“Never let the good be the robber of the best.”

I have some big news - an announcement to make - but I have to ask you something first.

Have you ever lost sight of your vision? Have you ever gotten out of bed and wondered why you were doing all the little daily things that make up your life? Have you ever wondered where the road you were on was taking you and why you were even traveling that road??

I have.

My husband and I have always had a unique vision for our family. God gave us seven kids. Not one or two. Seven. We homeschool. We do things a little differently than most of the world. We prioritize relationships with God and family above all else. We believe when it comes to time with our kids, quantity is just as important as quality. We make all our decisions with a ‘family first’ mentality.

The Beginning of the End

When I started Internet Mompreneurs, I thought I could “have it all”. My intention was to increase our family income, get out of debt, and still maintain our homeschooling lifestyle. I wanted to help other moms discover their unique passions and then teach them how to leverage the power of the internet to monetize those passions.

Sounds reasonable - even honorable, right?  But it didn’t quite work out the way I planned. There’s a song by Casting Crowns, Slow Fade, that perfectly describes what happened to me as I threw myself into building my business. The chorus goes something like this:

“It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away. Black and white turns to grey. Thoughts invade. Choices are made. A price will be paid….families don’t crumble in a day. It’s a slow fade.”

Even though I considered myself a mom first and entrepreneur second, I was spending all my energy and focus on the business. I let family priorities take a backseat. Not intentionally. Not even consciously at times. But they were slowly fading just the same.

I stopped looking my kids in the eyes when they talked to me because I was too busy working on my latest project to give them my full attention.

I no longer had time for trips to the park because I had to answer emails,  make phone calls and listen to the latest teleseminar.

I spent more time encouraging strangers on Twitter than I did helping my own kids navigate issues of life and character.

I stopped supporting my husband’s work efforts because I had my own to focus on.

I even stopped planning and preparing nutritious meals because all my energy was sucked away by the business. (Yes, the kids are still alive and didn’t eat each other. But a body can only live on hot dogs and macaroni-n-cheese for so long.)

The Tension Mounts…and Then an Answer

My frustration increased with each day and I didn’t understand why. My stress level was through the roof. There was no longer joy in family life. The kids were loud. And demanding. And constantly interrupting my work and distracting me. (WHAT?! That should have been my first red flag!)

Until one day I picked up a book that changed my life.* I had an actual “slap-myself-in-the-forehead-aha-moment” when these words jumped off the page at me:

“When our daily activities do not reflect our values and efforts to achieve what we really want, we end our days and weeks and years frustrated and unfulfilled.”

Not that what I was doing was inherently wrong. But there was a disconnect between goals for my family and my daily actions. And I suddenly knew that as long as my actions were not in line with my most basic values, goals, and vision for my life and family, I would continue to struggle. I learned there is real danger in losing sight of your vision.

So, InternetMompreneurs.com will cease to exist. Instead I will be teaching my 4.5 year old to read. And helping my 16 year old prepare for college and nursing school. I’ll be reading bedtime stories to my little guys and helping my big guys find jobs and manage their first paychecks. And soooo much more!

And once again, I will be happy. All will be right in my world. My kids will be happy. My husband will be happy. And the internet will go one without me. 

I have one more question for you - have you let life’s challenges and trials, or even complacency, crowd the vision you have for your life? Are you doing what it takes today to be where you want to be tomorrow?

There is peace and contentment when you are pursuing the dream, vision, and purpose unique to your life.

Doesn’t mean it is, or will be, easy - just means it’s right. And you know it. Because you feel it. The stars line up. The sun smiles down on you. And God says “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

P.S. To find out what I’ll be up to and where you can find me, click on Contact Deann.

*I highly recommend The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived by Steven K. Scott