I’m glad you’re here!
You’re managing more than anyone sees. The house, the work, the people who need you — held together while you quietly wonder if “fine” is really the best it gets. Maybe you’ve called it functioning. Maybe you’ve called it keeping up. Underneath it, it’s survival mode, and it’s exhausting in a way that’s hard to explain to anyone who isn’t living it too.
Maybe you’ve also noticed the other thing — the pull toward perfect. The pressure to run the household perfectly, build the business perfectly, never drop a ball. If that’s familiar, I want you to hear this: perfectionism isn’t what’s keeping your life together. It’s often the very thing keeping you from actually living it.
I know, because I lived there for a long time before I found a different way through.
It didn’t start with a breakthrough. It started small — one honest choice instead of a perfect one. Letting things be good enough. Letting myself be multi-passionate instead of “focused.” Treating my business, my home, and my own mind less like projects to finish and more like things I get to keep choosing, every day.
That shift is still happening for me, and I don’t expect it to stop — I’ve stopped wanting it to. If you’re in the middle of your own version of this, I’m not going to tell you I have it figured out. I’m just a few steps further down the same path.
Here’s where that path has taken me, and what you’ll find here.
I run a cleaning business called Ace the Place Cleaning, which became one of my biggest teachers in choosing systems and grace over perfect. I call this site Life By Design, because it’s where I talk honestly about the mindset work behind real change — not the polished kind, the real kind. And I write here about the whole arc: the healing, the home, the growth, the purpose.
Three things show up in everything I create, because they’re the three things I had to relearn for myself, and the three things I think you might need too:
- Mindset healing — the inner work of unlearning “perfect” and learning “honest.”
- Life and home management — because how you run your space often mirrors how you’re running your recovery.
- Growth and purpose — moving from getting through it to actually building something, imperfectly and on purpose.
If any of this sounds like where you are, you’re in the right place.
More about Life By Design with Amanda Dishart
You’re in the right place… If you’re here and are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or like life is moving too fast—and you’re just trying to keep up. Here, I share my experiences, mindset shifts, and practical ideas for creating peace and purpose in everyday life, so you can feel more grounded, confident, and in control of your own story.
I’ve been where you are… Life hasn’t always been easy. I’ve walked through hard seasons—mental abuse, trauma, and the chaos of just trying to “make it all work.” Through it all, I’ve learned how to survive, yes—but also how to pause, reflect, and start living with intention. I’ve realized that even in the middle of messy, ordinary days, there’s room to find peace, purpose, and a sense of self. That’s what Life By 
Design is all about: sharing what I’ve learned along the way, so other women don’t have to feel like they’re doing it alone.
Your story isn’t over I’ve built a life through persistence, creativity, and hard work, and then re-building it all over again, and again. Then waking up and tweaking it to better fit my season—running a fully booked cleaning business, helping others through virtual assistance, and learning how to turn everyday routines into something meaningful. I’m working on a podcast launch, enjoy sharing my story, and have created spaces (both physical and mental) where clarity and peace can grow. These experiences have taught me what really matters: strength, intentionality, and connection.
Let’s take it one day at a time… I want to invite you to take a deep breath, slow down, and start noticing the small ways you can design your life intentionally—even when it seems wrong or feels messy and overwhelming. Follow along here, explore my stories (that I hope you can find yourself in), and find little pieces of encouragement to help you feel more grounded in life. Let’s connect… My favorite place to hang out is Instagram, I hope you can join me there!