avoiding burnout in a #bossbabe world

Today I have been reflecting on how people spend their time. Specifically our culture. We live in a day and age where you are always behind, rushing, stressing, signing up for one more activity, playing many roles of wife, mom, student, caregiver, breadwinner, dual income, coach, friend, boss, support system, therapist etc., and constantly wishing there were more hours in a day. But for what? What are we getting in return? More likes on our IG feed? More credentials behind our names? Climbing the ladder? Having a Pinterest perfect house? Best outfit? Now don't get me wrong, none of these things are bad in moderation. But when we look at the last 5 years of hustling and all we have to show for it are more gray hairs, anxiety and thinking maybe another job change will solve the problem, then we are on a different path. Your parents may have referred to it as the rat race. Your grandparents may have called it the "American Dream". We were once taught to pursue the hustle and bustle and that if we were busy, that meant we were putting food on the table. I thought being an adult would be fun! I knew it would have responsibility, of course, but mostly adventure! Boy was I wrong! Or was I? Is it still possible to be a functioning adult and enjoy it? Is functioning a relative term?

I see a world that never puts down our phones, is obsessed with money and fame and have all the information they could possibly want at their fingertips at all times. It's sometimes mind blowing to think about!! In a world where we are so connected, yet so lonely. It seems odd to me. Where is the face to face connection or phone call? What happened to truly having a weekend that wasn't completely booked full of obligations? What happened to saying no to plans just because you just don't want to be busy all of the time. What happened to rest? These are all things that I have been asking myself as I have been observing my friends, family and colleagues. Can I just say that I don't want any part of it? I'm not on board with the hustle mentality or working myself to the bone to be noticed. I am not on board with making work my number one priority and my life second. I am not on board with making the popular decisions career-wise just to feel accepted by other women. There is this pressure on women to do it all and to prove our ability all of the time. That is not what I signed up for.

I am enough.

As I have been thinking and dreaming about what the "good life" looks like, I have to say that it is simple. I want to enjoy what I do, love my husband, friends and family intentionally and be financially free. Of course there are material things I want as well or an income that I am striving for, but I am not going to continue to be controlled by the end goal and start to be consumed by the moment. Today. Right now. See, I haven't sat down to write down any of my thoughts in a long time. I never thought I would step out and start a business, too risky. I never thought I would give up on perfectionism so early in my life. I never thought I would be able to give up control. Well here I am doing some scary and unfamiliar things and it's giving me more life than I have experienced in a long time. I want to break cycles of fear, which I believe to be a generational curse in my family. I want to empower myself and others to find their God given talents and pursue them personally and/or professionally. I want to encourage women to stop comparing and start believing that you are good enough! I want to prove to myself that failing is not a bad thing.

If I the only thing that I get out of this business is a hobby or something that brings me joy, that is a win in and of itself. My goal is to grow this into something that positively impacts people lives and teaches them how to simplify their life, best utilize the spaces in their home, and reduce stress. (I'm sure we could all benefit from this in some way, myself included!) Now if you thought I was just going on a rant about stopping to smell the roses, you are some-what right. But this all ties into my mission statement for my business: To create a practical, livable and organized lifestyle. I have an ability to see things from a different perspective and it has helped me in my own life, home, office space and my mind as a whole. Being organized does really help clear your head to focus on a task a hand. You are also a product of the environment you live in. I hope that I can inspire others to live simply, realistically and effectively. More to come!

xoxo,

Kaley