Balancing motherhood and a full-time career is no small feat.
I thought I was overwhelmed prior to having kids! Children add a whole new dimension to the daily rhythm and expectations of a successful day.
Leaning into and managing that rhythm means constantly adjusting with each new season. I claimed 12 weeks of maternity leave with my son and he’s now 7.5 months.
Now that I’ve been back to work for longer than I was out, I’ve found that a (gentle) reminder of these strategies is in order to keep my life running well.
3 of my “baseline” strategies that I consider hard and fast rules for setting good internal expectations include:
- If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. This is the most important strategy on the list. It takes a mindset adjustment to truly own this one. I find that every single day requires a reset of the priority because circumstances change that quickly. I’ve become a master priority-setter and a very intentional doer of the “not a priority but I’m inspired to do it anyway” item.
- Banish the word “busy” from my vocabulary. I actually did this years ago (before kids) when a particularly negative co-worker couldn’t stop sharing how busy she was at all hours of the day. It was super off-putting. You have zero reason to justify your level of “busyness” to anyone else. In the end, it goes back to what each individual makes a priority in their life. For example, if you’re too “busy” for friendships, you’re simply choosing not to prioritize that area of your life in the season you’re in…and that’s OK!
- Ask for help when it’s truly needed. Raise your hand if this is a tough one (::hand raised::)! I chose to do life with an amazing husband who always steps up if I need help on the personal front. I also have an amazing support system at work. Without help – whether from your spouse, parents, siblings, friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc. – it’s so easy to find yourself treading water. Ask for help or surround yourself with people who recognize your need for it before you have to ask.
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Today, I challenge you to put into practice at least one of the above baseline strategies for the week.
While you’re at it, try to figure out what you need to make these strategies work on an ongoing basis. Maybe you need to say “no” to more offers or to re-prioritize more frequently.
Maybe you need to eliminate distractions in order to see the day’s priority clearly. Using these strategies and being more intentional with your day will make a huge difference in your outlook.
Balancing motherhood and a full-time career in a meaningful way is a never ending adventure. How we apply these strategies is always changing through each season of life. Routines in the infant stage are different than in the preschool stage and routines with two are vastly different than with one!
Life’s a journey, not a destination, and I hope you’ll stick with me here as we ride through it together. You’ll find the BEST 5-day free audio training to gain clarity right here at Camp Clarity: A Mini Reset for Building Your Foundation for Time Freedom in Just 5 Days!
xo, Jessica
