I met the owner of our next success story online. I was inspired by her commitment towards developing the career she wanted, even if that meant trying out many things until she found what worked. Here is Carrie’s Sanity Plan:
My name is Carrie, and I’m a registered nurse turned freelance writer. Last year I launched the Healthy Work at Home Mom to share what I’ve learned about creating a thriving business from home without burning yourself out.
I’ve wanted to work from home since the moment I became a mom four years ago. I remember sitting in our little apartment during maternity leave and deciding to check my work email. Our new baby was sleeping next to me as I logged in. I had just had her, but when I checked my email, I noticed one that said, “only 2 weeks until Carrie gets back!” I just sat there staring at my computer trying to process that. I had just had a baby! I quickly pulled up a calendar and realized I had indeed already been home with her for 10 weeks. Well, you know what happens next. I immediately burst into tears and decided to make a change.
I started researching ways that nurses can work from home and landed on medical writing. I began pitching myself to every company I could find, started a blog, and eventually landed a few freelance jobs. I slowly began cutting back my hours at the hospital and worked my last shift as a nurse at the end of 2016.
Being able to work from home for myself and be with my kids was absolutely the best decision I’ve ever made, but it still comes with its challenges. If I wake up one morning and the baby is sick, I no longer have to scramble to figure out daycare and who’s turn it is to call in and how I’m going to get in to the doctor. However, I do have to figure out when on earth I’m going to get my client work done.
Here are some of the strategies that have helped me the most:
Time blocking – I now have a weekly schedule with chunks of time for all of my projects. This has saved me so much time. Each time I have work time (during kindergarten and nap time), I know exactly what I need to do, so I don’t waste time feeling overwhelmed. On Mondays I edit and write outlines. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays are for billable client work. On Wednesdays, I work on my blog and shoot a Facebook live video.- Embracing my season – It’s really easy for me to look at what others have accomplished and feel discouraged. I have big dreams and just want to get there. But I always come back to the fact that the reason I started freelancing was to be home with my kids, and that’s where I am. They won’t always be this little and need this much help, so I’m embracing my season. I have plenty of time to build my empire 🙂
- Believing in myself – I think when you are working on a big goal (like leaving your 9-5 to work for yourself), it’s easy to doubt yourself. I certainly did. While my husband and family always believed in me, no one else understood what I was trying to build. No one thought this was possible. That’s where I had to decide that I was going to do this, even if I didn’t know exactly how. Every time I took a step forward, the next right step found me.
I love to see how other people create their Sanity Plans and put them into action. Creating a job that provides the flexibility to combine two dreams at once (motherhood and business ownership) is quite an achievement. Inspired? Read more on how to build your own Sanity Plan here.
Do you have a Sanity Plan success story to share? Let me know in the comments or reach out to me through my contact page.
I really need to start time blocking.
Cristy
I definitely do my own version of this. It helps to be more productive when you only have a limited about of time (motherhood!).
Time blocking and scheduling are huge goals for me right now!
Me too! I bet by the time I perfect them, my children will be in college.
Today has been a very emotionally difficult day as a Work From Home Mom building my business. I needed to read this. Especially: ” But I always come back to the fact that the reason I started freelancing was to be home with my kids, and that’s where I am. They won’t always be this little and need this much help, so I’m embracing my season. I have plenty of time to build my empire”.
Thank you so much for sharing this story.
Glad to hear it gave you the encouragement you needed. You’ve got a lot going on, trying new things and making huge steps. Some days will be more insecure than others as you grow 🙂
Inspiring! Time block is something I need to implement.
It definitely helps!
I have started to wear myself out. I really don’t time block and I need to. I feel like ‘working’ a full time job and being a full time mommy is just so much sometimes. Thanks for your inspiration!
Some days are better than others. I don’t really like the juggling required, but I also want to be an active part of my children’s daily lives as well. It’s hard to balance.
Embracing the season has been huge for me. When the kids are awake, they get my attention. When it’s nap time, bed time, or before they wake up, that’s when I hustle. Great tips!
I find that best for my sanity as well. I always get into trouble when I try to blend work and watching the kids at the same time.
I’m so happy you accomplished your goal of freelancing from home to be with your kids. That’s my dream, too! I’m working towards it. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Carrie has really done something amazing, right? What I love the most about knowing her story is that she doesn’t try to sugar coat it. It’s not an overnight fix… it took 4 years of dedication to be able to quit her nursing job.
Congrats! For me I struggle in the summer time or during teacher work days. It’s really hard to get work done and be an engaged mom at the same time.
I find the only way I’m successful at this is to compartmentalize it – and some days are better than others.
I salute work at home moms like you. It’s really tough to juggle motherhood and work at your home.
Thanks Sharon, it’s hard but worth it. And definitely not for everyone, which is okay too!
Great read! I just started blogging and didn’t realize how time consuming it can be with a full time job!
Xo,
Alexandra Christine Blog
http://www.alexandrachristineblog.com