Juggling Work and Family

I always tell people that I have 2 full-time and 1 part-time job.

Being a psychologist and a mom are my full-time jobs while blogging is part-time. And as my friend's wedding approaches in January, I also have to add "wedding decorator" to my portfolio of things to do!

It can get really daunting being a full-time working mum (FTWM) and maintaining a blog, which looks easy but a lot of time and effort have been put into it! We have to think of, write and edit the content, edit and upload the photos, publish the post and then do it again after 3 days (I usually blog every 2-4 days to keep my blog going).. it's hard work!

I found it easier to maintain a blog when I was a stay-at-home mum (SAHM) but now that I have started work, it has been a real challenge to do so! Case in point, this post has been sitting in my drafts for almost 2 months before I finally got down to publishing it!

So it was to my surprise that I've been asked many times,
"How do you manage to balance work, family and blogging so well?! What's your secret?"

Well firstly, I don't think I'm an expert on this at all! There are many mothers out there who are able to juggle much more things than I can and I'm still learning from them.

But what I can share are tips I've learnt that seem to work for me so I hope it will be of help to you too =)

1) See it as a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Some people overly push themselves at work, working overtime everyday just so they can earn their 1st million at a particular age and then retire early. But my question is, retire already then what?

It's not a sprint. Our lives are a marathon so we need to learn how to pace ourselves! Stop and catch your breath when u need to and then pick up pace again. Then you are able to keep going and going. There is no reason why you can't earn your 1st million a little later, you know =)

The hubby and I try to go overseas 2-4 times a year! This is so that we can have something to look forward to and thus have more motivation at work (you need money to travel! *laughs*). We can connect with each other again and take a breather in a foreign land.

2) Ask for Help

Don't be afraid to ask for help! If you need a domestic helper, you need one. If you need your mom to help pick up the kids from school, just ask (very, very nicely!). You'll be surprised how a little help can go a long way! =)

I'm very lucky that I have an awesome mum-in-law who is my girl's primary caregiver.

My mum-in-law and her precious granddaughter

I never have to worry about my daughter when I'm at work as she is well taken care of. My mum-in-law even willingly looks after her in the evenings when I need to go for a mani-pedi / facial to relax! *grin*

The trade-off is of course my girl being more attached to her than me! But then, children can have more than one attachment figure so I'm alright with that =)

3) Lower Your Expectations

So what if your house is not dirt-free or that your kid eats non-organic food? Relax! Take a deep breath and let go.

This also means not being uptight with the people helping to care for your child. Your mum dresses your child in outdated-looking clothes that you don't approve of? Close one eye and pretend you didn't see. Your kids do not need to look perfect all. the. time.

You don't always have to be a Supermom. Until you stop judging or comparing yourself with your high-achieving friends/neighbors/relatives, you'll never enjoy what you are doing.

Yes, I'm preaching to myself too *laughs*

4) Have a Purpose

What you do must mean something to you otherwise you won't keep at it for long!

For me personally, I get satisfaction at work helping children who are abused and neglected as well as at home watching my girl grow up. I also love blogging because it's a way of sharing with others the lessons I've learnt and being a blessing. This is why I try to do it all, because I see the point in doing what I do! =)

5) Have Faith in God

At the Center of it All

Even if you don't see the light at the end of the tunnel or the purpose in what you are doing, have faith that God has planned for you to be where you are and that one day, you will finally understand your purpose.

Have faith that when you are hard at work, God is taking care of your children. Have faith that when you have done everything that you possibly can, God will take care of the rest.

Let's keep on running this race together, one step at a time! =)