Come on, put on that Heather Small song to set the mood while reading this column about finding business inspiration as a mompreneur. I was struck with the following advice during my usual morning run, shadowing my son as he rode his bike to school. As I was returning home, I glimpsed a challenging hill I've tackled a few times. But like a horse being drawn back to the stable, I was running toward home thinking of all the e-mails and phone calls that awaited me.
So I asked myself, "What are you going to do today to make you feel proud?" And I turned around and decided to take on that hill. Immediately, I felt proud of myself for deciding to reach beyond my comfort zone. As I climbed that hill, I kept asking myself, "Are this pace and effort something to be proud of?" When they weren't, I reached deep and pushed harder.
In general, my philosophy is to take baby steps each day in all areas of your life, be it parenting, your health, your business or your marriage. If you move a small step forward each day, that's progress. Eventually, you'll get to where you want to go.
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But now I think we should take that one step further. Ask yourself each day, "What have I done today to make me feel proud?" Perhaps you'll clean out your closet and donate clothes to Dress For Success. Maybe you'll leave work early to play on the floor with your kids. You might jump ahead on a project that you've been procrastinating about. If each day we did something to be proud of, that would make a big difference in our lives.
As a mompreneur, there's always too much to do and never enough time to do it. Each day, each week runs into another, and we never seem to get ahead. We feel deflated because we can't do it all. Through my columns, I share various time management tips and ways to get more done.
However, I think this particular exercise might bring you the most powerful results. Success builds on success. Each time you accomplish something, it makes the task a lot easier to do the next time. Each day, do something that makes you feel proud.
Lisa Druxman is Entrepreneur.com's "Mompreneur" columnist and the founder and CEO of fitness franchise Stroller Strides. Druxman is also a nationally recognized speaker and author, and is considered an expert in the field of fitness, particularly pre- and postnatal fitness. She hosts a free monthly webinar during which she answers questions from fellow mompreneurs. If you are interested in participating, contact her at lisa@strollerstrides.com.