While struggling to craft my ideal day recently, I had to do some serious soul-searching.

For 5 years I have been building a dreamy fucking business. I work with cool clients to produce quality results through awesome brand, web design, and strategy projects. I help them build dreamy businesses, too.

My dream business is one in which I have freedom, can work with who I want, where I want, when I want. Right?

Because, here's a confession:

I lost sight of my dreamy business.

When we moved back to Florence, Alabama two-and-a-half years ago, we were leaving the mountains and David's less than inspiring grad school experience to get somewhere safe so that we could figure out our next move. We moved home for what we thought would be 6 months, but ended up being 2.5 years.

We got a studio because we couldn't find a house to rent that was big enough for us and a home office, and business growth meant that I hired employees.

When I looked at hiring employees, I wanted to support local. We have a local university, and I do love my hometown, and we wanted to keep our money here, and help some cool college kids find a dream job. Because we're dreamy as fuck, remember?

So, studio + employees = I built myself a 9-5.

Granted, I don't HATE working a 9-5, but, guys, I built myself a fucking day job, not a dreamy business.

I didn't really realize that I was doing it, and then the past 6-12 months I've started falling apart, as can be seen in my inability to even define an ideal day. I mean, I haven't been able to blog, because my 9-5 means that I don't have time to write.

WTF.

Now, my business is rocking. We're growing 100%+ each year, I love my clients, and I LOVE my work. I love my team, and the culture we're building. In short, my job hasn't been the problem. How I've structure my life around my dream business has been.

Florence has sucked us in. David and I had big dreams, and we let the comfort of Florence, the convenience of a cheap cost of living, and the proximity to friends and family keep us here far longer than we should have.

We're not saying that we haven't LOVED our time here, but we do recognize that if we want more out of life, we need to make a big life change.

Being here has certainly let us settle into our business. We've built a business that works. We have a system for building badass online presences for our badass clients. As a team, we work together super well. And as a business, we're going to be reaching big goals this year. I'm so proud of what we have built.

But our life needs an up-level.

The first order of life is that we're moving. David and I decided weeks ago that we'll be packing up and moving to Chattanooga this summer. We almost moved to Chattanooga instead of back home when we left the mountains, but decided to put it off. Now we're ready to do.

The second level of our up-levelling is that we'll be taking this move as an opportunity to do something we've talked about doing for years.

We're going to take a 40-day road-trip out west.

Now, in case you didn't know, we homeschool #cutekid, and David and I both have degrees in Geography. Doing big road trips like this has always been a plan, and – by cracky – we've built a life that's supposed to allow us to just do this, right? Right. So, no more excuses. It's the perfect time, so we're doing it.

So, in one fell swoop, I feel we get to bring together all the most important pieces of our life. Those Geography degrees will finally be put to some use, as they'll allow us to seriously educate #cutekid while we pack up our mobile business and hit the road for a summer of working on the road with my fab team remotely, leaving behind the house and studio for a new life.

Our new life will begin with a grand adventure.

For me, it's finally not about defining who I am as a professional. I know who I am: I am an expert web designer and strategist for creative entrepreneurs. I am damn good at what I do, and I love doing it.

Now it's about defining who I am as a person. As a mom, partner, friend, and human being.

David and I joke that we're the modern-day hippy. I don't disagree with this, and I look forward to selling my things, packing up the necessities, and going out on the road with David, #cutekid, and #janetheboxer. A family vacation that will be affirming, fun, educational, and inspiring.

I'll also be using it as an opportunity to continue to define my professional life. I'm using this as the breaking point when I detach from meetings and emails, and get back to designing, strategizing, and creating content. I want to add value, not waste time.

I'm not even going to lie and say that this week's Being Boss podcast with Elise and Scott Grice of Hey Sweet Pea didn't light a big ol' fire under my ass. If you're interested in redefining your life and work, check out the episode >>