Olivia Chapman here, Executive Director of Training at Inner Glow Circle.
Who says you can’t have it all? I’m no Law of Attraction expert (oh, wait, I kind of am), but I know that the the first step to “having it all” means believing that it’s possible. I know that if I think something is going to be hard, unenjoyable or unmanageable, I seriously increase the chances of having that experience.
I also know that if I’m open to possibility–to joy, fulfillment, love, wealth, peace–I can also create that experience.
At least back in 2014, that was what I was really starting to believe.
Then I got pregnant.
Quite honestly, I thought I was screwed.
How can you embody and create joy, peace, possibility when you are at the beck and call of a helpless little nugget? I was just beginning to get the entrepreneurial groove down. How could I add on being a mom this early in the game?
Being a parent is supposed to be hard, right? You’ve heard all of the horror stories. Babies never sleep. You lose all freedom. You’ll never have sex again. You will lose your friends. And the scariest one of all for a lifelong entrepreneur: your business is going to take a major hit.
I know what you’re thinking: children are also the best thing that can happen. They’re pure joy swaddled in a blanket and everything you’ve always dreamed of. Eventually I got to this point, so just stay with me!
In full transparency, I thought adding Mom to my list of titles, credentials and responsibilities was going to be SO hard. When I found out I was pregnant, my first thought was “Oh shit.” Clearly, it was unplanned. My next thought? “My business is going to die.” Dramatic, I know. I stayed in this state of mind for a good 5 months. And guess what, those were the hardest months of my life and in my business–not the ones where I’ve actually been BEING a mom.
After a serious awakening, ignited by my IGC sisters and my personal coach, I realized again that if I wanted this experience to be full of ease and joy, I needed to believe that that was even possible for me as a new mom and entrepreneur.
So I just went for it. Besides, being anxious and terrified was getting me nowhere.
I consciously decided to relax. I had fun again. I got excited. And most of all, I became determined; determined to make this baby and business as joyful and easy as possible.
Having Knox made me a better person, a better coach and a better businesswoman. Yes, this is all possible. Here’s how I’ve done it, and how you can too:
Not taking care of myself is no longer an option. Self care is now a non-negotiable in my life. I have to get my sleep, exercise and eat healthy. Sleep helps me focus. Getting out for a run gives me mental clarity. When I was nursing, I had to fuel on healthy foods and still do for energy! I enrolled my man in supporting me in this area and we made it work.
I’ve become more productive than ever before. No more lack of focus. No more procrastination. There literally isn’t time for that in my day. No more avoiding writing blogs, follow up emails, creating content, reaching out to potential clients, activating my marketing plan. Every working hour on my calendar is time-blocked with direct action steps that produce results. (Read: stop aimlessly scrolling your Facebook feed and get to work).
I’ve become a highly-supported woman. I hired an insanely productive virtual assistant who allowed me to focus more on money-making activities and less on social media, scheduling and other tasks that didn’t directly support or create clients. I hate cleaning anyway, so I hired a housekeeper (I don’t know about you but I cannot focus when it’s messy). Just because I work from home does NOT mean that I am NOT working (if you work from home, you know what I mean). I hired childcare for the hours that I needed to work with no interruptions. Yes, these are investments, but working with distraction is going to cost you a lot more in the long run.
I’ve softened. No, I’m not referring to my previously toned abs (although, full transparency, those softened as well). I’m referring to my heart; I am more compassionate and understanding than ever before. I have learned to bring even more love and heart into my practice, my coaching and my sales. I “hear” people on a whole new level since becoming a mother and it has been a powerful shift on a personal and professional level.
I am more myself than ever before. Nothing is more powerful than your authentic truth. Being mom, businesswoman and coach is my trifecta. I feel more full than ever before and my work exudes this. Being all of these things feels easy, because it’s who I am. It’s what I’m meant to do.
At the end of the day, you get to choose how you want to experience your life. At any given moment, you can choose overwhelm, anxiety, hard or impossible–just as you can choose, ease, joy, peace and possibility. By choosing the latter, when it comes to baby, business and being coach, I can actually create the results I want. I can choose to be happier, more productive and honestly, more profitable instead of being victim to “how hard it is” to play all the roles. I created this life, and I’m committed to making it all work.
Of course, it’s not perfect. As I’m writing, I look down to find spit up caked on my arm. There’s a part of me that feels like a hot mess. But by choosing to find the light in every challenge, I can laugh and push through. I choose happiness, ease and success. What do you choose?
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