Wanna work with me?

I think that I’ve made it pretty clear that I am busy. Yes, I am fine… now. I did have a few days there where everything just got to be way too much for me and I did feel like I was losing my mind a little, but I think that a little sleep really helps to put things into perspective!

I launched 2 websites on the same day this week, yes, obviously not the best idea that I ever had, but you know… it’s all a learning experience.

What I decided was that I need some assistance right now, so if anyone is good with css, and is interested in some extra work (not a full time job), please email me at info@shaziamistry.com and we can discuss it further.

On too little sleep and too many kids

All during the summer, I had heard the rumors about Fall being extremely busy for entrepreneurs, and boy were they right! It’s a really good think that we had that 10 days of adventure at the end of summer!

I never expected to be as busy as I am right now; at this point I am practically attached to my computer; I think I am averaging about 4 hours of sleep per night, and last night I slept from 4am until 6am.

So… it’s extremely challenging to be me at this particular moment! I am generally the type to embrace a challenge, and I am at my best when I have work that I enjoy, but I think that I am on the verge (I am not sure that verge is the right word) of “too much”. It’s completely my own fault though, lack of efficient time management skills maybe? Or just inexperience when it comes to momtrepreneurship?

I have to be very careful that this does not turn into a rant, so let me just say this… I am swearing a lot more these past few weeks, and a teeny, tiny bit worse than my usual choices...

slowly losing my mind,
Shaz

Do you want to ‘have it all’?

A few weeks ago I was interviewed by a journalist based in Scotland, we did it at 5:30am, my time, the kids were asleep and our conversation was lovely. Among other things, she wanted to discuss my thoughts on the subject of ‘moms having it all’; I laughed.

While mothers are likely the strongest group of individuals, clearly able to accomplish seemingly impossible feats, run successful businesses, and operate as efficient, multi-tasking super powers, we are still only human.

I would love to say that I feel completely fulfilled since I’ve been working from home, I wish I could say that I have it all now, if only I could tell you that working for yourself at a job you completely love while being a full time mom is satisfying. Sadly, all I can say is that it’s challenging, it’s a struggle to find balance, and the guilt of semi-neglected children and missed client deadlines can be soul wrenching.

When I decided to be a work at home mother, ‘having it all’ was not my desire, it was really because 1) running my own business was something that I had always wanted to do, and 2) there was no way we could afford to send three kids to daycare! I think it’s a matter of ‘doing whats best for our family’, more than ‘having it all’.

There is no way that I feel like this is my ‘having it all’, as I sit here typing this on the dinning room table, I am holding my sick baby while he tries to press all the shiny buttons on my laptop, I just had to delay a project launch, and I’ve only done one hour of work so far for the day, earlier this morning while the kids were asleep.

Sometimes I think the question is not ‘how do we have it all’, but more ‘how do we keep ourselves from falling apart’.

Relax

I’ve spend the past, ummm, I don’t know, 18 or so hours working, almost nonstop, I would LOVE that ball right now!

Talk to me and the proverbial straw

So you’re in the middle of the ocean with your significant other, who managed to get you both lost, on a tiny little row boat with only one paddle, you just ate your last morsel of food and drank your last drop of water, you’re just about to give up all hope of being rescued when you see an island way out in the distance! You are desperate to get to the island because you are not fond of water and this trip was your partner’s idea, you paddle as fast as you can until you just can’t do it anymore, then your partner takes over and somehow manages to lose the paddle!

No, I didn’t get lost at sea this weekend, but I did feel like I was losing my mind a little! I was an over-worked, under-appreciated, always-with-the-kids, work at home mom, I did not take my own advice and have a mom escape, I allowed myself to get to the point of exhaustion and it was not pretty.

It’s my first September as a work at home mom, and the challenge that this week presented me with was an unexpected and apparently difficult one, I let myself get lost in my deadlines, I did not prioritize getting the kids into a new routine, then at the end of my week, when I could hardly recognize myself, I decided that blame for all of it, and may be even global warming, should placed directly on my husband’s shoulders.

As I reflect upon it now, I think that we completely failed to plan for this new phase in our life, we just sort of remained in the free-spirited, routine-free, mindset of summer, but with the workload of fall and three kids that just acted out a bit more than they should have because they were not really sure what to do. My husband surely has contributed to this problem, although he does try to let me work, I think that he has the misconception that I do not require the same quiet time to work on my projects that I afford him, or perhaps I give him the idea that I don’t need support, because as you know, we moms can be control freaks sometimes!

Please tell me how you keep your balance during stressful times?