You fill in the blank.  Oftentimes it’s difficult to even conceive where to start when we’re faced with a transition in life.  A relationship sours, a loved one dies, your “steady” job is now your past — it happens.  Positive transitions can be equally stressful and lead to stagnation.  A relationship blooms into more than you expected, and you’re not sure how to handle that.  A relationship that needed to end is now over, and you now have room to be yourself; but who is that self, anway?

An Execumama reader messaged me on Facebook and asked me a question that speaks to the concept of transition. Listen to the brief audio segment below for my suggestions on how to move forward when the inevitable transitions of life present themselves and render us officially stumped.

Step 1. Assess your NOW: This is where I am, and these are the (probable) reasons why

Step 2. Make the list to identify the DIFFERENCES between where you are now and where you want to be. (The audio tells you how)

Step 3. Take CONTROL of the list by removing the irrationals, and addressing the rational PAUSE BUTTONS

Step 4. Turn your PAUSES into PLAYS by matching your rational PVEs (Perfectly Valid Excuses) with specific RESOURCES

Remember that our budget was $250, and that it only allotted $75 for a gently-used bunk bed, but er…um…the girls were so stuck on the bunk bed factor that the Heart of Decor team prioritized the beds, because after all, the needed to please their little clients!  AND WE FOUND ONE! It looks just like this one:

Tamieka and Natasha—despite their full-time day jobs, and they’re commitment to fueling their concept of affordable design, not to mention their TOP priorities as mothers—made time to answer every email and phone call I sent them.

They scoured Craigslist, viewed would-be-perfect bed and mattress options, and kept me in the loop every step of the way! THEY ARE AWESOME! They even sent me a detailed budget proposal, giving Kris and me a better idea of what we could cut out to keep our costs low.

Want to see the budget proposal? Download the PDF here.

I posted a gazillion photos and all the details over on my Mommy Blog, and I invite you to take a look so we can gasp and jump for joy together!!

Here are the main finds so far…

Stay in touch with us for the reveal video, okay? Oh, and don’t tell the girls about the bunk beds, that’s the pièce de résistance we’ve got in store for them!

Don’t forget to check out my other e-space for more photos.  Getting any ideas for your long-overdue design project?  Heart of Decor just might be able to help you go from idea to reality, and on a real budget at that!!

Image Credit

WAAAAAIIIT…before you click that inconspicuous play button above to listen to the short, laid-back “chat”, let me just tell you up front that I’m speaking directly to you.  Yes, to you.  I love that my hubby Kris had the presence of mind to hit “record” while he and I had our weekly business development meeting. He’s also my branding coach, and he asked me to talk through what I would convey to a large group as I journey into this world of public speaking (yaay!).  I hope you get this, because though you’ll hear Kris’ voice from time to time, it’s really about the woman in me that speaks to, connects with, and in many ways IS the woman in you.

I ask that you speak back to me via comments (below) if this reaches you in any way.  No doubt, I LOVE and APPRECIATE the personal emails and DMs you send me—truth be told, they actually make me feel kinda “big dealish” because you make time in your life to connect with me one to one—but I need this to be a public conversation.

Why? Because we can actually talk each other through to our FULLEST selves.  I believe that, and since so many women in my life have helped me live my fullest life, I want to pass the baton on to you.  Now I’m asking you to listen, ponder, and then share whatever comes to you.  If what you share is solely about you, that’s perfect. If it’s a tip for someone else, that too is perfect.

Just.Share.Okay?

NATASHA LIBURD, CO-FOUNDER/DESIGNER – HEART OF DÉCOR

Logically, most of us know that the first step toward achievement is decision, right?  You made the decision to apply for that position at work, then when the offer came, you decided to accept the position and move forward. No so complicated after all, huh?  Our life is a series of decisions, that when acted upon, become the fabric of our unique Life Design.  Let’s restate and simplify that one even further for our notes, shall we?

When we make conscious decisions in the direction of a particular set of goals, we actively participate in the unique design of our lives.

Life Design—more specifically, the decision to Define, Design, and Live our fullest lives—is what the Execumama Lifestyle is all about.  As with the first Execumamas Speak feature, I’ve found yet another incredible Execumama, bold enough to be about the business of creating her FULLEST life.  Natasha Liburd operates in full Execumama mode during her daytime job, and then comes home to co-run her Lifetime job as one of two lead designers at Heart of Decor, a home decor and interior design team that advocates “affordable design”.  They’re the team gracious enough not to mark my email as spam when I sent them an unsolicited “room makeover” video for my daughters’ room!

Natasha, along with her business partner-in-design Tamieka Green (our next Execumamas Speak feature) are both mothers who prioritize their children, but are unabashed about acting upon the importance of fulfilling their own personal and professional dreams.  I asked Natasha to offer up some tips on how her fellow Execumamas can go from concept to practice when it comes to their fullest lives, and here are her top tips:

Natasha’s Tips For How To Walk Your (Internal) Talk

Don’t be afraid of the concept of sacrifice. “I could’ve stayed in the position I was in before, but instead I decided to pursue my degree. It was hard because I had to leave work, then head to class until 10P when my son was already asleep, then I’d stay up until 3AM to type papers. But what that sacrifice did was afford me the opportunity to get a better job with better hours (because of my degree), and more financial resources for my children.”

Create and utilize your support system. “I’m fortunate to have my mother and some close friends with whom I’ve formed a community for myself and my children.  We do family weekends, family trips, and basically make sure we’re making time to do things together as much as we can.  That’s a great way to keep a balance, especially when you have a full-time job and run a company at the same time.”

You have to make a decision, period. “I always advocate the idea of not being afraid to make a decision.  One of two things will happen: I either learn what not to do next time, or I succeed.  Either way, it’s information I needed to know, and it all starts with making that decision.”

Natasha’s current lifestyle is a brilliant illustration of how we can ease into a process, and appreciate the progress along the way.  Natasha is not yet where she ultimately wants to be, but she’s certainly on a clearly defined life design that is walking her step by step toward her fullest life.  Thanks for your lead, Natasha — we see now that you’re not just an advocate of affordable design, but a full-scale Life Designer as well!

Friend Natasha and Heart of Decor on FACEBOOK for great tips on Affordable Design!