How You Set Up a Business and Still Manage Summer Vacation

(Or How you Manage any Time-Consuming Event in Your Life While you Have Kids at Home :) )

Yes, it is possible, here’s how.

I wrote this blog on September 1 last year, 2 weeks after I decided to take my business global. I though this article very relevant today as we head toward Summer and Summer vacation. I started planning a webinar to help Moms avoid Summer stress, and this is a great segue into that topic…Here is how I managed, last Summer, to not just avoid Summer stress, but to start a global business to boot. You too can have this Summer serenity (and all year round!!). Here are some of my “magic” tools that can help make it happen.

OK Moms. Here’s a share. A few weeks ago I made the decision to upgrade my dream. My business dream 14 years ago was to come to Israel with my family and eventually open up a private practice as a Physical Therapist to treat children from my home. Around 6 years ago I started making that come true with what I now see as baby steps. I offered massages in my fledgling at-home clinic while I worked part-time at a city clinic. I even had a few clients who came for private PT. Then I learned CranioBalance Therapy. And opened my doors as a CB Therapist and that became the bulk of my at-home working hours. Eventually I stopped working out of the house – what a huge change for the better for me and my family. And then things really started evolving! I started teaching a Body Sculpting class and I developed and have now repeatedly taught in groups and privately my unique Self-Relaxation Program. And then I did something really big and started my own company: Beit Roga.

And now, I stretched my dream. First of all, although I have been treating children and infants over the years, it has not been the focus of my practice. Now it is. (To see more about my developments in my in-home clinic go to www.beitroga.com and read my articles about CB and kids.)

And then I went global. I don’t know how many of you have done this, but it is a time-consuming adventure, going global! Figuring out how to set up a website, then setting up the website, including design, content, etc. AND setting up a facebook page. Hours and hours in front of the computer.

And when have I been doing this? In the middle of summer vacation! Kids ranging in age from 3-16, everyone’s home and everyone’s looking for something to do. In the absence of finding something to do, there is ‘let’s pick on my sibling’ – my kids’ seemingly favorite pastime. My husband is less available than usual. The house is always messier and dirtier when being used full-time by everyone. J More food is made and consumed. And the laundry seems to expand while it sits and waits for me to do it. (Who’s feeding the laundry growth hormone?) And I have been sitting in front of my computer. For hours and hours a day. ??? How is this working?!?

You know what? It has been fine. My kids do not constantly nag me. They find what to do – for the most part. (No – they have not also been sitting in front of the computer or TV screen all day.) Of course, I spend quality time with them throughout the day in chunks of time. Throw in a load of laundry before bed and first thing in the morning. (It might not be folded, but at least it’s clean if they need it. This might actually be more efficient. They just take it from the basket and put it on – think about all the tasks that saves us! No folding, sending it to the appropriate bedrooms, or putting it away.) Things are getting done.

The big question is, why are they not nagging me? Why are they not trying to get my attention 15 times a minute like they do when I am on the phone? Here’s the answer: They see my passion. They see my ‘happy’. They feel what this is doing for me so they are OK with it. Who doesn’t want the people they live with to be happy? So if I’m getting my happy from this, so are they.

I want you to think about this for a minute. This is the important stuff. If you are getting your fulfillment and have your happy on, you will be given wide berth to do your stuff.

Here are the tips to really make this work:

Tip #1 I have been teaching my kids for years, through actions and words, that if you are happy and have a positive attitude about things, everything in life is easier. With that lesson they get that whatever I need to do to make me calm and happy is sacred. And I treat them the same way about the things that make them happy and relax them. We respect each other’s “go get happy” time.

Tip #2 Clue them in. I have told my kids repeatedly over this time period what I am doing and why it is important for me. I also let them know that this is temporary and that the goal here is to set something up so that I generate business with fewer hands-on working hours for me = happier Mom that is more available. Cool. Let them know your intention and the time frame.

Tip #3 Balance. I am all about balance. Kids have two major needs – Attention and Power. I gave my kids attention throughout the day. I brought my computer to the dining room table while they played or read on the couch or on the carpet next to me. I invited them to my room to be with me while I worked. And I even wrote some stuff with my three year old sitting in my lap. (Yeah, that doesn’t work long term. Within minutes we were watching the pig video, you know – the one where he tries to get the cookies? If you don't know it, you must check it out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwrJMZz68qk) Anyway, you get the point. Let your kids, and don’t forget your husband, know that they are more important and that you love spending time with them. This project or whatever you are doing (whether it is to get your happy on or cleaning out the house) is not replacing them (you may have raised an eyebrow at that but honestly, if anything is competing for Mommy’s time and attention, uncomfy Qs may come up in your kids’ or husband’s minds).

Tip #4 Be calm. When you are calm, they are happy. If I were hassled and irritable and agitated (symptoms of tension), I am sure they would have been nagging, complaining and joining the Irritable Gang. I am calm. I could be tense – so many things I want to be doing all at once. So many things to do around the house. I could be thinking about that all at once and be tense all the time. But where is the fun in that? This is supposed to be my fun!! (And if this is about cleaning out your clutter for you, even if it is not fun for you, if you have committed to doing it – do it happily, right? If you can’t do it happily, hire someone to do it for you!!!) I didn’t go to that pressure point of thinking about everything that needs to be done. I just got things done. On breaks from work, the house got organized. On breaks I delegated well. On breaks I made food or took the kids on outings. BE BALANCED.

So that’s my brain-spew for today. I would love to hear your comments and takeaways from this!

Sending love and serenity,

Devorah

News at Beit Roga

*Had a great talk this past Tuesday in RBS! If anyone is interested in coming to the next talk, check it out here https://www.facebook.com/events/455667807926356/

*Getting a webinar ready pre-Summer Keeping Your Cool in the Summer. If you are interested, please come to my FB page and comment under the "sign up for webinar" post. That way I can contact you when we have all the details.

*Look out for a notice soon on a talk coming up in Jerusalem!!! Will keep you posted!

Happy Spring weather to all!!