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Your purposeful Scholarly Mama® trait is: Lifelong Learner/ Knowledge Seeker
Mama, talking to you is like reading an encyclopaedia. You’ve got the facts on everything from mini-golf to Mongolian cuisine. How did you become such an overflowing fountain of information? You love the detail because for you, learning never stops. You are always well-informed and make sound decisions which are usually carefully considered and trusted by others. As you are so intelligent and knowledgeable, you are also willing to share that knowledge and teach others what you know. You are self-reflective and see every experience as an opportunity to learn and grow. Your conscientious, careful nature means that your standards are sky-high. Nothing gets under your skin like a faulty fact or a misinformed opinion. And you’ve got no qualms about correcting misinformation – in the kindest way possible… Right?Your even temper means people feel comfortable coming to you with their problems. They trust your accurate, analytical mind to come up with an awe-mazing solution.Here’s the thing though, sometimes you might get a little too wrapped up in the 'knowing'. And maybe you avoid being vulnerable and share your fears because you constantly feel the need to embody that smart, sensible persona. On top of that, your cautious nature means you can sometimes be slow to act until you have all the information, and considered all the pros and cons, which may prevent you from moving forward with confidence.So make learning a lifelong pursuit but embrace your vulnerability and be yourself so you can fearlessly take bold steps!“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.” – Abigail AdamsThree quick tips to help you find direction in your Scholarly Mama® life beyond your academic pursuits...1. Get Clear on Your Current CircumstancesYou know you want more out of this Scholarly Mama® journey but it’s hard to see a path forward without knowing where you stand. If you are spending hours trying to figure out what you want, what you love to do, and how to be yourself – or even believe in yourself, you’re definitely not alone.It’s not uncommon to find yourself feeling stuck by all the pressures on you, especially when you're in the throes of the juggle-struggle. But when this happens, you’ve got to reflect, re-ignite your creativity and motivation and take purposeful action… If you don’t, you might give up your power and lose out on the opportunity to live in your purpose.Instead of thinking everything is happening to you, reframe your thinking to imagine how things are happening for you! Try turning inwards and taking stock of your current circumstances. What’s lifting you up? And what’s weighing you down? Why haven’t you taken those necessary steps towards the future of your bigger life goals? What's holding you back from starting your next journey of becoming?2. Investigate Your Limiting BeliefsSometimes it’s the smallest things that hold us back the most. This isn’t to suggest that beliefs are something to turn your nose up at – they’re a powerful, life-shifting force… But they’re also easily overlooked.Why? Well, it’s hard to objectively examine and challenge something you’ve always understood as a fundamental truth.But have you tried turning your gaze inwards and examining the thoughts that underlie your actions and inaction? It's true that our current circumstances have a whole lot to do with our beliefs.3. Take Small Steps Towards Your GoalsOnce you’ve gained a bit of clarity about your life’s purpose, set some mini-goals to help get you there. Think of things you can take immediate action on. Say you want to begin a purposeful project, make a commitment to spend just 30 minutes each day, just brainstorming ideas for that project and writing them down.Setting yourself bite-sized goals will give you a sense of achievement, build up your confidence and give you some initial momentum. So when it’s time to launch that purposeful project, you feel fully ready and capable to embrace your full potential.Wait a minute, let me introduce myself...Hello, Mama! I’m Dr Michelle Gibbs, your fabulous Scholarly Mama® coach.I'm the Founder of Mrs Mummy PhD®, Doodle Dozen® and Scholarly Mamas®. I am married to my high-school sweetheart and together we have three boys, ranging from teen to toddler! Believe me, I know a thing or two about navigating the Scholarly Mama® journey with kids in tow! I went from an overwhelmed new Mama living deadline to deadline and trying to juggle it all, to a purposeful Scholarly Mama® with 5 degrees (including my PhD), a healthcare professional career, and a family life I love, all without losing myself in the process.I created my platform to encourage ambitious Mamas who are chasing big life and academic goals with real grit and determination. However, I want to offer you a purposeful reframe so you finish well!As Scholarly Mamas®, not only do we wear many hats, juggling marriage/relationships, motherhood, careers and scholarly pursuits, but I believe we also need to challenge the academic culture of overwork and burnout by prioritising what matters, savouring the moments and living purposefully.I want to help you embrace the power of combining intellectual discovery, purposeful living and value alignment to empower you to seek purpose over prestige, perfection, or anything else getting in the way of your well-being and wholeness...Being married, having three kids and navigating academic motherhood, I know just how hard this juggle can be. Maybe you think it’s impossible to lead a fulfilling life while doing this juggling act. Or you might just not feel like you have the time to do the inner work required.Whatever your roadblocks are, I want you to believe that this is possible for you too. Mama, your purposeful work matters!I want to help you turn your juggle-struggle into your purposeful journeys of becoming! So here’s a special invitation just for you!I'm personally inviting you to our brand new Scholarly Mamas® community. As a Scholarly Mama® myself, I love learning new things but I value meaningful relationships even more than that. So I've created the space that I wish I had when I began my own Scholarly Mama® journey. Through this amazing community, you'll have the opportunity to build lasting connections with other purposeful Scholarly Mamas®, which I am sure you would agree... is priceless. Although the Scholarly Mamas® is still a new and evolving space, my vision is that this unique space will support Mamas on academic journeys like you, in reaching your life and scholarly goals, without sacrificing what matters! You can get started for FREE inside our Scholarly Mamas® EXPLORE community. Once inside, you'll get access to our 'Mamanars' and Challenges, Mini-Resource Library, 30-day Self-care Challenge and Conversations with like-minded Mamas. You'll also learn more about our purposeful co-working space (via Scholarly Mamas® FOCUS), and our 1:1 coaching services (via Scholarly Mamas® OPTIMUM).You don't want to miss out on the opportunity to be a part of this movement. Join us on the inside today!Mama, are you in? Fabulous! Let's begin... These are our journeys of becoming!What to do next?I’d love to stay in touch with you. Here are a few ways we can connect:1. On the blog: Let's replace overwhelm with fulfilment on your journeys of becoming a smart, purposeful Scholarly Mama®.2. Via my Mrs Mummy PhD® podcast: Let's spend some time together in meaningful, thought-provoking convos about what it means to be a purposeful Scholarly Mama®! Listen in wherever you usually get your podcasts. 3. Through social media @mrsmummyphd: Jump in at any point for relatable, inspiring content with a sprinkle of humour or just stop by to say "hi" :-)4. Join us inside one of our Scholarly Mamas® spaces: Mama, let's help you navigate your scholarly journey well, without sacrificing what matters! It's time to transform the juggle-struggle into your purposeful journeys of becoming by making it simpler, easier and more enjoyable, and having access to a space where honest conversation, authentic connection and holistic growth can happen. Join us inside!What else can I say? I just can’t get enough of you! So don’t be surprised to see me in your inbox telling you how I chose purpose over perfection and prestige to become a purposefully whole Scholarly Mama®!
