I work hard and my career is very important to me. Does that mean that I don't have enough time for my family? Does it mean that I don't have a chance to follow my interests? No, not at all. It just means that I have a harder time finding a place for those interests.
I work very hard. But at the same time I love my job and I find that it fulfills me in the same way that my family life fulfills me.
While I have been told that I work more than some people in my company I can say from personal observation that I also work less than others. Productivity and success in the company is not improved or impacted for those who work less or those that work more. For me, productivity, operates on the ability to plan. I use up every moment I have for tasks that need to be accomplished. Both at work and at home I try to work as efficiently as I can.
This is method to also maximize free time.
You see I don't work non-stop. I set time aside at home just as if I was scheduling tasks at work.
One example that I could use would be email. Yes I still use email. It works for me and I feel less hassled by it than by text etc. because I can actually use full sentences. Anyway, I check and reply to email first thing in the morning. This gives me a chance to focus on the specifics of the email throughout the day.
If I didn't I would be frantically trying to handle the "problems" as they come in. And that means in off hours as well.
As a parent and wife I have the obligation to protect my family and that means from my job as well. The thought of having my children to grow up and only remember me sitting at a desk or at the kitchen table buried under work is heartbreaking image.
That said I haven't always succeeded in juggling everything. And it can get tricky at times. But one setback doesn't need to derail you.
That is the trick to success as much in your professional life as in your personal.
What is life if not the valuable time that we spend with our families? I don't know what people are thinking when they say they wish they could spend more time in the office.
The truth is that the majority of people that spend their lives in their office are not that productive to begin with. I have seen this pattern time and time again. On top of that they are rarely prepared to demonstrate what they've done to be a productive part of the team. And yet, these are the same people that feel it is in their best interest to complain if you do your work and leave.
I am thirty-six years old. And my time is divided between work in a high stress profession 8 hrs a day, five days a week and I'm married with a DH and children just as darling.
Last year I got a promotion which increased our income but also my workload/responsibilities. Fast forward a year and we our expecting out third little bundle of joy.
And the question I have been asking myself is: "will I self-destruct?" And for the life of me the only way that I see to get it done is through some careful/creative planning. Something that I enjoy doing anyway. The feasibility that I can maintain my current position is a little shaky now.
Making A Plan
Making a plan is crucial, whether is is a family plan, a work plan, or a life plan. The more granular and specific you can make it to a specific activity the better. As it stands I
Right now I would have a little bit of maternity leave which will make the first weeks easier, however, when I return to work I will have to hit the ground running. I am not confident that that will - in the long run - be that easy.
As I said before, my work is manageable now because I work it around a pretty tight schedule that is well worth the time that I put into it. My co-workers will have their own ideas of priority and things will be done to fit them. As it should be. However, I will have to put things back into order so that they work for me. And that is where my concerns come from.
So how do I plan so meticulously? What sort of magic or app do I use?
I don't do any of that. I grab a piece of paper, just your standard printer paper, and start blocking things out.
First I start by writing down the days of the week. Next I will write down what needs to be done on a daily basis to be finished for the week. My plan incorporates both professional and personal so I know what will be neglected if I miss one of my points. And then I do everything in my power to stick to the plan.
In most cases I will work through lunch breaks and most breaks to get a little extra time so that I can get everything done.
I have been making plans since my final year of high school.
For some reason kiwis have become the hit of the year - or at least the week - with my children. Kiwis, those healthy little green delights that will pucker the faces of most three year olds don't seem a likely treat. They have less sugar than apples and more vitamin C than many other types of fruit but my children love them. Lucky for them I love the idea of them eating lots of fruits and veggies.
Fun for the Whole Family
Kiwifruit, green, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy
255 kJ (61 kcal)
Carbohydrates
14.66 g
Sugars
8.99 g
Dietary fiber
3 g
Fat
0.52 g
Protein
1.14 g
Vitamins
Quantity%DV†
Vitamin A equiv.
lutein zeaxanthin
122 μg
Thiamine (B1)
2%
0.027 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
2%
0.025 mg
Niacin (B3)
2%
0.341 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
4%
0.183 mg
Vitamin B6
5%
0.063 mg
Folate (B9)
6%
25 μg
Vitamin B12
0%
0 μg
Choline
2%
7.8 mg
Vitamin C
112%
92.7 mg
Vitamin E
10%
1.46 mg
Vitamin K
38%
40.3 μg
Minerals
Quantity%DV†
Calcium
3%
34 mg
Copper
7%
0.13 mg
Iron
2%
0.31 mg
Magnesium
5%
17 mg
Manganese
5%
0.098 mg
Phosphorus
5%
34 mg
Potassium
7%
312 mg
Selenium
0%
0.2 μg
Sodium
0%
3 mg
Zinc
1%
0.14 mg
Other constituents
Quantity
Water
83 g
Link to USDA Database entry
Units
μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams
IU = International units
†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database
The whole fruit, including the skin, is suitable for human consumption; however, the skin is often discarded due to its texture.
We've been eating the skins, my husband and I, and they also have a nice taste. I would almost say that they have a stronger kiwi flavor than the actual fruit inside. I just don't let our babies eat them because of the high fiber content.
No matter what part you eat you get a nice dose of vitamins.
The only time I got a reaction other than satisfaction from my little girl was when she bit into a softer spot. The kiwifruit had been bruised and it tasted a little different and had an unknown texture.
You can see why I love it that my children are so fond of the little green fruit. Let's just hope that the trend lasts!
As you may know we were having a bit of a problem with family members wanting to host a baby shower for us. You can read about it here.
It must have struck a nerve with some of my readers because usually I do not receive any comments. In this case email.
After the post went live I got a lot of responses from people. Some were positive and others not so. Honestly, I am not sure what got people to respond but it was nice to get at least some feedback.
Positive
Our desire to shave our family from "shelling out" for another baby shower was a common theme among the messages people sent.
Our desire to host a celebration for the family instead of the other way around was also very popular.
Negative
Our ignorance about the importance of community building and sticking with tradition was a negative for some. I am lumping a couple of the sentiments together here because they should be grouped together. Otherwise it would be a long list on this side.
Our audacity about failing to accept a gift. Actually some gifts were given and we were always grateful.
So how did it go? That is the question you are asking now I am sure? Or you have lost interest in how the day went.
For several years this site has been a place for me to share my hobby. Namely Cryptids and paranormal activity related research. This is something that has always filled me with a lot of enthusiasm and given me an outlet for my analytical side. Today I thought that I would change the subject but not that same sense of analysis and focus on something that is equally important to me. Family.
Some of you know that we have an active growing family and you have asked how we manage to balance everything.
This is a question that I ask myself as well at times.
Usually though we have time for everything with a little bit of energy left to spare.
We have two children ages three and four and a half with the third (and final) on the way. On top of that we have careers that keep us busier than we would like.
The reason that I am bring this up is due to a conversation my husband had with a college. He and a senior in the company were having dinner. The college brought up a story that involved him and a client at the company.
I will try to make it brief, without needing to go into the back story. But it involved the client not taking a great job opportunity. This confused my husband's college and couldn't see the sense in it when the client tried to explain. The client said that he didn't want to work that much. Period. And they had a good reason to, simply; he had kids, a family, frankly he liked that his job allowed him to time with them.
Honestly? This is a very reasonable explanation in my opinion.
Both the college and company senior were ashamed of the man and his lack of regard for his job. For me this is putting the cart in front of the horse. And though it has been working at the current state, once baby number three arrives my husband wants to look for another job. And honestly with a corporate culture like that I fully support him.
I am a huge fan of the unknown. Part of what makes it so fascinating is that while it is unknown it is often thought of as only something weirdos like. But then it becomes a proven fact and, while you may not get the credit for knowing about it first you know inside that you had the courage to believe.
Many of the animals that we would never question as real; the panda, the gorilla, rhino, and okapi have one thing in common. They were once though to be what is called a cryptid.