How to Thrive as a Working Mom: 7 Essential Strategies
Are you ready to succeed in your career while raising amazing kids? Being a career-driven mom is no easy task, but trust me, it's totally possible to thrive in both your professional and personal life. As a seasoned Life & Mental Health Coach specializing in coaching working moms, I've seen it all.
➡️ Let’s dive into the 7 essential strategies and action steps to help you thrive!
Strategy 1: Set Clear Boundaries
First things first, let's talk about boundaries. As a career-driven mom, setting clear boundaries to protect your personal and family time is super important. That means learning to say no to extra commitments that don't align with your values and priorities and intentionally carving out dedicated time for yourself and your loved ones. Want to learn how to set clear boundaries, check out the “Ultimate Guide to Setting Boundaries for Working Moms.”
➡️ Take Action Write down all your commitments. Is there one thing you can say “no” to? Is there one thing you can reevaluate to see if it still aligns with your values and priorities?
Strategy 2: Prioritize Self-Care
As busy moms, we tend to put everyone's needs before our own. But it's okay to take some time for yourself and prioritize self-care activities that make you feel good. Remember, self-care is not selfish, it’s self-leadership! It's the key to keeping yourself sane and energized. So go ahead and take that time hiding out in the bathroom with a box of chocolates, meeting up with your mom friends, or just enjoying a glass of wine by yourself in the backyard. Just make sure to make self-care a non-negotiable part of your routine. You need to replenish your tank before you can care for others. And most importantly, You deserve it!
➡️ Take Action Put yourself on the calendar by scheduling your self-care time, it could even be for 5 minutes! It’s not about the time, it’s about intentionally carving out the time!
Strategy 3: Effective Time Management
Ah, time management—every mom's best friend and worst enemy. 🤪 But no worries—mastering time management is totally achievable. Start by prioritizing your tasks based on importance and urgency, and don't be afraid to delegate responsibilities when needed. People like to be helpful because it makes them feel good about themselves. And remember, it's okay to ask for help—you don't have to do it all on your own!
➡️ Take Action Now, look at your to-do list and identify what is most urgent and important to do today.
Strategy 4: Build a Support Network
They say it “takes a village” to raise a child, and the same goes for navigating a successful career as a mom. Surround yourself with a supportive network of family, friends, and colleagues who have your back and can help when things get tough. Trust me, you'll be amazed at how much easier it is to juggle everything when you have a strong support system in place.
➡️ Take ActionIdentify your support network by writing down all the people you can call for help.
Strategy 5: Embrace Flexibility
Flexibility is the name of the game when it comes to blending your career and motherhood. Life is unpredictable, and things don't always go according to plan – and that's okay! Learn to go with the flow, adapt to changing situations, and embrace the things you don’t have control over. After all, flexibility is what keeps us resilient.
➡️ Take Action When things aren’t going according to plan, take stock of what’s within your control and what’s not. Release all the stuff that’s not within your control.
Strategy 6: Maintain Perspective
In the craziness of everyday life, it's easy to lose sight of the big picture, your ultimate “why” of being a career-driven mom. But it's important to maintain perspective and focus on what truly matters most. In those moments where you’re feeling anxious,, stressed, or overwhelmed, take a pause and a step back, reflect on your “why” and your long-term goals, and remind yourself that the challenges you're facing now are just temporary bumps on the road.
➡️ Take Action: Write down your “why” for being a career-driven mom.
Strategy 7: Celebrate Achievements
Finally, and most importantly, don't forget to celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. Whether getting recognition at work or successfully getting your toddler to eat their veggies, every win deserves to be celebrated. Acknowledge your hard work and give yourself a pat on the back—you've earned it!
➡️ Take Action: Share a recent achievement with your family so that they can celebrate you OR identify a way to celebrate yourself!
And that’s a wrap, mamas! Remember, you’re capable of thriving in both your professional and personal life by setting clear boundaries, prioritizing self-care, mastering time management, building a strong support network, embracing flexibility, maintaining perspective, and celebrating your achievements.
