Life lately: a new job, 5:15 a.m. alarms, basketball practices, and finding my place in a season of change.
I’ve been keeping a little something to myself lately, and I think it’s finally time to share.
If you’ve been following along here on Project Motherhood, you know that this year has been full of transitions. Some exciting, some unexpected, and some that have required me to completely rethink what I thought the next chapter of my life would look like.
And somewhere in the middle of all of that, I started a new job.
I’m officially the Administrative & Communications Manager at St. Vincent de Paul Northeast Ohio, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving individuals and families in need throughout Trumbull, Portage, and Ashtabula counties. If you are local, I encourage you to follow along on Instagram as I will be managing their social media and all of the shares, views, and likes matter in a very big way to a nonprofit.
And you guys, I absolutely love it.
Not just the work itself, although being able to use my background in marketing and communications while contributing to something meaningful has been incredibly rewarding. It’s the people. It’s the environment. It’s walking into work every morning and genuinely feeling happy to be there.
I’ve worked in a lot of different environments throughout my career, from fashion and beauty to public relations and marketing, and I can confidently say that I’ve never felt more at home outside of my own home.
And that feeling? It’s pretty special.
Related: How to Build Your Work Wardrobe
Finding My Footing in a New Routine
Of course, loving your job doesn’t magically make the logistics of being a working mom any easier.
We’re still figuring things out over here.
My alarm goes off at 5:15 every single weekday morning. Yes, you read that correctly. 5:15 a.m.
And no, I’m not naturally one of those people who leaps out of bed ready to conquer the world.
But I’ve learned that if I want to make time for myself, I have to be intentional about creating it.
Right now, that means waking up early enough to fit in my workouts, getting my 10,000 steps each day, and making sure that the things that keep me feeling like me don’t completely disappear just because my schedule has changed.
My goal is to lift weights three times a week, and I’m doing my best to stay consistent.
Some mornings, I feel incredibly accomplished before most people have even poured their first cup of coffee. Other mornings, I’m wondering why on earth I thought this was a good idea.
But I’m showing up.
And honestly, that’s what this season is all about.
I’m learning that taking care of myself doesn’t have to mean having unlimited free time. Sometimes it just means making a commitment to myself and following through, even when it’s inconvenient.
If you don’t already, make sure you are following me on Instagram because I’m sharing my work outfits every morning in stories!
The After-Work Shuffle Is Very Real
If you have kids involved in sports, you already know exactly where this is going.
The second the workday ends, the next shift begins.
Chris and I have been splitting cooking duties, which has been a huge help. We’re trying to figure out who is making dinner, who is getting Blake where she needs to be, and how we’re going to accomplish everything before it’s time to turn around and do it all again tomorrow.
Basketball season has us running in approximately 47 different directions.
There are evenings when dinner looks like a well-thought-out meal and evenings when we’re just happy everyone has eaten something.
And you know what? That’s okay.
Our routine isn’t perfect. Our evenings aren’t always peaceful. And there are definitely days when I look around the kitchen and wonder how we managed to create so many dishes when nobody actually had time to cook.
But we’re making it work.
We’re communicating, dividing responsibilities, and adjusting as we go.
One thing I’ve realized after all these years of marriage and motherhood is that life doesn’t necessarily become less busy. You just get better at figuring out how to move through it together.
Finding Work That Feels Like Home
I think the biggest surprise of this entire experience has been how quickly I’ve felt connected to my new team.
Starting a new job can be intimidating, especially when you’re stepping into a new organization, learning new systems, and trying to understand how everything fits together.
There’s always that awkward period when you’re the new person asking a million questions, trying to remember everyone’s names, and wondering whether you’re doing enough.
I’m still very much in that learning phase.
But what makes it different this time is that I genuinely feel supported.
My team has welcomed me with open arms, and there’s something incredibly comforting about working alongside people who care so deeply about what they do.
I get to combine the professional skills I’ve spent years developing with work that has a direct impact on our community. I’m learning about programs, meeting people whose dedication inspires me, and finding new ways to tell stories that deserve to be heard.
For someone who has spent so much of her career in marketing, there’s something refreshing about knowing that the message I’m helping communicate is rooted in helping others.
And while I still have plenty to learn, I already feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Maybe This Is What 40 Is Supposed to Feel Like
I recently celebrated my 40th birthday, and I’ve been thinking a lot about what this next decade is going to look like.
There’s something interesting about reaching an age that once seemed so far away and realizing that you still don’t have everything figured out.
Not even close.
But maybe that’s the point.
At 40, I’m not chasing the same things I was chasing at 25 or even 35.
Of course, I still care about my career. I’m ambitious, I love being creative, and I want to continue growing professionally.
But I also care deeply about how my life feels.
I want to enjoy the people I spend my days with. I want to be present for my family. I want to take care of my body, make time for the things I love, and do work that feels meaningful.
And I want to stop measuring success solely by the things that look impressive on paper.
Because sometimes success looks like finding a workplace where you’re genuinely happy.
Sometimes it looks like making it to basketball practice on time.
And sometimes it looks like getting your 10,000 steps in, eating dinner with your family, and crawling into bed knowing you did the best you could with the hours you had.
Here’s to the Next Chapter
I don’t have some magical system for balancing all of this.
My mornings are early. My evenings are busy. My calendar is full, and I’m still learning how to navigate everything.
There will absolutely be days when I miss a workout, when dinner doesn’t go according to plan, or when I feel like there simply aren’t enough hours in the day.
But for the first time in a long time, I feel really good about where I am.
I’m excited about my work. I’m grateful for my team. I’m proud of the routine I’m building, even when it’s messy.
And I’m incredibly thankful for a husband who is right there in the trenches with me, figuring it all out one day at a time.
Maybe balance isn’t about getting everything right.
Maybe it’s about building a life that feels right, even when it’s a little chaotic.
And right now, that’s exactly what we’re doing.
Here’s to new beginnings, finding your people, and remembering that it’s never too late to land somewhere you truly belong.
xo,
Allison
