It’s the Little Things
Running a business with dreams is a wild ride. Raising kids of the next generation is also a wild ride. But doing them together is filled with twists and turns that make the ride even wilder. As I began 2022, I knew there was a way to avoid so many twists and turns. I want to enjoy all the beautiful things about business and motherhood, and to do that; I have to put choosing work that supports my family on my priority list. I’m not talking about financially supporting my family. That is one small part of running a business. It’s all the little things that go unnoticed when running a business.
Today, those little things bring the most joy to me when choosing which projects to take on in my business or giving back to my community. For example, having my kids tag along while I’m working or volunteering my time in the community. It’s never an easy choice how much to work outside of school/ daycare hours. However, the rewards show up most surprisingly. Like all the times I bring my daughter with me to meetings, I find photos afterward of my work. Or, each time she joins me, her confidence and leadership skills grow.
When it comes to being parents, having a job, being a part of a team, or running a business, we are pulled to make decisions that can impact every area of our life—personally and professionally. Unfortunately, the lines today are blurred. As a person who dreams big dreams, you can’t (and shouldn’t) say yes to everything in your life, even if it all seems good or is a financial benefit, at the risk of what you want to be outside of your work. So let’s look at three questions to ask yourself when the next opportunity approaches.
Does this align with your mission?
As a human, I am a wife and mom who cares deeply about leading by example for my family. In addition, I try to live out my faith and make my community a better place for all who live and visit here. Therefore, my mission is to keep growing, expanding, and learning to lead a happy life in all areas.
What is the personal impact?
Most of us don’t think about the impact our work has when in the moment of making a decision. For me, this applies to evenings and weekends when my kids are not at school or daycare. What impact does my choice to work at night while awake have on them? Or the impact of volunteering my time for other organizations when they again are at home. For some, it might impact their social life outside work and business. And other moms may want their kids to know I have dreams of being a business owner as a mom.
Whatever the reason for the impact, the answer is never easy or right. The impact of your decisions results from when you say yes to one; you’re saying no to something or someone else. Therefore, when choosing work, I look at the pros and cons of the impact when it involves my time on evenings and weekends.
How do your efforts and dreams align?
Permit yourself to dream. More importantly, permit yourself to act on those dreams. Yes, there will be guilt along the ride in some shape or form. However, the guilt gets smaller when you start to live out your dreams that align with your mission while acknowledging the impact it will take to get there. Yes, sacrifices are made. You are the pilot of running your business. How those sacrifices look to you is only for you. Not anyone else.
The snapshot on today’s blog is living proof it is possible to be a working momma who has dreams and lives out those dreams for her kids to see. I want to give a HUGE shoutout to my mini-me, my daughter Carolynn. She loves being my sidekick in the community and helping in any way she can. The photo of me working was a complete surprise when I went to review photos one night. She found an imperfect way to capture me living out my dream, growing my faith, and serving our community simultaneously. And in the past two years, bringing her along, when appropriate, she has learned lessons she may never have learned had I chosen to leave her home while I work.
Well, there you have it! I know it’s not marketing tips, but in this season of life, I love being transparent about my journey as a mom running a business and opening the doors to share the tips I am tapping into to guide me! And if you’re looking for some extra guidance in marketing or just don’t know where to start, I would love to invite you to connect with me and see how I can help your mission and impact. So what is your mission?
