Finding Harmony: Juggling Career, Family and Sports as a Woman

Women are redefining success by excelling in various domains - from professional careers to sports, all while juggling the complexities of family & personal life. But juggling a thriving career, a loving family, friends, and the pursuit of athletic excellence or an active lifestyle can be a daunting challenge. And as women, we are all too familiar with the pressure and eventual burnout that comes with multitasking and trying to do everything at once. So, we have another idea. Don’t think of balance on a day-to-day basis, but rather take a longer term thinking approach and assess how you’re doing on a weekly or monthly basis. Do your best each day and remember that life is a continuous journey - it’s the sum of all our efforts that count.

Balancing staying active and family

While finding the perfect balance between these demanding aspects of life may seem challenging, don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember, you’re at your best for work, family & friends when you’re healthy and happy. It’s not selfish to take care of yourself.

7 Tips For Balancing Career, Family, and Sports

Define Your Priorities:

Prioritizing is the first step for all of us to consider. Although it’s almost become a part of our routine, hasn’t it? Take a step back, and look at your life as if you were looking a friends’. What’s important to you? What is lacking? Figure out what matters most and how you want to allocate your time, resources, and energy. Ask yourself, what aspect of your life brings you the most joy and fulfillment? Do you have your answer? Great! Now categorize them into key areas, such as career, family, personal well-being, and sports. On a scale of 1-10, assign a relative level of importance to each category based on your values and long-term goals. This will guide you in making informed decisions when faced with conflicting demands on your time.

By identifying these values, you can clarify what truly matters to you and align your choices accordingly. And by gaining clarity, you can make conscious choices to focus on what truly matters.

Set Realistic Goals:

Setting realistic goals is one of the most important things to remember when trying to make decisions and tradeoffs. It's so easy to get overwhelmed and try to do everything at once, but that's not always possible and can quickly lead to burnout. Start setting achievable goals for both short-term and long-term success. Once you have your goals, the next step becomes managing your time effectively - being organized and intentional with your schedule. But what if you can’t always manage your time and things fall through the cracks? That’s okay as well; you’re not supposed to be a pro at this, you’re only meant to try. So, give it all you’ve got but don’t be hard on yourself

Remember, balance is not about doing everything perfectly all the time. It's about finding a sense of harmony and peace within the chaos of everyday life.

Practice Effective Time Management:

Effective time management is critical to finding your happiness! Without it, the result can be utter chaos. And that's the last thing you need. Plan your days, weeks, and months. Set aside dedicated time for work, family, and sports activities like playing golf and pickleball and socializing on the field. Leverage tools such as calendars, reminders, and to-do lists to help you stay organized, maximize productivity and stay on top of your personal and fitness goals. Making commitments with friends that require time bookings, like scheduling a tea time, can be great for keeping your fitness goals. And if you’re looking for new friends to schedule some fitness time with, sign up at Coterie.

Establish Boundaries:

For women in sports and those looking to be serious about an active lifestyle, setting boundaries between your work, family, and sports is crucial to making it all happen. Let’s be honest though, it won’t be easy and it probably sounds easier said than done, but setting boundaries will change your life. Learn to say no to commitments that do not align with your priorities, prioritize activities that bring you joy and fulfillment, and contribute positively to your career, family, and sports endeavors.

Clear boundaries make it easier to identify which area of your life or action does not align with your long-term goals and plans. Setting clear boundaries does not mean not making time for other things that could matter. It means you are making intentional choices about allocating your time and priorities and choosing yourself and wha’s good for you first.

Communicate and Delegate:

Open communication is vital in balancing a career and staying active. This could mean having difficult but necessary conversations and discussing your goals and aspirations with your family, employer, and friends. However we try, we can not do it all. And in most cases, people want to support you. When you share your fitness and activity goals, friends, family & colleagues can help you keep your commitments. Don’t shy away from sharing your goals! And delegating as much as you need to.

Maintain a Support Network:

One of the biggest challenges of managing a busy schedule with balancing family, career, and an active lifestyle is trying to do it all alone. Why would you want to do that? We are not meant to walk life alone. Maintaining a support network is crucial to finding balance in your life. Whether it's friends, family, or a professional network, having people who understand your priorities and can offer help and support when needed can make all the difference. We need people.

Your support network can be a sounding board, a shoulder to lean on, or even just someone to vent to. They can help you brainstorm solutions to problems, offer encouragement, or provide a distraction when you need to take a break. Building a solid support network gives you a safety net to fall back on when things get tough.

But, to maintain a support network, investing time in nurturing your relationships with others is important. This can mean scheduling regular check-ins with friends or family members, attending networking events, reaching out to colleagues in your industry, or joining a women's sports community like Coterie, where you will meet like-minded women who share a similar passion for sports like golf and pickleball.

Don't Forget to Take Care of Yourself:

It's no secret that work, family, and sports demands can often leave women feeling drained and overwhelmed. With so many responsibilities to juggle, it can be easy to forget about taking care of ourselves or put ourselves last. However, neglecting our well-being can quickly lead to burnout and reduce our longevity.

That's why it's essential to prioritize self-care as part of our overall strategy for maintaining balance. This means taking time for ourselves to recharge and replenish our energy. Self-care can take many forms, from taking a relaxing bath to practicing meditation, learning a new sport, joining a female sports community that promotes longevity through building social connections and promoting women's well-being through sports.

Whatever form it takes, self-care is essential for our mental, emotional, and physical health. And it is not selfish. When we care for ourselves, we're better equipped to handle the demands of our busy lives and show up as our best selves for us and our loved ones. So if you're struggling to find balance in your life, make sure you're not neglecting your well-being. Prioritize self-care as an essential part of your routine, and you'll be well on your way to achieving the balance you seek.

Remember to take things one day at a time and be kind to yourself throughout the process. Showing up as our highest self is an ongoing journey. So, as you navigate this journey, keep in mind that you have the power to prioritize what you need to be your best self & thrive in all areas of your life. Put yourself first and every other thing will fall into place.