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Working Mother's ChallengeWorking Mother's Challengeby Colleen Langenfeld Copyright (c) 2005 "There were 64.7 million employed women in the U.S. in 2004. Seventy-four percent worked full time, while the remaining 26 percent worked part time." Source: US Department of Labor. No wonder moms are wiped out. We are working hard...and are more than just 'busy'. We juggle full time and part time jobs, corporate work and home offices. We utilize flextime, job-sharing and telecommuting. Some of us even run our own businesses. And that's just the beginning. When we leave our 'jobs', we often jump into our true love, parenting. Homework, sports, music, clubs, youth groups, teacher conferences and more. We strive very hard to balance it all. We know we cannot do everything, but we do try to choose our priorities carefully. To channel our main focus on what is most important and valuable to us. And that is precisely where many of us begin to fight the battle with frustration. No matter what your individual schedule, you may feel as though you could use a bit more order and a little more relief in your day-to-day life. But if you are like many working mothers, you simply feel overwhelmed. And when you feel overwhelmed, you may not think there's any way to improve your situation. Well, there is. As a member of the vast working moms club, I am going to suggest a slightly difference approach - a new perspective - that may just work better for you. I call it the Working Mother's Challenge because when I talk to working mothers, they often sound locked into their own particular way of thinking. And it can be a challenge to change our way of thinking; to move from being stuck and feeling overwhelmed to a position of feeling more in control. So my suggestion is simple. What if, instead of thinking that you have to work 'harder' or 'do more', the answer lies in trying 'different'? What if you challenge yourself to look for a fresh way of approaching an ongoing, frustrating task? After all, who says you have to do it the same way over and over? Especially if you are unhappy with the results. One solution to coping with some of our feelings of frustration and overwhelm as working mothers lies in making little changes. One at a time, consistently and according to our own time table. As working moms, we are often accustomed to multitasking, juggling multiple challenges at a time. But sometimes that super-efficiency can work against us. Instead of spinning your wheels, working hard but effecting little change, try zeroing in on one irritation that is honestly bugging you. Maybe it's... - not feeling comfortable with your kids' after school arrangements. - always having to hunt for your keys. Again and again. - coming home to a predictably messy, chaotic house. - consistently missing deadlines. Even by just a little. These irritations are small, but very real. It may surprise you how much better you will feel by fixing them. So take the energy you normally use to stress over these personal or professional issues and focus instead on finding just one solution that will actually change the result you are getting. Be willing to explore more than one fix, hunting down the answer that works best for you. Then stay with that solution, practicing it, until it no longer feels new and unfamiliar, but is a comfortable part of your routine. Another key idea. The solutions you test don't need to be 'perfect'. In other words, your goal is to reduce OR eliminate your frustration about a particular challenge. If you insist on only trying what you perceive as 'perfect' solutions, you will probably never even get started making a change. You will stay right where you are. Instead, look for answers that have the potential to make things better, at least to some degree. That is the litmus test for a solution worth your time and energy in implementing it. Then once a week, once a month, or whatever works best for you, pick another irritation and find another genuine improvement. By using this approach, you are making consistent, tangible forward movement that you can feel and experience. You are actually reaping the rewards from your efforts. In addition, you are in control of what changes you make and when. You can slow down or speed up. It is completely up to you. And, best of all, you can kiss your nasty frustration habit good-bye! ========================= Colleen Langenfeld energizes busy working mothers with career, organizing, meal-planning, parenting ideas and more using the free Working Mothers Great Idea Kit at http://www.paintedgold.com/moms .
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