5 Ways to Balance a Work Life with Family Life

As an educated professional, one of my ongoing personal challenges has been building a business that will allow me to have both a successful company and to have a happy growing family. In an attempt to do excellent life planning, I have been reading I Know How She Does It, in the hopes of soaking up inspiration about how “successful women make the most of their time.”

While author Laura Vanderkam is very candid and fair about the types of women (and the $ they make) she chose to feature, what struck me the most about this book was the realization that I have the power to structure my time to create the vision of success that makes sense to me.

Cary Hodgson is not only my lovely sister-in-law, but she is also someone who has structured her life to reflect the things that are important to her now. As a mother of three little ones, Cary has gone from working a full-time job (before kids) to working as a full-time mom, who also works a part-time job from home.

One of the many things I admire about Cary is how she has allowed her definition of success to change as she changes. There are so many things to share about my conversation with Cary, but if you read anything today, please read Cary’s 5 tips about how to find balance:

1. Only Focus on Creating a Schedule that Works NOW: Don’t worry about finding a schedule that will work in the future. Focus on now. “Don’t be so hard on yourself,” says Cary, “It took me a long time to find a schedule that works, and things keep changing so I have to roll with the punches.”

2. Think Positively about Yourself & What Other Women/Mothers are Doing: While we logically know that all families and all people are different, sometimes it feels like the grass is always greener. “Women are often their own worst critics, while also being critical of other women and their choices,” explains Cary. “But this can make you feel stuck.” Instead of saying to yourself: My day was harder than hers, focus on being comfortable with the decisions you’re making. When you focus on the wonderful things all women (you included!) are doing - whether that’s working full-time, staying at home with kids, choosing to not have kids - you can feel a huge weight lifted.

3. Meal Planning: I do my meal planning on Friday nights, and go shopping on the weekend. Going Grocery Shopping with 3 kids isn’t realistic and the weekend allows me to have support from my husband. I go in to the grocery store knowing what I’m buying because my meal planning is done,” explains Cary. “Moreover, if you don’t plan, chances are you’re not eating the healthiest food, and that you’re spending more money last minute on take-out or whatever is most convenient.” (Kids or no kids, this is great advice!)

4. Make the Most of Naptimes: “I can’t say this enough- naptime is a time to do something you need to do.” If you’re working with kids at home, you need to plan an important task during naptime- like a phone call or even a task you know really needs your focus and is going to take an hour or two. “You will likely have to work a little in the evenings once your kids go to sleep, but that's a small price to pay in order to be home with your kids and have such flexibility.' ”

5. Remember (and Celebrate) Your Reasons for Wanting Both a Career and a Family: There are many ways to structure a life, and it can be difficult to manage a work-life balance. “It’s important to take time for yourself…I go to the gym for some alone time that clears my head and makes me feel more energized. Being with adults only, even in an hour long fitness class, makes a difference when I go home to my family.” However big the stress can feel on some days, Cary gets to celebrate so many different types of milestones, both professionally and with her family. “I am grateful to be with my kids, and to have a job that allows me the flexibility to work from home.”

My conversation with Cary left me with many important messages, but Tip #1 stands out to me. Schedules do always change – especially when you’re working a demanding job and adding kids to a growing family. So what does Cary say when people ask her: how do you do it? “I can’t say I really know how I do it either. You have to find a way that works – It’s not easy to raise kids.”

One thing that Cary knows for sure: “For each day your child is healthy, that’s pretty amazing. For each smile on a tough day, that makes it worth it. Whatever it is that works for you – focusing on good health and happiness are a great way to keep things in perspective.”

Which tip resonates with you? Cary and I would love to hear from you!

Cary Hodgson grew up in Montreal, Quebec and currently resides in British Columbia with her husband and 3 young children. With a BA in Business and Marketing and a Tourism Management Diploma, she has many years of experience working in sales and marketing. Cary is a stay at home mom as well as a Sales Manager for a hotel in a beautiful BC Mountain resort.