I wake up at 6 to get the train moving. I shower and am ready, when disaster hits.
My youngest son comes into the kitchen, teary holding his ears. I have a new client starting this morning. What do I do now? Obviously my son needs to see a doctor. How do I do that from my seat in front of the white board with my high-end new client? Do I leave my son home while he is sick?
It happens to the best of us. We balance work and life well until… we don’t.
Values collide and cause tons of stress. Both choices above represent high values for me. My desire to be professional and follow through as well as my desire to be a present mom, able to be there when I am most needed. Which value do you pick when they are both important? Below are some suggestions on weighing your values and avoiding a “values collision”.
Weigh in on your values
Stop for a moment and assess what values are at play for you. Which values are colliding? Just recognizing the values at play can be helpful.
Can you delegate?
Are you the only person who can do both tasks? Who in your circle can help you?
Can you prioritize?
Sometimes we have to put one thing first. The doctor probably won’t be able to see my son till the afternoon. So I can call for an appointment, get him settled and comfortable with his big sister hanging. Wow my new client, and be back in time to take him in for a check.
How can you compromise?
You can pick one thing over another and compromise by deciding to give the put off thing attention later. You could schedule some dedicated time to focus on that.
Forgive yourself
Most importantly you need to forgive yourself. There is no such thing as Superwoman. You can only do your best in each situation. Sometimes one value will trump another. On a different day or situation, the rankings may be reversed. Trust your gut and know you are doing your best in any situation.
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