dreami.io

Ashima·Nov 18·4 replies

First time founder here, and I feel like I'm jumping into the deep end! I had some extra time the last few months so decided to finally pursue building an idea of mine on the side. I went on a backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada over the summer, and the realization hit me that I may never get the time, ability and idea simultaneously. So I started to flesh out the idea more, do research and map out the strategy. Now that I am at the MVP stage, I feel energized, inspired, overwhelmed and riddled with imposter syndrome all at once. Managing that with my current workload has been a wonderful juggling challenge as well. I know I am not the only one, so I plan on making YouTube videos vlogging my days even when there are downs. I'd love to hear advice from those who did the side-startup gig for a while to understand how you managed your time, priorities and mental health. Plus if anyone is interested in providing feedback, I'm all ears! Thanks!

KelliAnderson·Nov 19·1 reply

Hi Ashima! I love this...well done. I think we should talk. I’m a career and mindset coach and the founder of Mindset Mamas (https://www.mindsetmamas.com). I think their could be a potential partnership and I have some ideas to keep you sane while trying to manage everything at once! Feel free to reach out to me at kelli@mindsetmamas.com.

Ashima·Nov 19

Thanks! I'll reach out :)

sararachel·Nov 19·1 reply

Hi Ashima! I can’t tell you how relatable the “I feel energized, inspired, overwhelmed and riddled with imposter syndrome all at once” statement is. You sound like a true entrepreneur :) First off, congrats on taking the leap to pursue your idea. That’s huge. Here are a few tips that may be helpful in terms of managing time and mental health as you balance between life, work, startup, and all the other stuff in between:- Assess how much time per week you realistically have to spend and WANT to spend on the startup outside of work, personal life, etc. How many hours is this per week? Per day? Schedule those hours into your calendar to keep you clear and accountable. Ex) Maybe you feel good with 15 hours a week to dedicate to the startup so its a 1 hour block before work and 1 hour block after work for weekdays, with a 5 hour block on a Sunday. - Once you have the hours per week and day that feels realistic for you to dedicate to the startup without feeling overwhelmed (you may have to experiment to see what number actually works for your mind and body vs what you wish you could do), and ask yourself "What would be the best use of my limited time to get ______ result within the next _____ months?" in addition to "Is there anything I can do during work hours that would benefit both my company and my startup?" For example, what new connections could you make or projects could you get involved with at work that would benefit your growth as both an employee now and an entrepreneur when you decide to make the leap?- For mental health, so often we think caring for ourselves means taking lots of hours or a full day to unwind, which many of us don't have the bandwidth for. But the good new is there are SO many small ways to care for ourselves throughout the day to improve mental health and quality of life. Some examples include taking a 10 minute walk outside when you feel restless, lighting a candle and enjoying a cup of tea to start your morning, full out dancing to your favorite jam when you feel stressed, brain-dumping all your thoughts into a journal for 5 minutes to clear them out of your head when feeling overwhelmed, spritzing your favorite smell into the room (for me it's lavender) and SO many more. One of my favorites to do when I catch imposter syndrome creeping up is taking 3 intentional, slow deep breaths (takes 15 seconds) and ending with the motto "I can do hard things, and still be ok" or even "you got this girl!" The words we say and things we do for ourselves throughout the day truly matter.I often coach entrepreneurs and leaders on time management and self care, so if you'd like to chat a little further reach out! sara@relinecoaching.com Good luck - you got this!

Ashima·Nov 20

Thanks for writing up such a thoughtful response! I'd love to reach out and chat further. Thanks!!