Mastering The Art of Work
SHMamas!
It has been a whole month since I last wrote. In this time, I have taken the first summer vacation with all my immediate family members in attendance since we opened Sugar Hill Creamery five years ago; switched our bedrooms around so our nine-year old can enjoy her own room for a few years until her sister will no longer want to share rooms with their baby brother; filmed an episode about our founding story and the lessons we’ve learned along the way for a major credit card company; and launched my Mastering the Art of Work class, which I’ll be teaching live starting on September 27th!
A picture of Ila, Nico, and my mother-in-law playing Uno with Nick and I (on the other side of the frame) while on vacation. Zadie, our family photo documentarian, took the picture.
As you all close out the summer with your kiddos, some of you may be excited to get them back in school. Funny story: I ran into a neighbor-mom yesterday who said that she doesn’t have Monday Scaries because work is her refuge from her kids and when Monday comes she’s like, “Bye!” 😂 I appreciated her candor and honesty because I felt the same in the early days of having our eldest child Ila. Being a present parent when you first start this journey, or even three kids in, is exhausting!
But as I watched Ila grow into a one year old and then a two year old, I wanted more time with her. I wanted to walk with her to the playground in the middle of the day for a play date if I wanted to and not only when I had time on the weekend.
I wanted the autonomy to schedule my work week and take our kids for Family Board Meetings (one-on-one connection time) when I wanted. I also still wanted to work. I wanted to create and build things, but on my own terms because if there is anything we know about kids, we know they will develop, grow, regress, and challenge us on their own terms. I wanted to have a nimble schedule that would be able to ebb and flow with their needs.
You all know the rest. We opened Sugar Hill Creamery to make space for all of that. But, somewhere in the middle of 2020 I realized I wanted to help other parents make similar shifts. For some this has meant transitioning into a new job and for others it has meant leaving corporate for a life of entrepreneurship. I have witnessed this with my one-on-one clients and via my six-week online course called Mastering the Art of Work, which is open for enrollment now.
Zadie and I went to Color Factory for our Family Board Meeting.
There’s a thought about following your envy of others. If you follow it, you should figure out what about their life you want. Ask yourself why you feel this way? Give thanks for that person's accomplishments or lifestyle because they have now given you a picture of what is possible. Now, create a strategy for you to accomplish the same or something similar for yourself.
I followed this process after seeing one of my building neighbors slowly walk her daughter to school everyday as they talked. I saw their connection and the schedule autonomy, and I knew I wanted it. Eventually, I made it so.
What do you want? Are you living your life the way you want to be? What would you change? And, most importantly, do you feel it can be changed?
If after you’ve asked these questions, you have some actionable answers or you just have more questions about what’s actually possible for you, I encourage you to enroll in the class. You will have the opportunity to:
do some visioning exercises for your near future;
explore how you are using your time and how those activities are contributing to your energy levels;
explore how you can financially make a career transition if you are leaving for uncharted territory; and more!
You can read more about the course on my website and you should feel free to email me about it as well.
As parents, our job is to steward the lives of our children so that they can have happy, fulfilled lives. It’s harder to do this if we are not reaching the potential of our own happiness and fulfillment because of work.
I hope to see you in the class if any of this resonates with you.
Enjoy the rest of the long weekend!
Petrushka
P.S. If you want to hear how some testimonials from Mastering the Art of Work alum, you can do that here, here, and here. You can also read a few more here.
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