The Break I Didn’t Plan, and the Lessons I Didn’t Expect

Episode Summary:

After an unplanned break from the podcast, I’m finally back, and today I want to fill you in on where I’ve been and what I’ve learned during my time away. Life got busy in all the best—and most unexpected—ways, and I found myself needing to step back and focus on my family, the farm, and my own well-being. In this episode, I’m sharing the lessons I didn’t expect to learn during this break. I’ll talk about how I had to let go of perfectionism, embrace the fact that things weren’t going to go as planned, and find contentment in the chaos of it all.

You’ll hear updates from my summer break, including family adventures, personal growth, and the challenges I faced getting back into my routine. From attending the Australian Dairy Conference to speaking at the Gippsland Red Meat Conference, the past few months have been a whirlwind of experiences. Most importantly, I’m talking about how I’ve had to reset my expectations and give myself the grace to move forward, even when it feels hard. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by unrealistic standards or struggled to get back into the swing of things, this episode is for you.

Key Points Covered in This Episode:

• My summer break in full: I share personal stories about our family trips to Melbourne, summer days spent by the pool, and how Christmas with family brought both joy and chaos to the farm. I also give an update on how the kids’ return to school brought its own set of challenges, both logistically and emotionally.
• The pressure of perfectionism: I dive into how I originally had grand plans to keep the podcast running smoothly over the holidays but quickly realized that life doesn’t always go as planned. I talk about the unrealistic expectations I had set for myself and how I finally let go of the idea of being “perfect” in every role.
• How I found my way back: Getting back into the swing of things wasn’t easy. I share how listening to my friend Emily’s podcast helped me stop making excuses and take that first step forward again. We often wait for the perfect time to start, but sometimes, it’s just about taking the first small step, even when it feels tough.
• A new mindset: I’ve learned that we’re all still learning, no matter how old we are. I reflect on a conversation with my kids about how they’re there to learn at school, not to be perfect. It reminded me that we, as adults, often hold ourselves to impossible standards, but we need to embrace growth and progress instead of perfection.
• What’s coming next: I talk about my plans for the future, including exciting potential podcast guests, updates on farm life, and how I’m balancing it all with my new health journey, working with a kinesiologist, personal trainer, and naturopath to take care of my well-being.

Resources and Links

• Grounded Farm Wife Journal
• Values Bundle
• Emily Reuschel "Do hard things: stop waiting for ideal conditions to start living"

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