April 20, 2017
Hello, where have you been may be the question you’ve been asking about me lately?! I went a little MIA for a while via social media, intentionally. It’s called, the balancing act of of owning my own buisness and my life! I was so engulfed in a project for quite some time, it was time to step away and instead of taking an actual vacation, it was time to vacate my life via social media.
Doing the whole “Entrepreneurial thing”, isn’t a joke people! Do I have it figured out?! Heck no. Honestly, I constantly struggle with finding balance in my personal life between the busyness of our industry, being a wife, and trying to keep God at the forefront. Honestly is the best policy right?! I mean I’ve come along way, but its always a work in progress.
I really wished I had juggling my personal life with business figured out down to a science, but NOPE, I’m human like the rest of you. It’s a day to day learning curve, and prayer by prayer (that was supposed to be a pun to “Play by Play” ) if you are just catching on, kind of thing.
You don’t get into business with the idea, that it may overtake your life from time to time, but some where along the way, it’s can happen and probably will happen.
What I have learned is when your mind + body are telling you to Stop and slow down, you slow down, but more importantly when God is telling you to STOP, AND TAKE A BREAK, you just do,right?! or if you’re like me the stubbornness kicks in and you procrastinate until he nudges you a little longer…with words he’s whispering, “Be still and know.” {Psalms 46:10}
So let me circle back to, where have I been? Quite honestly, right before Easter, I felt God just tugging at me saying, shut social media down and step away for a while, to focus on ME (meaning HIM) and your hubby. (WHAT WHAT?! ) Yes, since November of last year, I had been diligently focused on an elaborate modern tuscany wedding design, the most in depth designed wedding we’ve done to date(we just executed the wedding, it was, April 8th, just to give you an idea it TOOK 2 weeks to set it up!!!) I spent alot of extra hours working until the wee hours of the morning, and boy my husband (well, I couldn’t have been blessed with a better one) he’s had his fair share of ham sandwiches, breakfast for dinner, and “one-pot wonders” or that’s what we call them……..LOL! One pot wonders, are throw everything in a pan, and roast it! My husband calls me the roasting queen (because roasting veggies is the quickest thing in the kitchen, takes the least amount of effort and taste the best.)
But in all honesty, my direct thoughts regarding stepping away were, God “You can’t be Serious, I run a business and businesses thrive on Social Media…. But for 3 straight weeks, my morning instagram was replaced with reading the word and praying. I’ve never felt more at peace, and enjoyed this time of stepping away. I feel rejuvenated, balanced and obedient…and it brought me right back to the reason I started Emily Burton Designs, out of love for design, faith and obedience.
So I want to encourage you today, if you are a new business owner, you will never have it all figured out…it’s a day by day process. What’s important is to take care of yourself, your mind, and body and constantly work on finding balance in your life with business. Remember, you own a business for a reason. Give yourself the permission to step away and decompress on a regular basis.
I’m a firm believer that the world likes to over stimulate us on a constant, and creators and designers need free brain space where they can dream and create! It’s okay to let go, and I may get in the habit of doing it more often. Mmmm “Media Free Mondays” Sounds like a plan!
Here’s a list of things that help me maintain a healthy mind, body and soul and cope with problems that may arise in my personal life and throughout my business.
Tip 1. Start your morning with prayer + meditating on God’s word. It really equips you on how to handle problems that may arise.
Tip 2: Get 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Find your magic number and stick to it! Our bodies recovery period is during the night. (lesson learned folks)
Tip 3. If you say, “YES” to something on your calendar, then that means you MUST say “NO” to something else.
Tip 4. Eating Dinner: During our Peak Season, I order food out ALOT, and we eat on paper plates so there are no dishes to wash.
Tip 5. Keep a cooler while traveling with on the go snacks and water to stay hydrated and keep your blood sugar levels balanced all day.
Tip 6: Employees will come and go. It’s just a fact! Your still an incredible business owner, this has nothing to do with YOU!
Tip 7: Take regular vacations, especially if you are a Designer or Creator of any sorts. This fuels your creativity for your next projects.
Tip 8: Reward yourself if you achieve a goal you’ve been working towards, this gives you motivation to reach another goal on the books!
Tip 9: Set specific days a week and times you will and won’t do something. For Example: Schedule Conference Calls only on Tuesdays + Thursdays during a certain time block.
Tip 10: If you work from home, it’s important that you still schedule a lunch break or a time out for yourself. This gives you a different perspective and allows you to feel more energized throughout the rest of your day!
Tip 11: Be kind to yourself, the world is cruel enough. Practice positive self talk. Practicing self talk can be a combination of bible verses, inspirational quotes, poems, or videos that you do on a daily basis.
I hope this blog encourages you! You’ve got this!!! Leaving you with my new favorite verse, one I kept repeating since “still” really isn’t part of my vocabulary. ” The Lord will fight for you, you only need to be still.” Exodus 14:14
Just remember, balance is key. Do you have any special things you do to stay balanced? What tips as an entrepreneur do you incorporate on a day to day basis that helps you stay in balance?
xo,
Emily
COPYRIGHT 2024 EMILY BURTON DESIGNS
Be the first to comment