Being a mom and trying to juggle can be overwhelming, from birthday parties to dinner, to running a company, to your kids, to you name it. When I can’t fit it all in one day, I feel guilty. I look at other working moms or female entrepreneurs and wonder how they look like they have it all together.
During my podcast with Lela Rose, a successful fashion designer widely regarded for her elegant and sophisticated aesthetic and incredible mother, I asked her how she does it. Her honest answer: she outsources the tasks she does not enjoy. She believes “that guilt should not exist. Figure out how to do the things that you want to do and offload the other stuff.”
On top of that, Lela brought up a great point, that if you don’t want to do it, then you won’t be good at it, and you won’t be happy about doing it. We talk a lot about delegating within the workplace, knowing what you are good at, and hiring people with other expertise. However, we never talk about how we tackle everything as a working mom, especially during COVID.
Learning How To Delegate At Home
I am not the biggest fan of cooking, so we take turns making dinner at my house. It’s a fun project for the whole family, and I discovered that my husband is a great cook. My kids love making their lunches because they get to add in things they will eat, as long as it’s reasonably healthy. I should have been delegating these tasks years ago! I would much rather spend time playing board games with my kids after work instead of cook.
Prioritizing Yourself
I’ve also started to prioritize time for myself. It sometimes feels like I always have to be “on” with five kids and running my businesses. I go for an hour walk every day. It is my time to decompress and be alone with my thoughts. Sometimes I listen to an audiobook or podcast. It just depends on what I need that day.
As Kiri Cole Popa, founder of the Health Examiner, said on a past podcast, “sometimes self-care means something from your to-do list gets pushed to tomorrow.” You honestly might not be able to get everything done in one day. But having a to-do list, starting with the most important items first, prioritizing your time, and offloading tasks you do not enjoy makes getting everything done a little more manageable.
