5 Ways Women Can Balance “It All”

HAPPY NEW YEARS GUYS!!!! Wow, I can’t believe it’s 2019. Where did 2018 go? I’m so grateful that I’ve made it through yet another year. 2018 was filled with a few lows, but way more highs! God is so good. A few of my 2019 goals are to be more self disciplined, present, focused, and purpose driven. That includes being more consistent with my blogging as well. If I’m completely honest, after finding out I was expecting my third daughter halfway through 2018 I really started slacking big time with blogging. I just didn’t have the energy, at least that’s what I convinced myself of. To give you a little summary of my current state right now…I’m 8 months pregnant, I already have 3 other children (including a one year old toddler), I’m a wife, bonus mom, have a household to maintain, run a blog (which includes taking pictures dang near every other day), all while still working full-time in healthcare marketing, trying to be a good friend, and also make time for myself so I don’t go completely insane, ha!

One question I get A LOT from other women is how I do it all. Which leads me to today’s blog topic…BALANCE! I figured this would be a great topic for my first blog of 2019, for all the women and mothers out there that want to have a more balanced and productive year as opposed to stressful and chaotic. Although us women are superheroes, we have to be honest with ourselves at times and admit that it can be outright HARD to have your attention divided between SO many things when it comes to family, working, and passions. The key to being able to balance it all is to always have a plan and stick to it. Here are 5 ways that I’m able to manage having a family, career, along with many other things in between.

MAKE MORNINGS EASIER

People always tell me I’m always so put together to say I have multiple little children and myself to get ready daily. Moms as you all know, morning time when you have to get everyone out of the house for school/daycare all before making it to work can be extremely stressful. There’s nothing worse than starting your day off completely frazzled. Me becoming disciplined enough to prepare the night before for the next morning was the ultimate game changer! Anything, and I seriously mean ANYTHING, you can do the night before…do it! From packing school lunches, to laying everyone’s (including my own) clothes out the night before, to making sure everyone is showered at night instead of the morning, combing hair, all the way down to having a certain spot for my keys and purse every night so I can just grab and go if I’m rushing to get out of the door.

You’ll also want to come up with a “system” that works best for you and your family in the mornings. My husband and I have it to where he gets our youngest dressed and prepares her morning sippy cup, while I make sure my oldest daughter is all good to go before school. That rarely changes. We’ll have to see how we’ll manage soon once we are outnumbered lol. If you know ahead that the system you guys have setup will require some changing the next morning, discuss that the night before as well. This ensures that everything will continue to operate smoothly, even when last minute things come up.

USE YOUR TIME WISELY

This is a big one for us millennial parents, I’m sure we can all guess why…our PHONES! They tend to be our number one distraction. You’ll want to eliminate as many distractions as possible when trying to balance it all. Be disciplined and strategic when it comes to your phone and tv time. If I’m honest, this takes a lot of self-discipline for me. With me having to be big into social media as a blogger I’m always having to edit, upload pictures, and come up with captions etc., so I find myself on my phone a TON. I knew it was bad when I found myself browsing on my phone while trying to tuck my kids in to bed smh. What I find works best for me is between the time I step foot in the house after work until all my kids are tucked in bed I try to remain off my phone. I’m so much more present and productive when I’m intentional about my phone time.

This also applies to your other duties outside of motherhood. Whether it’s quality time with your spouse or time devoted to your passions and hobbies. Avoid multitasking and give each thing your undivided attention.

Also, when it comes to using your time wisely you’ll have to PRIORITIZE. Outside of God, my husband and children come first before anything, and I make no apologies for it. They come before my career, friends, engagements and all. The days of feeling guilty about calling in because I have a sick baby are over! It is, what it is! 😊

RELY ON YOUR VILLAGE

The saying “it takes a village to raise a child” is true. As much as we are capable of doing it on our own if we have to, having a supportive village makes balancing it all so much more doable. Call up grandma, friends, or even trustworthy hired help if need be. Whether it’s to give you a much needed break or some time to give your undivided attention to certain projects. Never feel guilty about relying on help. As I lay in bed while cranking this blog out, my girls are with my mom for a few days. Yall have no idea how much this break is needed being 8 months pregnant with everything I have on my plate. I find myself facetiming my girls and looking through their pictures all day because I miss them but then I have to remind myself to relish in the peace and quiet and just relax! We are just one person, we can only do so much.

FIND TIME FOR YOURSELF

This piggy backs off of the previous point, but we can’t be everything to everyone and everything else if we aren’t whole and healthy ourselves. And that takes delegating some time alone every now and then. You can’t have balance if you’re constantly burnt out. It can be as simple as having your husband take the kids for just a few hours and you take a bubble bath. Or leave the house for a mani and pedi just to get away. Pick a time to do this at least once a week and make it a priority! It’s so so important.

BE EASY ON YOURSELF

Lastly, let go of any guilt. We are all simply doing our best. There will be days that we feel like we are absolutely doing the dang thang, and other days where we may feel like we are dropping the ball in one area of our lives. It’s okay to have a “bad” day, just don’t relish in it. Get up, dust yourself off, and try again the next day. One thing that’s helped me in this department is to have a mommy village that holds each other accountable but we are also transparent and real with one another. It shows me that I’m not in this alone. We all go through the same things and we are all in this together. As successful mothers, wives, and career women we wear so many hats at all times. Women truly make the world go round! Hang in there sis, you got this!

As always…Love you all,

Courtney N. Williams