Moms Can Have It All - They Just Can't Do It All

I'll tell you right now that you'll never get it all done. Your inbox will always have emails, you'll always have dirty clothes to wash and your nightstand will always contain unread books.

I'm not trying to depress you: I say this only to make you realize an inevitable truth -- a truth that's in direct conflict with my belief that having finished tasks in your life gives you peace and happiness.

How many times do you tackle your emails from newest to oldest? Do you go through your to-do list from top to bottom? Do you answer the phone because it rings and do the laundry because the hamper's full? This is true for almost everyone. The mom entrepreneur is juggling raising a family and a business, and she's usually overwhelmed.

The mom entrepreneur needs to work smarter. It's not enough to get things done. You need to get the right things done. A very small part of what you do will have a profound impact on your family or your business. So take an inventory of everything that needs to get done and commit each day to completing the big things (often the hard things) that will make a huge impact.

Instead of just tackling each workday as one large block of time, divide it into different types of work. Schedule a bit of time for phone calls, a bit of time for emails and a big chunk of time to get projects done.

Beware, though: When weighing the value of items, the big projects will always seem more important than doing your child's scrapbook or getting in a workout. You need some perspective. Take out a sheet of paper and create three boxes that represent the most important parts of your life. I suggest the following: