Time management expert Laura Vanderkam answered this question in her recent book, I Know How She Does It. Vanderkam conducted a study on more than 1,000 women earning more than $100,000 a year, revealing their secrets to balancing work and family using a set of strategies that will help you do both.
Strategies that will help you find a work-life balance
1. Separate Shifts
Many of the women interviewed by Vanderkam said they work separate shifts, which means that they finish work by the time their children return from school so that all family members meet in the evening and resume work as soon as the children go to sleep. Vanderkam says, “Split shifts are crucial to succeed in both job and maternity.”
“Building a large project often requires more than 40 hours of work per week, but women also want a full family life,” says Vanderkam. To strike that delicate balance, women had to work at times when children did not need their attention. Vanderkam says, “So, you take advantage of all the hours of the week to make enough room for work and also give your family the time they deserve.” Some women have set themselves on a to-do list at the time of separate shifts and have also prioritized things to accomplish in their evening or morning shifts to keep them focused on their top work priorities.
2. Complete your tasks on your to-do list
Many female entrepreneurs who work flexible jobs from home reported wanting to do things that are not work-related when they are required to work. Vanderkam says, “Maybe you want to take your child to school considering you work from home, and you should be able to do this. However, you lose the morning shift. Your ability to do something does not mean you are investing your time in it properly.”
Vanderkam advises women to look at their programs and make sure they get the hours they need to work first before deciding whether to add all the things they want to do to the schedule.
3. Track Your Time
“Looking at the bigger picture gives us a better idea of how to spend time,” is what Vanderkam advises her working women clients in order to keep track of their time for a week. After completing the time log, many mothers are shocked by how much time they actually spend with their kids, especially in the morning.
“We do not benefit from the early morning hours,” says Vanderkam, “and if the elementary school starts at 9 and the children wake up at 6:30, that is a long time. Yet this doesn’t count as family time.” Spending time with family members, even if only for breakfast, without some fun activities, such as cycling and hiking, gives mom entrepreneurs, who suffer from a lack of time, a sense of comfort about the hours they spend at work.
4. Work during the holidays
You shouldn’t work on the weekends, but Vanderkam says it can help working mothers find more work-life balance. If mothers take care of their children during the usual workday or limit their work time only during school hours, they will often lose some work time. “It's hard to run a business at 35 hours a week,” says Vanderkam.
Many women work five hours a weekend to make up for lost time and entrust their husbands with taking care of the children, enabling them to continue to work long enough hours and keep things going.
5. Involve children in work
Involving children in work or household related tasks is an effective way to get work done while ensuring productive family time.
6. Take care of yourself
Mom entrepreneurs may not pay enough attention to exercising and taking care of themselves. Vanderkam says, “Taking care of yourself is an essential element of finding time to do your duties. It’s what gives you the energy to complete your obligations. Self-care, such as physical activity or sleep, does not require time from you; It is what gives you time, and this time will pay off because it allows you to refocus on what is left of the day.”
Vanderkam advises making time for relaxation in your schedule. If you regularly go to bed at 11 p.m., plan to stop working at 10 so you can unwind for an hour. Try taking a shower, watching TV, reading a book, or doing something for yourself because it eases your worries and prepares you for the next day.
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