From an entrepreneur and mom with 2 year old and a baby
Hi đź‘‹ I’m back! Officially this time. You may have seen me dabbling around the last few months, but the day I’m writing this post is my first real work work day… like out of the house and focusing for more than nap time or a few hours after my husband’s work day is done… since before I had my second baby 7 months ago. And I’m so happy to be here. The first thing on my list: My refocus routine after maternity leave.
The last 7 months have been f*cking wild to say the least. Obviously, nothing went according to my original plans. Thankfully, I knew better than to try to nail down every single detail the second time around.
Because after I had my first baby, everything changed. Then again after having my second.
This blog post is a behind the scenes look at my refocus routine after maternity leave as a self-employed mom of two, and the primary parent during work hours. Coming from the experience of someone who’s done this (imperfectly) twice now.
Dreams change, and that’s okay
My dreams. My goals. My business. MY ACTUAL BRAIN. Like why do we not talk about this more as female entrepreneurs? Yes, your brain changes. Yes, there’s a reason why we feel pulled in different directions. Yes, it’s normal to not want to spend time away from your baby.
Maybe you can relate?
And yet, I still managed to keep growing things. I returned to work 2 months postpartum with my first, maintained revenue that year as if I were working full-time, and again the year after (while pregnant with baby 2). I worked about 12-15 hours each week, mostly on naptimes, with the help of a small but mighty team.
Before going on leave this time around, my dreams changed again. And again when my second son was born. So this is me, 7 months later, sorting through all the things.
Things like:
✨️ Who the f*ck am I now, and who do I want to be?
✨️ Of all the possibilities, where will I focus my resources and energy next?
✨️ How can I make it happen without sacrificing time away from my little besties?
You can read more about how to recenter when your dreams change here.
So that’s the general mission I’m on. Getting back into the swing of work, but also gaining clarity on what work will look like for me going forward. Most importantly, my work needs to realign with my life. Always. That’s the key goal here: To design a business that supports my ideal lifestyle.
I always start with my Refocus Routine after maternity leave
As I mentioned, I’ve taken 2 maternity leaves in the last 2ish years. Both looked a little different, and my return to work looked different too. This was by design! Because the most important thing to remember when planning maternity leave as a self-employed woman is that you get to call the shots.
You get to choose what your work will look like when you get back into it. That’s why we pursue entrepreneurship, isn’t it? For the freedom and flexibility.
This is your wake up call to realign your work with your life
One thing I’m sure of: We’re meant for more.
You get to have the life you want, even if some might think it’s impossible. For me, that’s getting to do the creative work I love on the internet, while also raising my babies.
I’m excited to realign, to hang out in my virtual office a little more consistently (I get 1 day a week starting now!), and reconnect with all of you here.
Read more about how to design your work around your ideal life here.
Today’s office: The library. I’ve never worked in the library before. I like my 20 step commute from the coffee maker to my desk. But this mama needed to GTFO of the house otherwise every baby coo and cry would most definitely pull me away from my work. S/o to the grandparents who are giving me this time.
Balancing work with life is hard, but you can do it
Something I’m teaching my toddler lately: “It’s tricky, but I can do it.”
He’s basically my spirit animal when he tries something new, can’t get it quite right, then snaps. I want to snap too when I’m trying to figure something out. But, I’m learning the same lesson as him. Tricky doesn’t mean bad. Hard things don’t need to be bad. It can be fun and easy. It’s okay if it requires effort or you aren’t perfect at it right away.
Some business friends have mentioned that it looks like I’m adjusting to motherhood of two “perfectly”… They use descriptors like “you look so graceful,” and while I’m honoured, I think it’s important to note that’s not the whole truth.
Yes, being a mom is my favourite job ever. I love it. I love being there for them, teaching them, caring for them. It’s also hard, and that’s okay.
In terms of work, I’ve been lowkey struggling to figure out how to make everything fit. Specifically, I’ve been craving getting back to work, but haven’t found a way to do that consistently without stretching myself and my family too much. It’s a work in progress, and this is me growing and learning in public with you. Hopefully, by sharing my experiences as I figure this out, I’ll help at least one other mama in a similar spot.
Finding routines that work for us in this season
I never want to stretch the family for the benefit of my business. Instead, I’ve been exploring routines that leave everyone feeling fulfilled. Ones that prioritize presence. Don’t we all want to live fully in the moment?
The babies naps don’t line up most days… Maybe I get 20 minutes to pause while they do. We don’t want to do the daycare dance, and don’t really need to with the number of hours I want to work.
About 10 per week… Which is totally doable when you have a toddler who naps 2 hours per day, but not so much when you add in a 7 month old who’s on a 2-3 nap schedule and still wakes multiple times in the night. No 5am starts for me.
Up until now, I was just doing what I could with the time that I had, and surrendering to the rest. I LOVE spending the majority of my time with my babies.
I also have so many ideas for my business that have been stacking up in my “someday soon” Notion tab… It feels good to start crossing things off today.
So today’s a big day because it’s the start of 1 work day a week for me. Do you know what I can do with a whole dedicated day? NGL, I’m about to blow sh*t up.
How I’m refocusing as I return to work
As I was working through what you could call my “Refocus Rituals,” I thought that routine might be of interest to you. Because when anyone returns to work after some time away, there’s always that adjustment period of “wait, how do I do this?”
So here’s what I did to reconnect with my goals, responsibilities, and to-dos after so much time away/maintaining the bare minimum.
My Refocus Routine after maternity leave
- Free Journal: I started by writing down everything that’s been on my mind—thoughts, tasks, ideas, and goals. Random bits that don’t have a category or home. This helped clear mental clutter.
- Revisit Goals: At the beginning of each year, quarter, and month, I revisit my vision board. I check off the progress I’ve made (or haven’t). This is also a good place to check-in after time away or a big pivot.
- Prioritization: Next, I adjust my monthly and weekly priorities to align with the progress made and any realignment that needs to happen. Part of making progress is accepting when your dreams change, and how to recenter when they do.
- Get Sh*t Done: The above took me maybe an hour tops? Since then, I’ve been outlining content to match my sales goals, business admin updates that have been weighing on my mind, and serving the clients that have been hanging out here BTS.
Your Refocus Routine after maternity leave might look different
The number one thing I always preach is that you don’t need to copy/paste what I do in my business into yours. Take the insights I share, but personalize your action steps to best fit with your lifestyle and goals.
If you’re on maternity leave now, or preparing for it coming soon, your refocus routine after maternity leave might look different. That’s okay! This is just what’s worked for me when I returned to work after the leaves I took when having my boys.
Give yourself grace as you refocus
As a recovering perfectionist, I know how hard it is to accept that things don’t go exactly so the first time around. That’s why we need to refocus, realign, and recenter. It’s normal for things to feel weird or break.
Whether you’re coming back from maternity leave like I am, or vacation, or recentering after another kind of big change, maybe try that process out. Let me know if you do, and how it feels.
So hey to my old internet friends, and hopefully new ones soon too! Shoot me some comments to let me know what you’ve been up to. 🤍
