It’s currently 6:30am and our daughter is starting to make happy noises upstairs. She’s giggling and crying out, “Maaaaaamma,” in a hilarious voice. I smile and close the laptop. I start putting her breakfast together: blueberries, avocado, yogurt. I rush to make more coffee (God please more coffee). I’m rushing more and more to get little tasks done before I get her up and I’m already feeling behind. My mind is racing with to-do lists for the day, mental calendar for the week, and grocery lists. Do we need more laundry detergent? I jog upstairs and open the door to get my first hug of the day. And then we’re off. Following a two year old’s pace for the day with breakfast, coloring, trips to the library, meltdowns, and hugs for every living thing in the world.
Having a kid is a big and beautiful and busy life. Period. It’s just the nature of it. On top of that I own this photography business, I hold two part time jobs, and just started a new blog. I love all of it. I’m passionate about all of it. Each piece of this crazy life full fills me in some way but it also can be incredibly overwhelming and incredibly hard to find a balance to all the turning pieces of my life.
“Balance is bullshit.”
I love listening to podcasts. I highly recommend them for everyone. If you know me I've probably suggested a podcast to you (Sawbones!). Whether you’re a stay at home parent, entrepreneur, creative, or none of those. Everyone should listen to podcasts. They are a huge source of inspiration, motivation, creative thinking, and sometimes just adult conversation for me. One of my favorite podcasts recently is “Boss Up!” by Lindsay Teague Moreno. It’s about how to be a “momtrepreneur” but ultimately it’s just about having a passion for your business and your life. You don’t have to be a parent to enjoy it. Bonus: She has a new wine she suggests each week. One of Lindsay’s key phrases is, “Balance is bullshit.” She encourages her listeners to strive for balance in all the areas of your life but be realistic that more often than not one area may go on the back burner for a while. Give yourself some grace. Know that at different times different things are going to take priority. You’re house may be a mess but your business is thriving. You may spend some much needed family time and not blog for a couple days. Instead of going to the gym in the morning you may need some time to meditate. It is the pressure of feeling that we must have everything equally in order that can weigh us down from fully succeeding.
I truly believe comparison is a creativity killer. It’s so easy for us to see someone else’s perfect life on social media and think that they have it all together. That is a curated version of their life. Most of my work gets done early in the morning, late at night, or during nap time. Some days I’m a great Mom and not a great business woman. Some days I’m a great photographer and not a great wife. Often I’m great at a lot of things but not always good to myself. I am constantly striving for balance but most of the time I’m falling over. And that’s okay. Falling is important too. I always get back up.