I went to a business retreat, but the biggest lesson came from my kid!
Last week, I had the honor of attending an amazing Mastermind Retreat with 20+ other entrepreneurs in sunny Cancún, México. Not only was it an amazing opportunity to network and learn, but also an awesome chance for a little ‘me-time’, something we mamas certainly don’t get enough of.
I slept IN MY OWN BED.
I woke up without an alarm.
I ate chocolate cake at midnight.
I went on a YACHT y’all!
It was a dream come true in every sense of the word.
Ironically though, despite the meetings, activities, and events that took place during our retreat, the biggest and most poignant lesson came from my daughter…who was at home with dad and the brothers.
See, the whole time I was away, dad was holding down the fort, getting the kids ready for school and taking my daughter to her ballet rehearsals. Upon my return, I went to assist my daughter with her ballet tights and leotard, only to be turned away.
“I can do it myself, mommy,” her sweet voice cooed.
“Really?” I asked incredulously because the girl has been in ballet on and off for three years now and each and every time she’s needed assistance.
But low and behold, big girl dun got her own tights, leotard, and skirt on with no help from me.
I felt a mixture of happiness and also sadness. Like they say, kids grow up so fast! It was like I took a little time away and all the sudden, she doesn’t need me anymore.
On the other side of that, however, is the fact that getting her dressed for ballet is now ONE LESS thing I have to do. Something that should certainly be celebrated!
I know many of us moms take on the world.
We are the keepers of all the information.
The doers of all the tasks.
The makers of all the things.
I call it Superwoman Syndrome. We totally CAN do and be all the things to all the people, but we don’t HAVE to be. We can delegate. We can teach and encourage independence. We should pass the baton on to others when we can.
Why?
To avoid burnout. To get more done. To reduce overwhelm.
Her now being able to dress herself frees me up to help my sons with their needs, to accomplish other tasks, or in the case of yesterday, I gained some free time to get myself ready to go exercise. Her newfound independence has served two purposes. 1) She feels accomplished and 2) I now have 3 minutes of time to mahself. #winning
If you’re a mom suffering from Superwoman Syndrome, let me tell you, once you start to peel those layers back and the cape shrugs slightly off your shoulders, it feels good! That one little to-do list item has now been forever checked off on my list and it has given me a renewed sense of hope. It’s that serious!
I laugh that the biggest takeaway from my week-long business mastermind is to delegate and encourage independence, but it’s true. And it’s a lesson worth its weight in gold because I know this reminder will serve me (my business and my sanity) in the long-run. So, yea, business trip was TOTALLY worth it!
Y’all, I’m excited to be back in the writing saddle, hanging with all my amazing mama-friends once again. Can you believe my last post was back in August? August 2017! Sheesh! But it feels so good to be back home with all of you. Follow me here on the blog and of course on Facebook (my second home) at Gabriella M. Lindsay – The Slay At Home Mom.