Time flies (what else is new?) and so it has been two months already since I left my job. Some days it feels like it yesterday had been my last day, other times more like two years ago since I had left.
“How are you? How is it going? What do you do all day? Are you enjoying your time? How is the book coming along?”
Those are pretty good and reasonable questions and I would ask the exact same things for sure.
What can I say. I am not known for taking the easy routes in life. I would rather move to another city or even country, have a long distance relationship over two continents for a couple of years or train for a marathon in a super busy Olympic summer than run into the risk of being bored at some point I guess.
Just to remind you about my 2017 challenge: 
- Let’s quit a really good job as well as the lifestyle that comes with it and what you have gotten used to over the last 14 years.
- Let’s figure out something completely new where you don’t have any experience in and just get going right away.
- Oh and let’s do all of that while already being in the 2nd trimester expecting your first baby and just go with the flow.
Since I am a big believer in CHANGE IS GOOD and due to the fact that nobody else than myself put this challenge up, makes it look and sound like a fairly easy one, I agree.
And you are right. As you might be able to tell by my blog posts and my social media channels I am having a really good time. It is has been a long time that I really had time to have good time, so this is why I am enjoying it even more. 
I love that I don’t have to jump from meeting to meeting, that I can get things done now I never got to take care of before. #insurances #paperwork #amworkouts.
Besides that it is so relaxing when only one partner in a relationship works 200%, travels a lot and has a fully packed, committed and nonetheless always changing schedule and not both of you. It makes things so much easier and you feel you have so much more quality time together.
Furthermore I get to structure my days the way I want, I can call every day a Sunday if I want to and I am really enjoying this luxury for the first time in my entire life. 
Probably that’s also one of the reasons that I can call myself blessed (!!!so far) with easy-going pregnancy. I feel great, although the bump is getting bigger and you can clearly tell by now that there is a little Lucy on the way. Also, just riding my bike downtown has turned into a little workout and the pre-natal yoga is more exhausting that I would have thought, but all other than that it’s all good and believe it or not – I almost start to enjoy it a little bit (which hasn’t been the case at all in the beginning but that’s another chapter).
Ok, but let’s be real, let’s be authentic and let’s be honest: Of course not everything is as easy, positive and bright color coded as my Instagram is pretending. #butwhywouldIputuglypicturesonit?
It’s been a lot of change happening at the same time and although I made all these decisions last summer already it’s a different experience when sh** get’s real and you are in it.
And besides all the countless new experiences I make everyday on this new journey I have learned one more time that change can be daunting, messy and hard.
The #lebookproject is a big challenge for me because of course everything I need and get to do around this project is new: I am working with new people, new tools, need to learn new things. Long story short it is a completely new industry for me.
Nonetheless I want my book to be successful; why would I spend so much time on it otherwise? That’s just not how I am. I want this to have a purpose and it should make sense and also help me opening doors to next steps and new possibilities in my career and life. #youmakeitoryoubreakit.
There have been moments where is was in doubt about the whole project and I kept thinking: What made you f*** start this project? Why are you doing this? In my former career I literally used to “run” all worries and doubts away. Even a slow 5k used to make me sweat out all these worries. With being pregnant and not being able to go to as hard on the cardio as I used to there wasn’t another an easy way out so I learned to face my doubts, think about and acknowledge them. #whatdoesntkillyoumakesyoustronger
And believe it or not for the first time in my life, I honestly listened to what the yoga teachers would really say instead of just thinking: “Nice intro, blablabla and let’s start the flow”. 
One of the quotes that sticks with me over the last couple weeks: “Yoga is not about putting your hands on your toes, it’s about how you get there”.
And that’s exactly what is for me right now. It’s the new journey and it’s about embracing all the good and bad things that I come across a long the way. Call it life. #itsok.
When starting this new journey two months ago my maxim BEGIN ANYWHERE pushed and helped me to get going. It enabled me to touch as many subjects, inspirations and ideas as possible while taking almost every chance to meet with a lot of people, work on some little projects to figure what the next chapter of my life besides being a mum should be all about.
Looking back today I am happy and grateful I let it happen exactly the way it did and that I took it all in although it felt exhausting, busy and sometimes unreal as well as a little confusing at the same time. Of course I don’t feel I am nearly “there” yet (will we ever be?) but it already helped me realizing what I really like to concentrate on over the next couple months as well as where my real talents and strengths are.
Sounds great, but what does that mean? Here we go:
- The outline of my #lebookproject is fixed and has been approved. The structure is set and now it’s all about WRITING, WRITING, WRITING and WRITING. BTW: be real, be honest, be authentic will be chapter #12 ;-).
- Guess what I decided against pursuing a career in web design. Meanwhile I am getting professional help to make my blog look the way I want it. Stay tuned for more functions and a much cooler design being launched in the next couple weeks.
- Furthermore I figured that I am not a gifted with the talent of a born-to-be Mommy-Lifestyle-Blogger. So don’t be disappointed if you are going to miss certain categories on the blog in the future. There are millions of great mummy-bloggers out there so I am positive you don’t have to miss out on the latest and greatest! #sorrynotsorry
- The categories and silos I will keep focusing on and which feel much more real to me and my life #welcometotheworldofmjv are: #placestobe, #greatpeople and of course #lebookproject And yes, there is a bigger story behind these three bigger categories but it is way too early, like honestly way too early to talk about it. Period.
- Last but not least I have decided to support a little local Portland-based start-up project. It’s super exciting, highly energizing and it brings back memories from 5 years ago when myself and I got stranded in Portlandia to set-up an office over here. Good times and definitely more to chat and share about it this spring. I will keep you posted or let’s better say – I will make sure you won’t miss out on it at all.
That being said, enjoy the rest of your Sunday #happyairmaxday and I hope you are off to a great start into the new week!
Cheers, Maika
Leave a Reply