This summer I asked for help protecting my family time.
It’s easy to say 'yes' when you really should say 'no.' We have all been there, right? This summer I had a hard lesson in remembering to say 'no', is as important as saying 'yes.' I might even argue after this summer, that saying no is even more important.
Like many of you, I am always trying to find the perfect work-life balance, which I think is a lot like chasing a unicorn. There really is no such thing. The best we can do is prioritize and then protect those decisions.
Liz Scott and Family take time for a summer cruise.
Liz_summer_2019
For me, the main source of happiness comes from my kids. I love being a mom, there is nothing that gives me as much joy or a sense of belonging! I had to work extremely hard to become and stay pregnant and if I think about that difficult journey too long, I always tear up. I am extremely lucky to have my 3 kids.
But… even still, it’s hard to protect my time with them.
Not that I am a squirrel, but it is easy to get swept up in the shiny stuff and get distracted from my core goals. I would bet most entrepreneurs are like me and get grand visions of what could be... and then, for a moment, forget the path there is time consuming and tough. I manage two firms, co-host a webinar series, and also operate a rental business. It’s a LOT and it’s easy to get crushed by all these obligations.
Flexing my 'no.'
This summer I had an amazing opportunity to travel and teach my fellow peers. Being around people like me who love talking, learning and sharing accounting experiences gives me tremendous happiness and fills me with fresh perspectives. After saying yes to the opportunity, I had a hard crash coming to terms with what I had said no to by default. By saying yes, I said no to other business opportunities and heart-breakingly my cherished family time.
My only choice was to ask for help.
Life requires friends! And thankfully, I had several lined up to help me. My husband kept life running smoothly at home and my mom and mother-in-law spent extra time with our kids. My business partners kept operations running, and thanks to my good buddy Murph, I was able to take some time off from writing this series over the summer. Asking for help is not easy for everyone. For me, it’s a feeling of failure which feels similar to saying I can’t do something. Thankfully my friends and family stepped in quickly, but that too made me tear up with gratitude.
I think it’s a process, learning to say 'No'.
After all my summer adventures, I had to spend some time alone writing out my goals and prioritizing them. I had to acknowledge that for each of my 'yes' choices, there are resulting (even if unintended) 'no's.' Protecting myself and my loved ones is not always easy but having a reality check and prioritizing makes it easier to say no to the things not at the top of my list.
I don't think I have it mastered, but I have acknowledged I can’t do it all. We all must protect our source of happiness.