Angela Shelton | May 2016
With family, work, and other social commitments, life gets chaotic very quickly and after a while, things start to slip by unnoticed. It is however possible to stay sane and successfully get things, it’s called prioritizing! As a mother and wife with a career to balance, I have worked hard to find a way to control the chaos that is my life and still sip on a flute of Chandon at the end of the day.
I have learned that the secret to controlling chaos is preparation in the form of a diary. Work out ahead of time family and work commitments, time alone with your partner and most importantly time out for yourself. Schedule all of these dates and times into your calendar 1 month in advance and make sure those closest around you, including your PA knows your movements.
Mind you, all the planning in the world can still be interrupted by last minute surprises, however the key is to remember that balance is about choices and prioritizing what is most important at that time. I set very clear boundaries so I know when to say no and when to say yes, that way you don’t feel like you’re missing out.
My last piece of advice is summarised nicely by Richard Branson “by focusing on the things I am passionate about, having fun, enjoying some downtime, and prioritising the things I care about the most, I have been able to avoid having a work-life balance burnout.”