A Secret to Success as a Working Mom: Turn Burn Out Into Bliss and Embrace Joy

Last weekend my youngest was committed to going to the "Water Steps" a man-made water fall in Pittsburgh by the rivers. (Fun Fact: Three rivers converge in Pittsburgh--The Ohio River, The Monongahela River, and the Allegheny River.)  He kept asking. I knew he was serious when he said, "If you won't take me, I'll ask  daddy!" Given that it was highly unlikely that would happen on an unscheduled day, I relented. So, we went. It wasn’t planned in the way most things in my life are. No calendar block. No checklist. No “productive” purpose attached. And, so in some respects it was uncomfortable. And yet, it seemed necessary. It was the idea of my 8-year-old—offered with the kind of urgency only children possess when something is profoundly important to them.

Working Mom Friday Tip: Clean When You Can!

As you know I am a busy lady.  Among other things I work full-time as an attorney and parent my tenacious toddler.  Being a working mom means is that I have a lot to do, but have little time in which to do it.  Whenever the toddler is awake and I am around, she wants to play. In that respect, she's a lot like her father... :-)

The Secret To Succeeding As a Working Mom Is Waking Up Early


I have found that the only way to live and maintain my sanity is to wake up earlier than everyone in my household.
I started doing it so that I could have time to blog and plan my future. If you read my post after I attended Spark and Hustle last year you know that I was motivated by all of the successful women I met there. They said that waking up early was the secret to their success and I bought it. http://chatonsworld.blogspot.com/2012/08/spark-and-hustle-experience.html

I think that their households must be different than mine though. Some days I wake up believing that I will be blogging and instead I wind up cleaning.  Watch the video below to see what my morning was like today.

Cleaning in the AM Saves Time


You may ask why I'd be cleaning at 6:00AM. However, I have found that the only thing worse than cleaning early in the morning is know that your dirty house is waiting for you at the end of the day! Also, when I clean really early when I should be sleeping I don't mess around. I have laser focus. Getting done is my objective. I don't get distracted by watching television or reading magazines. It's all about me completing my task.  Also, cleaning when everyone else is sleeping means that it doesn't interfere with family time!

However, just because I do it, does not mean that I like it...




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Comments

Chasing Joy said…
Cute video. You should definitely fund that study.