In this episode, I sit down with Kim, my coaching client to talk about managing a successful career and being a devoted mom. We dive into how society often expects us to be everything to everyone all at once, the importance of truly being present in both our professional and personal lives, and how coaching turned out to be a lifesaver for her in navigating a balanced life.
Stop rushing
“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” or “Come on, come on, come on!” these are familiar phrases when rushing through daily life, particularly as a working mom. There is a physical, mental and emotional impact that a “rushed” life has that takes away from the calm, present and joy-filled experience of everyday life, but there is a way you can avoid it.
In this episode, I dive deep into the mindset behind this hurried life, dissecting how our day-to-day hustle shapes our interactions and well-being and how, in the end, we bring this upon ourself (yikes!). I will also dive into 3 steps to help you shift from the relentless chase against time to a more controlled and present approach to life's demands.
The 75/25 rule (stop wasting time overpreparing)
In this episode I introduce the "75/25 rule," where you make it a goal to ONLY be 75% ready for meetings, presentations, or talks with clients, instead of stressing out to get everything perfect. I will explain why going beyond 75% preparedness often doesn't pay off in terms of the extra time and energy spent.
In this episode I will discuss the downsides of overpreparing, like missing out on quality time with family or personal hobbies because you're too caught up in work details. When you are not aiming for 100% preparedness, you can save yourself from feeling stressed and make room for the things in life that make you happy.
At the end of the episode, I will offer 3 tips to adopt the 75/25 rule in your daily routine. I will share stories from working moms who've strived for only 75% preparedness and found a better balance between their work and personal lives.
The real story behind mom guilt
Most women don’t understand what is at the heart of mom guilt. They’ll say they feel guilty for working or for sending their kids to daycare or for not spending more time with their family, but this is not actually where guilt comes from.
In today’s episode I’m sharing with you the real story behind mom guilt. Here is a hint, it does not have to do with how much you work, or how much time you spend with your kids or the fact that they spend more time with a caretaker then with you during the workday…it is about the story you are telling yourself.
I will also normalize the experience of mom guilt and explain its connection to the "mama bear phenomenon". At the end I will offer 3 reflection exercises to help pull yourself out of any guilt that you’re experiencing so you are able to be more present and engaged at both work and home.
7 strategies to prevent burnout
As an ambitious working mom, burnout and exhaustion come easily. Your brain is hardwired to want to do more and achieve more, it’s part of who you are and what makes you successful, but it’s also causing exhaustion.
The most natural thing for you to do is to achieve more, not to rest. Resting, prioritizing yourself and your family, choosing to do fun and spontaneous things instead of work more, this kind of life doesn't come naturally to ambitious women and so requires intentionality and effort.
In today’s episode I’m sharing with you 7 practical things you can do to help you prioritize rest and fun instead of doing more so you can create the sustainable ambitious (yet balanced) life you want.
Be available or present (but you can't be both)
Most ambitious women have a core value of “being available” that they're almost ashamed to admit. It's like a value that they don't want to value. Always being available makes it difficult to create work-life balance because it has you always being “on” and unable to shut down your work brain, rest or be present with your family.
In today's episode I dive into 6 excuses that your brain is likely using to justify being available and the over-working behavior that comes with it. You cannot be both present and available, at some point you will need to choose and I’ll explain the first steps on how to do that.
The pivot moment
The pivot moment is the moment you realize you’re about to say yes to something you don’t want to, or you’re feeling anxious about an upcoming presentation even though you’re prepared. It’s the moment you feel your anger rising at your kids that usually results in yelling., or the moment you feel the urge to log back on to work even though you know the best thing is to rest.
It's the pivotal moment where you have a choice. You can either keep thinking, feeling or doing what you’re doing (which won’t result in what you want) or you can change course. In today’s episode I’m talking why learning how to navigate the pivot moment it is one of the most powerful things you can do as a working mom and I will share what it takes to create an effective pivot.
Being raised by a stay-at-home mom
What happens if you were raised by a stay-at-home mom (and that is not what you have chosen to do) or the way you see other working mom’s balance life is not working for you?
When you want to do things differently than your parents or peer group and you have no examples on how to do it, there are two specific questions your brain needs you to answer to ensure you are making the right decision and there will be no regrets.
Your brain is craving direction and in today’s podcast I walk you through exactly what you need to do in order to feel clear and confident in your decision to work and to live regret-free. And I’ll also cover what it takes to be an amazing parent despite not having more time with your kids.