Josh and I were sitting in small group chatting about a few trips we had coming up when someone said, “Y’all are really living that DINK life!” And ever since I have had this idea of making the most of seasons on my mind.
If you have never seen it, there are these commercials (maybe for insurance) that show different scenarios and they use acronyms to describe the season of life for the customer they are tying to serve. One of them was DINK, meaning Double Income, No Kids.
So after our friend labeled us DINK’s (in the kindest way :)), we found ourselves using the phrase to encourage us to make the most of our time now. When we would want to be lazy or stay in on the weekends, we’d say, “It’s so easy to be spontaneous and go do stuff! It won’t always be like this, so let’s make the most of it!”
Not only has this new label made me want to be mindful of this season, but it’s also made me want to take a good look at where else I am in life and intentionally write out the different opportunities I have NOW and how I can really make the most of them.
As a single woman I learned that I never wanted to wish away my current state, for the hope of being happier in the next. There is always another step that we are pushed to race to, but the most joyful people on earth are the ones who see the opportunities right where they are! Not pining away for the ones in the future or the dwelling on the missed opportunities of the past. And let’s just be honest, the joy you find in your current season will be the same joy you find in the next.
Another great thing about taking full advantage of each chapter and season of life, is that when you move on from it, you can say goodbye with no regrets. Thats how I felt about saying goodbye to my single life. I embraced it, soaked it in, and made the most of it. But if I’m honest… thats not how I feel about leaving full time work. I feel like I was wishing it away so much that I really didn’t give it my all and that is something that I regret that.
These are the seasons that I find myself in right now.
- Married, No Kids
- Part-Time Worker, Part-Time Side Hustler
- Living in a Cozy Little House
If you are not in those seasons, you may look at that list and think, “I’m wishing for those things.” And I guess that’s the whole point of this. The world does a really good job of convincing us that the season we are NOT in is the one that will make us happy. That it’s the easier one or the better one.
The truth is that even as I write this, I feel the pressure of a culture telling me that I am “less than” because I don’t have children yet, that I better “get on it” because “it is time”, and that my eggs are drying up. ICYMI, they call pregnancy after 35 “geriatric pregnancy” so that’s cool…. 😬
Instead of getting to celebrate that I have been able to move to a 3 day work week (and 2 full days to work on my business!), I am tempted to feel like a failure, because I am not full time yet. It is especially tempting when I look around and see others who started around the same time as me, but have had exponential growth.
Instead of enjoying our little cozy house that I absolutely love, I could spend my nights consumed with plans, finishes, and new furniture for our future house. (Surprise! We are building in the family neighborhood we are developing). I have been guilty of this! But I really don’t want spend our last few months in the place that was our first home, just wishing for the next. I want to savor it.
This is just another reason why retraining our minds to the mind of Christ is so dang important! There is so much bombarding us and pressuring us to try to keep up that it can be just downright exhausting.
You gals are smart, so I don’t think this is something you have never heard before. I think you guys have learned that already. But I want to take this a step further and give you homework… fun homework that can ABSOLUTELY amplify the season you find yourself in right now.
My challenge to you is this …
1. Write out all the different seasons you find yourself in right now!
You can start with the ones I did and may be inspired to think of more. : Relationship Status. Work/School Life. Living Arrangements
2. Identify the unique opportunities that come with each season.
Before you say “there are none!” I’m going to tell you that there are! Each one holds gold… some may make you dig a little more to find though. 😃
3. List the things that you are grateful for in each season.
Find the things that have meant the most in this season and be intentional to do more of that.
Here’s what mine looked like when I did it!
(Please share yours in the comments below. Let’s spread contentment and joy around here like confetti!)
RELATIONSHIP STATUS:
Married with no kids
Opportunities…
to easily travel with Josh & go on girls trips
to go on spontaneous date nights
to invest and hustle in my business without guilt
Grateful for…
No money stress
Sleep!
Lazy Sundays
Fun Weekends & Fancy Dinners
Morning quiet times that sometimes last 2 hours
WORK/SCHOOL LIFE :
Part Time Worker / Part Time Hustle
Opportunities…
Serve and spend time with family (I work for the family business!)
Time to uncover and plan for my business with no pressure for a full salary
Grateful for…
2 full days to work on my business
having something I am passionate about to work on that fuels the rest of my work week
Some stable income from my day job
Skill sets that overlap my 2 jobs! What I learn in one business can serve the other.
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS :
Cozy Little House
Opportunities …
Not in the neighborhood with family means more focused time with Josh.
7 minute commute (which will soon be 30 seconds! Lol) – time to listen to podcasts
Grateful for…
Our back patio and pond in the backyard
Smaller space to clean
This is our first home together!
Ducks in the nearby pond
These are things that I came up with in just 15 minutes!
If you are ready to make the most of whatever season you find yourself in, then grab the worksheet in the freebies library. And if after that you are still struggling to find the gold, then message me and I’ll brainstorm with you!
Natalie
Natalie, I loved this post! So much to resonate.
I am actually in a very similar season – my friends start having babies and I don’t yet, so I started writing a “pre-baby bucket list”. It includes trips and travels I would love to take, but also savoring the seemingly small things that I will for sure miss – like sleeping in, enjoying time with my girlfriends and coworkers, listening to loud music or watching my favorite TV show, and creating good things and being a blessing through my work.
I have found that this perspective changes a LOT – especially on days where work is frustrating or I tend to over-hustle.
Lastly, I try to use this season to prepare for what’s ahead. As long as I don’t have kids yet, I can build a habit of praying, being patient no matter what and relying on Him.
Thank you so much for what you do and that you encourage us to savor the season we’re in!