Not having enough “Time” as a parent is code for: I Just don’t really think that is a priority for me.
As a parent, the elusive concept of time often feels like a luxury we simply can’t afford. Between juggling career, being a great parent, household chores, exercising and oh maybe seeing our friends and having a social life, it’s easy to find ourselves constantly racing against the clock. But is the issue truly a lack of time, or could it be something deeper? In this blog post, we’ll explore how the phrase “not having enough time” is often code for – that’s not really a priority for me right now. When I am speaking to parents, and organisations I hear the objection- “I/we don’t have time” a lot. The truth is, parents either don’t want to make any changes to how they operate, or they don’t think investing in themselves is a priority. For organisations it’s much the same, support for their parents isn’t a priority for their organisation.
“But I don’t have enough time”:
Despite the common complaint of not having enough time, the reality is that we all have the same 24 hours in a day. So why do some parents seem to effortlessly manage their responsibilities while others constantly feel overwhelmed? When we become parents, the way we previously worked and lived may not be suitable anymore. For example, when we return to work, if we have to do picks ups and drop offs, cook dinner, do bath and bed, we need to think about how we work in the day and be much more effective with our time. We can’t just stay an hour later because we went for a long lunch, or finish all our deadlines in 3 days going for several coffee breaks and having regular chats with our colleagues. The way we operate must change.
Prioritisation Matters:
When we claim we don’t have enough time for something, what we’re often saying is that it’s not high enough on our list of priorities. As working parents, our attention is constantly pulled in multiple directions, forcing us to make tough decisions about where to allocate our limited time and energy.
Assessing what is important to you, and what aligns with your goals personally and professionally can make a huge difference in making decisions around what you want to do and what you doesn’t suit you. When you’re making decisions, you should always check in to see what aligns with your goals to help you to stay on track and focused.
Identifying what you want:
In order to make decisions about what to invest your precious time in- you need to know what you want. Setting clear goals about what you want and need personally and professionally is a great task to do. If you have no idea what your goals are yet- I have a FREE guide that you can access HERE that will really help you to map this out.
When you identify what it is that you want, you need to then start prioritising yourself too. I know this can be hard for lots of parents but being the best version of yourself and following your own hopes and dreams is the best thing you can do for your children but that’s a while different blog post!
The Importance of Boundaries:
One of the biggest challenges for parents is setting boundaries between work and family life. With technology blurring the lines between professional and personal time, it’s easy to feel like we’re always “on” and that we don’t have any time to spare.
Establishing clear boundaries, such as designated work hours and dedicated family time, can help us reclaim control over our schedules and ensure that we’re prioritising both our careers and our families. When we make these boundaries clear not only can you be a lot more productive at work, but you will also notice a huge increase in your families happiness when you spend some quality time together.
As a parent we are undoubtably time poor. What we need to do is identify exactly what is important to us and why. If you fear investing in yourself ask yourself why? Is it because you just don’t want to change anything or is it that you don’t feel like you should be prioritising yourself?
The struggle to balance our various responsibilities is an ongoing challenge. However, by reframing our mindset around time management and prioritisation and understanding exactly what we want, we can begin to reclaim control over our schedules and focus on the things that truly matter. So the next time you find yourself saying, “I don’t have enough time,” ask yourself whether it’s truly a matter of time or a question of priorities.
