Getting Back Peace and Calm With Heidi
Welcome to the Joyful Mom Podcast!
On her drive home from a mastermind retreat, Megan answers the question she gets asked more than any other: “How do you do it all?”
Megan has eight kids at home, homeschools, runs her household as a stay-at-home mom, and has a successful business, all while working just 12 hours a week. First, she sets the record straight: she doesn’t do it all. She has systems, a husband and kids who pitch in, a nanny, and other support that takes things off her plate.
She also explains why she isn’t sharing a schedule or a laundry routine. Every listener’s life looks different. Some have businesses, some work full time, some stay home, and families come in every size. So instead of systems, Megan shares the four principles that guide how she lives.
Have a clear vision for your life. When Megan started her online business eight years ago, she already had a big family and decided that having kids would never be the reason she couldn’t succeed. She values her family deeply, and she also values using her gifts to help others. Instead of saying “I can’t, I have kids,” she said “I want both, so how do I make that happen?” When you shut a possibility down automatically, you cut off the creativity that could make it work.
Create boundaries that give you freedom. Even though Megan doesn’t love rigid schedules, she has one firm boundary: she works Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 to 4. Having a short, defined window helps her focus and get things done without overthinking, and it lets her be fully present with her kids the rest of the week. She touches on the idea (often called Parkinson’s Law) that work expands to fill the time you give it.
Put fun into your life first. Connection with her husband, family, and friends comes first, along with daily workouts, pickleball a few times a week, and volleyball at least once a week. Megan schedules these intentionally because they bring her so much joy, and she’s never wanted to work full time. Her business fits into her life, not the other way around, which protects her from the burnout so common in the business world.
Do the work in your brain. Megan calls this the most important principle. Anxiety, panic, and unresolved triggers quietly drain your energy and shrink your capacity. By healing her triggers instead of spiraling, she’s freed up the brain space to hold more. Problems don’t feel as big, and she’s developed the mental flexibility to change course and problem-solve instead of getting stuck in “this shouldn’t be happening.”
If you want to learn more about how you can clear anxiety more automatically by rewiring how the mind is working and processing things, go to my website www.meganhillukka.com or connect with her in Instagram, where you can click on a link to register for my free training, where I will show you what you need in order to do this.
