Sometimes the universe keeps sending you the same message until you finally pay attention. Last January, I was at a mastermind event and a peer said something that stopped me in my tracks. She said, Cindy, you need to stop trying to achieve work life balance. It doesn't exist. What you need is actually work life integration. I thought about it for about a day, wrote it down, then got busy and forgot about it. But you know what? This theme keeps recurring. It actually even came up yesterday in my 11 Z's coffee chat with other entrepreneurs, and I've been diving into Steve Houghton's work on rich routines, which essentially is the same thing. Then there's this conversation that really drove it home for me. I was talking to another female entrepreneur at a different event and she said something that felt like she was reading my mind. She said, I feel like I'm constantly choosing between being a good business owner or a good mom, successful or present, or wealthy or happy. And then I realized we've literally all been sold on the lie. That success requires sacrifice and that you have to choose. But what if I told you that I think that is complete bullshit? What if the most successful people aren't actually choosing either or, but they are creating both And. Hi, I'm Cindy Gordon and you are listening to The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur. After building and selling multiple businesses while raising a crazy, busy family, I can tell you that the secret isn't balance. It is indeed integration, and that's exactly what we are unpacking today. So here's how we've been programmed to think about success, especially as women entrepreneurs. They tell us that you can either be successful or have a good life. You can make money or be a good parent. You can grow your business or take care of yourself. You can be strategic or spontaneous. You can be professional or authentic. Does this sound familiar? This either or thinking is literally exhausting, and the kicker is, it's not even true. So I told you, I've been diving into Steve Houghton's work on rich routines and successful habits, and what struck me is that the most successful people don't make these false choices. They create systems that give them both. They build routines that are rich in every sense of life. So we're talking about financially, emotionally, in their relationships. So let me reality check this for you because I know what you're thinking. You're probably saying easy for you to say Cindy, but I literally don't have time for both. Alright, that's fair. But here is what I've learned. It's not about having more time, it's about designing your time differently. When I was in pure hustle mode, I thought that success meant choosing business over everything. I am embarrassed to admit that I have skipped family dinners for client calls, canceled workouts for deadlines, put off friend dates indefinitely, and you know what? My business did indeed grow. But I was miserable. And that misery eventually affected my business too. It all catches up. The breakthrough came when I stopped thinking business or life and started thinking business and life integrated. Here's how I design my days for both and success mixed in, and this is something that we work on extensively inside the Growth Collective. By the way, if you like to deep dive into this with other entrepreneurs who actually get it, it's literally a dollar a day and we meet weekly on Zoom to discuss all types of topics like this. So instead of separate compartments for work and life, I create what I call rich routines. Practices that feed multiple areas simultaneously. So here's an example. Let's call it the walking meeting. So the old way is you sit at your desk for a call or go for a walk later. So what if we combine them, the both and way walking meetings that combine movement, fresh air, and business growth. Another example, the family business hour. So the old way you work alone in an office or you spend time with your kids. What if we looked at it from the both and way? So let's call it Friday afternoon, CEO lessons, where I involve my kids in age appropriate business decisions. I'm combining them. The next example is called social content creation. So the old way we create content alone or hang out with entrepreneur friends, let's look at it from the both and way monthly content creation parties where we work together. So do you see the pattern? It's not about doing less, it's about doing things that count twice. We are combining them. Let's talk about morning routines, which is always a fan favorite topic on this podcast. I wanna talk about them because this is where Steve Houghton's Rich Routines concept really clicked. For me, most productivity advice tells you to wake up at 5:00 AM and have an elaborate two hour routine. But that's either or thinking either you're a morning routine person or you're not. Here's my both and approach. My morning routine is about 15 minutes long. That's it. But in those 15 minutes, I hit everything gratitude practice while making coffee. So I'm combining mindset and my caffeine fuel. I do a quick priority check while the kids eat breakfast, so planning and presents. I have a five minute stretch while reviewing my daily calendar there. I'm combining body and business. Yes, it's not super Instagram worthy. It's not perfect. But it's rich because it honors all parts of my life and not just business. The game changer concept here that really resonated from exploring rich routines is that the highest performers don't compartmentalize. They integrate. They don't have work like balance. They have work life integration. Think about it, taking clients to your favorite restaurant, your combining business and pleasure hiring team members who become friends. Work and relationships, creating products that solve your own problems. That's service and self-care. Building a business around your life, not despite it. That's success and satisfaction last week in our email community and PS, if you are not getting these weekly emails yet, seriously, what are you waiting for? There is a link in the show notes. I need you to join the over 1500 other. Entrepreneurs who use my tips weekly. But last week, one member replied to me and shared how she completely restructured her business model to include her love of travel. Now she runs retreats in beautiful locations. She combined business and adventure, and I think that is a perfect example of integration, here's something we also need to talk about, the guilt. Oh my gosh. The guilt. There is guilt in everything. When you're working, you feel guilty about not being with your family. When you're with your family, you feel guilty about not working. When you're resting, you feel guilty about not being productive. When you're being productive, you feel guilty about not resting. The both and approach dissolves this because you're not choosing one over the other. You're creating integrated experiences that honor multiple values simultaneously. I used to feel guilty about taking a lunch break. Now I have lunch with potential collaborators. I'm eating and networking at the same time. On my phone, yes, but no guilt, just richness, so let me give you some specific swaps that you could try this week. So instead of scrolling social media mindlessly or working, try engaging meaningfully on social as market research instead of exercise or business development. Try walking while listening to business podcasts instead of family time or content creation, try documenting real moments that become authentic content. Because everything is content. They say, instead of self-care or productivity, try batching tasks and focus sprints with a little bit of built in recovery. Instead of networking or family obligations, try bringing family to casual networking events or hosting gatherings. The key is asking yourself, how can this serve multiple purposes without diminishing any of them? And let's address the elephant in the room, which is money, because often we think we have to choose between making money and being happy. We have to choose between wealth. And values, but here's what rich routines really means. It's about creating wealth in every dimension. Financial, wealth, time, wealth, relationship, wealth, health, wealth. Experience wealth. When you design your business and life for the both end concept, you stop trading one form of wealth for the other and you build them simultaneously. You might think that both and means having no boundaries, but actually it's the opposite both and requires better boundaries because you are being intentional about integration. You're not available 24 7. You are available strategically. You are not doing everything. You are doing things that align with multiple values. You are not saying yes to all opportunities. You are saying yes to rich opportunities, and that's exactly what we dive into during our Growth Collective office hours. How do you know if something is a rich opportunity or just another obligation? How do you set boundaries that create more freedom and not less? We attack those things during office hours each and every week. Here's what I want you to remember from today. You don't need to choose between success and satisfaction, wealth and wellbeing and business and life that's outdated, that either or thinking keeps you exhausted and feeling guilty. Most successful entrepreneurs have figured out the both and secret. They create rich routines that feed multiple areas of life. They integrate instead of compartmentalize, and they design their days to count twice. This week I challenge you to find one place where you're making an either or choice, and turn it into a both and solution. Just one. Find just one. Maybe it's combining your workout with a business learning opportunity. Maybe it's turning date night into a mastermind with your entrepreneur partner. Maybe it's involving your kids and your business in age appropriate ways. If this resonated with you, I want you to take action today. First, get on my email list if you are not already there. Link in the show notes to join over 1500 other entrepreneurs who get weekly strategies that actually work. And second, consider joining the Growth Collective you get support in designing your own riches routine. People who understand the challenge. You don't have to choose between being successful and being happy. You can have both. You deserve both. And now you know how to create both. Until next time. This is me, Cindy, just reminding you that when everything feels urgent, nothing really is, especially when you're creating both and success instead of either or. Exhaustion. And of course, remember you've got this.

Thanks for spending these few minutes with me today. Remember, overwhelm isn't permanent. It's simply your brain's way of saying pause and take a little reality check. If this was helpful, you'll love my weekly email tips where I share the systems that keep me and hundreds of other entrepreneurs on Track Link in the show notes. If you got value in today's episode, please share it with another entrepreneur who needs that reminder. If you're loving the show, I'd be so grateful if you could leave me a quick review. It helps other overwhelmed entrepreneurs find us. Make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss your weekly dose of clarity. For more resources and to connect with me, visit exclusively cindy.com. Until next time, remember you've got this.