When people find out that I’m a full time mom, a full time blogger and a full time employee they often utter the words…”Wow! I don’t know how you do it all!” and the truth is, half of the time, I don’t know how I do it either. (Well, actually I do, it’s a lot of coffee and a lot of late nights…) I hate to admit it, but it’s tough to balance all of my responsibilities, keep my family happy, keep my child alive and keep my curly head from spinning off my body.
And I’m sure like many of you, there are days I feel like giving up and crying, but the majority of the time I find peace knowing that millions of women have done it before me and millions will do it after me and it can be done.
When feeling like a hot mess, I do my best to focus on and integrate the three things below into my life to keep me in line.
1.) Work Life Harmony. Work Life Balance is an old term (in my mind) that was tossed around before iPhones and Google Calendars ruled our worlds. Harmony is key when managing your two (or three) busy lives. There is a real study behind the benefits of Work Life Harmony versus Work Life Balance but they biggest key is that you are upfront with all parties about your responsibilities (Example: My boss(es) know that I have a family and that I operate a blog) so that in the event they review my internet activity and see a few visits to Austin Moms Blog between 8 and 5, it’s not a big deal or if I need to leave at 3 to get Caroline because she’s being a hellion, it’s not a big deal. That open communication is key to having a harmonious life that involves your work.
2.) Organization. I wouldn’t know where to be in thirty minutes if it wasn’t on my calendar. I’m sure this translates to the busy life of a Stay at Home Mom, too. Keeping things on your calendar allows for reflection and allows you to see if there is too much work and not enough personal stuff or to see if the hubs is picking up the kids too many days this week, etc.
3.) Life Referees. We all have people in our lives that keep us in check, right? I know I do. It’s SO important to have a circle of friends or “referees” that take you out of the game when you’re in over your head or those that are comfortable enough to call you out when you’re overwhelming them with the wrong kind of talk. Without these special folks in our lives, we would drown in our lives.
What about you? What keeps your life in check?
If only you would have posted the picture of yourself with your curly head out of control this blog would be even more perfect! Honestly, I don’t know how you do it… you also have to add in there, balancing your needy co-blogger, me! I take up more of your time than Caroline sometimes. Anywho, I balance life by drinking lots of wine after Wesley gets home, making time to talk to my gal pals throughout the day (what you HAVE to work???), enjoying the beauty of my child because I “chose” to be a SAHM, and getting out my aggression through my alter blogging ego 🙂 XOXOX