Growing Pains
The ladies over at Craft MBA and Scoutie Girl are writing this week about Growth, and Megan of Craft MBA hit home with her second point of “You need to match your growth expectations to your lifestyle choices.” Well said.
When I was working full-time for someone else, I was able to balance all of the other parts of my life because it was what I was used to. Now that I’m making the most at my attempt to be a one person company, I am now aware of all of the things I didn’t know that I was missing. For one, the amount of time that I get to spend with my family. I used to commute one hour each way, sacrificing two hours out of my day (and sometimes more) for jobs that weren’t really satisfying. With no more commute, I had to learn how to balance all of this extra time – which may sound easy at first – but it was so easy to get sucked into dabbling on the computer, or working on something in the house. But these were all things that didn’t really make money. So I had to remind myself that now I had to make sure that my time was being well spent on working towards my ultimate goal of owning my own business. Finally, after many (many) months I am learning a balance. I can’t work 10 hour days like some, but I work enough that I am satisfied with my progress and it’s not negatively effecting my home life.
Another point of learning (and growing) was the choices. I am now able to accept and decline jobs that I would like to work on. It’s having the ability to say yes or no that has really made me feel like that I am growing as a business person. And that feels really darn good!
But I can say with much certainty that it has not been easy. There have been arguments with my husband, nights where I’ve cried out of built up frustration, and times where I just did not know how I was ever going to make a living out of what I really wanted to do. And one tough moment when my son told me that I should get a real job like daddy. Ouch. Then there were the good moments, like my husband building me a home office, him telling me he had 100% faith in me, and my son telling me that one day he wants to be an artist like me.
I love graphic design, it’s what I was born to do without a doubt, but as many will tell you – it’s not easy. There are many growing pains and as painful as they may be, I am thankful to learn from them. I will keep moving forward with the support of my amazing family and friends, a smile on my face, and a small spring in my step from the pride of being a self-made woman and working towards my ultimate goal.
Looking for something inspirational?
- Lemonade the Movie – It’s not a pink slip, it’s a blank page.
- The Element – How finding your passion changes everything.
Photos by Tina Dolin
thanks for taking the time to share this. it’s comforting to know that we all struggle with similar choices, checks and balances–and that we have a community of others’ to strengthen, comfort and inspire us.
Thanks Alex. It’s not my typical post, but I wanted to get some of the things I was experiencing out into the open. Some people look at business owners as if it were easy, and it’s not by any measure.
Thank you for posting this. It is a difficult struggle & the balance is difficult to find. There are so many out there maintaining that it was easy , that they just opened up their ‘doors’ one day & where able to make a living, ‘quit their day jobs’ & spend more time with their families, with virtually no problem. This can’t be the case for very many & rather than being inspiring, it’s discouraging to hear for the majority of us who struggle. It’s good to hear that our experience is shared with others. Thanks again.
What a beautiful story. Thank you so much for sharing. Like parenting, it seems owning a business comes with the good and the hard. I’m so amazed at how hard so many people work to make their dreams come a reality. What an inspiration, to know all you amazing people are out there.
This was such an inspiring post – thank you for sharing! I’m in the process of starting an online boutique (my dream & passion) and some days are just so hard! It’s nice to know that I’m not alone in these feelings. That there is good and bad – but at the end of the day it’s so important to do what you love to do! I think that’s the dream for a lot of us.
thanks dianne for sharing. i am a stay at home mom just starting my own creative business. i feel the same struggles for balance every day. more days than not, i let the dishes sit in the sink. i am learning that you just can’t do everything. i set small goals for myself, then pick away at them slowly. my commitment is to my children and i love being there for all the small moments!
Thanks for sharing – your post really gives me strength. I am on the beginning of the road you have taken, and I already see those challanges that you mentioned.
I wish I could reply to each and every one of you, but just want to say thank you for reading this post. I know many are going through their own struggles whether they be business related or personal and just wanted to share a part of my experience.
Thank you all!!!