Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Balancing work and family can be a handful but I make it work. I have 5 children (4 earthside) all aged between 2-10 years old. 3 have a range of disabilities and needs which must be supported. Over the years we have transitioned from home education to school, and now I have a child transitioning back to home education. I do a lot of my business work on the go (my mobile gets used a lot) and every few months I schedule a few Facebook posts so that I am able to ensure consistency and know I can have a ‘sick day’ occasionally, as I have things set to go (this also allows for spontaneous posts by me when I have something I feel that I really want to share).
I also use my youngest child’s nap time to write my blog articles so I can share a new one every week on Facebook. Doing this allows my to respond faster to enquiries and focus on giving the best to all of my existing clients. It also allows me the time I need to do the necessary tasks around the home and help my children with their needs (including meeting their educational needs). My family and friends have also provided me with amazing support when I have been on-call or when my husband is working.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
The biggest challenge I think was without doubt learning how to balance the business with family life and also for me learning how to NOT over-do it. I would spend 42+ hours at a time working on the business without any rest, then crash and repeat. Learning how to practise my own self care (including allowing myself to rest) and how to balance this work with family was incredibly difficult, as when I do something, I put my all into it. Letting go of this and learning to space everything out has been a fantastic learning curve but also my biggest challenge. Learning that I did not need to fit the mould or meet everyone else’s expectations was also a big one, as at that point I think I really just needed to trust that the universe would guide me to who or what was best for me. Letting go and trusting in the universe was so important to me, but as mentioned it was without doubt a challenge.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
For me the ultimate pro is the honour I feel every time I am invited on someone else’s uniquely amazing journey. Knowing that what I do makes a difference. I am so blessed. The con is definitely maintaining balance, as this can so very easily be mucked up. Once balance is mucked up it is hard to repair, but thankfully it’s not impossible.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
I hope to continue to provide support to families for many years to come.
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