Wondering how to balance your life and business as a woman? These 10 non-negotiables have helped me balance a thriving business with raising 4 kids!
“That is it. I have had it.”
Have you ever been there in your life? Oh boy, let me tell you what, being a mom of four and a wife of 28 years, I will tell you there has been times that I’ve come to the point where I’m like I said, “I’ve had it.” Today I’m going to share with you my non-negotiables in my life.
These are things that I don’t necessarily have written down, but they’re right up here in my brain, because these are things that I am not willing to budge on, when it comes to my life and people in my life and people that come into my home and things like that. So I’m excited to share these with you.
My Faith
I will tell you right now, for me, life has ha some major ups and downs. And that’s part of the journey.
Well, for me, the number one thing that has kept me on track, and kept me sane is my faith in God. He’s never failed me. He’s never left me. He’s never forsaken me. So my faith is number one in my life.
And that’s a non negotiable for me. I won’t give it up for anyone or anything, not even my kids.
Family Time
For those who know me really well. Family is so important with for me, I grew up in a family of four children. And I have four kids myself, and family time to me is my time where I can just get recharged. And I love it.
Matter of fact, I have some that are still in the house and some that have moved out. Recently I said, “You know what, I’m gonna start making it mandatory that Sunday’s are family time again. So y’all need to be showing up on Sundays.”
Family is very important to me, we do a lot of games, we play cards, we play stuff outside. My kids love to go to the beach.
No Phones at the Table
This is a biggie for me, but might not be for you. But for me, the rule is no phones at the dinner table. It’s just so sad when we’ve gone out to dinner or other places in life to see an entire family sitting there and their children and the parents are on their phones the whole time.
And to me that’s just so sad that they’re not taking that time to connect with their children and the parents aren’t taking time to connect with each other.
So my number one rule in the house is no phones at the table. I won’t allow it that in from the adults. And my kids know that that’s just my my role.
Be Grateful
It’s so important to be grateful every single day. There’s always something for you to be grateful for. Even in the trials in our lives, there’s always something to be grateful for.
I’m big on journaling. So write it down, keep track of it daily. If you can’t do it every day, write it weekly or monthly. But you know, if you get into monthly then sometimes it’s too long that you can’t remember it.
Respect Our Elders
In today’s society, my kids generation (my kids are ages 19 through 25 right now) unfortunately I see a lot of kids, that generation and even older, like my age, that don’t respect our elders.
Let me tell you what, you’re going to be there someday, right? You’re going to be there. So teach your children through your actions and the things that you say to respect your elders. Because you’re going to be there someday, and you’re going to want your kids to respect you.
Respect can be shown in the little things like holding the door open for somebody or letting somebody walk in front of you. Speaking respectfully to somebody, listening when they’re talking to you, and getting off your phone are so important to showing respect.
These are things that I’ve taught my kids to respect elders, and other people have noticed that in them.
Welcome the Role God Has Given You
I believe that men and women have specific and unique roles that God has given us. And unfortunately, we live in a society now where those lines have been tried to be blurred. I don’t believe that that is right.
I believe that God has given men physical strength that women don’t have. I believe that God has given women a nurturing spirit and heart to nurture our children and to be a mom.
And so we need to welcome those roles and love those roles. God is unique in how He created us, and He’s not wrong. What are the specific and unique roles that you think God has given to each of us? That’s a whole other topic I could do right there. I’ll stop on that.
Always Bring a Hostess Gift
This is something that I’ve taught my kids from the time they were little, if we’re going to an event or a party or whatever, I always take a hostess gift. It might be a bottle of wine, it might be some flowers, or it might be some chocolates in a card.
And this is one of the things that my kids are getting to be well known for now. When they get invited somewhere, they will take something. I always have the philosophy have never go empty handed. If you get invited somewhere never go empty handed.
Write Thank You Notes
This is another biggie for me is writing thank you notes. If you got invited somewhere, or if somebody gave you a gift, write a thank you note to that person. This is kind of a lost art. And it’s something that I don’t know if anybody really taught it to me, but I always do this. I make my kids do this.
For instance, we got we got tickets to a Padres game recently from a very generous woman that I know. And I made all my kids sign thank you card that I put with the gift that we gave her afterwards. And they they have come to know that mama always has a thank you card for them to sign or a thinking of you or get well or whatever the card may be. But a thank you card is a big one.
Set very clear, healthy boundaries
This is a big one for women. And I know that this is for men sometimes too. But this is a very big one for women. You need to set very clear healthy boundaries in your life of what you will and will not allow.
If you need some help on that there’s a great book that you can buy called Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend. They have several other books that are written but I recommend the Boundaries book to start. Read through that and maybe see where you’re not allowing those boundaries in your life and you’re allowing too much that shouldn’t be okay.
Always give a hug and say I love you
You never ever know when it’s going to be the last time that you’re going to see a person in your life. It could be a spouse, a child, a family member, or a friend. Always hug people and tell them “I love you.” This is a big one for me.
My kids know this about me. Every single day I have to hug them and tell them I love them. It’s just how I am. And I have gotten more into that with other people as well. Friends, other family, even people I know in business, I will give them a hug. Not always do I say “I love you” because might not be an appropriate time, but hugging is so important.
I would love to hear what your non negotiables are in life. It’s kind of cool to see what other people think about, you know what their non negotiables are what they will give up. So those are mine. I hope that helped you out and I look forward to seeing you next time. Be blessed.
