The 1 Reminder Every Mom Needs

I'm a mom and an entrepreneur. I'll always be both.

Just because you're raising a child, your ambitions don't dissappear. All the things you've ever wanted to do are still there, waiting, lurking, wondering when you're going to acknowledge their presence once again.

While I was pregnant I had this awesome plan of how I was going to raise an amazing child and build a business in all my spare time. (Moms know there's no such thing as spare time) I was going to wake up early or stay up late. Multitask while playing with my son. Go to events with my baby right on my hip as if nothing had changed. I even started a meet up group within the last month of my pregnancy,  totally convinced I would have one event a month (since IV has been born I haven't had a single event).

When my little one actually came along, nothing, and I mean ab-so-lute-ly nothing, was like I thought it would be. From my body, to my emotions and my mind, I was different in ways that were painfully obvious. I never knew I could reach a point of tiredness that at any moment I wasn't actively doing something, I was falling asleep. I didn't know showering and eating would turn into 10 minute breaks of me time. I had no idea that I could cry at the drop of a dime all because I dropped something and I couldn't reach to pick it up in fear of waking my baby.

Thoughts of working on my business didn't exist. How could it? I could barely think straight.

I was too tired, too confused, and too unmotivated to see my dreams.

But I pushed forward.

"There's no slowing down,  as the globe spins around and round. You gotta keep going"-- Jehne Aiko

As much as I wanted to give up, something inside wouldn't let me. So I kept creating. I created action steps for myself for when I did get my MOJO back. I wrote blog posts even though I wasn't posting any. I stayed connected to people I wanted to build business relationships with.

You have to reconnect with who you are.

These things were small but it kept a tiny lit fire burning inside me when I was ready to blow it out.

You have to remind yourself that you still have options even though you have no idea how it's going to happen.

Having a child will change how you thought you would achieve success. It will change your vision for the future and what you're willing to do AND NOT DO to get there. But it's a journey like any other. You must stay focused, be resourceful, get creative, stay hopeful, andkeep going.

I dont stop and think about how things will work out becuase if i do, everything feels impossible. And nothing positive comes from a state of doubt. You have to do the work not concerned about whether you're going to get there because you will.

Every little thing you continue to do builds your desire, strengthens your capabilities,  and opens opportunities for everything you want out of life.

Just like your child, your ambitions aren't going anywhere so no point in ignoring them.

Feel free,

Mel

Break your breaking point

You ever have one of those days where you say “That’s it! I’m done. I’m not doing this anymore.” This is the day that everything changes right? This is the moment you make a complete 180 and do what you should’ve done a long time ago. No one can stop this universal change that is about to take place. Not your friends, not your family, not your co-workers, not even YOU, because this “other you” the one that is ready for this massive transformation is not willing to be stopped. Because this time is different. This time you’ve reached your breaking point and no one can tell you otherwise. Truth is we all reach our breaking point more times than we want to. And each time we do, we believe this time will be different; you will be different. At least this is the ultimate intention. Intentions are great but they hardly ever stick. I can’t count the times I have intended to work on my business just to find that days (sometimes hours) later my motivation has diminished, and I’m back to regular scheduled programming. What I wouldn’t give to bottle-up my frustrations and release it every time I needed to get focused.

But life is not that convenient.

Some days are bad but other days are pretty good. They may even be awesome. And that little voice says “This isn’t so bad. I can do this a little while longer.” As I work on myself personally and professionally, I am constantly battling my truth with my reality. I want what I believe to be success, love and happiness to be an actuality and not something that lingers in the future. I want it to be in the now, whatever the circumstance. That means the motivation needed to move forward, to progress, to have what you want does not lie in your frustrations, your intentions, or money. Your motivation must lie in the vision of who you are now and what your life is today. It’s so easy to get swept up in what our life will be a year from now, 5 years from now. It’s easy to talk about the future because it’s so damn far away. It’s a little more difficult to elaborate on what you did today to increase your income, get you closer to your dream job, add more love to your life, or bring more happiness to your existence.

Stop reaching your breaking point and start breaking the same old tired cycle. Yes, your future is bright but only if you dare to make today brighter.

Feel free,

Mel

Lessons Learned with Kristin Lloyd-Moussa

I had the privilege of sitting down with Kristin Lloyd-Moussa. Kristin has been a transformational life coach and psychotherapist for over eight years and has had a private office practice for the last five years. Her role as a life coach has had an enormous impact on clients and she treasures the professional and personal satisfaction tied to this role. She is an example of someone who chose to live freely at all cost. She has grown into a successful independent entrepreneur and continues to grow and challenge herself in order to continue rising. I’m starting a series of blogs called Lessons Learned as an Entrepreneur. In each blog you will read about vital information other entrepreneurs who are pursuing their talents and passions have stumbled along their way to success. There will be a lot of achievements as well as failures along the way, but remember you absolutely cannot have one without the other. Lessons Kristin Lloyd-Moussa has Learned:

Lesson One:

“Discipline is vital for your business, especially when you are a one man band.”

Yes Kristin struggled with discipline at the beginning. She had to try multiple strategies before she found how to be consistent in her efforts. There is no way you will be successful doing ANYTHING, especially doing something you love, if you don’t learn the art of discipline. Even the most talented will be outrun by someone with half the talent but double the discipline. Spend the time necessary each day working on something towards your goals.

Lesson Two:

 “There is a whole different side of the business aspect other than what you do and the magic you bring to the table.”

It is one thing to be great at what you do, and it’s another thing to make money from what you do. Kristin learned to build relationships with other professionals by buying them donuts, giving her card and asking for referrals. In order to make a living as an independent entrepreneur you must get good at business. Running a business has almost nothing to do with the service you provide or the products you offer. It’s an entirely different entity that will determine if you will profit from your talent. Not only must you master your craft but you must master being a business.

Lesson Three:

“In the beginning, you keep your day job.”

Kristin worked on her day job from 5:30am- 2:00pm and saw her coaching clients from 3:00 – 8:00. This is a schedule Kristin maintained for years until she grew traction in her coaching practice. I know absolutely no one wants to hear this but it’s an undeniable truth. You can’t just exist. The days of living in the forest and off the land are over. It costs to live. You need healthy food for your body to function at its best. You need access to transportation. You need to buy supplies to build the foundation for your business. You need to take classes to learn about things you don’t know or have the ability to pay someone who already does. Point is, be grateful for that job that’s giving you hell because it’s also funding your dreams.

Lesson Four:

“When I am ready I will let this go”

There is no set time when you are supposed to leave one situation and go to the next. There is also no perfect time to do it. More than likely whenever you do choose to leave an opportunity, it will be uncomfortable, nerve wrecking, alarming, and downright scary. Whether you’re ready or not, these feelings will come but you must listen to that inner guide and move when it is time.

Lesson Five:

Secret Weapon: “One book I highly recommend is the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey”

Kristin swears by this book because of all the information it has taught her. This book is filled with so much insight about personal and business growth. There’s strategies on time management, recognizing your ego, and more. It’s an oldie but goodie. Read it once and you’ll never regret it.

Check out Kristin's website http://transformationalpath.com/ for more information, coaching packages, freebies, and blog updates. Also, keep up with Transformational Path on Twitter @transformpath.

Interested in telling the Lessons You've Learned as you pursue your passion? Email me: joinfeelfreeclub@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!

Feel Free,

♥Mel♠