College vs. Babies

Back in the "old days", a woman might have to choose between a career or college and having kids. "These days", we're pretty much expected to do both. I spent the first half of the year in a chaotic cloud of being a full-time student with a full time job, three kids, a wedding, a book release, and a few vacations. Don't worry, men aren't exempt from these expectations either.

So how do we do it? I'll tell you my top 3 tips.

#1 Plan ahead. I have 4 planners/calendars. Repetition, visibility, and electronic alerts keep me on track.
#2 Say no. Oprah calls it The Absolute Yes List. Will it affect my family, my writing, or my school work in a positive way? I'll say yes. Will it leave me with less time for those things? Then it's a "no."
#3 Give up. Some days I need permission to just quit. Dishes don't get done, homework is pushed to the last minute, phone calls don't happen. Sometimes (rarely thanks to tips 1 and 2), it really is too hard and too stressful to worry. So don't. The kids suddenly look cuter, the weather is better, and cleaning it all up later is so much easier.

What about you? How do you stay awesome? Let me know in the comments.