Oftentimes I find myself gazing out of the window and into the sky, wondering what I am doing with my life. Why am I not where I dreamed of being? Why am I in the same position I was in ten years ago? Each new relationship left me single parent with a new child. What am I doing wrong? I started to pray. I continued to pray. I cried as I prayed. I yelled as I prayed. I fell asleep praying. I awoke praying.
In the latter part of 2016, God said to me, “Live Intentionally”.
“Oh my, what does that mean”?
I prayed again and I took a step back. I needed to understand what that meant, live intentionally. I was a bit confused. Then it hit me. I needed to stop complaining about the position I was in and the fact that I never seemed to get where I wanted to be. I had to do something about it. What am I teaching my four children by complaining? So, I did just that. I stopped complaining, and I started my business.
I researched and found the perfect job: coaching like-minded women. I love to help people and make a difference in their lives. I did not want to work in the corporate sector any longer, so I left to do what I wanted to do. I wanted the freedom to design and conquer my own destiny. I enjoy being accessible to my children on my own terms. I would feel guilty at times coming home from work so exhausted that I could not spend quality time with the kids until the weekend. That is only two days out of the week. No more of that.
I opened my Coaching business in November of 2016. It is still a work in progress. I decided to do something for me as well as give other women a voice. The struggle is tremendous, but I did learn from my Father, who has his own business in Janitorial Services, that it would take about two to three years before I saw any revenue. Was I prepared for this? Not really. When I finally got started I researched for about two months and then applied for a Coaching program to receive certification. I got that and then opened my own business, iCOACH4u Services in November. I have hit many, many trials and tribulations in the past six months to keep things a float, but to this day I am determined to have this business soar.
Starting a business is not as easy as it sounds. I continue to get frustrated, angry, disappointed, anxious and overwhelmed because things are not going the way I want them to go, and the money is not coming in fast enough. It is nowhere near what corporate life is like. You are required to do everything yourself! Running a business takes dedication and patience. Once again, I go to pray. I need to do what is important to me even when it is not easy. If I want to live intentionally, I must put in the work. I take care of four children on my own, so I must wear a myriad of hats and get the job done.
Research is not one of my strengths, but I am forced to do it as a single Mom. My children have homework and projects from school that need to be completed and most of the time they are not familiar with a particular topic. That is what Mommy is here for. I must research for them. This must be done in order to grow my business as well. I attend meetings and seminars and groups in the Coaching industry to learn what the new and next trend is. I research where my target market likes to hangout so that I will be accessible when they need me. I talk with others who are much more seasoned than me and listen to their advice. This is another way I am choosing to live intentionally.
Living intentionally is a choice. It is a job. It is a project mission. It is like your baby, your child. You must make a conscious decision to want to live your life on your own terms. This is a decision only you and God will be consultants in. No one can choose your path in life. God has given you the tools to choose the path yourself. Through constant prayer, love for my children and dedication to God I have chosen to live my life on my own terms. You can too!