It hit me again. The anxiety that comes with having to take time off from work at the last minute because one of the kids got sick, has a doctors appointment, or something else comes up for school. What super powers do I need to tap into to pursue professional advancement and be this millennial mom? Who is she? Surely not me!
My older boys will be in high school next year and my younger in third grade. A little over a year ago, I transitioned back into the corporate world. Creating a space to focus on professional advancement and being a millennial mom is a daunting task. Coming from a pretty free flowing life in real estate, I knew there would be an adjustment on my part to get back into the structure of corporate life. I was also thrilled to be joining a company that demonstrated support and value for family and community. God lines up what we need and He definitely knew that I needed to be seen and accepted as exactly who I am. A dedicated mom of three boys and a skilled professional.
There is one more piece to the puzzle. What do I do to continue to advance in my professional space? What actions can I focus on? You see, I don’t have to do much to continue to grow as a mother. Children keep growing whether I do anything or not. The advancement in their age will force me to adapt even if I don’t take the initiative to do so.
Millennial mom and corporate life.
Despite my love for corporate life, being part of that world always weighed heavy on me. Could I accomplish my desire to show up in a big way professionally and as a mother alongside each other? The short answer is yes, and there’s a lot more to it than simply being able to do both. I know I’m able. The question is, will the way I navigate doing both be acceptable in the professional space? In part that’s me being doubtful in my head and in part it’s unfortunately the societal norm we face as working mothers. It’s hard being a mother and working professional.
I’m often warding off feelings of anxiety. I have thoughts of being seen as unqualified or unreliable because my life as a mom means I get the calls that many times require me to drop what I’m doing to go see about the kids. I’ve felt as if I were constantly drowning prior to the last two years. There was just no way to do both and be highly successful. Is this the story of millennial women who desire to have both a family and professional career? Maybe not for everyone but it’s been mine. Why do I have to wait until my kids no longer need me to be responsible for them (in a sense) in order to be valued at work or pursue professional advancement?
I have had high aspirations for what I wanted in my professional life for as long as I can remember. I’ve also felt not supported enough in any aspect of my life to reach those aspirations for as long as I can remember. When we say that we don’t need a support system or that we can do it all on our own, we are going in the opposite direction of how we were created to live.
I do have to choose.
That’s not a typo. I do have to choose. It has taken me a long time to push the thought that I had to choose between being a mom and a working professional out of my mind. Then, I realized everyday I have to choose where my time goes and whose getting it. I also had to choose to change my mind about the way I saw and approached the two things I often pit against each other.
After years of accepting the middle ground as the best I could do, I made an active choice not to do it any longer. Society dictates so much of our life standards to us. Today, I believe something different. When the world says I have to be one or the other, I say I don’t. I may have to choose and I can choose both. GOD does not call us to be middle of the road followers. He has spoken specific things for our lives. I believe I’m called to be a mother to my sons. I also believe I’m called and given opportunities to make an impact professionally.
Intentional professional development + intentional spiritual development.
It’s time to get clear about where you stand. God wants us to be united with Him in every aspect of life. It’s important to view our lives as a collective. I know I’m guilty of living a compartmentalized life many times. However, my faith, what I believe as my ultimate source of reference, has to be woven into every fabric of my life. I don’t want to be stagnant. I want to live a full and thriving life and that requires intentional behaviors both professionally and spiritually. Here are four ways you can focus your efforts around your professional development, passion and purpose.
- Seek God’s direction. Proverbs 16:3 NLT
- Bring your plans to him.
- Study your gifts then tap into them. Matthew 25:15 NIV
- Learn more about your gifts and personality here in one of my previous blogs.
- Identify consistent professional growth opportunities.
- Be a student of your craft. Does your company offer training or certification opportunities? Don’t sleep on these. Many times this is offered for free in the corporate world.
- Choose to choose.
- Be a mom when duty calls, and slay your professional space when it calls. Being committed to being fully present right where you are is key. While I may not be able to choose both at the same time each day, I can choose to be a present mother and a present member of my company at the right times. What does your heart desire? I desired to find a place that would give me space to do just that! Many times we miss the opportunity to have what we want simply because we aren’t asking.
How can we do this together?
Are you a millennial mom like me who has struggled with finding that elusive balance? Well, it’s elusive for a reason. Balance doesn’t exist. We have to choose and choosing is ok. We have God given talents, abilities and desires to fulfill God given purposes for our lives. Although challenging, I don’t want to spend more of my time accepting mediocracy than creating the life I am meant to live. It can seem endless but it doesn’t have to be. Can I pray for you the way I constantly pray for myself to find the strength to focus and rely on the one who can do all that I can’t? It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are. We’re in this for the benefit of each other. Drop me a message here for prayer or more resources for chasing your passion and finding your purpose.
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