My youngest son’s basketball team qualified for the Kentucky High School Sweet Sixteen (state basketball tournament.)

Out of over 200 teams, 16 are left.

He gets to ride the bus with the team. Stay in a hotel with the team. Eat with the team. Warm up with the team. Play with the team.. He’s so excited for this opportunity. It’s really the icing on the cake.

Back in January, he hit a wall. Practices were becoming a grind. He asked me if it was all worth it.

I said yes, but you’re either in or you’re out. And if you’ve chosen to play the sport, and they’ve chosen you to be on the team, you owe it to them to be all in.

Do you ever feel like that as a mom, first-time cookbook author, business owner? Hit the wall? Ask if it’s all worth it?

Here’s my advice:

• Go all in.
• Do it all because you’ve chosen to be a mom and to own your own business.
• Drop the hard, struggle, overwhelm.
• Frame your life differently.
• Enjoy the freedom and flexibility running your own business brings.
• Plan ahead and spend Thursday morning at a pep-rally or help with a spelling test at school.
• Lead with your life.
• Practice. Hit the wall. Bounce back. Enjoy your reward.
• You’re on the team and the team needs you.

Cookbook author and culinary dietitian Maggie Green coaches aspiring cookbook authors in the process of writing cookbooks, cookbook proposals, and building their author platform. Download her checklist “Am I Ready to Write A Cookbook?”