There is one thing I know for sure, everything changes.
In fact, as I sit here, I am overwhelmed by the extreme amount of change surrounding me right now.
There are some obvious and fabulous ones like this brand-new website. I hope you love it because this sucker was one hell of a project. Big thanks to Crystal from Marketing Queen for putting up with me. One thing is very clear, I'm never ever going to be a web developer. Nothing stresses me out more than working on the back end of a website. Thank the universe for delegation!
This past year has been fraught with changes, most of them good. I am excited to say, I have an established and successful podcast with repeat listeners and phenomenal guests. We recently celebrated surpassing 5,000 downloads (and counting!). The Brave Files is a “home-grown” podcast. We are succeeding due to the amazing community of listeners and guests who support us. So, thank you!
One of the most obvious changes is the end of summer.
Ok, I realize that the fall equinox isn’t for a few more weeks. But once the kids go back to school summer is, essentially, over. Speaking of going back to school – – the biggest and most impactful change for me this year happened yesterday when my youngest, Scarlett, started kindergarten. I actually surprised myself by staying fairly calm and only crying twice!
We are often told that we shouldn’t tie our children in with our identity. But let’s face it, being a mother is a serious defining characteristic for me. And, being a mother to a small child, one that is not yet school age, has been a part of my identity for the last 14 years! Now, all of a sudden, that no longer defines me. ok, It never defined me, but it certainly was a descriptor and an important one.
For 14 years I built my life and business around my young children. Starting with my work hours which allowed me to stay home and be present with my children. At first, I only worked a few hours a week. Then, it became a few days a week. Over the last several years I was able to take Monday’s off to be with Scarlett. She always called them “lucky days.” Those were my favorite days, the very best. It's only lucky day if it's one-on-one time! When you have three siblings, one-on-one time is extremely rare and precious.
It's funny because I spent so much time with my own coach talking about this. The “guilt” I had for not working Mondays really served as a block for me. Then, one day, several years ago, I had a breakthrough. I decided I simply was not going to feel bad about having quality time with my kid anymore. My baby was growing fast and these lucky-days would not last long. And now here we are, kindergarten. Monday's are all mine.
Truthfully, taking those Mondays was one of the greatest decisions I've ever made. And guess what, every client I worked with was impressed with my boundaries around Monday's. On more than one occasion, people told me it helped them set and keep their own boundaries.
Fortunately, I was able to build a thriving business working four days a week. Because this was so successful, I’ve decided to keep Mondays blocked on my schedule. The plan is for Monday’s to be dedicated to working on my business rather than in my business.
All of this to say the only constant is change.
of course, everything changes – the seasons, our emotions, how busy we are, our connections with friends, how well we care for ourselves, the TV shows we like, the podcasts we listen to, the type of furniture we want to have in our home. Everything.
Everything changes and while change can be terrifying, it's something that if embraced, has the ability to give you a whole new level of freedom.
Some changes we choose.
I am now embracing change in a big way. I am committed to writing more regularly and sending out audio newsletters more often. Confession time — Sometimes, I find that writing is one of my most difficult challenges, not because I don't think I am good at it. In fact, I know I'm quite good at it. But if I don't feel motivated or inspired, it's really hard for me to sit down and power it out.
So, in order to provide you with powerful and impactful content, I'm absolutely going to have to practice what I preach when it comes to setting boundaries and following through with commitments, being intentional in my choices, and being super efficient.
I teach these things and I believe in them. I built my audio course, chaos to clarity course to help others design their own balance and harmony (the course only launches twice a year and, stay tuned, because we are about to open it up for the October session). Sometimes I get out of a routine just like everybody else does. When that happens, I have to remind myself why I started this business in the first place. I know that my systems, strategies, and boundaries actually work because I created my own successful business with them.
I designed my life and business to allow myself to feel good and be present with my family while remaining focused on my business and achieving my goals and you can do the same.
All of the things can happen at once. Designing the life and business you want works if you are willing to put the effort in. I have done it before and I am going to do it again.
What do you say? Will you join me?
