The First Step to a Slower Way of Working
I remember the moment I realised that I couldn’t keep working how I was.
I had 10 clients and their work filled my days, but I also had a small baby with no childcare. And it was fine for a while; I was juggling it all well. That was until my husband and I realised there was something not quite right with our baby.
Almost overnight we were catapulted into a storm of tests, health professionals, referrals, reviews, and meetings. This was the moment that I realised that nothing was going to ‘fix’ my baby and, after grieving for a while for the life that we thought he’d live, we accepted and knew that things would never be the same.
My husband is the main breadwinner of our family, so it made sense for him to keep his safe, employed job with regular recurring income. We agreed that I would change how I worked to be our son’s main carer.
From this point on, I burned my entire business that I’d built down and started again.
Maybe there was a moment that you realised you couldn’t keep working the traditional way, too?
It might not have been such a dramatic life-changing moment like mine was, but perhaps a quiet realisation that something needed to change.
To be honest, it was probably more sensible for me to stop working altogether and care for our baby, but I adored my work. When everything in my personal life felt chaotic, my business felt like a tiny boat keeping me safe on the rough seas.
I didn’t know anyone else personally who had to adapt their work to fit their life and their needs. People I knew in real life had ‘normal’ jobs despite their needs, their mental health or their children.
So I didn’t know if I could have a job that worked for me and the needs of my family.
Would it work? Who was I to build this for myself when other people didn’t get the choice? But also, what if I built it and it worked, and I could show others like me that there’s a way to prioritise yourself and do the work you love?
This is exactly what kept me going. That I was doing this not only for me, but for everyone else who felt overwhelmed, burnt out and mentally and physically drained working a traditional 9-5. Those who felt the pressure to keep up or keep going when it was literally affecting their health and well-being, and joy.
I’m doing this for you.
There’s nothing wrong with you.
Perhaps you’re a parent, have fluctuating mental health or neurodivergence. Maybe you have a physical condition or caring responsibilities, or a life that makes working a traditional 9-5 impossible. Whatever your reason for wanting a slow and sustainable business, I want you to know that there’s nothing wrong with you.
Wanting or needing a slower way to earn money doesn’t mean you’re lazy or unambitious. It means you’re listening to your needs and deciding they matter.
But what happens after you realise you need a slower way of working? What’s the first step?
The first step is to create steady ground on which you’ll build.
Before you change everything, before you burn it all down like I did and rethink your entire business, you need somewhere solid to stand. Space to pause. To clear everything you don’t need and leave everything that matters in this season of your life.
I have a free resource to help you take your first step and create your steady ground. It’s called the Slow Business Starter Kit and is a gentle invitation to pause, assess what you need, set boundaries and create your minimum viable week that supports your real life and your capacity.
Don’t worry, you won’t need to change absolutely everything today. You don’t even need to have it all figured out. The Slow Business Starter Kit is here to help you find your footing and is a solid place to start.
Download the kit here:
It’ll be here whenever you’re ready.
Speak soon,
Sophie
If you’re ready to start building a business that works with your life instead of against it, begin with my free Slow Business Starter Kit. It’ll walk you through creating your own gentle weekly rhythm and building the foundations of a slower, simpler, and more sustainable business.
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