Finance Fridays & Done Lists: Building a Business That Fits Your Life Episode Overview Running a business as a military spouse means navigating PCS moves, deployments, and constant change. In this episode, we're ditching the hustle mentality and talking about what it really means to build a lifestyle business—one that adapts to YOUR life, not the other way around. Plus, our CEO, Moni Jefferson is sharing her exact weekly schedule structure and the game-changing approach to daily to-do lists that finally helped me feel "done." In This Episode What is a Lifestyle Business? A business built around your desired lifestyle, values, and season of life—not just maximum revenue. The key difference: You're optimizing for flexibility and fulfillment rather than scaling at all costs. Lifestyle Business Examples for Milspouses Virtual assistant services you can do from anywhere (PCS-proof!) Coaching or consulting with flexible scheduling around deployment cycles Digital products like courses, templates, or printables that generate income during a move Photography business where you control your booking calendar Freelance writing or social media management with location independence My Weekly Themed Day Schedule Monday - Admin & Alignment Day: Goal review, planning, organizing, and setting the week's tone Tuesday - Forward-Facing Day: Client calls, podcast recording, anything that requires being "on" Wednesday - Deep Work Day: Strategy sessions, big projects, creative thinking—no meetings allowed Thursday - Ad Hoc/Flex Day: Buffer for overflow, unexpected tasks, or whatever inevitably comes up Friday - Finance Friday: Invoicing, bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, budget review, all things money Weekends: Every other weekend, one half-day work session for flexibility without burnout Why Themed Days Work Themed days reduce decision fatigue, create momentum through batching similar tasks, make it easier to defer non-urgent work, and protect your energy and focus. The Daily To-Do List Strategy The problem: We finish our work list and immediately add more tasks—we never feel "done." The solution: Create your realistic daily task list in the morning Once complete, STOP adding work tasks Keep a separate "Life List" for household projects, reading, hobbies, and rest activities Train your brain that completion is real and creates space for life beyond work Bonus tip: Try keeping a "done list" to acknowledge what you actually accomplished each day Key Takeaways Your business should serve your life, not consume it—and that doesn't make you less ambitious, it makes you strategic Themed days aren't about perfection; they're about reducing the mental load of constantly switching contexts Finishing your to-do list should feel like an accomplishment, not an invitation to add five more things Military life is unpredictable enough—your business structure should bring calm, not chaos We love how our listeners support the mission of AMSE and the Owning Up podcast. As we continue to grow, advocate, and support military spouse entrepreneurs, we wanted to offer that same chance to you, our listeners. For only $5 - you can increase our reach within our community - locally, nationally, and globally. Visit Glow.fm/owningup to become an Owning Up supporter today! We'd love to have you join our fantastic community! Join the ASSOC. OF MILITARY SPOUSE ENTREPRENEUR COMMUNITY: https://www.amsemembers.com/ Learn more about AMSE at www.amseagency.com Follow Monika Jefferson on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook
