Work/Cookie Balance...but how?!

Hiiiiii fellow cookiers and friends!

It's been a minute since I hopped on here to write a blog post, and this one seems fitting!

For those of you who don't already know, I also have a full-time job as the general manager for a catering company in Denver on top of this little cookie business of mine. After being a pastry chef for over 6 years, it was time for me to find a better work/life balance for my mental health.

I've been the GM here for almost 2 years and while I do have a better quality of life and I love getting to work in the food industry while getting my weekends back, I do miss the rush of being in the weeds and pumping out orders for events and weddings.

Jump forward to how Chloe's Colorado Cookie Co was born! I have SUCH a passion for desserts, I can't picture ever stopping. BUT, that does tend to put a strain on my new found free time! Well I'm here to tell you how I do it, but most importantly WHY. Curious how to GirlBoss your own life? SEE BELOW!!!

I work full-time to not only build my business experience, but to pay the bills. As we all know, little side hustles don't make all that much, especially in the beginning! This means there isn't that much time in my day to work on my passion project: pastry!

But the thing is, I am a firm believer that you can do anything you set your mind to and my mind tells me I love baking, always have, and I want to hold onto that passion forever. But how do I stay motivated in such a busy world? Between the job, the business, my 2 cat children, my partner, household chores, mental healthcare, physical therapy, catching up with friends, appointments, meetings, the gym, and self care, it can be hard to not just feel defeated and exhausted.

But I'll let you in on a little secret...if you wake up every morning and start telling yourself you can do anything you put your mind to and try the best you can each and every day, thing WILL get easier. I have struggled A LOT with anxiety, depression, ED, chronic pain and a whole number of other things, but the commitment and consistency is what has really turned my life around.

As a perfectionist, it's hard to not constantly feel the "all or nothing" pull of every day life. But what took me until the ripe ol' age of 29 to figure out is that perfection is not the solution, and it never will be. If you try to stay perfect, you will make mistakes (which are NORMAL) and back-slide when you feel like you've done something wrong and feel shame. If you aim for CONSISTENCY, you eliminate the chance of feeling guilt or shame around your actions. Instead of 1 step forward and 2 steps back, you can be slowly but surely inching forward to the life you've always dreamed of for yourself that you never thought possible.

I know this probably sounds really eccentric and weird, but trust me on this, I am NOT the type of person who usually gets on board with meditation or behavioral changes. But let me tell you....as much as I hate to say it....IT WORKS!! Your thoughts create your emotions, so if you're constantly telling yourself you don't have enough time and that you can't do it, you're going to feel pretty drained and defeated! Now that makes it pretty hard to stay motivated!

I apply these ideas into all aspects of my life, and I have never been happier. By waking up every morning and choosing to put MYSELF first, I have more energy, am a more positive person, and have time for all of the crazy things I need to do in a day to reach my goals.

Whether that means staying up late to finish a cookie order, or taking the night off to do some self-care and rest my body, or even slipping in a quick sweat sesh when I'm feeling stressed, I am able to give my body and mind what it needs and deserves. I started using a little habit tracker app to aim for better sleep (8 hrs/night), drink adequate amounts of water, do 10 minutes of self care a day, and journal at least one thing. I don't have to be perfect, because that isn't the point, but I've noticed that being CONSISTENT with these behaviors over time gives me peace of mind, more energy, a better outlook and attitude, as well as better food choices!

So basically what I'm here to tell you is that I won't give up on my dreams, and I don't have to grind myself to the bone to make it happen either. Life is all about balance. If you don't take care of yourself first, you won't have the ability to achieve your goals that you KNOW you're capable of! I now have the freedom to take orders and make them fit MY schedule. I have never been happier than I am with my own little cookie business, a full-time job, and the regular responsibilities of life because I am taking care of my mind, body, and soul and nourishing them in ways that boost me to be the GirlBoss I've always been inside.