Is it Possible to get the Perfect Balance?

This post is targeted at those young mums out there who I bet are in the same position I was a few years ago, however I think anyone would agree with what I’m saying. The old expression ‘Life’s too short’ is generally what I’m getting at here. I was stuck in a 9-5 job and missing my kids growing up. I couldn’t handle it anymore, being sat in an office earning an income and then basically giving most of it away to a baby sitter/day care. What was the point? I think it was this moment I started looking at blogging as an option.

Can you get a perfect balance of work and family working a 9-5 office job? Quite possibly. I’m sure many people do achieve this, however, in my opinion, the math simply didn’t add up! Self-employment/part time work really seemed to be the only option. Many people don’t think about the cost of baby sitting but this is a big expense and one that can be removed if you work from home. Is this for everyone? No. However, if you are even slightly interested then I suggest you read on.

I earn an income from my blog. This means I don’t have to go to an office and means I can also stay at home and look after my kids. For me, blogging has been the perfect answer to finding a work/family balance.

Leaving my job was scary… for about a day and then I couldn’t believe I hadn’t done it sooner. I think many people would love to be self-employed but just don’t know where to start.

You do need to pause for a second before you hand in your notice. You can’t expect to earn the same wage straight away. Make sure you’ve got some savings or some financial support for at least 6 months. It can take this long to get your business up and running. This could be anything from blogging to selling on ebay or setting up a local service.

Freelancing is a great way to start while you work part-time. This will give you an idea of whether or not the numbers add up. If you’re struggling to get any freelance work then I wouldn’t quit your part-time job. However, if the work is coming in nicely then you can be confident it’ll increase even more if you dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to it.

I personally think diversifying your self-employment is very wise. Blogging brings in the most money for me, however freelance writing and random bits and bobs really makes a difference. If a random job comes up, I will always check it out. Self-employment means you can be flexible so take advantage of that.

Self-employment isn’t necessarily easier than working for a company. In fact, I would say its much harder. However, let’s remember why we thought about it in the first place. For that flexibility and the ability to spend more time with your family. It’s a lifestyle choice at the end of the day… and a lifestyle that I have fallen in love with.

 
You get to be your own boss which is great. You make the calls which means you do have to be confident making decisions and being proactive. You can also focus on something you enjoy. If you work for a company that you absolutely love then maybe you are better off staying with them, however, when I compare my life now, I’m so much happier. I spend more time with those I love and spend my life writing and researching about topics I actually find interesting. No admin dumped on my desk at 5.15pm on a friday… I’m my own boss.

Before I had a family, I thought life was all about money, and not about what actually makes you happy. Now, I would easily sacrifice extra money to spend more time with my family. Simple as that. For some, your passion might bring in the money for you, and that is awesome! But if it doesn’t then the important thing to remember is that is could. Enjoy horse riding but can’t get a job related to it? I bet if you set up a blog about horse riding you could make a full time income from it.

I don’t want to wake up every morning and wonder where the day before went, and I don’t want to be begging for time to pass by just because I feel like I’m slaving away. ‘Life’s too short’ remember!

I’m not trying to force everyone to quit their jobs… I’m sure many of you are happy with your work/family balance. However, for those that aren’t, there are plenty of options. If I was in your position, I would start by setting up a blog. You could do this in the evening, you wouldn’t even have to quit your job. You could pick a topic that would involve your family so you could spend more time with them. If it started to take off, maybe try and work part-time and focus on your blog and other ways to make money online. If this went well, finally commit to self-employment and actually do something you enjoy. I followed these steps a few years ago. I now work from home, spend the day with my family and earn 3 times as much as I did  when I was working full time. The crazy thing? I still don’t know what I’m doing!

Whitney