How to Find Balance between Work and a Baby
Thank you so much for all the sincere and thoughtful comments on Tuesday. It means a lot of me and my family. <3
As some of you might remember, last year I left my corporate job to work on my blog. After having Sebastian I was offered a promotion to return to corporate. At the time I was really struggling with the decision because I didn’t like the idea of leaving Sebastian. All the while, my blog was really starting to grow. I firmly made the decision to stay home and continue to work on my blog full-time and be home with Sebastian. It only took a little over a month to realize that being a mom is a full-time job. I needed help so I hired Hillary to help out on the business side. It’s been great and we need even more help. One step at a time. 🙂 There are a few little things that I have learned and re-learned that have helped me begin to find balance between the business and Sebastian.
Learn to delegate
My family will always be my priority. It’s not always easy to find the right person to work for you but when you do, it provides calm and stability. Delegation requires trust. You have to be able to trust in people in order to truly move things off your plate and focus on other things. If you’re in a high level position, learn to delegate and trust others. No, not everyone will do things the same way as you, but they’ll get done. And more often than not, that is what’s most important.
You’re going to mess up, it’s ok
Phew, I learned this lesson fast. I tend to be a perfectionist. Well, maybe I’m just particular. I like that better and that’s what my mom always tells me. A little while back, is when I kind of pumped the brakes and realized that not everything is going to go your way. Messing up was going to happen and it’s ok. It wasn’t too long ago when I was still in Corporate America that I would sulk about a mistake for days. I simply don’t have the time or bandwidth. Learn and move on.
Compartmentalize
Being a blogger nowadays means that you’re on 24/7. It can be mentally exhausting sometimes. Throw in a little one and there is never (ever) enough time in the day. I am beginning, albeit very slowly, to shut down work before the next day starts to give my brain a rest. Everything can begin to mix together and that’s not good. Now that I have a full-time team, I’m spending less time on email and more time with the family. Feels real good and makes me happy. Put your phone down. Better yet, put it in the other room and just spend time with family. Cook dinner without distractions. Right before bed, I may finish a thing or two on the computer but otherwise once I shut down at night, I am done for the day.
Figure out what works best for you
Stop listening to others and just do what works best for you. Don’t let the opinions of others effect what works best in your life. I’ll leave it at that.
Don’t waste time
Minimize distractions and other things that waste your time. For me to get the most out of my day, I know I need activities that bare fruit. For example texting back and forth with friends has to be kept to a few texts. This is also true when browsing online or getting lost on Facebook. I’ve learned to limit myself to 10-15 minutes and then I either go back to work or spendwith Sebastian.
I know it’s painstakingly cliche but I do like the idea of work hard, play hard. Just the mentality gives you something to shoot for whether it be simply relaxing, taking a trip, spending the day at the park, whatever it is. I do love to work but love to enjoy life with the family more. Always make time for yourself!
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Shop Dresses
The dress I’m wearing in today’s blog post fits true to site. I’m wearing a size 4. For those of you who asked about what type of bra to wear with this dress, I’ve found that this bra works best for these types of dresses. I also think you could go without a bra in this dresses. Since I’m nursing, it’s not the best option for me, but I would recommend it to other women who are not nursing.
xo, Olivia
It is never easy being a mom and working full time at the same time. You make it look so easy! I admire you for that 🙂
Jessica | notjessfashion.com