Having a child and starting a business are very similar. No matter how well researched you are beforehand, no matter how much practice you have helping someone else with theirs, you’re never truly prepared for either one…but you can’t let that stop you.

Experience is the best teacher, and while it’s certainly important to know what you’re getting yourself into, you’re still going to learn the most in the moment. Everyone will be showering you with advice, giving you tips and tricks they picked up during their own time raising a child or running a business, but it will only be so helpful. All those things they learned were specific to their situation, so while they may give you some inspiration or direction, the only way you’ll learn what works for you is by finding it out for yourself.

Not every woman who has a child will also run a business, and not every businesswoman will have children, nor should they have to if that is not what they wish to do with their lives. However, those that do pursue both ventures may find that the lessons they discover in one area can be surprisingly applicable to the other.

I’ve previously blogged about how to effectively work while pregnant, and on the difficulties of returning to work after giving birth, and even touched on balancing a career with a child as well. Today I’d like to expand on that last one, so here are three more useful tips for finding a balance between your personal and professional responsibilities.

Mind your Patience

Even the best laid plans can go astray, and more often than not, they will. Laying out an efficient schedule is all well and good, but there will be times where things just don’t work out they way you wanted them to. Perhaps the file for the presentation you’re supposed to give is corrupted, or maybe your child is throwing a tantrum and refuses to calm down. These obstacles may slow you down, but they don’t have to stop you from accomplishing what needs to be done.

Being able to come up with creative solutions as they’re needed is an essential skill for any parent or entrepreneur, but cooking up these ideas usually requires you to remain calm and collected, even as the circumstances that caused such issues continue to demand attention. 

This is where having patience pays off.

Acknowledging that a situation is stressful is perfectly logical, but your reactions to them will determine whether they get under control or out of hand. Take a deep breath, keep your head on your shoulders, and you be able to accurately assess your options. Not only will you be able to derive a remedy to the situation, in some cases, the situation may resolve itself. 

Know when to Sit Down

You kept yourself in check and put a solution into place, well done. You made the best of what you had and have a clear view of what needs to be done next, excellent work. You overcame your obstacles, but exhausted yourself in the process, what now?

There’s still so much more to do and so little time to do it. You’d kick yourself for letting even a moment go to waste, but you’re not even sure you’d have the energy to try in the first place. You’re sure if you just keep trying, just keep pushing, you’ll be able to make it through to the end of the day. Well, I’m sure that if you don’t listen to your body, it’s going to break down on you, and you’ll be even more upset when you’re stuck in bed or at the hospital instead of out getting things done.

Think of it like making an investment, taking a short-term loss to yield a long-term gain. If you can’t afford to devote a large chunk at once, take a series of short breaks throughout the day. Seize whatever downtime you can when it presents itself, as this will help keep you refreshed for when unforeseen problems rear their ugly heads.

Know when to Stand Firm

Some challenges simply can’t be worked around, some obstacles need to be faced head on. These are often difficult, as they require courage and determination to overcome, which isn’t easy to summon with the knowledge of how costly failing to do so is clawing at your heart.

It can be tempting to give up without a fight in these instances, almost seeming logical to accept a certain amount of defeat and save your strength for other battles later down the line. Judging whether or not a fight will be worthwhile is a valuable skill, but when it becomes clear that action is required, you must have the will to act.

You don’t need to be overly aggressive, indeed, pushing too hard usually incites pushback. However, you can’t allow others, be they your coworkers or your children, to blatantly break rules. If you hold a position of authority over them, keep calm as you inform them of their transgressions. While you should see to it that rules are enforced, you must also be willing to examine the rules themselves, and accept when those very rules might be the problem. Listen to what others have to say about why they acted the way they did, and if they bring up worthwhile points against the restrictions in place, use your authority to amend them. Taking their opinions seriously will help earn their loyalty and cement your command, factors that will ideally lead to less rule breaking in the future.

I hope these tips serve you well. If I come up with any more, I’ll be sure to share them with you in another blog.