Juggling--in the Most Effective Way

 To take on a new venture--and be oh-so-committed to it requires the loss of previous endeavors. The beauty of entrepreneurship is that your'e taking something you're passionate about--something you love so much you could get lost for hours doing it--and making it the center of your life. But wait, it CAN'T be your central focus, because there are more important priorities. And here we find ourselves facing the dilemma of how to juggle life as an entrepreneur.

Step 1 Identify Your Largest Stones If you remember the analogy of big stones and little stones, you'll realize that the first step is to identify the most important roles in your life. God, family... 

Step 2 Place the Large Stones in Your Jar First As an entrepreneur, you must be intentional about choosing when and how you will dedicate time to your top priorities--before filling the rest with you business. One father gave the example of committing to be at dinner with his family at 7:00 every single night. If he had more work to do afterward, he worked late into the night. But he always kept that commitment to his family. Every morning, after breakfast, I meet my two youngest daughter in my bedroom to brush and style their hair. It requires me to stop what I'm doing and connect with them on their level. They sit in my lap and snuggle and tell me how they'd like their hair braided that day. Having that personal connection early in the day, gives them the needed attention to enjoy the adventures of their day knowing they have my love and support. 

Step 3 Fill in the Remaining Space Until Your Life is Full Once you have carved out specific times in your schedule for the things that matter most, you can fill the cracks in with things that matter moderately, and things that matter less. Eventually, you will run out of space for the things you used to fill your free time with. This means letting go of some of your previous hobbies and habits. And that's okay. You are giving up some things that matter less so you can focus on the things that matter most.