In a fantasy world (i.e. the Internet), entrepreneurship is portrayed as a care-free life where you sip fancy drinks on the beach and live in a super nice vacation home.
But in the real world, entrepreneurship is truly appreciated for the days you’re needed out of your house and off of the beach.
On the evening of Wednesday, January 24, my sister asked me to come over to watch my niece (Maizah) throughout the night because she was having contractions. I was really tired and hungry because I had been fasting until 6 p.m. for the past couple of weeks, but I packed up my dog and my things, found food, and drove an hour in traffic out to Cobb County.
I got there around 9:15 pm to finally eat, and I tried to offer what little support I could while my brother-in-law prepared them to go to the hospital. I was exhausted, starving, and emotional. But I was there and present.
The next day I had plans to:
- Be apart of a promotional video for a project I’m apart of
- Sign on a new agency client I’m looking forward to working with
- Send over a 5-figure proposal for an influencer project I was pitched
I woke up around 6 a.m. to learn that second niece Caliana Lily James was born at 3:08 am and Maizah and I could go visit whenever we were ready.
My plans:
- ❌ Be apart of a promotional video for a project I’m apart of
- Sign on a new agency client I’m looking forward to working with
- Send over a 5-figure proposal for an influencer project I was pitched
I got my niece dressed, dropped my dog Max off to my place, made sure they were both fed, and then I took a quick business call before heading to the hospital. Throughout all of that I didn’t make time to walk Max.
Maizah and I finally got to the hospital and it was so beautiful seeing my sister’s family go from 3 to 4.
About ten minutes into the visit Caliana needed to take a nap and I needed to do a check-in call with a client so Maizah came with me to the break room to do the call. I managed to get through it even with her spilling water everywhere. We stayed at the hospital for another few hours admiring Caliana (until about 3:15 p.m.) and then eventually drove back to my place.
When we got to my parking garage, I sat in my car for about 5 minutes for a quick mental break. The work day was pretty much gone, I thought about the emails I wanted to get to, and remembered I couldn’t even ask my assistant to respond to them because we had just professionally parted ways 24 hours before. I came back to reality, got Maizah out of her carseat, took the elevator to my apartment, and walked in to see that my dog had peed on my couch.
I really wanted to be understanding because I DID forget to walk him BUT WHY ON MY SUEDE COUCH?! So then I yelled at him for peeing and he peed again because he was scared. 😂 And literally 3 minutes later while I’m doing everything I can to save my couch, my niece goes “uh oh Auntie Maya” which means she had an accident. Pee on my couch. Pee on my floor.
Long story short, I spent my entire day with my niece entertaining her, feeding her, cleaning up after her, and putting her to sleep (way past her bedtime).
My plans:
- ❌ Be apart of a promotional video for a project I’m apart of
- ❌ Sign on a new agency client I’m looking forward to working with
- ❌ Send over a 5-figure proposal for an influencer project I was pitched
And you know what? I wouldn’t have had the luxury to do any of those things had it not been for entrepreneurship. I didn’t have to call off from a job and explain why I had to be there for my family.
[Tweet “Entrepreneurship gives you the freedom to be occupied with the things matter most. “]
I appreciate having a business because of the things I prioritize ABOVE my business.
My priorities:
- God
- My needs and health
- My family’s needs/health
- My business (the people I serve)
- My wants/desires
- My family’s wants/desires
- Everyone else’s wants/desires
And it’s because of those priorities that I can truly enjoy the freedom that entrepreneurship gives me.
- My business gives me the freedom to share my faith with tens of thousands of people online.
- My business gives me the freedom to take mental health days when I need them.
- My business gives me the freedom to work with people who respect my priorities and boundaries.
- My business gives me the freedom to take care of my niece when my sister goes into labor in the middle of the night.
I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the benefits of my business if I prioritized it over my health.
I wouldn’t truly enjoy the blessings of my business if I prioritized it over God’s Will.
I wouldn’t have the reciprocated love of my family to share my success with if I prioritized my business over their needs.
[Tweet “Proper prioritization is what allows us to enjoy the freedom of entrepreneurship.”]
It’s when we put our plans over our priorities that we can’t truly enjoy the things we prioritize. Priorities allow us to enjoy the benefits of our blessings.
[Tweet “Never put your plans before your priorities.”]
Often times we search for that perfect work/life balance, but balance shouldn’t be the goal. Clear priorities should be. Priority creates harmony. It’s about having things that work well to support each other, not having things that are equal. And when it came to the project I was supposed to be apart of and the emails that left unsent, I didn’t have to over-explain myself because everyone is aware of where/how they’re prioritized in my life.
So today, I’m really grateful for entrepreneurship and the freedom that it offers me. I’ll never put my business over my faith, my health, or my family, but I will certainly always appreciate how much it complements those things in my life.
What do you appreciate most about the freedom you have in your life? What are you top priorities? I’d love for you to share!
Congratulations to the family on the beautiful birth of your Niece! I am grateful that I have the freedom to be at home with my kids during the week, and work on the weekends. My bank account isn’t booming, but I am there for breakfast, homework and bedtime M-F, and that is a priority in my life.
Thanks so much! Love that you get to be with your kids during the week! Such a luxury. <3
This was amazing per usual. I tell the women I coach to forget balance and prioritize. What matters right now for you and the people that you are connected to? Im looking forward to the day that I can be more available both physically and mentally. Glad you’ve created a business that supports the life you want to live.
Thanks, Chaquita!! And yes so important. Balance is unrealistic, harmony is necessary. ❤️❤️
Hi Maya! Thanks for this post. I do appreciate it. I am a young entrepreneur and I am so strict about my business and what I see. Lately, I’ve been struggling to find myself in the midst of everything. I believe this message was for me because I’ve lost sight of my priorities. I’ve put everything before myself and I had a mental breakdown this morning. My career is picking up but everything else is feeling a bit lackluster. Definitely about to make a priority list. I feel the universe telling me to put myself above all, and I think it’s time I listen. Thank you for sharing. I thought I knew what entrepreneurship looked like but I’m in the trenches and it feels like a tough challenge but this is my wake up call not to forget myself while I seek growth and success. Thanks for sharing and congrats on your new niece! I adore you and your sis 💕
Awww thank you for this, Lyneisha!! I love knowing that this was right on time for you! What’s the point of having a business if we’re too sick and lonely to enjoy it! Take care of yourself!
Congrats to the fam!
I love this post <3
I actually don't know if I've ever written down my priorities like this, but now I'm looking over your list, digesting that, reflecting on myself and getting on the track
Thanks for the boost and inspiration. Be blessed
Congrats to the fam!
I love this post <3
I actually don't know if I've ever written down my priorities like this,
but now I'm looking over your list, digesting that, reflecting on myself
and getting on the track
Thanks for the boost and inspiration. Be blessed
Thanks so much! So glad you liked it and I really appreciate you reading. I thinking knowing your priorities makes decision making so much easier!
Congrats on the addition to the family!!! I hope your couch is saved? I feel your pain with that one. I really enjoyed this post. We share similar reasons for wanting to be entrepreneurs as far as our priorities that come before our businesses.
Hahaha the couch is saved and in good condition!
Congratulations to you, Mattie and the rest of your family. This was an awesome post as it reminds me of why I wanted to peruse entrepreneurship in the first place. It’s important to me to prioritize my life the way that I want it to be. Being an entrepreneur allows me to make adjustments to my schedule without the stress of overly explaining and without having to request permission. This was a great reminder to myself to keep my priorities in place.
Awww thank you so much!! And yes please keep those priorities in place. 🙂 I have to remind myself quite often, too!
Thank you for sharing – I felt like I was in the room with you while you spoke about it all. My priorities are God, my love, my family and my values. For me to have a happy and successful life these priorities come first.
I am grateful for the strength and support I get from God, my partner and family.
Thanks for sharing, Natalie! Love your priorities and how you acknowledged that having these things is what makes you feel successful. I think it’s so important for us to define what success means to us so we can stop comparing what we have to what other people have.