. Reading bedtime stories is a daily routine they have grown up with and really enjoy, we ensure we are around at that time. We also have days allotted to our favourite activities such as dancing, playing board games, Movie time etc. to ensure we find time to spend with the girls.
We always try and be back before they sleep.
Create little pockets of time for yourself
Running a startup can be extremely demanding, but I find that creating little pockets of time for yourself is extremely helpful. For instance, my daughters are early sleepers, it gives me time to finish pending tasks and make some calls before going to bed. I also find time to exercise daily, I think it helps me stay energized throughout the day.
Let your kids take pride in your work
There have been times when I have cancelled meetings for a school event and had a board meeting 2 hours before my daughter’s birthday party. The fact that my daughters take pride in my work motivates me to achieve my goals and makes the mission more important.
Delegate, delegate, delegate
I have worked on holidays and declined events to keep a promise I made to my daughters. If it’s important and requires me to attend to it, I try and find the time for it but for everything else, I delegate. Through these years, I have learnt that it’s not possible to be able to do everything at the same time. As an entrepreneur, it is vital for me to define my priorities and surround myself with smart colleagues who can take on tasks from me and, in many cases, do them better than I could.
Ask for help
I don’t shy away from asking for help as it allows me to use my time judiciously. I am lucky to have a strong support system at home and strong mentors at work which helps me constantly learn, juggle priorities and grow both as a mom and as an entrepreneur.
Want to share your story of how you thrive? Write to us at [email protected]