Business Boutique Conference {my Take Away #1}

I was so fortunate to attend the Business Boutique conference in Phoenix last week!  I learned a wealth of information, but more than that, I was inspired in so many ways to press on in pursuing my dream of serving others through writing quilt patterns and tutorials.  I plan to share some of my "Take Aways" with you over the next months, so be sure to subscribe to Busy Hands Quilts so you don't miss a post!  

If you have any desire to make money doing what you love, then get your booty to Dallas this weekend to the Business Boutique conference if at all possible.  You won't regret it!

My Take Away #1:

"Life Balance isn't about a 50% split; it's about being 100% in the moment", whether working or at home.  -Christy Wright

The general meaning is that we don't divide our lives evenly - 50% home life and 50% work life.  A successful business {and what does "successful" mean anyway!?!} takes time, and we have to make time for our businesses.  We can't expect to get our desire up and running if we spend 30 minutes a day on it, nor can we expect our families to thrive if we spend 30 minutes a day on them.  There must be balance.

There will be seasons {sometimes many, many years} where our family life takes a lot more than 50% of our time, just as there are seasons {or even years} where our business ventures take more than 50% of our time.  The important thing is to be 100% in the moment, whether it's family or business time.

This likely means something different to you than it does for me, and it will look different in your life than it does in mine.  I am a homemaker, and my days will be different than yours even if you are also a homemaker, and especially if you work full time or even part time.  

The message for me is be there, be in the moment, whatever the moment is.  If I'm sewing or working on a quilt pattern - give it 100%.  If I'm spending time with a friend - give it 100%.  If I'm spending time with my family - give it 100%.  I give myself permission to still dream about fabric and quilting or nothing at all when I'm doing things like cooking dinner, chores, running errands, etc.  I don't expect myself to be 100% in the moment during those times.

This also varies by the stage we are in in life.  For example, I'm down to one child I'm homeschooling, and her work is mostly independent of me.  When the children were less independent in their school work, I used to pop into my sewing room whenever I had the chance, even if it was for 10 minutes at a time, and this is the way I created quilts.  It worked well for that season, which was many years.  

Now that I have more "free" time, I can give my time more consistently to my business and create a more definite schedule for it.  However, I must still remain flexible with my time because I have older kids who come home at varying times of the day and need to share their day with me.  I've learned to listen when they talk, or they won't talk.  That's being 100% in the moment.  One of the potential problems with developing a set-in-stone schedule and not being flexible with our time is we can become less available to serve others in our lives - our family, friends, and even ourselves.  

And that leads to another of my Business Boutique Take Aways which I'll share another day - Defining my personal values and living by them so my life is in balance.

Note:  We all hear and view things differently, depending on our life experiences, the filter by which we screen everything we hear and see, and our values and opinions.  What I heard at the Business Boutique may not have been spoken in words at all.  All wording and interpretation of the Business Boutique in this post is expressly mine and I encourage you to attend a Business Boutique conference to receive the inspiration and direction meant just for you.

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