How will you do things differently in the new year?

Think small.

After one of the most difficult years to survive due to the pandemic, the election cycle, social injustice, and quarantines, we have to figure out how that plays into the new year where we will continue to face the same struggles, the loss, the virtual school and home office crossover. There is still so much to manage.

I can feel the pressure start to mount as I write. I can sense the overwhelm that can hold us hostage. It can be easy to use this as a crutch, an excuse. I’m not going to let that happen to you. If you’re ready for a life where you can sell your creative services and be ever-present in your parenting, the time is now.

Start on the elements that you can actually control. With so much out of our control, we need to zero in on the walls of your own home and the people in it. Break down your day. Start small with things you can actually affect.

What does your little one need developmentally? How can you support that?

For our household, I took a look at what worked and what didn’t for our first semester of virtual school and what adjustments need to be made for the second semester. I have different activities set for recess time to burn more energy even in these colder months where we’re not outside as much (a 10-year-old boy has a lot of energy to burn!). I am looking at our lunch and snack options to help the kids make easy healthier choices (my 13-year-old would eat a bag of chocolate chips every day if I let her). If you have a little one, looking at what the different developmental milestones for motor skills or language may be in your sights. Add time for those areas. Blend time spent playing with playdough with singing songs or making letter shapes.

What does your partner need during this time? How can you support that?

In our relationships, we need to be mindful of the stress that this time has put on all of us. Where are their pressures may be coming from? You can’t control those, but look closely for those areas of unnecessary stress you can alleviate or help identify.

What do YOU need personally? Work in very specific ways to support your own wellbeing.

A quick reminder to start small on this one. With the new year we can overshoot, thus fall short in reaching what we’ve set up for ourselves. If journaling, drinking more water, or adding meditation or yoga to your life more in the new year, start by adding just 5 minutes for the new activity. Start with just one glass of water at the time when it naturally fits into your day. For a quick, yet effective meditation I recommend Meditation Minis by Chel Hamilton.

What do you want to change about your approach to your business? What small change could you make it ensure you’re moving forward?

You’re here so that’s one step! Yay! I am offering to coach you along the way. No strings attached, just my desire to help other creative parents find joy in their every day as a parent and entrepreneur. Fill out this quick survey for me to learn more about you and where I can meet you with resources and guidance. I simply want to help you make this work – whatever your vision of your business or creative career looks like. Bring your goals, your aspirations, your dreams and let’s break that down into mini manageable bites that you can take to make it happen. For my business, I am setting very small tweaks that I hope then build into bigger habits and projects for me in regards to This Fierce Life. I’m showing up each day in some way. Some days it may be small, an article share or a re-pin, but I will be mindfully showing up for you each day.

Celebrate the tiny victories from all aspects of your life.

I want to join you in this celebration. Join me in the Slack community (email me for an invite) for ongoing, real-time conversations. You’ll be connected with other creative entrepreneurs who are running their households and managing both career and family in the same space at the same time. We can learn from each other.