Come, share my thoughts and talk with me…
After realising my home isn’t being run the way I wanted it to run, I learnt a big lesson today as a Mompreneur and Sidepreneur: no matter how busy I am, no matter how exhausted I am, and no matter how much I can outsource anything even if that thing is my emotions, at the end of the day, I’m still responsible for taking care of me, my business and my baby the way I want it to be taken care of.
No one else but me…
I’m responsible for asking God for help and allowing Him to guide and release me…
I’m responsible for my own rest, down time and sleep hours.
I’m responsible for keeping my daughter fed well at all times and for keeping the quality of my gifting top notch for my clients. Not the supplier, not my family, nor the clients. Me…
That doesn’t mean I must do all the work, no… but it does mean I should ensure the work is done satisfactorily, with an outcome that doesn’t stress me. That’s my Boss Mum job, not someone else’s. Especially when outcomes are subjective in the hands of others.
I recently listened to the book, E-myth Revisited: https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/e-myth-revisted/34474?refId=40779&gclid=CjwKCAjwx7GYBhB7EiwA0d8oe5rsuF1wFsxqxbFe49RJ-4Y83Hq-wvYmB4CBOWCTxz6NGTw7UfpPLRoCCQEQAvD_BwE)
It’s a book that has useful nuggets for startups, including building systems that make your business run successfully. Funny enough, when I read it, I didn’t imagine myself building systems for my home as well. But now I do… systems that not only work for my workers, my delivery, my family, my baby but for me too.
Realising in all honesty today that I couldn’t outsource my meals and go to bed, and still expect our family budget to stay on track or our food to stay healthy, I may adopt the system my mum used so well… a workable menu and a reasonable price list! Wish me luck!
Realising that a delivery company is giving me heartache, I honestly can’t expect them to make me happy… honestly! I should be the change I want to see and move on to a courier service that does better even if it means it costs more for the priceless peace of mind. That’s my Mom Boss side hustler job, not my service provider’s.
And if I’m truly concerned about my daughter’s skin, I’d ensure she gets to the hospital and not hope someone else would ensure this. If I’m truly concerned I’d do something about it. One hospital visit coming up!
Some things are really no-brainers when written out and read. But it’s a beautifully humbling experience when you’re faced with the reality of such a no-brainer with some time to actually correct your own flaw…
And that’s where I am tonight. Such a beautiful place before I fall asleep. Back in the place I should be: increased supervision with any outsourced tasks within a framework that actually works for the desired outcome: a rested responsible with her achieved goals who relies on God for every work, home, side hustle step…
Such a beautiful place to be: of conviction, of repentance, of hope… my baby, my business, me…
10:39pm
Mompreneur/Sidepreneur diaries || Monday, 29th August, 2022
It’s been an incredibly hectic week. A hectic month so far even. And I’ve had to make sacrifices, go on different pauses, just for the sake of good health and sanity.
It’s been an incredible week all the same. I would even do it all over again. But I’m proud that in many cases, I chose our Naa Ameley. No, she didn’t have her usual access to me all the time, but she did have me every day. Every single day, we spent good time together.
So at the end of one to these pressure-packed sprints at work, as I took a break from the late nights and long days and simply caught my breath, I wasn’t surprised that in a single moment I was in deep awe of Naa Ameley’s hands in mine. Thankful to be alive, thankful to be her mum.
And this inspired not only the poem below but the video as well.
The month has been so quick and quite hard so far. And unfortunately, the stress hasn’t quite ended yet. However, as I unwind this Friday night, reminiscing my chance to feed Naa from my plate and my breast, with the knowledge that the night was mine to enjoy, it’s no wonder to me that in my choice to act, to choose in love, to choose Naa again and again, I became a poet.
I hope you love the poem and video as much I did… and experience just a little taste of world tonight…
Your hands so sweet in mine
Your fingers are divine
My heart just swells for you
My darling, I love you
You remind me of what’s right
For you, I’m back up to fight
My heart sings because of you
My darling, I love you
No, you’re not all roses and kisses
Still you’re more than a thousand wishes
You make me laugh till I’m in stitches
My darling, I love you
Your hands: just sweet in mine
Your fingers, so divine
My heart, it swells for you
My darling, I love you
“At the touch of love, every man becomes a poet” - Plato
10:24pm
1st Baby Diaries || Friday, 26th August, 2022 || 9 calendar months, 0 weeks, 1 day
Tonight I got a call from the hospital; we have to return tomorrow to ensure any red flags from our labs earlier today are put in check. There wasn’t enough info from the labs to say there was a serious issue or a rather benign one. At some point in the conversation, the doctor said, “Oh, please come ooo”. That’s when I caught myself a little distracted by my planning. I was already thinking of what to tell my boss, how we’d meet this very important global deadline at work, how we can still work remotely with the hospital visit tomorrow. No… not at all, I wasn’t even considering not going to the hospital. “Oh no,” I replied, “we are very clear who the priority is, she’s priority, always. We’ll be there tomorrow.”
And that’s when it struck me. Naa Ameley will always be priority, family will always be priority, no matter what.
Yes, there would be days Naa won’t get to play with me just because I’m home. There are days she gets shipped out of the room because she wants to “say some” during my work call 😂😂. And there are days she may wait an hour or 2 longer to suckle after I close from work because I had to leave the office later than usual. Yes, there may be many days like that. Honouring God in my work is important. And yes, there are days Ariel may have to wait with Naa outside our bedroom so I can complete an important call with an Enosua’s heArt client. Those days will come, but that doesn’t mean my family isn’t priority. Naa, if you or any of your siblings are reading this, know that the times you have to wait “your turn” doesn’t mean you aren’t priority. You are. Always. Just not a first pick as a constant, but when it’s really important, when it boils down to choosing one thing over my family, like my last job move was, you, my family, will always always be priority.
It spooked me. The very thought. That one day I could walk away from a good career prospect or a great Enosua’s heArt break because my priorities are clear, our priorities are clear: Family first.
Yes, it was spooky but “boy!!!” did that make me proud! An unwavering conviction, when push comes to shove, no one shoves my family out.
Will I be irresponsible when choosing family over all (please don’t add God to the “all”… lol… that’s also very clear to me)? Hell no? I don’t plan to be and hope I meet people with grace who call that out if I ever do so blindly. I’ll do my very best to plan or mitigate, so I can honour God in honouring my family. And honour God in every other aspect of my life. I may pick work calls in the car at a hospital, if needed. Or wake up really early to fulfill a client’s order. And for sure, I would work late like I’m doing today to make up for “borrowed” time from my day job or other responsibilities. But will I put them first over you, Naa? Over our family? No… no, I won’t. God forbid that I do.
I really ask for grace to keep us first, Naa. Speeches are easy, and announced convictions can be glamorous. So we thank God that grace abounds.
That call has shaken me because of this thought that it generated, Naa. Thankfully the content of the call itself wasn’t scary. However, I’m thankful I’ve gotten those shock waves this evening. It’s a humbling reminder why I work, why I chase my dreams, why I love being a Mum, a Wife, a Daughter of God too. Typing this out has strengthened my resolve, and ooo am I grateful that I had this experience tonight.
Tomorrow, we’d make it. Come hell or high water. And may we be given many opportunities to make it when it counts… for you, for family, for us…
6:38pm
1st Baby Diaries || Thursday, 14th July, 2022 || 7 calendar months, 19 days
One thing I’ve learnt being a Mom, Full time worker and a small business owner, either can make you exhausted… all 3? Very exhausted.
Sometimes I’m so exhausted everything just takes a pause. Other times, the long hours of one become the more hours of another, especially with discipline and the frequent reminder that, “Sis! You don’t have time!”
It’s fun building a business, adding value to your employer, pouring love and milk into your child. They have their ups and downs but let’s face it: it’s more than fun, each is a rewarding experience. They truly are.
So tonight, I find myself trying to soothe my fussy teething baby so she can sleep on what could have been a semi-empty stomach. Thankfully the calm and wait till past 11pm paid off! She drank the rest of her formula! Finally! The one she rejected earlier. Naa Ameley loooooves food! So when she rejected food, I knew there was going to be extra effort needed tonight. Thankfully, whilst I waited and allowed her to fuss in and out of sleep till she got hungry, I worked on some paperwork for Enosua’s heArt… not a minute wasted being a goal, it was nice using up this TV/Mom time to catch up on what I had been putting off too long. Mompreneur.
After she finally finally fell asleep better fed, I put her down and then ironed my new dress for work. Day 5 on my new job and I wanted to look really good this time. If it didn’t fit perfectly just from all the weight I’ve gained these past few weeks, it surely had to be look well ironed. Thankful for all the leg work Mandy had put in, I just needed to iron out a few stubborn creases to finish it off. The plan was to catch up on some audio learning for my business as I ironed. I guess I forgot but it’s nice that the thought was there. Prepping for work and sharpening my side-hustle ask in tandem. Sidepreneur.
Yes, all this leaves me exhausted. I could have been asleep before 9pm but here I am, right before midnight, briefly catching this moment because I want to remember these days.
I’m a young Mompreneur and Sidepreneur, I’m proud of both, proud of the 3 elements that make me both: Mom, full time employee and business owner (mostly in this order). Proud of all the systems currently in place plus the new ones I am building to help me excel as much as feasible in my circumstance at each. Proud of the awesome people I have at home, work and my Enosua’s heArt affiliations who support me.
Yes. I’m a young Mompreneur and Sidepreneur, exhausted and super proud.
00:02am
Mompreneur/Sidepreneur Diaries || Thursday, 7th July, 2022
We don’t know
If I have COVID or not
If I contracted it at work yesterday or not
If a test today will reveal the truth
If waiting till Monday will give a more accurate test result
If I hadn’t contracted it before yesterday
We don’t know
If our lives are safe enough to not ignore precautions
If being careful now is useful
If being careful now is even necessary
If this semi isolation is worth anything
I don’t know
If you understand, Naa Ameley
What’s in your mind when you stare at me with disappointment
If you can appreciate why I won’t pick you up, lay by you, keep your life the way it used to be
If you can bear with me when I hand you the sanitised bottle instead of the breast
I don’t know
Who I’m really protecting
Who may be protected because of these precautions
If all this isn’t useless “draconian”
If all this is what I’d be super grateful I did
I don’t know
If this will affect my milk production
If this will burden everyone else more than imagined
If this semi-isolation is worth it
We don’t know
If I would need to rebuild our relationships after the test
If Grandma is safer because of all this
If you are safer
If our at risks are safer
We don’t know
But we do know
We will try
We may cry
We will do our best
And we love each of you
Each of us
Including you
Our Naa Ameley
And this temporary scare
Won’t change that
That we more than just know
We’re absolutely confident of it
And we thank God for His grace not to know
And yet still trust Him alone
As we walk in faith
In all the steps we take
That we do know, absolutely!
5:15am
1st Baby Diaries || Friday, 10th June, 2022 || 6 calendar months, 16 days
