Freelance parents! I’m returning to work after parental leave and have a years worth of ideas to catch up on. How can I prioritise my time?
I’m going part time so time is my most precious commodity and I normally balance a mix of my own work / wholesale with client work plus admin. Now I’m finding myself paralysed and unsure where to begin even though I’ve been working 1 day a week through the whole year. I think the pressure of getting back to work has slightly gotten to me! Any advice welcome!
Replies6
- @Scott Morrison Thanks Scott I love this approach locking in the essentials: I know I’m so bad at getting on with the little things and avoiding the big things and this is great I need to lock in my most productive time to tackle the big things!!! Thank you for sharing this
- Hi JacquelineIt can be really tough. And, we’re often laden with old models or approaches to thinking about time which only hinder progress.I’ve written a blog about the approach I take with CEOs, leaders and entrepreneurs I coach. They usually respond hesitantly at first but then positively 2 months in.Here it is - https://www.unleashtheboom.com/blog/own-it-don-t-manage-itHope it helps.Stay Boom!S
- @Kaitlyn Badger Hi Kaitlyn, this is such a thoughtful and helpful response and I really appreciate it. I am very much like you; getting very broken and terrible sleep so not functioning at full capacity at all! These tips are great, checking in with your partner regularly is a great one as the overwhelm is real. Alsolove your point about role models I will check it this book!Thank you so much
- Ah, Jacqueline, I know this feeling well!I came back from maternity leave in January at a part-time capacity. I found it overwhelming daily, I think everyone must. I had so much I wanted to do, but I was so tired too. For me what helped was asking myself 'what do I have the capacity for TODAY?' and 'what will get me to where I want to be?'If you're anything like me, I still wasn't getting full nights sleep at this point, so my capacity was less than it was pre-baby. There was simply no way I could do as much. I really had to priortise as cliche as it sounds. In full honestly, the first few months were a trudge for me, but I made it through and became so efficent at working! And so will you!Small tips that worked for me – I found making sure my workspace was set up to get into flow quickly helpful. I began to find even a 20 minute nap on a non-nursery day beneficial, becaues I was ready to jump into work quickly with a short task I had already mapped out. I also stopped worrying about extra things, i.e. my appearance on days I wasn't face to face with people, ect I also relied heavily on my partner, and had lots and lots of conversations monthly about what was working well and what I needed more help with. I asked for help, constantly. I also needed to read stories of other creative women who balanced things to know it was possible! I liked the book 'The Motherhood of Art.'I hope this helps somewhat. It's such an intense time getting back to work. It feels amazing to work again, and equally exhausting! You'll find your way through, it's just the beginning of a new working experience, so remmeber to be kind to yourself and sit down and enjoy a cup of tea everyday. Best of luck, and feel free to reach out if you ever want to chat freealnce, creative work and motherhood : )
- @Ken Williams Thanks Ken that sounds like sound advice
- There is no right answer but you'll find a way that works for you. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to start with, find those pockets of time first and you'll figure it out. Good luck!
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