Do you ever have the feeling that your work comes at the expense of missing out on your kids’ lives? Women tend to have more guilt around working because there is a strong need to be the caregiver or the super-mom. We feel remorse when we don’t make it to every single game, and we feel inferior when we’re not the “Instagram” mom. We feel guilt when we leave our children to go show homes, hold open houses, head to listing appointments or drop by the office. When women get pulled away from the kids to work, it’s hard to see the “big why.”
I love being in real estate. It allows me to have the flexibility I need to care for my kids and do what I love; however, every single second I spend away from my girls has to be worth it. When I get home from work, I have to know that it wasn’t a day where I felt busy but got nothing accomplished. We’ve all had those days where we go to work and there are a thousand things on our checklist, yet we are interrupted with phone calls, people stopping by our desk, text messages, Slack, Facebook and Instagram. It’s hard when we can’t seem to get a handle on which things are true priorities, or money-making activities, and which things are “fake work.”
I use a calendar called the My Perfect Week Scheduler to design what my perfect week would look like. I get up at 5:30 a.m. and head to the gym while the kids are asleep. I’m back home by 7 a.m. to get them up and ready for school by 8:30 a.m. I drop them off and head to my office around 8:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. I do a quick scan of my emails for urgent business matters and check my calendar for any important dates, and from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m., I pick up my phone and prospect for new business. My entire day is planned out down to the minute, and I block time for those things that are most important: the money-making activities. This way, I ensure that the time spent away from my family is time spent being truly productive. I also take the time to write down what I actually did in 30-minute increments after they are done. This allows me to never have that “fake work” feeling. I know exactly what I did, and if I find myself off track in any given 30-minute time block, I can easily course correct and get back on track.
If you’re going to spend time away from your family, make sure you aren’t wasting that time. If you want access to the My Perfect Week Scheduler, email me at brianne@workmansuccess.com, and I’d be happy to share it with you.
A skilled and dedicated professional, Brianne Ika has spent years learning the intricacies of the business world and developing a formula for success in her career. Whether it’s through operations or business development, Ika’s positive energy and love for her work has allowed her to help countless aspiring entrepreneurs achieve their goals, coast to coast. Nothing gives her more satisfaction than setting people on the path to prosperity. To reach Ika, email brianne@workmansuccess.com.
For more information, please visit workmansuccess.com.
