Almost October, already!?
September felt a lot like when I eat frozen yogurt with rainbow sprinkles. I was so excited for it (Labor Day! Turning 30! The beach! My cousin's wedding!) and then, just like that, it was gone.
Can I get a refill on that September froyo, puhlease? It was too good.
It was a month that was all about new rhythms for me. I created a new morning routine, realizing I don't have to wake up at 5:45 every day to fit in the gym before a long commute. I don't have to earn my keep. But, I also learned that some days the early start still suits me, because I'm a morning person.
It was a month of learning that unlimited coffee isn't, exactly, what my writing brain needs every day. But, sometimes, when I'm grinding out paperwork or tactical items, slowly drinking coffee until 2 p.m. has turned out to be OK. (Victory!) It was a month of: a little of this, a little of that and learning to operate in grey areas.
More than routines, though, it was a month of defining how I want to spend my time. I became acutely aware that, now that every minute of the day is technically free to spend,
everything I say yes to means I'm saying no to something else.
A networking coffee at 9 a.m. sounds lovely, but, as it turns out, I write best in the morning. So, with every pre-noon date I accept, I'm turning down the chance to write.
Visiting UGA to meet with women is a great use of time, but time spent driving is time spent - period. Is it worth it? Yes! But it's a tradeoff. These are lessons I'm learning as I begin to understand what small business ownership looks like.
It was also a month where I felt some loneliness. I don't miss spending hours each week on GA-400 or breathing corporate air every day. But, I do miss my coworker friends. I miss their energy and jokes and positivity. I miss the goofiness they infused into the last 5.5 years of my life.
But, I'm reminded that with discipline and by creating my own little workspace world, I can find a new kind of joy. I've been overwhelmed by many of you (YOU!) who have raised your hands to help me build this dream. The Google hangouts, phone calls and coffee dates have meant the world to me.
Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for being the type of readers who want to be part of something bigger. Thank you for letting me into your lives.
I also feel layers of my outer self being peeled away. Like an endless onion, I'm learning there are parts of my insides I've yet to discover if I allow this process to continue.
I recently read that the inside of a tree can tell you which direction north is, based on which parts of the rings are thickest. You can use the rings to determine which direction to go if you're lost. I thought about that as I reflected on the way I'm discovering and creating new rings within myself. I'm adding more, as well as appreciating the ones that were already there. The more I get quiet and pay attention to them, the more I understand which direction I want to go. I understand which way is north for me.
With that, let's check in on those September goals:
1. Take on four new coaching clients // Done - mostly! I have two definite clients and two potential. I am calling it a victory. Or, as least a step worth celebrating :)
2. Read Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist // I am about halfway through so far. I just love her writing - it's so soothing. (affiliate link)
3. Blog about our wedding a honeymoon // I am so very pleased to say our wedding is DONE. Next week will be wedding week around here. On Monday and Wednesday, I am posting a two-part overview of the day. On Friday, I'm sharing my favorite vendors. And the following Monday, I'm sharing the top 10 things I learned. If ya don't like weddings, I will see you on 10/12 :)
4. Get my home office life more organized // I think this is as done as it can be until we have a little more space. I have my routine down. Eventually I'd love to have a more thorough set up, but we just aren't there yet. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, dining room table: you are now a desk. Congratulations on your transformation!
5. Start B-School // I started this and got super overwhelmed and stopped. Yikes. Not counting this as done.
6. Reorganize my blog // Complete. I made new tabs at the top to make things easier to find and better tagged things. There is still work to be done, but that's sort of the way blogs go. There is always more you can do to make them better. But, that's just fine! #youareenough :)
7. Spend time researching women + worth // Doing this lots and loving it. Women are amazing!
Here are my business goals this month:
1. Blog about our honeymoon // Look out for Greece week, coming at you hot!
2. Launch phase 1 of Project to Love Ourselves // I cannot wait to share what we've been up to!
3. Start B-School // again. But this time actually do it.
4. Finish Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist (affiliate link)
5. Make a trip to Athens, GA // To talk to potential volunteers and (maybe!) an intern. So excited!
6. Learn more about Design Thinking // Apply the concepts.
It was at this point that I returned home from work. She was about 40 percent finished with the painting and told me that she thought it was going to be fun - but it wasn't really. And she was ready to be done. I decided to help her out and, my patience for projects very similar to hers, employed the great technique of pouring the paint onto the cabinet and quickly smoothing it out before it dripped to the grass. 
After it dried (it was the kind of paint that dries in minutes, which is perfect for us) we hauled it back inside, filled it up, and stood back to appraise our work. 
