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In addition to being a mother and a writer, I also maintain a full-time job outside of the home. By the time my commute is factored in, I spend approximately eleven hours a day away from my house…away from the mountain of work that awaits me even during my “down time.”
6:00am—Get up, get myself ready for work and my daughter ready for school
7:00am (hopefully!)—Leave the house
8:30am-5:00pm—Work
5:00pm-6:30pm—Pick up daughter from daycare, arrive home
6:30pm-6:45pm—Beg my husband to let us have take out ;o)
7:00pm-10:30pm—Writing, playing with daughter, housework, spending time with husband
10:30pm—Getting everyone ready for bed
· Utilize To-Do Lists.
Desirea did a fabulous post here about the subject. Without my lists (and I have a separate notebook for what needs to be done around the house, at work, and with my writing), I’d be lost!
· Learn what can wait.
Not everything has to be done right this minute. Figuring out what I can procrastinate on helps free up time for something more pressing.
· Try to set boundaries for your business time.
In theory, I’m much better at this than in actual practice. But I firmly believe having a set schedule for when you do your work from home (or house work, etc.) helps keep things under control. Setting these boundaries also allows you to consciously spend more time with your family, relaxing, etc., outside of your “work” hours.
· Learn that sometimes it’s okay not to work.
Sometimes I think I must be the worst mother in the world! I let the stress of my day job and of my writing career convince me that I have to go 90 to nothing in order to get it all done. I stay up late, get up early, burning the candle at both ends to get something finished. Unfortunately, sometimes, I’ve done this to the exclusion of my family. So my biggest challenge is letting the workaholic in me take the day off. This gives me the opportunity the chance to focus on my two more important jobs: being a wife and mother.
How about you? What helps keep you sane when you’re trying to juggle a thousand things at once?
Lately, I've been getting rid of things to juggle. From getting rid of stuff in my house that just keeps getting in my way, to saying no to volunteer positions, to unsubscribing from emails littering my email unless I 90% of the time find it worthwhile. So, I've been attempting to juggle less than trying to improve my juggling technique.
ReplyDeleteI think spending some down time with the kids really helps me. Just going to the beach or playing in my son's room seems to put everything back in perspective.
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