Friday, June 15, 2007
Work, efficiency, and motherhood
A couple of months back, Lauren Vargas recommended Working Mother magazine. I bookmarked it. Last week, Kami Huyse also listed it as something she regularly reads. When two of my most respected bloggers both read the same magazine, it's time to give it a look.
An article in the current issue focuses on "Eleven Reasons to Love Being a Working Mom," and reason #9 really hit home-- "I'm more disciplined now." And how! Lauren recently posted on Kami's superwoman tendencies, but--although I'm not in their category of superwoman--I can probably speak for all three of us in saying that motherhood can (doesn't always) lead to better focus, organization, time management, and self-discipline. I had to learn to prioritize, which means thinking about what's most important to me not just at home but at work, and to be as efficient as possible in order to achieve what is to me an acceptable level of success at work and home. I'm not saying you have to be a mom or even a woman to have this experience, but for me it was catalyzed by becoming a parent.
One of my colleagues commented not too long ago that I was amazingly productive considering that I have a small child at home -- but it's not in spite of, it's because of.
An article in the current issue focuses on "Eleven Reasons to Love Being a Working Mom," and reason #9 really hit home-- "I'm more disciplined now." And how! Lauren recently posted on Kami's superwoman tendencies, but--although I'm not in their category of superwoman--I can probably speak for all three of us in saying that motherhood can (doesn't always) lead to better focus, organization, time management, and self-discipline. I had to learn to prioritize, which means thinking about what's most important to me not just at home but at work, and to be as efficient as possible in order to achieve what is to me an acceptable level of success at work and home. I'm not saying you have to be a mom or even a woman to have this experience, but for me it was catalyzed by becoming a parent.
One of my colleagues commented not too long ago that I was amazingly productive considering that I have a small child at home -- but it's not in spite of, it's because of.
Labels: professionalism, women
// posted by Karen Miller Russell @ Friday, June 15, 2007 
"More important than the curriculum is the question of the methods of teaching and the spirit in which the teaching is given" --Bertrand Russell
