Personal post to start the school year–
Time for another year of figuring it all out as I go along. Quick catch up: I am a stay at home mom and former secondary teacher. My husband’s school has a play group that my baby girl can now attend and thrive in so I have a few hours on my hands each day to put towards building a small business- something that can create extra income. The first chapter of many little businesses that thrive and die everyday. Last year, I was very motivated and happy to get my TPT storefront started and pop out some pinterest pins to advertise. Per my last post here, there have been other balls to juggle and a small business can’t take priority and it may never truly be number one in my life or in my day. Can I still make this work?
First, what is the point? Why sell lesson plans?
- I needed to step away from teaching because I wanted to put family first and to create a lifestyle that was slower. I have achieved this and I am basking in the beauty of a life I want. But… It isn’t sustainable. Financially, we can afford this now but we would prefer more income to save for future expenses (moving countries, more children, college kids?!?!)
- I love lesson planning- is that weird? It’s a form of creativity for me and I have a ton from my 8 years of teaching that I still want to put out there to make money.
- One day I’ll be back to teaching and reviewing good lesson planning keeps me on top of my game.
So, if #1, I want a slow and balanced life, then running a small business isn’t the way to go! Everything I know about running a business is that it takes blood, sweat, and tears and then some. It’s hard work and you have to dedicate a lot of time to it in order for it to work.
Is there a way to run a small enough business that I can still spend the majority of my day building blocks with my baby girl? Can I create borders in my day that contain my work well and allow for me to be as present as a mother as I’ve always dreamed? I think so. I think the work till you drop and pour everything into a business is what needs to happen if you want a raging success and you are depending on income. It feels revolutionary to attempt something smaller, something slower, and easier to manage. Maybe it isn’t worth the effort but I would like to give it a try.
I send this post out into my blog as a mission statement of sorts. Let Teacherland Lessons be something I am proud of for quality work, no matter how slow and small it may remain. And let me avoid any guilt if I don’t devote my every minute to building it. I create the standard of success in my own life and I will reread this post as a reminder. The point of this is to create space for my job as a mom now and in the years to come. Let’s see how it goes 😉