Two and a half years into working for Emerson, I was selected to attend a year-long Global Leadership development training program and received a sponsorship to obtain my Executive MBA. This was under the caveat of maintaining my day job, which often includes a ton of traveling. I’m also married and a proud momma of a ten-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter. If I’m not at work or studying, I’m involved in their education, as their school’s PTA Secretary. So, how do I accomplish it all?
Juggling. Google the word “juggle.” Do you see it? Underneath the definition of the word, there’s a picture of me and every other professional woman trying to keep all our responsibilities “in the air.”Juggling is an art form and the experience can be different depending on the person. Here are some definitions:
These definitions are the perfect descriptions of me managing both my professional and personal life. (Notice that “balance” is not one of them.)
After years of trying to juggle it all, I’ve learned that there is no such thing as “perfect” work-life balance for me. I’m okay with that now, but I struggled early on in my career to achieve any sort of balance.
"Believe it or not, one thing that was holding me back was my own drive."
I’ve always been highly driven with a desire to prove my worth to my organization and make my parents proud. Early on in my career I did what everyone tells you to do to get ahead- I worked late, came in on off days and took on any project asked, including the “voluntold” ones. Adding insult to injury, I tried to give balance to my work life through organizing events. I am a natural extrovert who thrives off people. I love taking on the role of social event organizer of my personal circus, classmates and colleagues. Eventually, trying to keep up with myself caused me a great deal of personal grief and burnout.
My pivoting point happened when I received advice early in my career from one of the best mentors I’ve ever had. She told me that in her 25+ years of experience serving in the United States Navy, being a wife, step-mom and completing several international assignments, balance didn’t exist.
"She often stressed that life is your juggling act; you have the power to control it. You must be the one to determine the timing, how many “balls” you put into the act, their size, shape and ultimately, when they needed to exit the act."
Here is some other advice I’ve received on the art of the juggling act:
My “reformed” state of balance, includes only working after the kids go to bed, being okay studying in the hotel instead of sightseeing and saying “yes” to only projects and opportunities that create value in my act, not chaos. Yet, it also means showing up to class on two-hours of sleep because you and your team scored that touchdown, and were celebrating the night before.
And, while I’d like to say I have practiced enough and have it all figured out, I don’t. When the juggling gets too much, instead of dropping a ball, relying on my network, including colleagues, classmates and my own family-circus, to step-in and help, is that trick of magic which helps me keep all the balls in the air.
How do you juggle your day-to-day tasks? Reply below to share your tips for creating balance?
Contributing Editors Credit: Chelsea McGovern