Earning a living from multiple enterprises can occasionally feel like a tangled mess.
“Today, I will do one thing at a time.” These are the words I’ve been saying to myself each morning lately as I leap from my bed. I mindlessly repeat them while at the same time working through what time homeschool lessons will take place, which emails I need to respond to, when I’m going to make soap, how much beeswax I need to rinse and render, when we’re going to photograph and upload our newest farm products to the online shopping cart, which websites need to be updated, whether I’m needed or not at the farm this day or this week, what spices I need to order for sausage making, whether I’ll find time this day to get the weeds out of the raspberries, if I’ve got enough change for this Saturday’s farmers’ market, when I’m going to get to the dairy farm up the road to pick up butter for making pate to sell, what needs to happen to complete the start up of our new yarn business, which essays and articles need to be written, how I’m going to steer my newest book into publication by September, which photographs still need to get taken for the insert, which presentations need to get written for the fall speaking season, whether or not the blueberry bushes need fertilizing, when I’m going to find the time to take the girls into the woods to gather ramps.
In short, as soon as I utter that morning promise, I begin the daily process of failing to honor it as I work myself into a frenzied whirlwind of activity. My life is unusual in that nearly every item on my to-do list is something that I love. But rather than being in- the- moment to enjoy these myriad pleasures, my brain rattles me into a frenzied state, where I am constantly distracted by what else I want to accomplish. Thus, even the act of perpetually doing things I love can leave me cranky, impatient, and difficult to be around .
As I mentioned in an earlier post (Gainful Unemployment), Bob and I are creative people, unable to fathom a life where we would do one thing for a living. For the last decade, we have managed to carve out a livelihood for ourselves that matched our eclectic interests and our passion to produce beautiful things in harmony with the earth. We call it gainful unemployment. One of my most important contributions to this adventure has been my ability to perpetually come up with new ideas and business schemes, ensuring that the income stream for our radical homemaking household was always diversified, and thus more secure. For the sake of writing this piece this morning, I sat down for the first time and wrote a list of each of our enterprises. At last count, we had 16 different ventures.
That makes for a pretty respectable livelihood for two adults who have decided to stay home full-time with their kids. My trouble is that my most important gift in managing a life like this – my ability to envision and implement new ideas while juggling existing responsibilities – is also my greatest burden. I have a brain that doesn’t rest. I lead a life that honors the rhythms of Mother Nature, but the frenetic pace in my heads impedes my soul from resonating with her vibrations.
I don’t believe I am alone in this quandary. Radical homemakers are scrappy survivors who employ their creativity and ability to learn new skills to build a life outside the destructive confines of the conventional ecologically and socially extractive economy. I’ve been in many radical homemaking households that look like mine – full of chaos, creativity, self-imposed deadlines and interesting business concepts. This is who we are, and we are part of the foundation of a new life-serving economy.
We are on the frontier of something that is totally new. We draw inspiration from pre-industrial households and early American agrarian traditions for our way of life, but we cannot ignore the fact that we must revive these traditions while living in an electronic age; where business, learning and creativity can happen 24-7. There is opportunity in this union. There is also the tremendous hazard that we could take ourselves to a breaking point.
How I negotiate this union is an important matter. Finding the balance is critical to my health and enjoyment of my life. More importantly, it is going to be the best selling point for my children to trust their own unique talents and skills to make a life that harmonizes with mind, body, soul and planet.
Right now, for me, this means starting each day with that simple goal: to do one thing at a time. That is very difficult for me. I am learning that I must trust that what is most important will get done, that being present and mindful will enable me to generate as much productivity as I need, without the added brain chaos of trying to do two, three, five, or more things at once.
Comments
June 4, 2012 9:56 AM EDT
Very well put! Good to hear I am not alone…
– Marina
June 4, 2012 1:19 PM EDT
Thanks for this, Shannon. Funnily, a co-worker forwarded a story about micro-entrepreneurship today. Thought I’d share it. As always, you inspire me. http://www.fastcoexist.com/1679903/the-rise-of-the-micro-entrepreneurship-economy
– Cornelia Homegrown
June 4, 2012 2:37 PM EDT
Thank heavens there are other in the same spot! I too am starting up a new business. The shop needs shelves built, the strawberries need picking, items need to be gathered for the farmers market and mountains of lettuce need washing and so does the mountains of laundry! And yes the fall home school catalog was in my mailbox… ugh!And I have been making strawberry jam all day so far.
– Tamara Fehr
June 4, 2012 4:07 PM EDT
Thank goodness there are creative people like you who write great books for people like me to enjoy! Keep writing & sharing!
– Diana
June 20, 2012 1:01 PM EDT
Just for the record, we who go to a daily “job”, Monday thru Friday, do the same thing at work! Too much to do and too little time.I think you’re right–what needs to get done does and sometimes the others left undone just resolve themselves! Life is long and yet, way too short–
– kate jocelyn
August 8, 2012 11:00 PM EDT
I have a 7 month old baby whom I adore, & recently decided to leave my 40 HR/ week job to join the ranks as a radical homemaker! I couldn’t fathom the idea of paying someone else to raise MY baby. Meanwhile, I’ve been brainstorming a million ideas of how to still bring income into our home while being present and not locked away in a cubicle. The issue for me isn’t great ideas, but rather the HOW ie how do I start these businesses? How do I publish these books I’ve been working on? Is it ok to not focus on one thing, but rather grow my numerous income building ideas all into profitable side businesses?! Sort of excited yet overwhelming at the same juncture. Yet I’m looking forward to making this work, even if the world has a hard time seeing my vision initially. 🙂
– Jill D
August 21, 2012 8:00 AM EDT
This rings so true, be there for the family is just so great. If you are going to do it for anyone do it for what matters under your roof, the kids grow up too fast and they need to see how family works and is dedicated. Keep inspiring us Shannon and Godspeed. Mindfullness, is so important.
-Tatiana