This blog implies that I am pulling off the working mom gig. But what does that mean??
Let me tell you what it doesn’t mean.
- I don’t have it all together
- My food isn’t all organic
- My child doesn’t bathe every night
- Our meals are not prepped every weekend
It’s a “hacker’s”, well computer programmer’s, guide! Not a Stepford wife guide. Things fall through the cracks.
The secret to pulling off the working mom gig is simple – prioritize.
Its a never ending game and it’s determining what you have to prioritize that’s tricky. You can get deep with this and contemplate your life and job and family and set the goals for your world. Or it can be task driven – “What do I have to get done today? Tomorrow? This week?”
I can’t tell you what this should be but can give you the examples of what it looks like for me.
Things I’m prioritizing this week in the bigger picture:
- Our health – Eli has strep and I’m determined to care for our bodies (food and exercise)
- Eli’s learning – Kindergarten is starting to feel close and I want him to love learning.
- Family – This is local with grandparents, aunts and uncles and I have to get a trip to Florida on the books to see Walt
That’s it. Note, my job isn’t on that list. Doesn’t mean it isn’t important. But it isn’t going to trump one of those top three. There have been long periods in my life that my job sat at the top of that life. For me, this mindset means balance. It doesn’t mean that for everyone. This is just me.
What I’m not prioritizing in the details for this week:
- Washing my car
- Laundry – honestly…. just because I hate it.
- Fixing my broken ice maker
- Getting meals planned out of a cool new cookbook I got.
- Looking out together every day
What I’m prioritizing in the details:
- Getting through my written tasks for work. The email list is another topic. The written list grows.
- Taking returns back – this has been weeks in the making and I’m going to lose it if I have to keep looking at the boxes.
- Enjoying time with E while he is home with strep
- Cleaning the house enough to keep strep at bay.
- Taking care of Jackson – she is getting spayed today.
There are a million ways I could prioritize my life and this isn’t all the details. That’s what my planner is for. Taking a minute to sit and evaluate at a minimum makes sure I am picking the things I want to be picking.
I’ll post more on how we do meals and how to juggle the craziness that is a working mom. What are your priorities overall and what tasks do you have to complete this week?
Hacking the Working Mom 