By: Karen G. Hatcher, CPM®
“I am well-organized and create time for the things that matter most to me. I use resources like my calendar to ensure that I’m present for the people and activities that I love.”
I’m grateful that I planned our fall school break in January. October is a hectic month, as all the kids’ school and extracurricular activities are at their peak, making it challenging to pause.
If you can relate, after-school weekdays consist of homework and practice sessions, while weekends are packed with games, birthday parties, tribe visits, and church. Additionally, in my line of work, some business still occurs during those times!
I’m really looking forward to a family getaway I planned. It comes at the perfect time to take a break from cooking, laundry, and work. I put automation to use and have scheduled my work so I won’t have to work while I’m away. Planning your vacations and spending time with family is so important. .
I’m often told, “Karen, you make it look so easy. How do you do it?” Well, we can thank my Creator for giving me some gifts that help make it look easy.
As a Libra, balance is my gift. I can keep all the plates spinning without crashing most of the time. Balancing work and family life is not easy.
Feeling overwhelmed by juggling work and family life? Here’s how a well-planned calendar can be your lifesaver.
- Maximize your Digital Calendar
To achieve a proper work-life balance, consider organizing your life on a digital calendar. In this case, I use a Google school calendar to input all off days, half-days, and breaks for the entire year.
By scheduling time in my calendar, I can plan my work around my family and school priorities. This gives me the flexibility to search for vacation opportunities and make reservations well in advance. Most hotels and resorts offer a flexible cancellation policy, which allows you to cancel up to a few days or a week prior to your stay. You can secure better pricing and availability by planning your vacation 8 months to a year in advance.
- Set Priorities
This season can be very stressful and overwhelming, especially when you have a lot of events scheduled on your calendar. Take a deep breath and let’s move forward. It’s time to prioritize what matters most to you.
Be sure to add your nail appointments, hair appointments, date nights, workouts, and other important activities to your schedule. As you create your schedule, you’ll begin to see the white spaces and time you’ve intentionally set aside for yourself.
Another trick I use is to use a separate color for all of my personal appointments than I do for my work appointments. This gives me a quick overview of the time that I have intentionally carved out for self-care, and it reminds me when I have priority work appointments.
You will quickly realize that you do not have dates for specific actions that are required for you to achieve your “Why”, so determine which tasks require immediate attention and which ones can be postponed. Then prioritize these alongside your work tasks. It’s essential to determine which tasks need immediate attention in both work and family life to avoid neglecting either aspect.
If you have multiple children with different schedules or activities, prioritizing becomes even more critical. Determine which events or tasks are more important than others, and focus on completing these tasks first. Remember that it’s okay to delegate or ask for help if needed.
- Set Clear Boundaries
In order to maintain a healthy work-life balance, try to establish clear boundaries between work and home life. This involves setting specific ‘office hours’, even when working from home, and making sure to put away any work-related materials at the end of the workday
When scheduling calendar events, consider whether a meeting or call needs a full hour or just 30 minutes. Consider scheduling shorter, 10-15 minute calls, and use a Calendly account to make scheduling easy. Block off 5 minutes after each call to complete notes and follow-up.
Keep in mind that having dedicated time for yourself is equally crucial; “me time” should make it onto your schedule too!
Respecting these boundaries will create a more balanced lifestyle for both you and your loved ones.
- Prioritize Your Own Well-being
To maintain a good balance between work and life and perform at your best, it’s important to take care of yourself. That means making time for activities that help you relax and recharge, like working out, getting enough sleep, or doing some mindfulness practice.
Try to allocate at least 30 minutes per day to an activity that brings you relaxation or joy, such as reading, meditating, or taking a walk.
This will help recharge your batteries and ensure optimal functioning in both your professional and personal life. It’s advisable that you highlight these activities in a different color, preferably your favorite color.
- Communicate with your support system
My spouse and I use shared calendars to ensure we are both up-to-date with each other’s schedules. This way, my spouse can access my calendar, as well as the schedules of our children, and my work calendar. This is particularly important when there are events happening outside of work hours that could disrupt our family routine.
Balancing family life as an entrepreneur requires communication. Talk with family members to ensure everyone understands challenges and can help. Delegating responsibilities is a sign of trust in relationships.
- Utilize available tools and resources
Today, numerous apps are designed specifically for organization, time management, and keeping you on track with your personal goals. Consider exploring various platforms such as Google Calendar and Calendly to help structure your day around work and family activities more efficiently.
Additionally, outsourcing resources like tutoring and driver services can be helpful when struggling with various school and family tasks.
- Be adaptable and embrace change
With school in session, it can be difficult to predict what each day will bring, so it’s essential to remain adaptable. Sometimes, your business priorities may need to take precedence, while on other occasions, family affairs will be of greater importance.
The key to maintaining a healthy work-life balance during the rigorous school season is flexibility for both parents and students.
Achieving a balance between school and work can be made possible by implementing six strategies to manage your calendar. Although the process of finding the perfect balance is ongoing, it can be achieved by having a clear understanding of your time commitments for the next several months, being flexible, and making thoughtful decisions.
As we embark on this challenging yet rewarding journey, let us strive to achieve a meaningful and balanced life that supports our personal growth and overall well-being.
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I’m super excited for us to continue on this journey together! 🏠💕