Back a few weeks ago I wrote a post that was very personal to me, I opened up about choosing to have two career. From that post, I received a emails and comments thanking me for being transparent and honest about the topic. Many photographers out there have ‘other’ jobs… both being done full time. Many of us are have other ‘responsibilities’ outside of our photography careers. But how do we manage it all… how do we make our world go around without spinning out of control – my hope with this follow up post is to show how I personally manage it – how I keep my crazy life on the right track and with the right priorities in place.
I am a wife, I am a mother to two amazing children, Steven (16) and Zoe (11), I have three fur babies (Mocha, Coco and Stamper), I am a homeowner, daughter, sister, friend… I am also a full time employee at a top IT company and I’m also a full time photographer….that’s quite a list, all being juggled at the same time and that’s if everything is running smoothly. When the unexpected happens it’s even more important to have a plan to keep it all in perspective.
Two words sum up how I handle all of it…. Organization and Balance! Without being organized and finding balance on my day to day I think I would officially go crazy! I also have to be honest here, what many times keeps my sanity is my husband Scott. He is my calm, my anchor and my sanity and boy does he deal with a lot. I’m thankful that he works from home which means our kids are always coming home to a parent and never an empty house. My kids keep me real. Because to them I’m ‘mom’… and they don’t care about much else except making sure I am there for them and that I go get groceries!
I’m old school, I LOVE my paper planner, I carry it with me, I only use purses where my planner fits so it’s always with me this way I can pre-plan my week and know exactly what I need to do to keep life moving forward.
Here is a peek on how I manage my time and tasks (and a few things to keep in mind) —
- Once I have something set for a specific time/date that is my priority. Focus what’s in front of you.
- Monday – Friday I work full time during the day like many of you, from 9am – 5pm and that is my priority when I am there. There are times that during evening hours I have to give my ‘daytime’ job a priority, and I do so. I love my career, I enjoy the people I work with and I truly enjoy what I do during the day, this wont change.
- Keep a hard line between your ‘jobs’ – know your role in each one
Now, when it comes to ‘my time’ outside the typical 9am-5pm is really where the organization and balance comes into play. Thank Goodness for calendars!
If I can recommend a few points to those out there trying to manage it all,
- Keep your loved ones as your #1 priority. This is essential for me. I am a wife and mom, and they come first – knowing they are ok makes everything else fall into place.
- Build your schedule, stick to it
- Allow yourself time for YOU and for those you love. It’s ok… your clients will understand!
- When you are working with a client make them your focus, give them your time and attention. In turn, they know you are human and see you as a real person.
- Have a date night with your ‘honey’
- Always have the flexibility to adapt as needed
- When all else fails, take a moment and breathe!
Do you have two careers? I’d love to hear about it.. how do you manage it? I’m not an expert in balance and sometimes it gets a bit out of control but I’d love to hear how others handle it.
Come back on Friday to read about some of my favorite tools, apps and systems I use to help me manage dual-careers.
Learn more about my 1:1 mentoring – www.pbmcreatives.com