Juggling responsibilities while parenting is an admirable art, particularly when careers are involved.
However, it doesn’t have to be hard work, you can continue to pursue a successful career by making these four lifestyle changes that will benefit both you and your family.
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Work Out Which Work-Life Balance Suits You
Depending on your child’s needs, you may need to take extra time for them around your work responsibilities, for example, if your child has special educational needs.
If this is the case, try to have discussions with your employer to open a pathway of understanding so that you can meet your child’s needs effectively without worrying about your work.
You can also ask for help from family and friends, or request some more flexible working hours to fit your work around your responsibilities.
However, remember to create boundaries between your working life and your home life, especially if your job allows you to work from home.
To do this, you can try and have a separate room or dedicated workspace like a desk to work on.
Furniture shops like Wayfair have a large selection of desks of different sizes and shapes to suit your needs.
Additionally, try not to answer emails or take calls outside working hours and set up an out of office autoreply for your emails for holidays or non-working hours.
Have Set Goals
Goals are key to setting achievable targets for your progression and will help you on the right road to furthering your existing career or starting a new one.
You might want to request a performance review with your manager and make notes on areas that need improvement.
You can also take the time to suggest solutions for things that aren’t working for you.
Be honest about your interests and brainstorm some achievable objectives together.
This will help you to create a good working relationship with your boss and prevent any miscommunication.
Learn a New Skill or Qualification
You may find it useful to learn some new skills that will further your career progression or learn a new qualification.
Universities like Anglia Ruskin have a selection of distance learning undergraduate and postgraduate degrees like the Biomedical Science MSc that can be undertaken remotely.
This will give you the flexible time to be with your family, as online courses can be studied in around your work and family commitments.
Stay Organized
Being organized is essential for juggling a life between work and family.
To do this, you can buy large multi-column family calendars to make a note of each family member’s activities and track where each person is during each day.
You can also use a group calendar with Google to share events and collaborate on a single electronic calendar with the whole family.
This will easily let you know where you have gaps in your schedules for family time.
Do you have any tips for balancing your family life and a career? Leave your answer in the comments below!
