Being a Biz-Mum, I’m sure you’d know, makes it incredibly tough to do a ‘9 to 5’ workday!
When I had little kidlets, I used to pray for a Pepper Pig marathon on the TV, when I knew I would get maybe an hour of total, uninterrupted work time! Now with 2 school age kids, I frantically drop them off when the school gates open and hardly have time for a toilet break before the 3pm bell.
As a Biz Mum, it’s vital to be able to switch from ‘Mum mode’ to ‘Business Woman mode’ quickly and easily.
If you’ve got 20 valuable minutes up your sleeve before a child starts yelling for a cheese sandwich, you really don’t want to waste a single second being overrun by fear or doubt about making those sales calls or following up with a client. You need to get in and get dirty immediately, to make the most of the naptime your darlings might be having.
For business sake, I learnt how to quickly switch from Super-Mum to Biz-Mum so I could be at my most productive and get the most out of every Biz-Minute I could find. I have also worked with lots of Biz Mum clients and have taught them, with great success, these same practical techniques.
So, here it goes…
1. Ditch the PJ's
Yes, I know… one of the perks of working from home IS that you can sometimes work in your PJ’s BUT, you need to know two things:
1. Not everyone can do it and still be productive;
and
2. There are times when it really doesn’t serve you to keep those slippers on.
What we wear absolutely does make a difference to how we feel so, if you want to feel like a business woman, then you have to dress like a business woman! If you need to make a super important sales call or negotiate on a contract, then being dressed in clothes that make you feel like you’re in Boss-Mode WILL make a HUGE difference. You’ll FEEL like a Business Woman which will make it easier for you to ACT like a Business Woman.
Now I’m not talking about walking around your house all day in a power suit! (That’s not practical and I’m all about practical!) What I’m talking about is swapping out your comfy flannelette PJ’s & slippers for the one thing that makes you feel like a confident Business-Woman and use this at times when you need a boost.
For me, it’s high heels (of course….have you seen my book cover? *wink) Whenever I am coaching with a client on the phone or about to call a client about a presentation proposal, I ALWAYS wear a pair of my favourite high heels. Actually, I keep a pair of rocking heels permanently under my desk so I can slip my toes in quickly when an important call comes through.
Yup – I’m probably still in my mum clothes… but NOW with my favourite pair of heels on!
Do I look odd? You bet…but who cares! All that matters is that I’ve hurtled straight into biz-mum mode, looking (and feeling) the part. A great high heel will always change my mood AND my mindset instantly!
And if high heels aren’t your thing, then maybe some of these ideas from past clients will help:
I’ve worked with lots of Biz Mums on this and here are a few ideas they have used:
~ Make an official ‘place of work’ in your home. Maybe use a spare bedroom, a corner of the garage or a desk in the hallway. When you’re there, consider yourself ‘at work’.
~ Have a beautiful business-type folder and special pen that you use for your notes and when you are on calls. (Do NOT use this pen to write the grocery list!!
~ Clothes & shoes work for a lot of biz-mum’s. One client was a personal trainer so she had her ‘good Nike’s’ that would help her feel on her game! Another simply applied lipstick! Simple ideas that can make all the difference. Just find your ‘thing’ and embrace it!
2. Stand like Wonder Woman
If you’re an 80’s sort of gal like me, you’ll know what a Wonder Woman stance is. For my younger readers, I’ve included a picture. Yes, research has proved that confident body language has powerful effects on the way you feel and you can consciously use this to your advantage to switch into business woman mode whenever you need to. They call these little gems power poses!
When you stand in a power pose (like the examples below) for 2 minutes, the levels of testosterone and cortisol in your body change, allowing you to feel more confident, powerful and risk-tolerant! How good is that?
Us Biz Mum’s don’t have much time to get things done, so it’s perfect that 2 minutes really is all it takes to get those good hormones flowing. I use this trick ALL the time and it’s especially useful in the toilets right before I go on stage to do a presentation. It works, I promise!
You can read more about power poses and watch the TED Talk about it here.
3. Pump your theme song
And while we’re on the topic of good hormones, studies show that our dopamine rises when we listen to our favourite music, so learn to use this to your advantage too. In my book PUMPED, I talk about my long-term use of theme songs as a confidence technique AND it works great in business too.
Firstly, you need to find a theme song that really speaks to you. You know that song that makes your eyes lift towards the sky, your chest rise and which gives you that fantastic feeling of optimism about the future? That song that puts a rise in your spirit gets you back on track with your business ‘why’ quickly.
Well, THAT’S the song you need to play in the car on the way home from school drop off to instantly give you that kick in the butt you need to switch out of mum-mode and into business-woman mode in a snap!
If you don’t have a theme song or don’t know where to start then we’ve got you covered.
Read our article called 100+ Songs to Change Your Mood and you’ll find a Spotify playlist ready to go.
4. Don't think - Just DO!
Most women are serial over-thinkers and it really doesn’t serve us on most occasions. Sometimes we ‘think’ that if we WORK on something more, THINK about something more or FOCUS on something more, then we’ll get ‘better’ answers or a ‘better’ outcome. This is often NOT the case as our over-thinking gets us bogged down in the details and we loose perspective.
ACTION is the ONLY thing that makes everything happen so focus on being ‘in action’ when you steal those valuable biz-mum minutes. Don’t read another blog, don’t wait until it’s perfect and don’t gather more info – JUST START!!
Working one-on-one with clients, I see this all the time! I would confidently say that 98% of my coaching clients already have everything they need to achieve their goal when they come to coaching…it’s the ‘moving into action’ part of the process that makes the difference.
So, now you know exactly how to switch from Super-Mum to Biz-Mum quickly and easily!
Simply Power Pose, in your favourite high heels while your theme song pumps through your headphones and, before the end of the Pepper Pig introduction, you’ll be ready to kick into action and take over the world!
BE a SUPER-Biz Mum!
