Can you be a Mum and still Dream BIG?

When you're a mum sometimes life can become a little repetitive, wonderful and incredibly rewarding but a little repetitive. As a working mum, life is incredibly hectic and a constant juggling act. More often than not I feel that it's a juggling act where sometimes I drop the ball and I feel like I'm failing. Even though life can be overwhelming, I have a huge desire to still pursue my own dreams.

I'm incredibly lucky that I have a wonderful Husband, two beautiful children who fill me with joy, a home and a job. However, a dream I have always had is to be my own boss. To build something from scratch, nurture it, and see it be successful. But as a busy mum of two is that something that is even achievable?

When I was pregnant, I didn't think having children would impact my career too much. I thought I could continue to work in education and keep up with the workload, ensuring I become a qualified teacher.

The reality? Well, that was somewhat different.

I adore my current job, I love working with young people and it's incredibly rewarding. But is it compatible with family life? 15 years ago most people would have said yes, but in today's world of unprecedented pressures teachers face, compatibility with family life appears to be unachievable for many. I think when you become a parent your priorities clearly shift, but I still feel that I need to do something for me, to work towards my own personal goals.

As a mum to a very intelligent little girl, I want to show her that you can follow your dreams, no matter how big, whilst still being a mum. Because, both my children inspire me to be the best version of me.

I have done a lot of soul-searching recently, contemplating my career and which direction I want to take.

Going after the things we want in life is scary. So often, we don’t even know where to begin, but with every step and every battle we win, our confidence rises, as does our happiness.

Having children shouldn't stop those dreams. Content marketing agency Axonn Media surveyed 108 parents on their working life and it seems that being a mum still presents greater professional challenges than being a Dad, even in 2017. Research from its Gender in Marketing 2017 report reveals that 62% of Mums said that parenthood hampered their career, compared to just to 24% of Dads. A further one in 10 mums said parenthood has significantly had a negative effect on their career.

So how do we make these things happen when we have so much on our plates already?

Create a plan

Figure out what your dream is and think about some realistic ways to get there. Do you need more education? More experience, or do you just need to start? What are the steps that you need to take today so that you can be where you want to be years from now? Are there any barriers? How can you overcome them?

Create a schedule

We all know life can be unpredictable, so it’s important to schedule in time to work on your dream. That time won’t magically appear. For some mums, that means waking up early in the morning and working on their dream before the kids wake up. For others, it’s working late at night when the kids are asleep. In any case, find a block of quiet time so you put in a few hours a day to get work done. On the flipside, allow yourself sometime for you as well. Downtime is often when idea's generate too.

Find an emotional support system

Pursuing your dream is hard. Pursuing it with kids is even harder. It's important to be able to talk through your dreams with someone you trust, who will offer advice and support when needed.

Always keep family first

Our dreams are important but so are our children. Above all else, our children need to come first in our lives. That said, with a good schedule, diligence, planning and focus we can still be great mums to our kids while honoring our dreams and our selves.

Do you think its important to still forfill/work towards dreams when you become a Mum?

Mummy B xoxox