I’ve been working way. too. much.

I started my entrepreneurial journey because I longed for freedom.  I wanted to make my own hours, work where I wanted to, and spend more time doing what I WANTED to do, instead of working.

Now, to be fair, I LOVE what I do.  Web and graphic design make me feel more alive than any other activity I’ve ever done.  But I’m working so much that I’ve not seen this freedom that I thought I was creating!  I’m not even taking time to run to a coffee shop to do some work just to get out of the house every once in a while.

The reason that this is a problem (and feels like a confession) is that my whole business philosophy revolves around helping other women create freedom in THEIR lives by taking the task of creating their website (which can be overwhelming, frustrating, time-consuming, etc – especially if it’s not your forte) off their hands.  I want to make it easier for THEM to have more freedom to do what they want to do.

But I’m not walking my talk.  Or walking my walk…..or whatever it is that they say.

I feel blessed that I have found a way to serve women and help them find freedom in their life by enabling them to create the business that’s going to create that freedom.  But I’m NOT being of service to them if I’m not actually doing that for myself.

I can’t help people find something that I’ve only tasted.  People think they can portray an image of themselves that seems believable because they’re just doing online business.  But people can sense your authenticity.  They can tell if you’re real.

I’ve been trying to portray myself as someone with as much freedom as I want.  But I’ve been a slave to my own business, work habits, and impossible-to-achieve self-imposed expectations.

And I’m damn sick of it.

I’ve gained clarity around how much I want to work.  And by gaining that clarity, I find that it’s easier for me to announce to the world that I am here to help OTHER women find their freedom.  I thought I had found it for myself.  But my idea of freedom and my practice of freedom were not one and the same.

I’m so grateful for this newfound realization that I have missed somewhere along the way.  Just because I love doing something doesn’t mean that I need to do it every waking hour.  And I’ll never be as successful as I envision if I keep up that kind of schedule.

So today I’m making a pledge.  I pledge to have that which I sought when I took the first step on my journey.  I will live a freer life.  I will work hard while I’m working, and then enjoy the moments that I’m missing right now because of my screwed up view of how much I need to work in order to accomplish my biggest dreams.  I’m going to work from the coffee shop if that’s what my heart sings for when I wake up in the morning.

And I invite you to join me.  Didn’t you start out on YOUR entrepreneurial journey so you could have more freedom?  Do you have it?  Or do you still just LONG for it?  My true calling in this world…..my true heart song……is encouraging women to find their best life.  To CREATE their best life.  And my vehicle for doing that is web design.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…….clarity is intoxicating.