So…you had kids and your priorities changed. You want, more than anything, to provide a life for your kids that will set them up for success and happiness. You long to spend your days with your children and the normal 9 – 5 job just doesn’t fulfill you anymore. You’ve recently realized that the best way for you to serve your kids, your family and your new priorities is to be home, at least part time.
It is at this point you begin to ponder something new, something you’ve never seriously considered…being a work-from-home-parent. The thought seems foreign and unattainable, I mean you’ve never really wanted to be a full-time stay at home mom nor could you imagine working while caring for your kids and the home. This new thought brings questions that seem never-ending: What kind of work would you do from home? Will working from home even bring in the income your family needs? Would it bring the balance and rhythm of life you are looking for? What if it doesn’t work out?
The scenario described above was my personal journey. I am a mom who is primarily home with my daughter and I run a life coaching business. Though I didn’t realize this dream until after I had my daughter, the flexibility and fulfillment I receive because of this arrangement has brought indescribable and intoxicating joy.
For me, the journey into becoming a work-from-home-parent started by being dissatisfied with my job and rhythm of life and slowly accepting a nudge that I wanted to be home part-time with my daughter. From there I was flooded with questions, doubts and fears which almost prevented me from even getting started.
But how do you get started? What’s the first step?
Get crystal clear on a vision for your life. It is only through grounding yourself in this type of purposeful vision casting that you will begin to see what could lie ahead as a work-from-home-parent.
Do you need some help creating this vision? I did. Here are three recommended steps to helping you create a clear vision:
- Find resources to help walk you through the process of creating a vision plan. A few books I would recommend are: Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want by Michael Hyatt, The Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family by Patrick Lencioni and Free by Mark and Lisa Scandrette.
- Get others onboard! You will need the support from your significant other, family and friends in order to successfully navigate this transition. You are not alone on the journey and leaning into your community is the best way to gain some traction.
- Hire a life coach (this may feel like a shameless plug, but I believe coaching can help you create a vision, outline a plan and keep you accountable to what is important. It did for me! Email me here to setup a free inquiry call).
Once your vision is clear, you will be able to see the next steps and will be more prepared to take the leap of faith to work from home. I’m not telling you it will be easy, but I’m telling you it’s worth it.
(P.S. If you are struggling to even find time to think about vision because life with your kiddos is super hectic, download Resources for the Exhausted Parent, my helpful list of books, podcasts and blogs to help you get some clear headspace as you navigate the challenges of parenting.)
"Just 5 short months ago I was in a state of wishing. Wishing I could write with small kids at home. Wishing I could figure out how to be consistent at my blog. Wishing I could move forward. I hired Rebecca as my life coach and I have successfully launched my new blog, write there weekly and have begun to work on a product I plan to sell through my blog. I would still be wishing for this life had I not hired Rebecca. I needed her help to get me to this next level."
Marie Morache, Writer (www.mariemorache.com)
