Becoming a parent is a truly life-changing experience, and just about every new parent would attest to this fact. Suddenly, you’re no longer just responsible for yourself, but also for this new life you’ve brought into the world, and you want to do whatever you can in order to give your child the best possible headstart in life.
At the same time, however, the fact that you’ve become a parent doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve shed all your past personal ambitions.
So what is the proper balance between those personal ambitions and your new life as a parent? More importantly, perhaps, what is the best way to balance your personal ambitions, with being a parent?
Here are some suggestions to help set you on the right track.
Study an online degree
One great way of pursuing and advancing your personal ambitions without significantly compromising on the amount of time you get to spend with your children, is to begin studying an online degree.
Not only can the degree, itself, be done at home according to the allowances of your schedule, but it can also set you up very well for success in other areas of your life, particularly down the line.
If you dream of becoming an entrepreneur who handles a small team, for example, doing a masters in strategic leadership may not only be a deeply enriching experience in and of itself, but can also help set you up with a running start for your future career aspirations.
Depending on the subject you choose to explore via your degree, you could end up with the required tools and insights to become a successful solopreneur, to explore a new hobby, to work as a part time consultant, or just to begin exploring a lifelong interest in a given area.
Understand the value of those small moments
In the book “168 Hours”, author Laura Vanderkam notes many examples of professionals who are able to successfully juggle family life, with high-flying careers, and personal leisure activities such as hiking.
The key recurring theme throughout the various anecdotes is that these ultra-productive people have mastered the art of taking advantage of those small moments throughout the day, where other people would just stare blankly into oblivion, or surf the web on their phones.
Whether you want to get more reading done, feel like writing a novel, or want to setup your own business, put those spare 5-10 minutes here and there to good use. Always have a notepad to hand.
Support your overall quality of life and energy levels with holistic health practices
If your energy levels are permanently shot, it’s unlikely that you’re going to be successful in your attempts to live an optimally productive life, which addresses both your obligations as a parent, and also your personal ambitions.
To boost your energy levels, and your probability of overall success, introduce some holistic health practices to your life, such as a daily meditation and yoga routine, and even just making a point of getting enough sleep at night.