When was the last time you felt ridiculously, mind-bogglingly, can’t sleep at night, jump-out-of-bed-in-the-morning passionate about your work? Be it your employed work or your business. I have to say… I’m kind of experiencing that at the moment. Because I have an idea… an idea that I am in the process of executing and I believe that if I connect with the right people, people like you – I will be using my talents, skills and qualifications in a way that will vastly improve the lives of hundreds. Hey… thousands if I really go for it. And if you’re a parent… my new career coaching focus of “creative career solutions for parents” has the potential to greatly improve what you’re up to as well (in a fun, non-pressured way!).
Isn’t that amazing?
I really am excited about this but before I get carried away, let me give you some context (or at least develop it for anyone who was along for the ride as this idea was beginning to evolve in this blog post I shared in spring/summer 2016).
Last year, in 2016, my life changed.
Massively.
Incomprehensively.
Undeniably.
I became a parent for the first time.
Holy c*** – that can really change a person. No? C’mon… if you’ve been there, you are in on the ‘secret’ about how one little person can change your trajectory so immeasurably.
Within the space of 3 days (my little one arrived early – just after my maternity leave started!), I went from being a workaholic in employed work which I loved (most of the time) 4 days a week, building my career coaching business on the other week day and in any other time I had… to a mummy, on maternity leave and soaking up every moment with my little girl. I mean, every moment. Being a mummy who breastfed on demand, my little one and I were always together – figuring out each other and our new world, together.
I speak in the past tense because my lovely little one started in childcare this week (FYI – I bawled on her first day. Bawled… cried like, well, a baby!), just ahead of my return to my employed work – and through my own experience and that of my new mummy friends (thanks NCT), my existing parent friends, parents I associate with through some of the dynamic online business groups I am part of… it has become clear that parenthood can be a kind of “tipping point” for your career.
- Do I love my job enough to sacrifice time with my child/ren?
- What can I do to truly create the work life balance I want?
- Will my company allow me to go part time?
- Will this mummy guilt of “I should do” ever go away?
- How far will my partner support me to ensure my career stays on track?
- How can I provide for my family if I don’t return to my job?
- How do I be an awesome parent and still be myself?
- What should I look for when it comes to childcare?
- Is starting a business really feasible for me?
- Am I going to turn into a mediocre parent and a mediocre employee when back at work?
The questions are endless. They are real and they are urgent. Why urgent? Because maternity leave speeds by (certainly if you’re in the US or the UAE which traditionally have a particularly short maternity leave period) but even if you’re in the UK, or Canada – or anywhere that has a more generous allowance – when you become a parent who is deeply involved in the life of your child, it becomes time to take a close look at life as you knew it and whether that’s what you want to go back to. Do you want to go back to the pre-baby you when it comes to your working life?
It may be yes.
It may be no.
And goodness knows you don’t have to have all the answers now. You can make changes even after you head back after maternity / paternity leave. You can make changes when your little one is 3, 7, 14… tomorrow. But remember, you have the greatest motivation ever to:
- AUDIT YOURSELF to ensure that what you are doing, daily is what you want to be doing (this audit will help you realise if you want to make changes or not)
- MAKE CHANGES – hence creative career solutions which get you closer to the career and lifestyle you want
- STOP MAKING EXCUSES – make progress instead
I’m so excited about what I’ll be doing in this space to help inspire creative career solutions for parents, thus helping to achieve career and lifestyle goals that I could go on and on about this… but your time is precious so I’ll stop for now.
What’s the one thing I want you to take away from my enthusiastic share here today?
It’s important to me that you recognise that you have choices. Yup… YOU HAVE CHOICES. You don’t have to do something you don’t want to do. You are likely to be a different person now to the person you were pre little one… so do yourself (always important to start here) and your family proud by recognising there are creative career solutions which will allow you to create the lifestyle you want.
And this is the right community to support and motivate you into action.
If you are not yet on the mailing list or know a fellow parent who should be – take a minute to SIGN UP HERE.
Welcome!
