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How to Achieve Work-Life Balance:
A Trial Lawyer's Top Five. |
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by Shawn Cormier-Warren
It is a tradition in my family to give ornaments at Christmas to celebrate something that happened during the year. This year, my husband and I gave our boys football theme ornaments for their first year of tackle football and the girls received soccer and lacrosse ornaments. The kids surprised me this year by giving me an ornament box with a tag on it that read "To Our Wonder Woman." Inside was the red, white, and blue star-spangled outfit worn by my favorite childhood super hero. It was my kids' way of telling me that they thought I was doing a good job of juggling a career and being a mom.
Work-life balance means many different things to different people. Some people who have a career are also trying to raise young children, while others are trying to tend to their aging parents. Some people are trying to do both. There seems to be constant conflict between being a rainmaker, meeting billable hourly requirements, being at a child's school play (which just happens to be in the middle of the day), spending time with significant others and taking care of oneself. There is no magic solution for achieving work-life balance, but here are my top five tips that work for me and my family.
- Figure out your priorities. Sometimes it feels like everything is a priority, but not everything can be number one. Throughout your career and life, priorities change. Making sacrifices early in your career can make it easier to adjust your schedule when you decide to have a family or need to take care of an elderly or ill parent. There are times when work must be the number one priority and families need to understand that. It is easier for a family to understand and accept long hours at the office or in trial if you are regularly attending birthday parties, soccer games and school concerts. You can have a successful career and a fulfilling family life, but you have to be willing to juggle your priorities when necessary.
- Find career paths that are consistent with your priorities. Many women believe that you can't have it all. I think you can - with some help. In choosing a law firm or company, look for one that doesn't have just a work-life balance policy, but one that actually encourages their employees to maintain a work-life balance. Today's technology allows many employers to provide their employees with laptop computers, PDAs and other devices that facilitate working from home. Moreover, flex-time and part-time options are now offered with more regularity. When exploring alternative employment options, be ready to demonstrate to your employer how you can make your proposed option work without losing productivity.
- Be efficient. The old saying of "plan your work and work your plan" may sound trite, but it gets the job done. Determine what needs to be accomplished during the day and figure out how to do it. For example, working from home some days is more efficient than spending 3 hours driving through a snowstorm to get to work. Routinely check your calendar to plan for major work projects so you don't have to miss the family reunion. When you are at the office, try to minimize interruptions by closing your door, putting the phone on "do not disturb" and not indulging in idle chit-chat at the water cooler. You will be more productive and be able to leave "on time" so you can help your children with their homework, go on a date with your spouse or significant other, or take your parents to church. While some people may accuse you of being anti-social, you are doing what is necessary to meet your priorities.
- Learn to delegate. This is important in both the job setting and at home. Is it really necessary that you attend every pretrial, summarize every box of documents or take every deposition? Most times, the answer is "no". Identify a colleague - whether it is a younger associate, paralegal or law clerk - who can help assist you with tasks. In doing so, you will free up your time and also help develop the skills and confidence of another employee. At home, don't try to do everything yourself. Make a chart delegating responsibility for household chores to your spouse and children. Teenagers are capable of making dinner once or twice a week. Younger children can help pick up toys, put away laundry or do the dishes. Your children learn life management skills and you enjoy some free time.
- Take time for you. This is probably the most difficult thing to achieve because as soon as you sink into that bathtub, one of the kids decides he needs you. As tough as it is to find time for yourself, it is essential if you are to maintain your mental and physical health. Schedule an appointment with yourself each day and don't break it. Take at least 15 minutes a day to work out, meditate, go to the driving range, or just do nothing! Taking time for yourself reduces stress, increases mental clarity and leads to greater productivity.
I don't always follow my own advice, and some days, weeks, and months are more difficult than others in trying to meet work and family obligations. While I think my kids' view of me as Wonder Woman was a bit exaggerated, in the end, they are ones who will judge whether or not I achieved work-life balance. According to my young panel of judges, the verdict appears to be a good one.
Shawn Cormier-Warren is a partner at Davis & Young, is married and has four children, ages 16, 13, 10 and 9. She can be reached at scormier@davisyoung.com
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