As I type this, I have meatballs cooking in the oven, marinara on the stove..Miss B, my nearly two-year-old daughter is doing her version of dancing to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and my living room looks like a Toys-R-Us bomb went off on it. #RealLife But this is exactly the life I’ve been dreaming of for months.
I officially went full-time as a videographer & stay at home Momma in January of this year, and now that I’ve been living that life for nearly two whole months, I thought I’d give you a check-in to let you see how it’s going. Going full time with your dream job can be the most exciting, nerve-wracking, patience, faith, and work ethic testing experience you could ever go through. You have to re-train your brain, body, and sleep schedule to a new routine. You have to learn what time you really do have, and what time you really don’t have.
Being a stay at home Mom along with running my business has been an interesting balancing act. I thought that when I left the classroom from 7:30-3:30 I’d be opening up so many hours for blogging, editing, networking and more! Truth is, toddlers don’t allow for a lot of computer time, (unless they are being entertained by Mickey, like I’m doing right now—don’t judge!) so while my days may seem open, they usually only allow for 2-3 hours of work. The rest of the time is spent being a present Momma. Playing with play dough, finger painting, cooking meals, doing laundry and more take up most of the day. So while I thought that FULL TIME would mean SO MUCH TIME, I’m learning it means THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME as before.
I’ve developed a strategy to get everything done, and it’s working! Since Jan. 1, I’ve been able to edit and deliver one wedding film, a love story film, and a promotional film for a creative friend of mine. Not to mention the photography I’ve been able to do on the side and serving my current clients, as well as booking new clients for the 2019 wedding season. So all in all, I’ve been able to get much more done than I would have working in the classroom.
So, do I regret going full time? No ma’am. Not one bit. Because now I can use the time I have with a clear, creative mind..one that hasn’t been worn down by the constant stimuli & emotional roller coaster that comes along with teaching high school. (High school is hard, y’all. Pray for those teachers and students!)
Family is the most important thing to me, and with this new freedom on the weekdays, I get to spend more time with my family. Making connections with other creative entrepreneurs is also something I’ve really enjoyed doing. I’ve been able to grab lunch with some of my favorite people that are hustling in this creative industry, just like me, and finding that community has been invaluable!
So, to wrap it up, I’ll say here have been my three biggest takeaways for going full time.
- Full Time does not = More time. Gotta schedule, plan, and strategize to get what I need done, DONE.
- Connecting with other creatives is such a heart-filling activity and something I highly recommend.
- Spend the most time with those who matter most, your family. Speaking of, my meatballs are done & Mickey & the gang are dancing to the hot dog song. Time to go.
Hope this helps you if you’re considering making the leap!
