The biggest challenge I ran into when I started my business was learning to balance time and putting a system in place.
I started my business, Anointed Assistant, when my son was three months old and my daughter was five. It was also hurricane season, and Hurricane Katrina hit my area hard when I was working on getting my business off the ground. As a result, we had no electricity for days, and we had to travel to another city to get water. My family and I slept at family members' houses during the evening, and during the day I kept my children cool by sitting in the car. My husband and I purchased a car adaptor that allowed me to sit in the car and charge my computer, and I was using my hotspot on my phone to work.
Every time I hit a bump, I overcame it by slowing down, breathing, and analyzing where I currently was and where I needed to be. I considered the circumstances I was in and how that affected everyone involved. By overcoming those challenges, I showed myself that by keeping my mind clear and staying calm, I could figure out how to get things to work out in any situation.
By overcoming those challenges, I showed myself that by keeping my mind clear and staying calm, I could figure out how to get things in any situation.
A time that I was a Determin8tor in my business and didn't give up was when my son was a toddler and he was sitting on my lap while I was working. I had a pen between the bezel and the keyboard that I was using to take notes for the task that I was working on. My son reached out and slammed my laptop shut. When I opened my laptop back up, my screen had cracked entirely and I could not see anything. I stopped, stepped away from my laptop, and tried to think of solutions I could come up with to continue working. After a few hours, I figured out how to hook my laptop up to the television, and I could continue my work. I wanted to give up because I didn't know of any other way to finish what I was working on without being able to see it on the laptop screen. I didn't have the funds to invest in a new laptop then, and a client was counting on me to complete the task I was working on. Once I figured out how to connect my laptop to the television, I got right back to work, and completed the task that I was originally working on.
My son reached out and slammed my laptop shut. When I opened my laptop back up, my screen had cracked entirely and I could not see anything.
There are always opportunities to Slay the Nay because I'm a business owner. It can range from the internet going out for a few hours to a storm knocking the electricity out for days. It can be a virus that attacks the computer or my laptop runs out of memory resulting in the loss of a video. All of these have happened to me. Not to mention, losing my biggest client due to the economy and was unable to get a new client to replace him before it was time for my financial responsibilities.
Being able to control my thoughts to the point of not accepting the negative ones can be difficult when challenges arise because I need to provide for my family. But I know it doesn't mean something can't be done just because it is difficult. I used to allow myself to stress through the moments, but I noticed that I was only wasting my time during those moments. I had to learn to dismiss the stress and calmly think through the situation to figure out a solution. At times, it feels like I am fighting against myself.
I had to learn to dismiss the stress and calmly think through the situation to figure out a solution. At times, it feels like I am fighting against myself.
Negative comments have been said to me about myself, some have questioned my abilities and, as a result, had me questioning them. I've even been told that my valid reasons for a situation occurring, were excuses, and I needed to rethink who I was and become accountable. I overcame these stepping stones by realizing that I am not perfect. I will make mistakes, as all humans do. I have also learned that no one will understand how I feel about a situation unless they have experienced it firsthand themselves. However, their perspective can still be completely different than mine, and it's unfair for me to expect them to see things from my viewpoint. Learning to accept people and their opinions for what they are and not allow them to offend me or stop me from growing is how I have and will continue to overcome and continue to Slay the Nay in business.
Negative comments have been said to me about myself, some have questioned my abilities and, as a result, had me questioning them
I firmly believe in not sharing my goals until they have happened. However, I will say that one is to be able to help other moms. There are a many moms who want to be moms and focus on their families while being able to support them at the same time. Balancing family and work is a goal most women have. Going out to work and clocking in 9-5 is not for everybody, but many moms are not sure how to work on their own. I want to let these individuals know that it is possible but it requires a lot of work emotionally, mentally, and physically. Sacrifices must be made to focus on work during the time that you have and focus on family when it's time. It's also important to learn how to mix the two together to create balance.
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