Intense Pursuits

 

Currently, I am reading The Well-Educated Mind by Susan Wise Bauer, where she shares this quote in regards to new learning pursuits:

Engage not the mind in the intense pursuit of too many things…

Isaac Watts

I wish I saw this quote before I started down my current path!  Since the New Year, I have been trying to research and organize my thoughts on schooling methods for our Girly, what business(es) to start, and what ultimately *I* want to accomplish this year and in the years to come.  This is too many “intense pursuits.”  I feel overwhelmed and pressured (my own doing) to make decisions so I can start moving forward on my goals and have a plan of action.

So, here’s what I have been doing/thinking:

I have been working with our Girly during the week on her development using Montessori methods.  This has been going really well.  She has been right on track or a little early on most of her development milestones.  Which led me to think about and research homeschooling.  Another source of motivation for this is that I do not believe that the public school system (even “good” ones) can prepare her to think critically, use logic, speak intelligently on politics, world views, history, and any other subject.  (I could write more on this topic, but that’s for another post.)  Working with her has given me the opportunity and joy of watching her grow and learn.  It breaks my heart to think about sending her to school and that someone else will watch her grow and learn.  But I am concerned that if we do homeschool our Girly that I will miss something and her education will suffer.  Then there is also the concern that I won’t be completely happy just homeschooling because my personal goals will need to be delayed or dismissed.  This also breaks my heart a little.

Recently, I attended a seminar on starting a small business.  I was so excited after leaving the seminar, but then it hit me.  In order for a business, my business, to be successful, I might need to work on this venture more than I originally planned.   This is not easily done when trying to homeschool (especially in the younger years).   So then, I convinced myself that it is more important for me to educate our Girly at home rather than pursue starting a business.  And now I’m not so sure.  I feel like I should be able to balance running a business and homeschooling, but then there is this nagging thought that neither goal will be achieved as well as they could if I try to do both “intense pursuits” at the same time.

So, I am back to researching and rethinking options for everything.  I need to define success for each “pursuit,” but I am going to try to figure out one “pursuit” at a time.  Hopefully, that will give me more clarity and direction for my plans and goals.