Raymond M

Juggling Family and Work In 2018 – 3 Common Challenges + Solutions

Have a career that you are proud of? Are things ramping up for your business or your new endeavor? Even the best-laid plans can go up in flames when personal challenges enter the picture.

For instance, parents may find balancing childcare duties with meetings and deadlines no small task. Singles may battle with sickness or other unexpected events that could throw a monkey wrench into their projections.

What are the best ways to take what life throws at you in stride? Preparedness is key. Here is a list of the common challenges your work could face that spring from one’s personal life. Plus some ways you can cope.

  1. When sickness enters the picture

No matter how militant you are about staying healthy, exercising, and eating clean, the control you have over others’ health is limited. Not only that, some sickness is due to circumstances out of one’s control, which can make such occurrences even harder to plan for and prevent.

If your parents are aging and are living at home, that brings another dimension into the picture. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 15.7 million adult family members care for someone with the disease.

When one’s hands are full with taking care of a sick family member, workdays are cut short, which can have an impact on one’s career and business growth.

A solution many are turning to is that of hiring a home caregiver who can provide customized services. Other options include sharing caregiving duties with a spouse or with other members of your family. The AARP suggests finding a support group that can also provide tips and best practices for dealing with sickness in the family.

  1. Giving your children and family quality time

We all want to give our children and family the quality time they desire. But when faced with a push at work, or dealing with looming deadlines, our best intentions often get waylaid.

Parents may be beset with feelings of guilt that they are not spending enough time with their children. Or that their marriage is suffering as a result of too many hours spent at the office.

The first step in facing this challenge is to separate fact from fiction. Did you know that parents today spend twice as much time with their kids than parents of 50 years ago? Our fears that we are not spending enough time with our children may not be based in reality. Take a moment to evaluate if your fear is unwarranted.

On the other hand, it is possible that you have not been giving your family the attention they need. In which case, you should carefully consider what steps you can take to rectify this. Quality trumps quantity, many studies state.

One solution to get more quality time into your day: make family dinners sacred. Always show up and put smartphones in the next room. This could wind up meaning more to your kids than hours hanging out in the same space, but not interacting or giving your kids your full attention.

  1. Coping with a non-supportive spouse

If you are focusing on advancing in your career, you might encounter resistance from the person you least expect.

Some spouses, when faced with the success of their partner, may have fears of possible repercussions. They may worry your renewed career focus could draw you away from your established household dynamics. Or your reinvigorated purpose could highlight lacks your spouse perceives in him or herself.

Where you used to have a spouse who encouraged and supported you, you may now be faced with a partner who goes quiet when you talk about your goals. This lack of verbal feedback and sometimes outright resistance can be hard to handle.

Figuring out how to cope with a person who appears to not support your career dreams can be trying. But don’t let it derail your plans. Take some time to evaluate the direction you are going in and make sure that the reasons are valid. If they are, realize that you cannot rely on any person to validate your actions. You alone are responsible for the decisions you make and the change you want to see in your career and business.

With time, your spouse may come to understand that your ambition does not diminish your relationship. So give him or her time to come to that understanding. Additionally, consider seeing a counselor if you feel that there are issues that you need help with resolving.

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