This is the last post for my working mom hacks blog series.
The last one on my list is time balancing. I guess you can say I saved the best for last because where would we be without time balancing?
I have taken to listening to NPR’s TED Radio Hour via podcast with Guy Raz. On my way home from my daughter’s swim meet, I caught an interview with Seth Godin about how ideas go viral.
He talked about Blendtec, a blender company and underdog brand, that came up with an idea that went viral. They started asking the question. Does it blend? You can see the videos of all the strange and wonderful things that can (or can’t) blend, including markers, selfie sticks, iPhones, lighters and piña coladas.
That got me thinking. But what about things that don’t fit in a blender? What about your daily activities? And what can and cannot blend?
How To Use “Blending” To Balance Time
Let me give you an example of time balancing.
A friend of mine who was traveling for a big customer meeting shared her morning “blend” with me.
She woke up at 5 a.m. for a workout, got partially cleaned up (i.e. dressed), found a corner in the hotel cafe (i.e. hiding spot), grabbed some coffee and got onto a 6 a.m. conference call. Then, she zipped back to the hotel room to suit up for the big customer meeting and was on with the rest of her day.
So, can a workout and conference meetings blend? The answer is yes.
Other Examples Of What Can And Cannot Blend
For those who need to get creative with time, it’s a good idea to test what can and cannot blend. Sometimes things simply don’t blend or shouldn’t blend.
Should you take that conference call on the sidelines of the soccer game and chance missing that winning goal? That might not blend.
But can you get in a few quick calls while waiting at the ortho? Yes, that blends.
Can you check email while waiting in line at the DMV? For sure, that blends.
And then there are more complicated blends. Like the masterful blending act my friend performed. She did her 5 a.m. workout, snuck in a quick coffee, and participated in a conference call. All before fully getting ready for the day!
You can get quite creative with this concept.
In Closing
So, we all have to make things blend. The question is, what can blend and what really can’t blend? Making blending work isn’t perfect, but a bit of creative time-balancing can ease your stress.
What are the things you blend? Share your ‘blending’ story in the comments.
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