How to survive and be an entrepreneur as a mother
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Here you are, sitting on the edge of your bed, staring at the “ball of meat” that has finally fallen asleep peacefully in its crib.
You listen to your breathing and realize that for the first time in the day you can be aware of it. A tear rolls down your cheek. You imagine the following days, months, years of your life between diapers, nipples and guttural conversations and although you truly love that little baby and have deliberately chosen to be present for him, you ask yourself: Is it all? I will be able? Will I be able?
In the midst of your own doubts that emerge in you about motherhood, you may also need to contribute to the support of your family or that you do not want to stay in a unique social role: that of mother. And the weight of this new experience is so great that you think it is not possible to work, of course, much less to undertake.
How to manage to survive and undertake?
Perhaps at this moment you are thinking that only “superwomen” manage to survive and undertake. All of us who have done it, it seems to me, have gone through moments of doubt, of great fear, of uncertainty, of not knowing how, of feeling lost and of believing that we will not be capable.
87% of Mexicans consider the fear of failure as the greatest obstacle that prevents them from daring to start a business, points out the Global Report of Entrepreneurs 2015, known as AGER for its acronym in English.
So the interesting thing is not if you are afraid, the interesting thing is what you will do with your fear. Will you let it paralyze you or will you transform it into an entrepreneurial force? If you choose the second alternative, we will accompany you step by step to achieve it.
Let’s be realistic
While it is incredible to dream of a transnational corporation, it would be important to start with the first step. And we share some tips to start thinking about it.
1. Your child’s age
The activity you can do if you have a newborn baby whom you have decided to breastfeed is completely different than if you have a four-year-old who is ready to spend a few hours in nursery.
I can assure you that children grow up. And to be honest much, much faster than it seems to us that happens when they vomit on us, or “stick their finger in the cake that we had to deliver in an hour.” So it is important that you really consider what stage of parenting you are in and how much time you can dedicate to entrepreneurship. Attending to “two babies”, one of flesh and blood and the other of products and sales, can invite anyone to feel highly incapable.
2. Be kind to yourself
Undertaking when you are a mother requires having a good construction of yourself. If you question yourself easily, if you are critical of yourself, it would be very important that you first consider “making friends with you.” I can assure you that you will run into many critical moments: your son got sick, the school asked for a last-minute job, “the little angel” went flat on his face and broke his hand and you have to take him to the hospital and take special care with him while you have an important delivery. Life will surprise you in the amount of alternatives that can be presented and if in addition to all these imponderables you treat yourself harshly, you will only make it more complex. Be kind to yourself. In critical situations ask yourself what I need and take care of it.
3. Support network
I do not know any woman / mother who has been able to successfully undertake – I think I do not know any human being, but let’s focus on women mothers – without a support network. So, if you are angry with your mother, it is a good time to befriend her and rediscover another type of relationship from adulthood. Your mother is truly “crazy to tie” and you think that the above is impossible, ask yourself who you can count on: friends, neighbors, school moms, of course dad, brothers, they all count. Let them know your dreams, identify what you would need them and when, communicate them clearly, ask them if they are willing and if someone says no, do not get stuck, let him pass and look for the next one. The stronger, closer and clearer your support network is, the greater your chances of survival and successful entrepreneurship.
4. Clarity for the future
It is very important that you identify what you want to be a good result of this endeavor. Most of the entrepreneurs fail, the statistics speak of 80% in the first year, in my experience because they are not clear about the future. Take a few moments to look at your future, imagine that you are already there, what is it like? What people accompany you? How do you organize your time? Who takes care of your child? for how long? What happens if you are successful? What does he do when he is? Give yourself permission to dream and clarify, and ask yourself what you really want for yourself.
And with these bases we will be ready to give shape to our dreams. In this space it will be a pleasure to accompany you in the various stages and processes of undertaking as a mother.
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/371376