It is part of American culture to be constantly moving forward. From the second we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep (well, I don’t sleep much!) we as a society simply rush towards the finish line, trying to accomplish as much as we possibly can in a 24 hour day. While work is important and the desire to be successful is a fantastic goal to have, learning to balance family with career is another goal that should top your list. Balancing career and family can be tricky; do not be hard on yourself while in the process of finding what works best for your lifestyle. Practice patience, forgiveness, and trial and error during this process. Do what you can until you can do it all. Here are five suggestions on ways to balance work and family:
Sit down with your significant other and compare schedules each week to find available time to spend together.
Try to have at least one family meal together, breakfast or dinner.
If you travel frequently, set a limit for how long you can be away.
When you are not working on strict deadline, etc, do not check email or take calls when at home.
Use social media to catch up with friends and family that are long-distance. Facetime, g-chat, Facebook and Twitter conversations can happen from anywhere with your smartphone.
If possible, work with your family! That’s what I do. 🙂
