Balance

Laundry needs to be folded. Did I turn off the iron? Did I pack enough clothes for the baby? I think I left the stove on? Is the back door locked? Oh diapers, I think I need more diapers. Did I have breakfast today? Random thoughts I'd have on a very simple day before heading out of the house even for a small errand. Parent life is HARD. I don't think there's a parent on this planet who had a baby and flew through the first few years as a parent thinking "well that was easy". And if you exist out there, you must be a unicorn. So now take all of that mental over-processing, of life and family responsibilities, and add a job to it. Sounds like a recipe for an upcoming mental breakdown. And many have been there, including myself. Life is not easy, and striking a balance where you feel like a good parent, a good spouse, a good friend, along with a good employee, is a true skill. For me, I couldn't do a 9-5, AND be a good parent. I also didn't earn enough to justify working a full time job and paying for full time daycare at the same time. So I quit. I thought I'd be saving money by being home. And then the obvious happened. When we became a single-income household, we started falling back on bills. The expenses started adding up. And despite cutting back everywhere we could think of, it wasn't enough. I'll save the details for another time, but fast forward to a point in life where we were absolutely at our lowest point, I was already trying out some traditional business ideas and trying to earn from home, and in came an opportunity that offered flexibility and BALANCE. The real question is, did they deliver? YES. THEY. DID!| An opportunity where I got to build my own schedule, around my family. Where the hours were part time, the tasks were all do-able and the hardest part was probably remaining disciplined enough to work from home without a boss looking over your shoulder, and actually getting the work done!

Remember, we are talking about 2013, when working from home was almost non-existant. Having a young child at home with me, it was the most ideal work opportunity for me. Now in hindsight, I wish I had learned about it sooner. Having a side-hustle is just SMART. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket. Have a fall-back plan, a just in case. Over my 8 years of running my health and wellness business with Arbonne, I have met people in all different phases of life. Some are doing this for extra income. Others want more to enjoy life, some are paying off debt, and then there's an entire group who wants more TIME with their loved ones. That BALANCE of time and money is what Arbonne has given me. Being able to earn well, while still having the time and peace of mind for my family and loved ones. Follow my journey, there is more to come.