Maybe there's room for change
I stumbled across the following post on DesignMom and can't get it out of my head.
She is talking about Work/Life/Family Balance and addresses several really great ideals many of us have.
I was stunned at #4.
Multi-tasking has been my mantra for... ever.
It's something I have a little pride about as I think I'm pretty darn good at doing 3-4 things at once.
Reading this got me second-guessing the value I have placed on getting several things done simultaneously and exposed the possibility that I may not be doing things as well as I could.
Oh the changes this could bring.
Below is an excerpt of her post. I did not write any of it, it is a direct quote. Follow the link above to read the complete posting.
1) Doing it all is a myth. Doing what you love is the goal. #WorkLifeBalance
No one is doing it all. If it looks like they are, it’s a mirage. On days where my blog is really good, that means I spent a lot of time on it and had to let something else go. Usually it’s the housework. : ) There’s no point in doing it all, the better goal is to spend your day doing things you love.
2) It’s okay to ask for help. If you have a parenting question or if you need an extra hand, ask someone. #WorkLifeBalance
Ask for what you need. Don’t assume people will know. Your spouse doesn’t know what you need. Neither does your mom. Neither does your sister or your best friend. If you need help, ask for it — and be specific. There’s no shame in needing help. Everybody needs help.
3) As parents, we joke about sleep, but it will make or break your day. Make it a priority. #WorkLifeBalance
Everything is better when you’ve had enough sleep. I know it seems impossible, especially when you have a newborn, but do whatever you can to make it happen. Trade babysitting with a friend and use your free-time to nap. Skip your favorite TV show and get to bed as early as possible.
Different people need different amounts of sleep. I do best on 8+ hours. If you’re the same, after the newborn stage, get serious about helping your child sleep through the night. Not everyone is comfortable letting their baby cry it out, but it worked wonderfully for our family. I use this book
as a reference for sleep-training.
4) Multi-tasking creates poor results. Do one thing at a time and do it well. #WorkLifeBalance
Sometimes it can’t be helped — we’ve all made dinner and had the baby on our hip at the same time. But when possible, do one thing at a time. Play with your child, then let the child play on their own (or with a sitter) while you do your daily tasks. Put down your phone when it’s family time. Wait until your kids are asleep to start that new project. Twenty minutes of uninterrupted, concentrated work is far better than an hour of trying to do 5 things at once.
5) Manners matter. Be nice. Play nice. #WorkLifeBalance
If you send that snarky email, it will only create more work (and a headache) when you have to manage (and obsess over) the aftermath. Just be nice instead. If you do something rude or mean, apologize as quickly as possible.
She is talking about Work/Life/Family Balance and addresses several really great ideals many of us have.
I was stunned at #4.
Multi-tasking has been my mantra for... ever.
It's something I have a little pride about as I think I'm pretty darn good at doing 3-4 things at once.
Reading this got me second-guessing the value I have placed on getting several things done simultaneously and exposed the possibility that I may not be doing things as well as I could.
Oh the changes this could bring.
Below is an excerpt of her post. I did not write any of it, it is a direct quote. Follow the link above to read the complete posting.
1) Doing it all is a myth. Doing what you love is the goal. #WorkLifeBalance
No one is doing it all. If it looks like they are, it’s a mirage. On days where my blog is really good, that means I spent a lot of time on it and had to let something else go. Usually it’s the housework. : ) There’s no point in doing it all, the better goal is to spend your day doing things you love.
2) It’s okay to ask for help. If you have a parenting question or if you need an extra hand, ask someone. #WorkLifeBalance
Ask for what you need. Don’t assume people will know. Your spouse doesn’t know what you need. Neither does your mom. Neither does your sister or your best friend. If you need help, ask for it — and be specific. There’s no shame in needing help. Everybody needs help.
3) As parents, we joke about sleep, but it will make or break your day. Make it a priority. #WorkLifeBalance
Everything is better when you’ve had enough sleep. I know it seems impossible, especially when you have a newborn, but do whatever you can to make it happen. Trade babysitting with a friend and use your free-time to nap. Skip your favorite TV show and get to bed as early as possible.
Different people need different amounts of sleep. I do best on 8+ hours. If you’re the same, after the newborn stage, get serious about helping your child sleep through the night. Not everyone is comfortable letting their baby cry it out, but it worked wonderfully for our family. I use this book
as a reference for sleep-training.4) Multi-tasking creates poor results. Do one thing at a time and do it well. #WorkLifeBalance
Sometimes it can’t be helped — we’ve all made dinner and had the baby on our hip at the same time. But when possible, do one thing at a time. Play with your child, then let the child play on their own (or with a sitter) while you do your daily tasks. Put down your phone when it’s family time. Wait until your kids are asleep to start that new project. Twenty minutes of uninterrupted, concentrated work is far better than an hour of trying to do 5 things at once.
5) Manners matter. Be nice. Play nice. #WorkLifeBalance
If you send that snarky email, it will only create more work (and a headache) when you have to manage (and obsess over) the aftermath. Just be nice instead. If you do something rude or mean, apologize as quickly as possible.
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