The purpose of this book is to help individuals who are thinking about what it will take to have a career and a family or who are already in the midst of the day-to-day juggling act required to manage a career and a family.
This book is written in a conversational tone and is served up in bite-sized pieces. There are 140+ topics which are all listed out in the Table of Contents for ease of reference. There is a sample of the bite-sized pieces of guidance on the Table of Contents page of this website.
The goal is for the reader to come away with a few nuggets of wisdom to reflect upon and to apply to their own juggling act.
MINDSET IS ESSENTIAL
WORKING PARENT OPERATING MODEL
SETTING & PROTECTING YOUR BOUNDARIES
BUILDING YOUR SUPPORT NETWORK
LOGISTICS OF LIFE
THE POWER OF ROUTINES
SCHOOL ESSENTIALS
BEING SOCIAL
THE ENERGY BOOST
FROM GIVING BACK
THE STAYING POWER OF FAMILY MEMORIES
PARENTING PHILOSOPHY & ESSENTIALS
PRIORITIZING SELF-CARE TO STAY HEALTHY
MANAGING TRANSITIONS
CAREER REFLECTIONS
Here is a sample of a bite-sized piece of guidance you will find in The Art of the Juggling Act
Setting & Protecting Your Boundaries
The concept of setting boundaries can seem straightforward when you think about it. There are time-based boundaries, physical boundaries, and mental boundaries.
As a working parent, you need to create all three types of boundaries to help manage the day-to-day.
Reflect on what you want your boundaries to be and how to clearly define them for yourself. The reality is that, if you do not draw boundaries for yourself, then no one will. If you don’t clearly define and communicate your boundaries to those who need to know, then they won’t be able to respect them.
This applies to those you work with (e.g., manager and peers), those who may work for you (e.g., team or nanny), those you live with (e.g., spouse/partner or children), and those you interact with (e.g., friends). Everyone in your day-to-day ecosystem should understand the boundaries that you are trying to establish and maintain. Most people will respect your boundaries if they are aware of them. However, if you have not told anyone about your boundaries, then it is very hard for others to respect and honor the boundaries you have set for yourself.