Successfully running a family alongside a business is NOT just about to-do lists - here’s the secret key you ACTUALLY need!

If it were all about to-do lists, I could just send you home with “the 7 essential hacks to crush your to-do list” and you’d be done and good forever.

But it doesn’t work that way. What you put on your to-do list, when you make time for it, how much time you choose for it, when you’re taking breaks between it – all that’s to do with your mindset.

And unless those pieces are in place, you won’t actually succeed in knocking out that to-do list. 

Here’s how it ACTUALLY works.

You’ve got this!

Alyssa

De-stress daily life as a work-at-home mom: https://yourunbusylife.com/ 

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Transcript

This is the Unbusy Mom, and today we’re talking about successfully running a family alongside a business, because it’s NOT just about to-do lists - here’s the secret key you ACTUALLY need!

If it WERE all about to-do lists, I could just send you off with “the 7 essential hacks to crush your to-do list” and you’d be done and good forever.

But it doesn’t work that way. 

WHAT you put on your to-do list, WHEN you make time to do it, how MUCH time you set aside for it, when you’re taking breaks BETWEEN it – all that’s to do with your mindset.

And unless THOSE pieces are in place, you won’t actually cross off that to-do list. (No matter how well you planned it last night!)

See, you’re the boss of your week. (Under God.) Right? 

So what are YOU choosing to be on your to-do list for this week? (It’s not up to the doctor’s office or the school papers or the church committee.)

For each and every single thing, every appointment, and the spacing (or lack thereof) between, ask…. 

• Is this what’s going to serve me? 
• Does my family’s highest good include doing this this week? 
• Does MY highest good mean accomplishing that this week?

Because this is the work/life balance way of feeling into planning.

Even when you’re in a less than ideal situation. Like dealing with an unexpected flu bug running through your 10-and-under family, or temporarily single parenting *and* running the business.

Take me, for example: I had to *choose* to make work happen when my husband was on a business trip last month.

Me playing sole parent was going to seriously cut into my energy reserves, and that week I had a *ton* of business stuff going on. 

That I’d *planned* to go on, at any rate. But that’s the key.

So I looked at my business planner, and asked myself: given that I’m the only one home, *and* I have all day to play with, what’s going to let me accomplish all my top priorities here? Should I skip the small group meeting this week, drop a park outing, streamline all my suppers, and give myself flexibility to work at nights since I’m not catching up with my husband?

Yep, that sounds about right. *Now* I don’t feel stressed about how much is on my to-do list. *Now* I’m not laboring under “be both the mommy *and* the daddy expectations” for my kids.

And you know what? I had a great, super productive week. Because I *chose* to. *Not* my circumstances.

And when you get that concept of *choice* through your head, you’re going to be unstoppable, too.

Because you decided this task should be here, so what are you going to do about it? Do you still choose it? 

This is the work/life balance way of feeling into planning.

Because scheduling is (nearly) everything, but honestly, your *thoughts* around what you’re putting on it (it being your to-do list, calendar, or schedule) is what’s going to make or break your daily business routine.

So you can be sure that when we’re coaching together, I’m going to go a lot farther than “did you time block your work days this week? Good” and move into the “how light or heavy is your work schedule feeling this week” stuff - because that’s *really* going to transform your daily work-from-home lifestyle for you.

Which is *how* you’re going to actually experience that “less chores, less biz work, more time playing legos with my kids” version of entrepreneur life that you’ve always wanted.

Yes, you need to be intentional with what you put on your “should get around to” list in the first place. 

Yes, you should watch what you say yes to for your family calendar.

But once you get to that Sunday night weekly planning time, YOU get the final veto on everything that’s been pre-approved for your week.

Sure, you put this or that on there. Suggested that these tasks or these appointments might be in the best interest of yourself. 

But are they really? Do a final gut check and make the call.

• How are your kids’ attitudes this week? 
• Does everybody need to stay home and rest? 
• Is that task suddenly feeling way less essential?

YOU’RE the boss of your week, which means what you say goes. You’re ALLOWED to adjust on the fly.

So make sure that you’re vetting every single calendar outing and pre-planned task that’s on the calendar for this week – and you’ll never hate your pre-chosen week again.

Because it’s always up to *you* to change and adapt in the moment. (Hint: it’s called leading your family - and yourself.)

What needs to change about your schedule for next week?