Balancing Motherhood and Ambition

I am a stay at home mom. I have two little boys whom are my whole world. For as long as I can remember all I have wanted was to be home with my babies and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, not a thing. But in the midst of motherhood, I have this dream. This dream of starting my own company, of having a creative business and successful blog. I would love to bring in a supplemental income and have my hobby pay for it’s self. For the first year of motherhood I felt like having a dream outside of motherhood was wrong so I stuffed it and tried to dismiss it. But the louder it grew, the more I prayed about it.

I don’t have a huge business and my blog is very small. I still have a long way to go, lots of time and work ahead of me. But I’d like to think I am starting to lay the ground work. My goal is to never have to go back to work and to be able to have my own business when the boys are in school (big goal, but possible). And yes, I am saying that out loud.

Lots and lots of prayer. God has given us a mighty responsibility in allowing us to raise little people. Make sure that this is where He wants you to be. If you make Him center, He will guide and bless. If you don’t, your plans will flop. Maybe not right away, but eventually.

It’s important that he be on the same page with you, ok with you putting (a lot) time and effort into something you believe in. My husband doesn’t want to own a business and doesn’t want to be a part of mine BUT he supports me and encourages me in my own venture. That is very important. If your husband doesn’t think the timing is right or it is a wise decision for you to put the time and effort into something during this season of your life, listen. He is the only one who will be totally honest – and at times brutally so – about whether or not you are on the right path.

Your husband, kids and home should come first. If those priorities are falling to the wayside you need to reassess. Make sure time together counts and be intentional about setting aside time just for your kids and your husband. I try my best not to work when my kids are awake and if I need to, then I try to limit that time and make sure they are happily preoccupied with some books, quiet activities or a movie. Kids come first. There are times there are deadlines that need to be met and I need to put in some extra hours but during those times I give my husband a heads up and we plan accordingly. Sometimes that means getting a baby sitter or not having the house spotless. But I know that my husband appreciates a heads up and that it only happens every once in a while.

I am not a morning person, but I just recently did Crystal Paine’s Makeover Your Morning. It was a wonderful and easy course to help me organize and start my mornings off right. If I get ahead of my day then I am bound to have a more productive day, the days I wake up to my kids are the days that are usually all over the place. If I am up all night with one of the babies, I allow myself to take a nap during the day to help rejuvenate and keep from overdoing it. Having your mornings will allow you to get work done without taking away precious time with your family.

It is so easy to try to do everything. There is always SO much to be done just within your family and home alone, much less trying to build a blog and or business. Trust me, I’ve burnt myself out more times than I’d like to admit. Know when to say no to something and remember the season you are in. If you have littles at home, there is only so much you can do if anything at all. Determine your individualized call for this season. Different seasons have different callings. Know your limits, be open to listen to those around you (especially your husband and kids) and know when to get help. Every action has its own set of consequences. None of us can do it all, but we can make peace with the choices that we’ve made so own your choices.

I can’t stress this enough. Know why you are doing all this. What is your end goal? Write down your mission statement and take it and figure out how you can accomplish it (your vision statement). Knowing the reason you are doing what you are doing will help you during the times where you are tired and things are hard and you feel like you are burning out. If your “why” isn’t solid and for the right reasons (no matter what that may be) you are going to loose your steam quickly and most likely burn out.

What are your big goals? How are you doing with balancing motherhood and ambition? How do you balance your ambition and the other priorities in your life? I’d love to hear what works for you!

Sign up for my newsletter below and track the progress of my journey as a momprenuer 🙂

Become an insider

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name