Lesson Learned - What is success?

The first week after quitting my job, I was completely overwhelmed, I had so much I wanted to accomplish but didn't know where to start. And I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself, for some reason I felt like I had something to prove and if I didn't have immediate success that I was some kind of failure. The Sunday night before my first day as my own boss, I couldn't even sleep, I was so anxious. I felt exactly like I used to the day before a new school year would start when I was a kid; excited, nervous, and full of expectation.

Before focusing full-time on JoMarie Jewelry, I thought that my biggest asset was going to be time, I thought I would have SO MUCH time that I'd be able to get absolutely everything done. But I quickly figured out that my days didn't magically get longer, I still only get 24 hours, and, no, I'm not able to get everything done in them. Despite not crossing off everything on my To Do list, the time that I do have is awesome, I don't want you to think that I'm complaining!  But what I've found, is that my biggest asset is really my flexibility. I don't have to stick to that 9 to 5 regimen anymore, in fact, as a creative person it's better if I don't force it, but instead work when an idea comes to me. If a new design strikes me at midnight I can work on it right then (the fact that I'm a night owl doesn't hurt). Last night, I had this burning desire to create a new bracelet made with a mixture of shiny and shimmery black glass beads, it was 12:30 am, but I went ahead and worked on it. I didn't get to bed until 2:30, but that's okay because I made a new bracelet and I enjoyed doing it!

Here's the result of my late night:

Midnight Sky - Bracelet

I went ahead and slept in a little to make up for the late night. Last week I would've beat myself up for sleeping in because I was still holding myself to the standards of the corporate world. It seems pretty straight forward, but it's taken me awhile to realize that I'm not in the corporate world anymore, I can and should do what's right for me when it's right for me. I quit my job in order to pursue my jewelry business, but I also quit because I was unhappy. So I'm not going to beat myself up for sleeping in, I'm going to be grateful that sleeping in is an option for me.

 Although I'm not quite two weeks into this I've already learned an important lesson, success does not just mean making JoMarie Jewelry into a profitable business, success also means finding my happiness. This week I have focused on having a more balanced life, I've allowed myself the time to do fitness classes at the Y, cook healthy meals, and just relax without feeling guilty about it. And I've really seen a difference, I feel happier and more serene. I just enjoy life more. So according to my definition of success, I would say things are going really well!