Do you have trouble getting away? I have a work at home mom solution to share with you – make sure you have a great team backing you up. As an example, this week I’m at a Mindset Retreat with Fabienne Fredrickson (and 100 others) in Miami, and then heading off to Tucson to work with my Platinum Coaching Group. As a mother of three and a busy entrepreneur, the only way I can get away is by having a terrific team in place.

It takes a lot of planning ahead to get me out the door with the confidence that everything is being taken care of. I delegate my many responsibilities to my team–including my wonderful husband, babysitters, VAs, friends and neighbors–and trust that they’ll keep everything in motion while I’m away. My husband’s got to jump in even more than normal, my babysitter has to manage after-school carpools, homework and dinners, and I’ve got to call in favors from friends and neighbors.

You might be wondering if it’s worth all the effort. I think so. I know deep in my gut that investing in myself and working on my own personal development is key to taking my business and life where I want them to go.  I truly believe you can’t afford NOT to invest in your personal-growth as an entrepreneur and a mother.

There are different ways you can invest in yourself, perhaps you can join a local networking group or take a weekend seminar. Instead of feeling like you have to do everything yourself, take advantage of this work at home mom solution and delegate. Have your team in place, trust that they’re doing their job and then relax and enjoy your time away. Your whole team and family will benefit when you return refreshed and inspired.

Recently I had one of those weeks where nothing seemed to be going right, or at least that’s how it seemed. Because I wasn’t feeling like myself, I chose not to pick up the phone–not wanting to put my negative energy out there. Instead, I spent a few days just responding to emails that came in, reacting to problems that needed to be solved. Guess what? The more problems I solved, the more problems showed up.

What did I do to shift out of this place? First, I went through some of my mindset exercises to get myself refocused on my priorities, and also get my energy back in a healthy place. For me, what always makes me feel better, and sets the universe back in motion positively, is that I start reaching out to people and connecting. Something magical always happens when I do this. That first phone call is often hard, but once I get a kind voice on the other end, I get in a groove. I remember how much I absolutely love speaking with others and connecting.

For me, and others I know, email can be a trap. We’re working from home, we’ve got a few minutes to say something, and we jot off an email. We think we’re communicating and developing relationships, but we’re really just getting stuff done. Email can be very passive and allow you to hide behind your computer.

To truly be successful in your business, which is built on relationships, you’ve sometimes got to shut the computer down and pick up the phone. Magic happens.

When it comes to emails, I often think what’s the harm in checking them? I need to take care of things, don’t I? Yes, but when you check your email you’re reacting to someone else. Email can take you off course. My advice to you (and to myself) is to make sure you’re spending enough of your time truly connecting with a live person – on the phone or in person. That’s what’s really going to add richness to your life, make your business a lot more fun and ultimately a lot more successful.