In my journey to becoming a writer I have had to make some hard and fast decisions to get this thing off the ground. It feels strange saying that because internally all this feels monumental. Externally, my family would say, “What’s changed?”
Everything for me. I’m having to shift my focus on waiting and anticipating the needs of my kids and their schedules and think about making the most of my own time. As a mom this is so hard. My youngest is 3 and is pretty independent which has created space for me to do other things I’ve tucked away for far too long. So long it’s been difficult to even remember how to do things for myself! Oh, the irony!
The first and most terrifying step was allowing myself to identify as a writer. For me, a writer was someone who has worked extensively in the writing field and had already published pieces of their work. How could I ever get to that level? By claiming it for myself. Now, I’m no author – but a writer, yes. I will become an author but, for today, I will allow the title of writer to hang over me.
The second step was to look at my schedule first as a homeschooler. My kids are in their second year of homeschool and we have a pretty set routine of doing lessons Monday through Thursday from 8:30-11:30am. Fridays are for fun! Next, I looked at the schedule as a mom and considered all the kids’ regular activities. Once those were identified and realized I had so much time to do other things. I’m not tied down to naps, nursing or public school schedules anymore!
Yes, I still have to do home management and random stuff – meals, cleaning, laundry, random appointments, walk the dog, get some exercise. Those do take up time but, as a family, we complete most of the items together so it’s not all on me. I’ve given myself a lot grace in how my house looks. I know I can’t function well in a cluttered space but beyond that – hey, its a lived in place with a heck of a lot of kids running around! And a dog!
The last step, sticking to the plan. This means believing that what I’m working on and towards matters. It’s not that I never thought writing didn’t matter but that I thought so many other things mattered more. And, for a season, they did.
Stephanie Wiese 