Entrepreneur + New Momma: What I’ve Learned

I’ve had 11 months now of juggling being a new mom and an entrepreneur, and I’ve had to rearrange so much about my priorities and my daily rhythms. There are many things I’ve learned (and am still learning!), but here are three:

1. There are real limits on your time and on your energy. I am a recovering chronic overcommitter who used to always overestimate my actual capacity, resulting in a lot of unnecessary stress. If you’re a bit addicted to productivity like I am, say no to a few more things than you think you should. This all didn’t click for me until I had a kid. Now, I’m always looking at my calendar and asking myself, “Do I truly want to add in x,y,z, or would I rather spend that time with my daughter?”

2. Expect that everything will take longer than you think it will. From getting out the door (why does baby need a diaper change every time you were just about ready to leave?) to pumping in your car at a wedding venue.

3. Find a small block of uninterrupted time to get focused work done and guard it. On wedding production days, I have a sitter. But when I don’t, this time for me is nap time. I try to have my week organized ahead of time so that I know exactly what I need to get done each day during this short window. And typically, I’ve found that I can make all sorts of tasks fit into a pretty tight timeframe if I know I HAVE to get it done in that time. Now, this obviously doesn’t always go as planned… sometimes baby wakes up after 20 minutes and won’t go back to sleep, at which point we go back to point number one above, enjoy some snuggles, and figure out a way to fit in the emails later.

Being a momma + entrepreneur truly has been such a learning experience. With flexibility and intentionality, I’m finding my way through, and I am loving watching myself and my daughter grow along the way!