| For six years, I was the co-owner of a successful | | | | 2)Ask for help. |
| multi-million dollar fashion company. I had a young | | | | There was a time when I was extremely busy in |
| toddler at home and would travel over 100,000 | | | | my life that I hired a personal assistant. She did |
| miles each year running and expanding our | | | | things like pick up my dry cleaning, arrange for |
| business. There were many days I felt that I was | | | | my car to be washed, communicated with my |
| scarring my son by working but I had no other | | | | housekeeper and gardener. She did everything I |
| choice but to work. Often times, many of the | | | | did not want to do. I could very well pick up my |
| roles that women embody cannot be delegated | | | | own dry cleaning, but I preferred not to. This was |
| out. In my case, I could not entrust the details | | | | pretty luxurious and not everybody has the |
| and negotiation efforts to a subordinate. Even if | | | | budget or the desire to delegate these tasks out. |
| you do not run a company, as mothers we all | | | | But, there are people who organize closets for a |
| have many jobs that we must struggle with day | | | | living or are personal assistants. Ask around your |
| to day. By reading this article, hopefully you will be | | | | community or school and see if you can do a |
| able to recognize the signs that you are doing too | | | | trade. I would always trade products for services |
| much. I will give you proven tips and strategies | | | | or services for services. Perhaps you own sell |
| that you can implement immediately to help you | | | | insurance for a living-could you get a deal for the |
| focus on spending time with your family and to | | | | cleaning women who doesn't have insurance? Or if |
| stop worrying about the busy tasks that fill our | | | | you work in the beauty industry, could you trade |
| days. | | | | your services with a personal assistant a couple |
| Are you one of those moms who take on too | | | | of times a week. ASK! I always ask for whatever |
| many school projects only to wonder | | | | I need. I just put the word out into my network |
| afterward-What possessed me to do that? Or, | | | | and I always get responses. |
| are you one of those moms who put their health | | | | 3)Invest in a Blackberry or an iPhone. |
| and mental well-being on the back burner while | | | | I find these PDA's essential for today's |
| shuffling the children to appointment after | | | | businesswomen. Whenever I have downtime, I |
| appointment? Or are you a mom who works 10+ | | | | am always reading emails or articles on my |
| hours a day leaving while the children are still | | | | blackberry. Every once in a while, I do put it away |
| asleep and returning well after dinnertime? | | | | and enjoy the scenery but I find I can be very |
| Regardless of what your personal situation is, | | | | efficient by reading that handheld device |
| many mothers take on way too much. I am | | | | whenever I am unexpectedly delayed. |
| entirely guilty of this myself-When is enough | | | | 4)Create support groups at school for carpooling |
| enough? Personally, I am so busy each and every | | | | or just unexpected situations where you cannot |
| day but if you were to call me and ask me to | | | | be two places at once.There are always moms |
| bake cookies for a fund-raiser, I would be the | | | | who appear juggle everything and appear to be |
| first one to volunteer. I think as women we are | | | | cool as cucumbers-ask them what their secret is. |
| hard-wired to multi-task, unlike our male | | | | We all know as women we are programmed to |
| counterparts! While contemplating writing this | | | | do too much. The trick is to try to eliminate |
| article, I came up with a few ideas of how I was | | | | some of the things in our lives that we do not |
| able to gain some normalcy back in my life by | | | | need to accomplish that day-to simplify. The |
| lessening my load. | | | | bottom line is that our children are only young |
| 1)Relinquish control of certain situations. | | | | once. Live in the moment. On days when I want |
| If the laundry is not done every day, it is ok! | | | | to pull my hair out, I remind myself that in a few |
| Personally, I only like to do the laundry once a | | | | years they will be in school and will be |
| week or so and even then, I may only do 1 or 2 | | | | embarrassed to hold my hand or they will not |
| loads and not spend the entire day chained to the | | | | want me to pick out their outfits and kiss their |
| washer and dryer. When I feel my temperature | | | | boo boos. I then re-evaluate my day and ask |
| rising because something is not done the way I | | | | myself if I really need to go and finish that |
| like it to be done or in the timeline I like, I take a | | | | mundane task or if I can take some time and |
| breather and ask myself if I really want to get | | | | spend with my children. |
| upset about something so trivial. | | | | |