School bells are beginning to ring all around the country and it is with mixed emotions that my boys returned to school today as we have had a great 6 weeks of Summer!
As a stay at home mum who also runs her own business, from home, I know what a challenge it can be to juggle work with taking some downtime to spend with the children.
So, this year I decided to try something different! Rather than manage the delicate balancing act of running my business and being a ‘present’ parent, I decided to put my business down! And actually enjoy the break from school!
Why?
This year has so far been a challenging one, in a good way mostly, but challenging all the same and it was time for some headspace!
I have been spinning many plates since 2019 began and I am, and always have been, my own worst enemy!
I worry too much! About what everyone else will think! That everyone else is brilliant at this being a mum in business thing while I am just faking it!
Why anyone would buy from me when there are so many businesses, like mine, out there! About my parenting skills too!
Mental Overload!
To explain & to give me some credit, we have just undergone a rather full-on extension & renovation project of our entire home, and the dust still hasn’t fully settled yet!
In my ultimate wisdom, I advised my husband that I was happy to Project Manage the build & renovations work whilst also keeping control of the budget (because running your own business from home & raising rather boisterous 10-year-old twin boys who have a more active social life than me isn’t enough!) and we’ll also continue to live in the house for the duration!
The start of the build was very exciting, this project was 8 years in the planning, and we couldn’t have been any more eager or enthusiastic. Sadly the start of the build also saw the loss of my wonderful Mother in Law who had suffered terribly for 3 years from a terminal illness. It has really shocked us to the core and I am still not sure we have started the grieving process due to the house works!
As the weeks drew on and we saw the house grow & take shape, we also saw the space we actually had to live in shrink, the dust levels increase dramatically and the general disruption at home takeover! I suddenly realised that trying to run my life & my business in this environment was damaging me & my emotional well-being!
So I needed to make space in my mind & my life – to carry out an internal decluttering of sorts!
I needed to spend more quality time with my loved ones and just be me!
My mental decluttering has shifted my mindset:
- What is it that I really need,
- What do I love and find joy in, and
- Removal of the unimportant.
Has it worked?
Over the summer months, I have taken time to reflect, consider my life, my challenges and what I want to do with my business.
At home, we now have more physical space as well as emotional space to breathe.
Before After
I have made space in my life by removing what no longer serves me, – opening me up to the freedom of new possibilities.
It’s like saying “yes” to new opportunities and growing on a personal level.
I will never fully eliminate the worry. It is my make-up. By taking this time to reflect has resulted in a number of extremely positive changes in my mindset!
I have a better:
- connection to myself.
- connection to the people around me.
- connection to the environment.
Onwards & Upwards!
I am enjoying life again!
With these connections, I can now realise that my worries are mostly unfounded!
I over-analyse situations. I read into people’s thoughts and behaviours and spend far too many hours on matters I cannot change!
People buy from people! If they have a connection to me & they like what they see, then we are both on to a winner!
We all assume that other people have it together, but the truth is we’re all fighting our own battles!
Friendship is a big thing for me. I’ve learnt that being a good friend is what is important. True friends support each other, love each other & help each other grow.
Parenthood is tough, but hey, my boys are still alive, thriving even!
It is through the connections we have with ourselves and others that we learn to transform our lives. It is through these connections that we learn to live intentionally and consciously create what we want in life!
I love what I do!
I am incredibly proud of what I have achieved!
I look forward to seeing where my business takes me!
And now it is time for the ‘Back to School’ happy dance! But you really don’t want to see that!!
A lovely blog Katie and I think it will resonate with many.
The new house looks great and I am so glad you are in a better space now. Thanks for sharing your story.
A lovely blog Katie, I really enjoyed reading it. Thank you for sharing.
The house looks amazing, well done!