I Want My Cake And I Want To Eat It, Too!
Have you played the game this or that?
Iced Coffee or Hot Coffee
Beach or Mountains
Summer or Fall
Yea, that one.
Ya know what I usually want?
Both :)
While most of the time I prefer ice coffee, mountains, and summer - there’s a time and place for fresh hot coffee and the sand on my toes, and the perfect temperature for a cozy hoody while admiring the changing leaves.
Call it this or that, call it seasons of life, or call it being a Gemini I just want it all!
Being that it’s August and Ellie is out of school for 3 weeks annnnnd I’m due in December the game of this or that is not the easiest to navigate.
I want to take on a new handful of clients plus conquer some big and fun projects for work, but I want to be mindful of my workload because I also want to spend extra time with Ellie before school starts back up, be flexible with Sean’s travel schedule, and also enjoy this growing belly.
But I really am that gal that wants to have the cake and eat it, too (preferably gluten and dairy free, please!)
For some, this sounds bonkers. They see that you have 18 summers with your kid(s) and you should (emphasizing should) spend every waking moment with them during the summer.
Eh, I get it and respect it, but I feel we’re both better when we have some space.
For others, they don’t even have the choice but to have full-time childcare + work full-time and I’m here to say that I’m extremely grateful for the fact that I can even write about this being our situation.
And then there is another group that 100% understands the pull. Trying to find the best way to integrate (thank you for that description Jenna Kutcher) business and family in a way that fuels both sides. To be able to be where your feet are and be good with what that looks like.
Call me the annoying one who is overly optimistic, but I truly think we can have what we want. It takes a lot of inner work, not looking at how others are living, and consistently going after our dreams. I know I’m on my way, but there’s still a lot of inner work to do.
But, I’ve been in so many conversations lately where the last group (even those biz owners without kids) truly are stepping into their version of “both”.
Adjusting store hours to fit a better schedule
Raising their prices because they know they’re freaking worth it
Holding stronger boundaries to protect their time and energy
Mixing passions to create a beautiful new business that doesn’t look like anything else out there
Taking a full week off with an OOO message stating they’re not available…like, at all.
Asking for help!
All this babble to say - if you want both - I truly think it’s possible. There’s probably going to be some give and take and also an adjustment of expectations…do you want more time or money? And yes, I feel you can eventually have both but probably not in the early stages. That’s for another blog post :)
For now, I’ll be planning out some summer camps, probably another pool day, and client work ✌🏻