5 Tips for REworking Parents

(*Includes business owners, FTEs, PTEs, freelancers, WAHPS, & SAHPs)

Happy Fall! I hope everyone had a tremendous summer! Mine was wonderful-meeting lots of fabulous, interesting clients and relaxing with my lovely family and friends. Now I am back and happy to be blogging again.

For this, my happy fall/back-to-blogging post, I was inspired by this NYT piece (thanks @youngonesdesign for forwarding!). In the article, “How am I going to handle this?,” a business owner and mom-to-be (who’s baby is due on my daughter’s birthday), plans for her life as a parent and wonders how it’s all going to come together.

A year ago, I was in a similar position. Unlike author Jennifer Walzer, who has owned her business for over 8 years,  I was just starting my business. Otherwise we were doing/thinking about many of the same things and asking ourselves the same questions. (see her headline ) At the time, I was:

• Finishing up a consulting project
• Picking up last minute baby supplies  (Must have cotton balls, nasal aspirator, thermometer, more onesies and bath towels-now! BTW-Sonja ended up getting 5 monogrammed towels right after she was born).
• Officially changing my name on my license and passport (after 5 years of marriage)
• Exchanging one crib for another at the last minute.
• Checking my babycenter.com updates several times a day to see “what to expect”
• Thinking about childcare possibilities
• Figuring how and when I would get back to work and handle everything on my plate
• Trying to “relax” while coming to terms with the amazing and overwhelming job I was about to start-parenthood.

Needless to say, it was a surreal time. A year later, I know that, as Jennifer admits, I had NO IDEA what was to come. Despite my knowledge of work-life balance programs, strategies and flexible work arrangements, I felt exactly as she describes:

“I don’t think the reality of motherhood has really hit me yet. I know my entire life is going to change, but I’m not sure anyone can be totally prepared for how much things will change.”

Now, as both mom and a business-owner, I have some thoughts about how to keep things simple and workable for all working parents.

• Project plans work better than big t0-do lists. This is great advice for anyone, but when you are managing mulitple prioirities, keeping your time focused on projects instead of a big list of independent tasks is even more important. You spend a little more time on up-front planning , but it pays off in the end. It also makes it easier to delegate projects (if possible) to others. If you (and your staff, if you have one) can envision the outcome of your efforts and each of the steps involved, your work process can be virtually seamless. There are some helpful tools to use for this. (I use ActionMethod and I like HiTask too)
• Over-budget your time. Time management can be challenging for everyone at times, but it’s even harder for parents. Instead of estimating your usual time for completing tasks and projects, start factoring in sleep deprivation and your little one’s unpredictable schedule.  This isn’t to say that you can’t do your work on time and well, but it helps to give yourself more time than you expect. You may work late into the night, and “power nap” may take on a whole new meaning (e.g. you work like a crazy person while your baby naps), but don’t leave yourself with too little time. If you finish ahead of schedule-BONUS!
• It pays to remember what’s important to you. I mean this literally. I work with clients-businesses and individuals-to clarify who they are and where they want to go. In their classic Harvard Business Review article “Building Vision”, James Collins and Jerry Porras cite their findings that the most successful companies are those that are clear on their core values and core purpose, and adapt their strategy to a changing market. Whether you are in business for yourself or not, staying true to what you value and your envisioned future is critical to your work-life balance and success. Don’t underestimate the practical impact of clarifying what’s important to you, it will make you more successful at whatever you do.
• Change happens. Adapt daily. When you are a parent, every day is a new adventure or development, some more gratifying or more taxing than others, but constant change is guaranteed. The biggest myth about work-life balance is that there is a magic formula for each of us that we put in place and stick with for the long haul. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for work life balance. Your best individual work-life balance will vary over time. Be prepared to reflect, reassess, and re-strategize to create the best arrangement for you.
• Take YOU time. I may sound like Oprah (not that there’s anything wrong with that!), but I’m totally serious about this. If it’s one night out with a friend, a little stroll around your neighborhood, a chapter of a new book, or a class at the gym, do something for you. Try to find whatever it is you need to recharge and do it-as regularly as possible.  Whatever time you are able to spend on yourself will have a positive impact on your work and life overall.

For more information about how I can help you navigate work-life balance, career transition or entrepreneurship contact me at rachael@reworkingparents.com.