Yes, you, the Working Mom, have you thought about going back to school? Do you quickly think “Nope. Not an option. I do not have the time! I barely have time for myself.”
Hm. That last thought is interesting. “I barely have time for myself”. What if you looked at going back to school as taking time for yourself? Let me paint you a picture…
Once a week you sit with other people, either in person, virutally, or on the phone, and you discuss a topic that excites you. Later that week, you sit down again, this time by yourself, and think about this topic more for a couple of hours. Then as an extra bonus you meet up with another person to get their point of view on this AWESOME topic. How does this picture make you feel? Does this sound like fun?
Going back to school doesn’t have to be something that you ‘should’ do. A ‘should’ makes school feel like a chore or something that your heart isn’t into. If getting your MBA doesn’t make you do back flips, what other schooling could you go for? What do you like to do? Hm. Another good question.
When you are working on something that you’re passionate about it doesn’t feel like work. This ‘work’ makes you happy, which in turn makes for a happy family and a happy life. Don’t think it’s possible? Take a look at your support system (significant other, children, parents, siblings, friends) and ask them if they’d help support you if you went back to school. Once you know that your family will be cared for it frees you up a bit. So what if the laundry piles up for a few days while you cram for an exam? That pile will mean nothing to you when you’re graduating. Do you feel stuck at your job? Imagine how you’d feel knowing that you’ve taken matters into your own hands. You’ve decided to invest in yourself and your dreams.
Now, are you ready to hit the books? What are you waiting for! Plan some time to sit and think (this will give you and your support system practice for when you start classes). What are you good at? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? What do you fear? How could you make the world a better place? What are your values? Make out a few lists and then soundboard with family and friends. Do they see a spark in your eyes when you start talking about a topic on your list?
Going back to school is a way of putting yourself first. If you have thought about going back to school I hope that this blog post helps jump-start your brainstorming. If you need any help, let me know! I’d love to help.
Enjoy your soul-searching!
Take care,
Coach LizzyMc
