We’re back with another guest post, this time from author, mother, traveller, professional and all-around busy person Ilham Alam, who shares with us her thoughts on the idea of “having it all”, and some of her tips on managing her time so that she can be there for her family, while still pursuing her personal and professional goals.
How do you have it all? Can you have it all?
I can’t promise you any answers to this classic question. But what I can tell you are some of the ways that I time-manage so that I can have the semblance of ‘having it all’.
But first of all, what does ‘having it all’ mean anyway? For me, it means being a mom, wife, a family member, a friend, having a full-time job, volunteering, writing and publishing my children’s book, Wonder Walk, staying healthy and fit, reading on my worn-out Kindle (physical copy is always better), getting to travel abroad.
I’m currently writing this post whilst travelling and living in the “City of Eternal Spring”, Medellin,in Colombia for a little while. In the meantime, I’m also in my book launch period and all the promotion work that comes with that, including an online book tour. And hey, I’m still a mom and wife through all this too.
What are some strategies I have used to handle all of this? Here are some pointers below:
- Work at night after the kids have gone to bed. So my kids bedtime is no later than 8pm.
- Now working at night isn’t always possible. I have my iPad (I bought it used) so that I can squeeze in work time during the day and on-the-go. This can mean that I’m typing away a little here and there, while food is cooking on the stove or while relaxing on the couch at the end of a long day (doing that as we speak).
- Simplify your life. Determine what’s important to you and how much time you want to spend on it. Cut out the rest. For me, that has meant that I only do one volunteer activity and that’s pretty close to home, to cut down on my commute.
- A few minutes here and a few minutes there really do add up! And now with smartphones, a lot can be done while you go about your day.
- Set little, achievable goals for the week and meet them. My goal for this week in mid-April was to do my blog tour and also write up my guest posts. Things with deadlines take priority, of course.
- Definitely, absolutely, certainly, set a rest day. Or half the day is time to unplug and not work.
Now, I don’t want you to think that everything is all perfect all the time. I work late into the night, thus I’m tired the next day and that spills over into other aspects of my life. Sometimes, I can’t sit and watch Paw Patrol with my child, even if he’s asking for my attention. Sometimes dinner is takeout.
But I tell myself that it’s OK if I don’t meet all my self-set goals for the day or the week. It’s OK if dinner is takeout. It’s OK, you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to find fulfilment even in imperfection. You just have to be good enough.
Biography:
Ilham Alam is from Toronto, Canada, where she lives with her young family that includes a 20lb cat. She began writing in elementary school and realized that she had a knack for it after receiving many compliments for her complex storylines and weaving words together.
Ilham is also an eager reader and this love for reading and writing inspired her to pursue an Honours BA in English Literature. She also wrote for Canada’s largest student-led newspaper, The Varsity, and performed Indian Classical during this time.
You can check out her travelogue and book reviews at www.storymummy.com. Her first picture book, Wonder Walk, was recently published by Iguana Books and is on sale at major online retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indigo.
