We are infinitely moving and a shaking to arrange our lives to fit our bigger life visions. Sometimes, in order to move forward with specific goals or just our general life path we need to let go of something to make time for new opportunities.
As you know I have a full plate right now:
*We launched our small family business this past spring and it has finally gained momentum which is fantastic. It also means we have work to do. Stone is out of the house 4-5 days a week for 4-6 hours and then we still have office work and proposals to bid 2-3 evenings a week. This is a top priority because it is how we pay the bills and feed our family.
*Our family flow needs some attention right now. This seems pretty normal since we’ve been through a few major transitions as a family. I find fall to be a great time to take stock of where we are at and intentionally guide our family into a rhythm that works for our current needs– both as individuals and as a group. This is a top priority because ….just well…it just is! Our family flow essentially mirrors our family’s level of happiness and well being (and sanity).
*I am pushing forward with a career project that has evolved out of my experience of organizing the Free Our Midwives campaign. The iron is hot and I feel very confident about putting my time and energy here. This is a top priority because it fits into our larger goals. Ideally, I want to be contributing a significant amount to our income and give Stone more opportunity to stay home with the kids and scale back his work to a few projects a year.
I feel strongly about contributing to our family’s income stream on my own terms which includes:
*being flexible around my family’s needs
*work I can do from home
*work I can do from any location
*work that I feel passionate about (i.e. work that is an extension of myself).
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As you can imagine, having three homeschooled kids under the age of six does not leave much extra time and when I take stock of the above mentioned priorities I realize something has to give.
That something turns out to be this blog. I’ve been inspired by Gwen Bell, social medialite of this brave new digital world who recently took a month long digital sabbatical. The moment I read about her experience I knew it was time for me to take a break from blogging so that I could put my full attention on home, career and business.
It feels a little scary. What if I don’t ever come back? What if all my readers unsubscribe? What if…….? I don’t know the answers, but I know I have to do this and the breath of relief it’s brought as I navigate my current position lets me know I’m walking the right path.
Back before my friend Tara hit the road with her family they had this master plan posted on their blog. Her family had taken a month off from media to assess their life and make a map of where they were heading. This feels like the right time for our family to do a similar project.
So much of the past year or so has been about preparing for the birth, trying to get the midwifery legislation passed and gearing up to start a small business. The baby’s here, the legislation is passed and the business is running. Now what?
We have a pretty good idea of what we want, but we know to get what we want takes some intensive focus and strategy. It’s time to set the framework for our next phase of living.
My Plan
I am going to take the entire month of September off from blogging. I might peek in here mid-September because there is a blog carnival I’d like to take part in and I have a piece being published and I want to share the link. I will still be emailing and going online, but my focus online will be purely focused on birthwork/new business related stuff.
Some stuff I will be doing next month:
*Working on my posture with help from this amazing book.
*Hanging out at the laundromat with three kids.
*Walking a lot.
*Knitting (I can’t wait to get baby into some handknits this fall!)
*Helping my in-laws move into our downstairs apartment for the fall.
*Establishing a strong rhythm to help us all survivejive together.
*Rekindling my love affair with books.
*Continuuing to unschool myself on inbound marketing, web strategy and maternal health politics.
*Rereading parenting books for inspiration.
*Cooking
*Celebrating my neighbor friend Kate’s birth and my friend Aimee’s birth.
*print/frame/hang some of my favorite photos.
*Jam with my Visionary Moms team for inspiration and support.
I’m going to miss you, but this feels right. Have a fantastic September and I’ll plan on seeing you October 1.
Peace Out.
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