A flexible schedule, Accountable actions, Intention setting, Reflective reality: The F.A.IR routine

The F.A.I.R. routine is a simple yet effective method for moms in business to stay on track and achieve their goals. F.A.I.R. stands for both: Focus, Action, Intention, and Reflection, and each step is crucial for maintaining a balanced and productive work-life balance.

The F.A.I.R routine (1)

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Flexibility

As a mom in business, it can be challenging to balance work and family life. A flexible schedule is essential to ensure that you can manage both effectively. However, it's important to understand what a flexible schedule is not:

• a timetable that is set in stone

• a heavy daily routine

Instead, a flexible schedule is about making room for unexpected events while still prioritizing your work and family commitments.

Here are some tips on how to create a flexible schedule that works for you:

Must-do list

Instead of working from a to-do list, create a must-do list and block out specific times of the day to complete these tasks. By focusing on must-do items first, you'll ensure that your most important tasks are completed, and you'll have more flexibility to work on other tasks later in the day.

Time Blocking

Time blocking is an effective way to organize your day and ensure that you prioritize tasks that need to be completed. It is a productivity technique that involves scheduling specific blocks of time for each task or activity that you need to complete.

The challenge with managing your time is that there are always more tasks to complete than there are hours in the day. This is especially true if you are a mom, running a household, childcare and a business. It lead to feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and unproductive. Time blocking is a solution to this problem because it helps you to allocate your time more efficiently and effectively.

Here is a quick summary on how you can get started:

1. Identify your priorities: The first step is to identify your top priorities, including household chores, childcare tasks, and business responsibilities. You may want to create a list of all the tasks you need to complete during the day, and then prioritize them based on their importance and urgency.

2. Determine your available time: Next, you need to determine the amount of time you have available to complete each task. This may involve looking at your schedule and figuring out when you have free time, such as during nap times or after the kids go to bed.

3. Break down your day into time blocks: Once you have identified your priorities and available time, you can start to break down your day into smaller time blocks. Depending on your schedule and the age of your children, these time blocks could be anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.

4. Schedule your tasks: With your time blocks established, you can now schedule specific tasks for each block of time. The important thing to remember is to not overschedule or have too many blocks that are coming together.

5. Stay flexible: It's important to remember that things don't always go according to plan, especially when you're managing a household, childcare, and a business. That's why it's essential to stay flexible and adjust your schedule as needed. You may need to switch tasks between time blocks or adjust your schedule to accommodate unexpected events.

6. Prioritize self-care: Finally, it's important to prioritize self-care, such as exercise, relaxation, and socializing, in your time blocking schedule. Taking care of yourself will help you feel more energized and focused, and it will ultimately help you to be more productive and efficient in managing your household, childcare, and business responsibilities.

The result of time blocking is that you become more productive, focused, and organized. By scheduling specific time blocks for each task or activity, you eliminate distractions and interruptions and stay on track. You also ensure that you're using your time effectively, and you're not wasting time on low-priority tasks.

Time Audit

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Priorities, Boundaries, and Realistic Expectations

These are critical to creating a flexible schedule. Be realistic about what you can accomplish each day and set boundaries for when you're available to work. Communicate these boundaries to your clients and family, so they know when you're available to work and when you're not.

Making Room for Unexpected Events

As a mom in business, unexpected events are bound to happen. It's important to build some flexibility into your schedule to ensure that you can handle unexpected events without feeling overwhelmed. Plan ahead and make sure that you have some buffer time in your schedule to handle unexpected events.

Creating a flexible schedule as a mom in business requires careful planning and a willingness to adjust as necessary. By using time blocking, outsourcing, setting priorities and boundaries, and making room for unexpected events, you can create a schedule that allows you to balance your work and family commitments effectively. Remember, a flexible schedule is about maximizing productivity on the good days and making room for the days that are lost due to unexpected events. Its all about prioritizing your tasks and setting a clear direction for your day. As a mom in business, it's easy to get sidetracked by the demands of your family and your business, but taking a few minutes to focus on your

priorities can help you stay on track and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

What to focus on with a flexible schedule

Set clear goals for your business.

I am a big fan of setting goals for your

day/week/personal life and professional!

Yes, as a mom to three there are so many unknowns that are bound to make my plans go sideways (I am currently writing this with swollen allergy eyes) but setting goals helps us feel more in control. Make them flexible and not time-dependent

Eliminate distractions as much as possible.

This could mean turning off your phone or email notifications during work hours, setting boundaries with family and friends, or even finding a quiet workspace outside of your home if necessary. We all need to do that last minute work surrounded by toys and cooking dinner, but when you can, create a distraction-free environment use this time to do your deep work.

Prioritize your daily tasks.

This could involve creating a must-do list and prioritizing the most important tasks first. By doing this, you will be able to focus your energy and attention on the tasks that will move your business forward. This could be a 2-minute bookkeeping job that will make running your expenses faster at the end of the month. Ask yourself: What is going to help me generate revenue? What do I need to get done, so someone else can do their job? What is the cost of not getting it done?

Take breaks and recharge.

Incorporating breaks into your routine, whether it's taking a short walk, doing some

stretching, or simply taking a few deep breaths, can help you stay energized and focused throughout the day. Moms are among the most likely to experience burnout. The demands of motherhood, coupled with the pressures of work, can often leave moms feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Studies have shown that the stress of juggling multiple roles can take a toll on a mother's physical and mental health, leading to burnout and other negative consequences.

By implementing these strategies, you can create the focus you need to succeed in their business ventures. Remember, focus is not just about managing your time; it's about managing your energy and attention in a way that allows you to achieve your goals while maintaining your well-being.

Accountability

It can be easy to get overwhelmed by the multitude of tasks and responsibilities that come with juggling family life and a new venture. It's common to feel like there's never enough time or energy to tackle everything on your to-do list.

However, it's essential to realize that taking action is the only way to move forward and achieve your goals.

Procrastination and Decision-fatigue can hold you back from making progress, and it's important to remember that taking imperfect action is better than taking no action at all. By breaking down your tasks into manageable chunks and focusing on the next right step, you can build momentum and create a sense of accomplishment.

Taking action also helps you to gain clarity and refine your approach. It's through doing that you learn what works and what doesn't, and you can make adjustments accordingly. It can be tempting to wait until you feel more prepared or have more time, but the reality is that there will never be a perfect moment. You have to start somewhere, and taking action is the first step.

You are already juggling multiple roles and responsibilities, and it can be challenging to find the time and energy to take action. However, by prioritizing your tasks, setting realistic goals, and taking consistent steps forward, you can make progress towards your vision.

it's not about being perfect, but about making progress and moving towards your goals, one step at a time.

1. Consider finding an accountability partner, someone who can support you and help keep you on track. This could be a friend, a mentor, or a business coach.

2. There are many tools and resources available to help you stay accountable, such as project management software, time tracking apps, and to-do lists. Use these tools to help you stay organized and focused

3. Review and adjust regularly: It's important to regularly review your progress and adjust your plan if needed. Take the time to reflect on what is working and what is not, and make adjustments as necessary.

4. Celebrate your successes: Don't forget to celebrate your successes along the way! Recognize your accomplishments, no matter how small, and use them as motivation to keep pushing forward

Intention

One way to help manage the demands of both is to live intentionally. It's being aware of your actions, thoughts, and decisions, and making choices that align with your values and goals. Here are some tools that can help business moms live more intentionally:

1. Create a vision board: A vision board is a visual representation of your goals and aspirations. It can help you clarify what you want to achieve in your personal and professional life, and keep you focused

2. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment and fully engaged in what you're doing. By being mindful, you can reduce stress, improve focus, and increase productivity.

3. Set intentions: Setting intentions is a powerful way to live intentionally. Each day, take a few moments to set an intention for the day ahead. This could be something as simple as "I intend to be patient with my kids today" or "I intend to focus on marketing my business today."

4. Use a planner: A planner can help you stay organized and focused on your goals. Use it to plan your day, week, and month, and to track your progress towards your goals.

5. Practice gratitude: Practicing gratitude is a simple but powerful way to live intentionally. Each day, take a few moments to think about what you're grateful for. This can help you stay focused on the positive and keep things in perspective.

By incorporating these tools into your daily routine, you can live more intentionally and create a more fulfilling and balanced life as a business mom.

Reflection

Reflection is a powerful tool that can support both a strong business and motherhood. It allows us to take a step back and assess our progress, identify areas for improvement, and celebrate our successes. As a mom in business, reflection can help you to stay focused on your goals and ensure that your actions align with your values.

One way to incorporate reflection into your routine is to set aside dedicated time each week or month to review your progress. Here are some ways that reflection can help you:

1. Identify time-wasting activities: Reflection can help you identify activities that are not adding value to your work and are taking up valuable time. Once you identify these activities, you can make adjustments to your schedule or delegate them to others to free up more time for important tasks.

2. Assess productivity levels: By reflecting on your day or week, you can assess your productivity levels and determine what factors contributed to your success or challenges. This information can help you make adjustments to your schedule or work habits to improve your productivity.

3. Recognize achievements: Reflection can help you recognize the progress you have made and the achievements you have accomplished, even if they may seem small. This recognition can provide motivation and inspiration to continue working towards your goals.

4. Set realistic goals: Reflection can help you set realistic goals based on your current workload and schedule. By assessing your current productivity levels and time management skills, you can set goals that are challenging but achievable.

5. Improve decision-making skills: Reflection can help you evaluate past decisions and learn from them, which can improve your decision-making skills in the future. By reflecting on what worked and what didn't, you can make better decisions moving forward.

Reflection can also be helpful in motherhood, allowing you to assess your parenting style and identify areas where you can improve. By taking time to reflect on your interactions with your children, you can learn more about their needs and preferences, and adjust your approach accordingly. This can help you to build stronger connections with your children and create a more positive and supportive family environment.

Overall, incorporating reflection into your routine can help you to stay focused on your goals, make more intentional decisions, and maintain balance between your business and motherhood.