Finding Balance...

How do you find balance in your life, with a career, kids, husband etc? Work-life balance is incredibly hard to find when you are trying to do for everyone.

Finding work-life balance is never easy, here is how I am learning to do so. It starts with deciding what is a priority to you and sticking with it. For me, my family comes first and then there is work. I can work for the rest of my life but you only get one chance to be a good parent. I tried to give 200% at work and come home to my family empty. I would look at their little faces and could feel the disappointment radiating from their little sad eyes when I would be glued to my computer answering emails.

I ran across a video on Facebook a working mom posted about spending more quality time with her kids. In the video, she posed a question to her audience, "How many times do I miss out with communicating with my kids because I am working?" She videoed herself for five hours one evening. In those five hours her kids approached, attempted eye contact, and pined for her attention a total of 75 times. 75 times she missed out on hearing about her kids day, giving a life lesson, sharing a laugh, telling them everything would be okay, 75 times. This video hit home for me, how many times did I miss a day to share a special moment with my kids?

The next day I decided to set my priorities, my family comes first my husband and my kids. Life is entirely too short to miss out on memories that would last a life time. Before I clock out every day I write a list of must do items that I have to complete first thing in the morning for work. I make sure I set blocks of time to do "me time" things like an hour for lunch and an hour for exercise three times week. I get off from work at 5 pm, and the rest of evening belongs to them. I am a work in progress for date night, but our goal is twice a month.

Learn the power of "no"! "No I am not able to stay late for happy hour", and "No, I do not have the bandwidth to take on 5 more additional accounts." I am not saying you have to militant about the power of "no", you use it when it makes sense.

At the end of the day there is no one solution for everyone, its just making the right decision for you and your family. Its putting what you hold important in perspective and where they fall in your priority list.