The first 6 years of my journey as a mum and entrepreneur have been a roller coaster, here are three great tools that have helped keep me on the track…
The Vision Board
This is an excellent way to lift your head above the parapet and visualise what you want to be, have and do in the future. Grab a pile of magazines, a piece of card (A3 or A4 size), some scissors and glue and flick through finding images which appeal to you. Don’t over think, just cut lots out and put them in a big pile. Then go back and prune a little, which ones represent your biggest priorities, in terms of what you want and how you want to feel? Create your board, and place it somewhere you can see it every day. You’ll notice how many of your goals you reach over time, and how positive it makes you feel to spend a few moments looking at it each day. Your kids might enjoy making their own boards too
The Wheel of Life
There are so many competing priorities as a parent, and often areas of our lives which feel like a struggle. I did this exercise with a small group of mums, guided by the amazing Roxanne Hobbs, and found it transformational. It helped me pinpoint the areas I felt least satisfied with, and come up with practical, acheivable ways to move my scores up…in a few weeks, my wheel was a lot less wobbly!
Finding Like Minds
Over time, the most powerful tool for me has been to find and get to know other mums (and some dads) who are on a similar journey, and who can boost my confidence and resolve. These have included CityLit’s Talk & Play, a parenting group and the Parent-Cubator that I started up with the support of RBS Inspiring Women in Enterprise in 2013. By joining groups which met regularly over a few weeks, had clear goals and a stable membership, I found amazing women facing similar challenges and a vast reserve of expertise, kindness and creativity which has propelled me onwards and upwards.
The next Parent-Cubator for start up businesses gets under way on Monday 27 April, find out more and apply to join us here.