The Ups and Downs of Living the Dream
A few weeks ago, I realized that I am actually doing it—I am
living my dream and building my own career exactly the way I want to. Some days
I struggle with the fact that I am a solo entrepreneur and wish that I had my
own full-time accounting, marketing, and tech teams. For example, when I try to
decipher the complicated reports from IngramSpark detailing my income from book
sales in various categories and subcategories, as well as remittance reports that are like Greek to me for some reason—all
of which are paid out ninety days after the sale, which just makes it that much
harder to track. Why, IngramSpark, why??
But when it comes to making decisions about where to spend
my time and how to grow my business, I couldn’t be happier. I love being in charge.
I love setting goals and deciding which steps in which order to take to
accomplish those goals. Life is so full right now and things are exploding in
so many different directions. For example:
- I’ve finished recording the audiobook of Sophie and Spot and will begin editing it soon,
- I’m exploring developing a product line for eco-friendly merchandise to sell with my book,
- I’m still giving author presentations to local elementary schools,
- I’ve begun writing the second book in the Sophie and Spot series,
- I’m continuing to help clients with editing and writing coaching, and
- I’m planning a writing retreat for this summer!
The best part? I’m also setting my own hours, prioritizing
my health, deepening my network, having fun, and spending time with friends and
family. As I write this, I also realize that I have been stretching myself a
little too far lately with all of these different projects. I’ve been listening
to Susan Hyatt’s Rich Coach Club podcast where she asks her
listeners to envision what their dream coaching practice looks like. She asks if your
dream career is something “big, exciting, high-energy” or something “chill, calm,
quiet”?
And I realized that I love aspects of both. I love having a lot of
different projects going on and branching out to try new things. I also
realized that I have always been a slow, thoughtful, methodical person. I like
to take my time on things, not rush the experience, and savor it sip by sip. My
dream career is one where I have time to deeply connect with my clients, as
well as everyone else in my life.
So these past few months have been an interesting time for
me as I try to balance extreme company and personal growth with my natural
desire to ponder, wonder, and breathe. I’m definitely pushing the boundaries of
what I’m comfortable with, and while I think that is a natural part of growth,
I also recognize that I need to pair that with some down time in order to ensure
that the hectic pace doesn’t become my norm. The best part? I know I can. Ups and downs.
