A Growing Career, A Growing Family

Here is how I found work-life balance in corporate finance.

I often get asked how I do it. “It” being growing my career while growing my family. We all know managing commitments outside of our corporate finance careers can be challenging. Well, my current commitments include nine-year-old twin sons, a four-year-old daughter, a husband in college, and other professional and community involvement that keeps my life very full and rewarding!

What you may find interesting about this is that a year after my twins were born, realizing life was only going to become fuller, I decided it was time to become a CPA. With no extra time from sunrise to sunset, I had to create a schedule that would realistically let me pass the CPA exam within a year. The term “burning the midnight oil” took on a whole new meaning for me, as I am sure it has for you at least once or twice before.

Fast-forward to where I am today, and I will be the first to admit that maintaining work-life balance is very difficult and requires a lot of planning and communication. It is especially challenging to rebalance after a period of change — like when you have children or experience a major career change. While reflecting on these changes in my life, I realized four primary moves have always helped me find a healthy work-life balance. So, here’s how I do it.

SET A SCHEDULE

No matter your involvements and commitments inside and outside of the office, each one should be a priority. The best way I have found to keep these balanced is to set a regular work schedule where I begin and end on time. While it is not always possible to end “on time,” especially when working with others, it is an important goal to work towards.

A good piece of advice I was given is to unapologetically let others know when I have a hard stop. When a meeting looks like it may run long, and I need to leave to pick up my kids, I make it a point to state that I have a prior commitment and need to leave at “X” time. I have found this helps keep work and meetings on target and serves as a reminder to all that setting priorities is important regardless of what they relate to.

PLAN FOR BUSY SEASONS

Whenever possible, try to anticipate your high demand periods and plan accordingly. For me, I know tax season is going to be demanding; so, I look ahead at school calendars and my children’s activities and adjust my work availability as needed. For instance, I will plan to go in earlier than usual on a day when I know I need to leave earlier than usual. Planning ahead has especially proven its worth when scheduling meetings at work and with volunteer groups. Let me tell you, it is much easier to schedule around everyone’s availability up front versus risking missing an important event later.

When possible, I also try to get ahead in my volunteer work or avoid committing to activities that fall within my busier times. This approach has helped me avoid becoming overwhelmed and burned out when conflicting demands arise.

COMMUNICATE INTENTIONALLY

A friend of mine regularly shares a great George Bernard Shaw quote: “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

I cannot stress enough how important it is to communicate at work, at home, and wherever your other commitments lead you. If I am going to work late, for example, I openly talk about it with my family to try to ensure there are no surprises. Communication needs to be intentional, especially when you are trying to maintain any semblance of work-life balance.

FIND FLEXIBILITY

Today’s workforce culture demands flexibility, but it is important to keep in mind that flexibility does not always mean working part-time hours; it means working smarter hours.

For many of us in accounting and finance professions, working additional hours during busy periods cannot be avoided, but I encourage you to consider when and where those tasks and extra hours can be completed. Myself and many employees I work with plan our workdays around our children’s schedules. My friend Jennifer, who works at a firm in St. Louis, is in the office the same hours most days, arriving by 8 a.m. and leaving by 5 p.m. But, during her busier times, she continues to leave on time and then works from home after her children go to bed. Her schedule is consistent and allows for the opportunity to prioritize both her career and her family.

It often seems that we must choose between our personal or professional goals and commitments, but I have seen otherwise. With the right moves, each one can be a priority, and you can have real work-life balance.