Navigating a Work-Life Balance
My family is my top priority; however, as a woman in business, the co-founder of a company, my work demands my attention. Some days can get chaotic, but this is how I stay on top of everything, how I maintain balance between work and my personal life.
MY RULES TO LIVE BY
The 9 to 5 is different from the 5 to 9.
Well, in my case, it's the 6 to 4 but either way, the time I have at work should be kept separate from my time at home. Sometimes it's unavoidable like when I am working from home but I find it's important to prioritize recovery from a long day by shutting down work devices if possible and being present for my family. The time with my kids is so valuable and we need to cherish every second we can before it escapes us. We're already prepping to send our first son to school! Can you believe it? I can't.
Don't bring stress into the house
With running a business and work in general, there is going to be stress. It's important to keep these feelings away from the family. I know my husband is going to have his issues too and we can vent about it together but we will never take it out on each other.
STAYING ORGANIZED
What do I have in my bag?
A journal - ALWAYS! You never know when inspiration hits! Not to mention the different things that demand my attention throughout the day but need to put on the back burner until I am ready for it. It's best to write them down just in case.
A weekly calendar. This helps arrange my daily To Do's.
Gum, Chapstick, Hair Ties/Clips, Pen, Sanitizer, AirPods. All the small essentials that help me optimize my daily life.
Phone- I mean, obviously. If I could have two, I would! One for work and one for my personal life. It helps capture moments in my life and take/make phone calls or texts.
Document everything
I mentioned I bring a journal with me everywhere and that's because I prefer writing down my thoughts as opposed to typing them. That's just me, but do what works best! Things come up between meetings, brainstorms, and my time alone. The key is to make sure to take the time to make sure it is well organized in a way where you can easily look back on it.
Also as a part-time content creator, I will take photos and videos almost every day to help tell my story. My tripods, lights, and microphones are my most used tools besides my laptop. Follow my socials!
Plan your days ahead of time to maximize efficiency
I use apps like Google Calendar and Asana to help me stay organized with my day to day. I even have a system for dividing my tasks and managing their due dates and progress.
Get in the ZONE
Music/Podcasts
Listening to music or a podcast can help me focus on my tasks and help keep a healthy rhythm as the day goes by. This might be distracting to some so do what suits you and try experimenting with different genres to optimize your work flow.
Make a To-Do List
Making a to-do list helps me visualize what needs to be done by the end of the day so I can determine each task's importance and urgency.
Just 15 minutes
If the sun rose and I found myself unmotivated, I tell myself to do one thing for at least 15 minutes. If I couldn't find the motivation in that project, I can move on to something else or take a break until I decided it was time to get back to it. This is a technique athletes use like in running. Just 15 minutes and if you wanted to stop you could and you'd have done 15 minutes of running but if you wanted to keep going, that's great too! It's a win-win.
In Summary, this is just a little of what I do in my day to day to maintain order and balance. Like anyone else, I have people who rely on me, between my two boys, my husband, our pets, my family, and everyone else in my circle, these extra steps are necessary to keeping a healthy balance. If you want to learn more, follow along by subscribing to the website or adding me on Socials!
If you end up following my advice, let me know in my personal Facebook Group, Monica's Inner Circle!
How do you stay organized?
Planners, Journals, Lists, Notes
Digital Tools and Apps
I have my methods (something else)
Still figuring out what's best for me
You can vote for more than one answer.
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