to remember everything else I have to do. It’s a juggling act but wanting it all requires that.
MSw: Realistically, priorities do change when you have a child.
Children become one of the most important things in your life. But for me, maintaining self-esteem, a sense of self, and a sense of nurturing self are vitally important, all of which I maintain through being physically fit and physically active.
MR: While I don’t think it means sidestepping my status, I agree that things have to be done differently. Multitasking has always been an important skill and now even more so!
Time for You: How and when do you find the time for YOU? How do you keep yourself a priority when you are pulled in so many directions? Do you have any useful ‘success strategies’ that other mom’s might find valuable? AK: I compartmentalize my days to ensure I allow time for
everything that I want to get up to in a day. I make To Do lists for the day, the week, and longer-term. When I’m about to make a new list, I make sure I review the last one, so that I can carryover any goal or activity that I have yet to complete. ‘Me Time’ includes things like reading, gardening, working out, baking and cooking. I love any and all of these activities, and over the years I’ve integrated my daughter into each of these things in various ways. For example, one of my favourite things is working out when my daughter is with me. An hour is a long time for a 5-year-old to wait for her mom to be done, so she’s drawn a number of cheerleading signs and other pictures, and she jumps around me, cheering me on. “Go, Mom, go!” It really is the best way to workout! The by-product is that she and I often talk about being healthy and active, and it’s become a point of pride for her
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