5 Tips to Tackle Parenting Chaos While Navigating Career Growth

Surviving the Crucial First Decade Without Losing Your Stride

The first decade of your child’s life is a precious and irreplaceable time, and coincidentally, it’s also when you’re striving to build your career or business. It’s a juggling act, but with the right mindset and strategies, you can be intentional in both roles without feeling like you’re missing out on being a parent.  After harnessing these strategies, you will understand how to navigate the chaos of early parenthood with care and compassion while approaching your professional life with ease and confidence. 

Here are five ways to tackle the chaos of parenthood while navigating growth in your career.

 1. Adjust Your Expectations

Let’s talk mom-math: 1hr with a toddler doesn’t equal 1hr toddler-free. They’re not the same amount of time. Commit to doing less and saying “yes” to less; time will expand. Lower your expectations of yourself and embrace the idea of “good enough” instead of perfection. Prioritize what truly matters, let go of your sky-high expectations (and everyone else’s expectations while you’re at it), and you will see that good enough is the new perfect.

 2. Focus on Results, Not Tasks

Instead of creating endless to-do lists, focus on creating a Results List. Define the outcomes you want to achieve and let them guide your actions. For instance, rather than just cleaning the house, you could aim to create a cozy and calm environment for family time. Instead of running to the grocery store for cleaning products, picking up every single toy in the house, vacuuming, dusting, reorganizing your spice rack, and so on. Instead, you clean your bathrooms (important), take yourself out to coffee, and buy a cute candle that smells like home, light it, and ta-da! Cozy environment and calm parent–result achieved. 

 3. Establish Routines and Be Flexible

Routines are lifesavers, especially during the chaos of early parenthood. Name someone in your house, and I can guarantee that they will benefit from having a routine of some sort. Start with simple morning rituals like waking up at the same time every day and avoiding screen time for the first hour you’re awake. This will build the foundation for an immensely impactful routine that brings you confidence, energy, and focus for the day approaching. Ultimately, I encourage morning and evening routines to bookend the day. Since starting my routines, I know it has wildly changed my life in the last seven years, and I hope it does the same for you!

 4. Find Your Village or Create It

Building a support system is crucial. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who understand the challenges of tackling career and parenthood. Whether it’s family, friends, or fellow parents, it is so important to have a supportive network that provides emotional encouragement (definitely this) and practical support. Let’s not do this parenting thing alone. Start sharing responsibilities and asking for the help that you need.

I know everyone’s home situation looks different. Here are some ideas to create space to welcome Your Village when you have the space for it in the future. 

• Connect with people who are doing the same things you are doing at the same time you are doing them. 
• Consider a helper; this is an individual who is a pre-teen or teenager who might not cost as much as a professional babysitter but could help you by providing space in your schedule.
• Invite out-of-town family to stay with you for a weekend. In the invite, be completely clear that it is to help you. Everyone wins: they get to spend time with your kid(s) while you take the time you need for yourself or to get caught up with work.

Stay open to forming new connections, and be creative in inviting others to support you. There is no one right way to build your network of caregivers, so be on the lookout for unique opportunities to expand your village.

 5. Start Believing That the Best Is Yet to Come

Your perception has more to do with your experience than anything else. These early years of parenthood are hard. There’s no denying that. Couple that with building your career or being an entrepreneur, and now you’re talking about two (maybe three) full-time jobs worth of responsibilities. Instead of focusing on just how challenging these years can be, prioritize being open to all the good things that are already on their way to you. Believing that the best is yet to come instills hope and resilience without minimizing the present circumstances. Understand that your efforts today contribute to a bigger picture, and tomorrow holds surprises you haven’t considered.  

As always, I aim to empower you with information that supports you in focusing on the things that matter most and having the energy and time to enjoy your life. I hope these ideas help you understand how to navigate the chaos of early parenthood with care and self-compassion while also approaching your professional life with ease and confidence. 

A partnership with a coach can be supportive to dive into your unique challenges as a parent and a professional or business owner. Your story is unique and strategies like these are most helpful when they are tailored to support your specific context. A discovery call is a great place to investigate whether or not coaching might be a good fit for you. Book a discovery call now, it’s completely free.

And in case no one has told you recently, you’re doing a really great job.