No one said this would be an easy job, but the gratification I've received from all the moms who have found in my products the solution for raising their children motivates me to keep going.
Today I want to encourage you to make your projects a reality, drawing from my own experience as an entrepreneur, so that motherhood doesn't prevent you from achieving your dreams; on the contrary, let it become your motivation and empower you to succeed.
Here we go…
Define your passion
To work with perseverance, despite the long hours and tiredness you may feel at times, you must be passionate about what you do.
When the venture you have chosen excites you to the point that the day or hours you have to dedicate to work don't matter, you will have found the true meaning of what you do, your why and your what for.
I recently mentioned this in a live session I was invited to by Baby and Beyond Co, to whom I send a big hug.
Here's the link: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHNcDR-AMBd/?igshid=yjhrrdlb9ai1
There, I referred to the importance of feeling true passion for your venture, regardless of whether you have a degree or not.
If the passion you feel for what you do leads you to achieve great things, it's clear that it will be above your knowledge, though I'm not saying you shouldn't acquire it.
So, define what you want to do, what you want to dedicate yourself to, what is that skill you can perform for hours and that you feel you enjoy to the fullest, like a little girl with a new toy.
Once you have this clear, you'll surely be able to jump into the fray.
Organize yourself and define your time
It's only logical to think that motherhood demands a lot of our time, but if we want to pursue big dreams, that very condition cannot become an excuse to postpone them.
Organize your day in such a way that you don't neglect your motherhood, dedicate time to your family, and focus on your venture so that you can complete all the tasks involved.
For example, in addition to being an entrepreneur, I also work in the commercial area of a large Colombian company. On top of that, I have to take care of Elisa (my daughter) and my husband so that we can have family time, quality time.
You can imagine that this must be a colossal task, but I guarantee that once you define your times, your spaces, and what moment of the day you will dedicate to each thing, you will be able to work calmly on your venture without tasks overlapping.
Be productive and stay disciplined
It may be easier said than done, but when you learn to organize your schedule and give each of your assignments the right and necessary time, you will realize that everything gets done.
There are several things I want you to keep in mind so that your role as a mother and your entrepreneurship don't clash; on the contrary, so that they become a wonderful complement and you can have the best of both worlds without missing out on motherhood and projecting your dreams.
Get up early
As the popular saying goes, "the early bird catches the worm," and it might be true.
Getting up early allows you to take advantage of the calm of the first hours of the day so you can start working on a project that needs all your concentration, as you'll be fresh, clear-headed, and ready to devote all your attention to that task.
When you start a business, you learn not to sleep
I also shared this in the live session I was invited to. Sleep is a state that you have to make the most of when you're an entrepreneur because with so much to do, you won't have much time.
Perhaps this is one of the most difficult things for entrepreneurs, and I would like to ask you right now, how much of yourself are you willing to invest in your business for it to bear the fruits you expect?
Sometimes we want things to come easily, but the truth is that we have to put a lot of ourselves in for the miracle to happen, and that means hours of sleep you won't get back, at least not as you'd like.
A good tip that can help you is to respect your schedule, just as I advised you in the previous point to get up early to make the most of the day. Going to bed at the time you've set also helps you stay focused and firm in your goals, because whether we like it or not, sleep is an inevitable necessity for all your functions to work as they should and for you not to get sick.
Keep your diary and publication calendar
Any entrepreneur who wants to achieve success must know that a diary for commitments and tasks is essential.
Furthermore, with the need to promote our product or service on social media, it's unthinkable not to have our publication calendar up to date to post regularly.
Today we have many task organizers at hand, from Trello to Asana, so we can put all our information there and not miss anything.
Do what you say you're going to do
Honor this promise, even if you don't feel like doing anything. When you're a mother and an entrepreneur, the time you dedicate to each activity must be sacred and unavoidable.
Make time for family (that's non-negotiable), organize your work so that you're focused on it when you need to be, and communicate with your partner and children about what spaces (time) you'll dedicate to your venture so they know and understand that, during that time, even if you're physically present, you won't be 100% available to them.
Motivate yourself
As I told you in the previous point, there will be days when you just want to be lazy and play with your baby, nothing else.
However, when you find yourself in that situation, become aware and bring back to your mind why you are undertaking this venture.
Books, videos, motivational talks, yoga, anything that helps you stay focused, is valid.
And remember that motivation is complemented by a fantastic habit: discipline. Recent studies have confirmed that, more than motivation itself, discipline is the means and the end by which you will achieve your goals.
Why does this happen? Because motivation occurs at the moment you see, hear, or read something that drives you to "want to do." Unfortunately, when that surge of energy passes, you fall back into procrastination, and that's when discipline comes to your aid, because it's what will gently pull you out of the hole on dark days, when you don't even feel like raising the blind to let in the first rays of sun.
They are different challenges, but they can be combined
Don't let anyone tell you that because you're a mom, you can't dedicate yourself to anything else, or that to be a successful woman and have your own business, you must postpone motherhood.
If it's a burning desire in your heart, you can successfully do both. Being a mom shouldn't prevent you from succeeding. Think big and overcome your fears because you set your own limits.
I want to say goodbye by telling you that Vazart was also a dream I was able to make come true three years ago, and it was precisely Elisa and this beautiful experience of being a mother that pushed me to want to do it.
I saw in my motherhood a golden opportunity to understand my daughter's needs and put into practice a skill I enjoy: making sensory jewelry and accessories.
My mind has become more flexible; I've learned about parenting, positive discipline, and I've enjoyed my daughter's stages even to implement new accessories in my collections.
If you are willing to insist, persist, and never give up (a phrase I use very often to motivate myself), you will know that entrepreneurship is a wonderful path to not miss out on those stages of your baby so full of happiness that you will treasure forever in your heart.
Cheer up.
Andrea Vazart.
