Thoughts of a Blog Queen: Balance How?

What I really feel about balancing a business and a career….(Part One)

Truth is…it’s hard yall.

I must say that chasing your dreams is so literal. You really have to chase after this vision you have had in your mind for a very long time (tired or not) all while continuing to carry the responsibility of helping to build an empire that has nothing to do with your own legacy. You are dedicating your valuable time to help build the dreams of another entity…so what do you have left for yourself?

This is where it gets sticky. For many of us we are still required to get up every single day, Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 and give it everything we got to the companies we work for and make sure that we are leaving a great impression..because, well we are women and for women in the corporate world, we already have to make sure that we are setting the bar high when it comes to the work that we do. This is because for so long women had been looked at as the lesser of the two between us and men. So we take our positions seriously and we take pride in the contribution we make to these companies. Especially when we become put in any position of authority or power to make choices. We do not want to drop the ball!

Meanwhile, as we are working to climb the “corporate ladder” we still have dreams of our own. We still have this vision of building this amazing legacy for ourselves and for our families and we really want something to be proud of. Something that we can leave a footprint in this world with.

As a creative, it has always been a BIG dream of mine for years to do something amazing. Something that I feel I have been called to do. My purpose in this world to fulfill. I have been on this journey to build a brand of my own that will not only serve me but it will help to serve and inspire other women in the same position.

So what happens when you find yourself in the middle of the two? When you are on this mission to bring this beautiful vision to life and yet you are still required to report to work everyday because well..it pays the bills. What do you do?

You do what you have to. You can’t just quit your day job because…well…life. So in the meantime you learn how to work it girl! Literally, both of them.

However, don’t forget that thing called work/life balance. Which means yes work, but also don’t forget to make time for self and your own goals and dreams.

Don’t forget that even when you have the pleasure of working full time for yourself (if that’s the end goal) that you still don’t neglect what you need. Self care is a must, but this entry is to help you maneuver your way through the seasons of your life where you must work for yourself and someone else.

Our dreams are just as important as our jobs. When you find what you are passionate about building never let yourself get so overwhelmed with anything else that you let your vision dissolve.

Trust me this is not an easy thing to do. This is because our jobs provide the guaranteed salary that we work for and our “business baby” we have given birth to will take a lot of investment of time and resources not to mention patience and we truly don’t know what the results will be. We just work our hardest until something provides the breakthrough and opportunity we have been waiting for. That in itself can create a lot of stress and major anxiety.

So what’s the solution? I may not have the exact formula to get you out of your day job but I do have a few tips to help you get through…

• Commit to a specified amount each day or week solely to your business. Make sure that this time is never to be sacrificed. Remember if you don’t make time to nurture your plant it won’t grow. Make use of planners, schedules and creating your time blocks.
• Remove any doubts or discouraging thoughts about building your own business. Don’t allow the lack of seeing immediate results deter you from your dreams. Building a successful business takes time and dedication. Make use of manifestation techniques and daily affirmations as one of your secret weapons. (For manifesting tips feel free to read a few of my other blog posts)
• Use your salary as a resource-like a silent investor if you will. Of course you have a life to live, bills to pay, family to provide for, but also remember that taking your new business venture seriously will require you to have a means to invest in it. In order to make money you have to invest money. Create a savings plan that will allow you to set aside funds that you will use to fund your upfront costs of the business plan.
• Take the time out from both. This will be a very busy and time consuming period in your life. You literally are dividing all your time between the two, not to mention any other areas of your life that are important too. Take the time out to get away from BOTH of these spaces. Give yourself a mental break. Burn out WILL happen if you don’t figure out your schedule and master it but also if you don’t find the time in between to take care of YOU.
• Sacrifice but motivate. When I say this I mean that you have to understand what comes with the territory and be okay with it. You will have to make the choice to be without certain things. Whether this is leisurely time or certain “bonus” elements of your life. Sacrifice will be a small price to pay for such a big dream in the end but you have to coach your way through it. Motivate yourself and hype yourself up to realize that this is all for the future. Be your biggest cheerleader and supporter.
• Speaking of coaching, explore the idea of finding a coach or mentor. Someone that has successfully accomplished what you wish to accomplish (in some form) that can help to guide or advise you through this process. But be very selective about this choice. You will find that the people closest to you may not be the team you need during this specific process (great if they are) but you may find value in hearing how other people managed to breakthrough the barriers. Just remember that everyone has their own process and success will look different from person to person. Try not to allow yourself to get into the mindset of actual comparing. Trust your own process.
• Work somewhere that you actually enjoy. This is a very important part of the process. While you are working towards your own goals and dreams you have to spend a significant amount of your time working for someone else. Try not to settle for just any old job. Try to actually plant your feet in a field that you can actually be happy to get up and do everyday. Toxic work environments, being overworked and underpaid, or simply just hating your job are all factors that are going to cause you to mentally check out. When you have to be held accountable to a job that you don’t even like being at, it takes away from your positive energy. How can you manifest your dream business working under those types of circumstances? By the time you finish working 8-12 hours on a job that you essentially hate, you are low on energy mentally and physically. There’s not much left over to give yourself. Find a work environment that will give you exactly what you need. Work for a company that values you as an employee, has an outstanding work culture, and that will allow you to be as flexible as you possibly can. All of these things will help you in the long term.

Remember that you have a vision. The goal is to bring that vision to life, but nothing worth having ever really comes easy so get ready to put in the work. Working your way up in your career is rewarding and will definitely provide you with several benefits, but if you know your life’s mission is to build something that you can call your own, that should not be sacrificed for anything or anyone. We just have to find what works best for us.

Until next time my Lovelies,

Sincerely,

A Blog Queen