Last winter, cooped up in the house I decided: I need more space. With summer here and life expanding outside to the yard and camps and the beach . . . I still need space.
Physical space.
Mental space.
White space on my calendar.
Space isn’t just about a bigger house or decluttering (though decluttering helps a lot with the mental space). Space is an openness in your life. Space is where magic happens.
As a mama CEO, it’s hard to take space. Your kids need you. Your business needs you. But, honestly, you need space just as much.
Fun Ways to Make Space This Summer
One way to make space is to make things easier. When you save time and aggravation, you create space for something else. These are some of the tools I’m using this summer to add some space and creativity into my summer:
- Style with Ease—With the Effortless Style Kit, I feel great—and I don’t have to wonder and figure out what to wear. It even made shopping easier.
- No Thought Meals—Before you through another batch of hot dogs on the grill because you are too tired and hot to think about what’s for dinner, try these meal plans. Seasonal and so yummy!
- On the Road Fun—If part of your space this summer involves traveling with kids, you need these travel packs. (Check out the other awesome Curiosity Packs while you are there.)
- Gifting Made Easy—No more running to the mall for a last minute gift. Joyfully Boxed can deliver right to the recipient. Or treat yourself and regift part of your subscription box if can part with anything).
- Keep Kids Happy—Stop wasting time on Pinterest looking for the perfect craft to keep your kids busy and skip the errand to the craft store to get supplies (look at all the space you made for fun right there). Creigh-ations Summer Kits provide everything you need for fun projects with little ones.
My mantra this summer: Create ease to create space.
My “Why” for a Summer Space Break
Beyond more ease, I’m taking time off to create more space in my summer. You won’t hear from me for two weeks while I take a break from my business. Space away from the constant effort to produce leaves room to reflect (what’s working? where am I really heading?) and create.
But here’s the thing: Reflecting and creating shouldn’t fill the space. They kind of breathe into the space. In other words, I’m not planning on sitting down at my favorite coffee shop to debrief on the last two quarters or scheduling a get it done challenge for myself. I might make some time to work on an ebook though (more on that when I get back), because it’s a project I can have fun with while taking some down time.
Taking a break took a little planning. Good thing I love planning. Ready to plan your own break? Try these tips for taking a break from your business.
How to Make Space in a Mama CEO Schedule
Vacation is part of the space I need. But whether it’s a two-week vacation or every Friday off or a extra long lunch to yourself every day, build more white space in your calendar. Here are 3 of favorite ways to create more space in your schedule on a regular basis:
- Systematize—Stop recreating the wheel ALL.THE.TIME. Systems help you save thought time. They also make it easier to automate or outsource.
- Outsource—You don’t have to do it all yourself. By letting go of tasks you dislike, aren’t good at, or take too long, you create more time and space. (Now how are you going to use that time?)
- Plan out the Next 90 Days—Having a focused mid-term plan helps you stay focused on the big goals and helps you say No to things that don’t move you toward those goals. Your plan saves time spent wondering what to do next or scrambling to get something done last minute because it slipped through the cracks. And in your plan you can build in this white space that we’re talking about. Seriously plan a vacation or a regular Monday meeting (with yourself). To help you set up a plan that gives you space and moves your business forward, get Your Next 90 Days, a self-paced workshop with planning and actions sheets to get you set up for a productive (and spacious) quarter.
So build some ease into your summer and really look what you can do in your business (or home life) to make more space. It sounds counterintuitive, but more space can really mean more productivity.
How are you creating space in your life this summer? I’d love to know in comments!
