Getting Support from Family & Friends

Often times as we progress in business and life, we find what we truly want to do. Once we have that goal in mind, we start along a trajectory… We’re focused, driven and on a mission…

But sometimes those around us aren’t on the same bus! That includes those that live in our homes too!

Without having the ones we care about the most “on our side”, getting BIG results will be much harder.

Look. I sure do NOT get to live the life I want and the time to devote to my business without the support of all those around me. But things weren’t always this way and at times we still have relapses. A relapse for me generally looks like some frantic woman running around the house chasing after dirty dish creators and failed room inspections …even the cat gets told to be cleaner with his litter box!

If you’re anything like me, it’s seriously more complicated to stay focused on anything when chaos is all around you. Sometimes that’s your desk, closets busting at the seams, dirty dishes on every surface of the home, dirty laundry that somehow makes it ever so close but not IN the basket (how does that even happen?? Seriously!! It’s like an invisible force field that prevents things making it IN!)

The Weekly Family Meeting:

This happens on Sunday at dinner in our home. We take down the calendar, (you can get all the deets here about how we function with a paper calendar in the house) review what is planned for the week and firm up any details like: who’s getting Jack to gymnastics, or who will be picking up Colby from camp, do we have the birthday gifts purchased for the upcoming party… I’m sure you get the picture.

The Family Responsibilities:

I have my home set up with lots of routines and systems. Everything from how we grocery shop, to meal planning to doing chores. I will not lie and say this works ALLLL the time, but anything you can do to systematize the way things get done puts you ahead of the game.

Each family member has a list of their own responsibilities. That includes the 8 year old as well. Some parents will tell me “they’re just kids…I can make the beds”. Ok, you keep doing that. Having our children be responsible for certain tasks in the home is essential to their learning life skills.

You can even start teaching the 1 year old how to throw their dirty diaper in the trash… (at that age they think it’s a game!)

So pull the family together, sit down, each of you with paper in hand. Call out the chores that need to get done, and let them choose… giving them a choice goes a long way. Or you can get one of those fancy pre-made chore charts. Whatever works for you. Just learn to use the man power around you.

These are the things my family are responsible for:

• all clothes must be right side or they don’t get washed
• loading and unloading dish washer
• feeding the cat
• changing and cleaning litter box
• making their beds
• putting away their clean clothes
• pulling trash and taking to the curb
• putting away groceries in the fridge and pantry
• stocking bathrooms with TP
• putting all their things away
• husband helps with grocery shopping, all things sports related, laundry, outside maintenance, grilling, ironing (trust me, I’ll burn myself)
• we recently taught the 13 yr old how to do his own laundry!
• Plus much more

The Morning Report:

This is a brief version of the weekly meeting. During the school year we often do this “review” in the evening, before everyone goes to bed, this way everyone understands and is on board with the next day’s expectations. But during the summer, we call it morning report. (For any of you out there who saw Lion King, you get it!)

This is the time we will just review the plan for the day and make sure everyone knows where they have to be at what time, when they need to be ready for XYZ activity and what mom and dad’s schedule look like for the rest of the day.

With a plan, they all know what to expect. If you are working on some big important project and require very quiet time throughout the day or an important business call, this is the time to let everyone know, then when that “time” comes, give them a reminder 15 minutes ahead of time.

Here’s a funny story I would like to share about how my KIDS totally shocked me:

Back in April I held my second online webinar. It was titled: Ninja networking: The No BS Way to Maximize Your Efforts in Half the Time

The webinar was my story of how I started using networking to build my business form the ground up. I gave everyone the step by step way I continue to grow a rock solid business based on a foundation of relationship building. If you want, you can still get in and listen too. I have it linked so that you can get immediate access. If you want, just click this link:

Ninja networking: The No BS Way to Maximize Your Efforts in Half the Time

Anyway, back to my story…

So I had planned and prepped for this webinar for months!! And I mean months!! (Fear of not being good enough and they won’t like it pretty much kept me frozen for months; I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about) anyyyyyway…

I planned the Big day, sent out all the invitations, had dozens of people register and BAMM, school changed the kid’s calendar because of snow days (you remember the Winter from hell?) and guess what day it was scheduled for!!?? Yup, the day I scheduled my big live webinar.

Webinar scheduled for 12:30 kids out of school for ½ day at noon. What was an entrepreneurial Mom to do?

Well, I used those exact strategies as I listed above… Kids were told the week, night before and morning of exactly how the day was gonna pan out. They decided in advance what they would want for lunch, I would set up everything before they got off the bus, grabbed them, hugged them lots and lots and they knew from 12:25 -2:15 I could NOT be interrupted or disturbed and that they couldn’t ask to go to so and so’s house.

I was prepped, they were prepped and what they did next brought tears to my eyes. Because they KNEW how hard I had worked and this was their way of supporting Mommy… They made this sign, and posted it on the front door so that none of their other ½ day friends would knock during my presentation.

The moral of this story… if they are prepped and you explain to them what Big thing you’re working on, even the “littles” can help support your big dreams. ☺

By the way, if you are interested in learning the step by step strategies to effective networking, make sure you get immediate access to our class. You can get all the info right here:

Ninja networking: The No BS Way to Maximize Your Efforts in Half the Time

Until next time… Big hugs XO

This week think about how you can get more support from those that live around you…

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