Oops! I Did it Again! (That ol' Home Business Stress) by Donna Schwartz Mills

I've had a busy couple of weeks. I updated my website,

designed one for a client, began work on another site of my

own, edited an eBook, launched a chapter of a local Moms

group, put together an article syndicate... and came down

with the flu.

Once again, I tried to cram too many projects into too

little time. I skipped meals, slept poorly and paid the

price with three days in bed. At my age, you would think I'd

know better.

And I do know better. Back in the bad old days when I was

an employee, I was able to pace myself. There were others

with whom I could share tasks. There were scheduled lunch

breaks. There was that guaranteed weekly paycheck. Sometimes

it sounds like heaven on earth.

But in actuality, my old job was a long way from Eden,

especially after my daughter was born. I spent my days

obsessed with time -- mentally calculating the point when

the L.A. traffic would make it impossible to get from the

office to our daycare provider before closing. And all the

while, what I really longed to do was be at home and watch

my little girl grow.

The idea of working at home was very appealing, if only for

the stress relief.

Two years later, I have a growing home business -- but

surprise! I'm still playing Beat the Clock - only now

running against Megan's preschool schedule... and I'm just

as stressed now as I was then.

"How can that be?" asks my incredulous husband.

For one thing, it's a different kind of stress.

Experts list money problems and uncertainty among the things

that cause anxiety in people, and if you really need to net

x-amount of dollars from your home business, you can expect

to experience both. Losing the comfort of that weekly

paycheck is a major reason more people don't choose to be

entrepreneurs, and I can assure you they have a point. I

begin each month by staring at my revenue spreadsheet,

wondering if this will be the one when nothing comes in.

Then, when I've made some entries and it starts looking

sort of good, I worry that the pace won't keep up -- or that

the next month will be a dud.

However, as nerve-wracking as that can be, if you feel

trapped in a situation you hate (as I was in my former job),

feelings of helplessness can set in... and that's not only

stressful, but can plummet you into depression.

Go to Page 2

BIO:

Donna Schwartz Mills writes about the specific needs of
work at home parents at her website, The ParentPreneur Club
"For Parents Who Want Choices, Not Office Politics." The
latest news, tips, and tools you need to help grow your home
based business while raising a family.
< http://www.parentpreneurclub.com >
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter:
< mailto:subscribe@parentpreneurclub.com >

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