The infamous question EVERY woman is faced with at some point in her life…… Can a woman have it all?

I am like 99% of the women in the world who have to constantly juggle both their family and career.  I often feel as if I am spending too much time at work building my business and taking time away from my family. Conversely, when I am enjoying my family, I often feel guilty for not working more.

I found that the truth is there is NO magic way you can equally divide your attention to both.

When I was laid off in 2009, I was forced into being a full-time mother. I was taking the kids to school, doing field trips, volunteering, and instead of them attending after school daycare, I actually got to pick my kids up from school. I was the ultimate MOM! It felt so rewarding. I realized how much I enjoyed these moments I did not have the opportunity to experience while working in corporate America.

Coming to the realization of how little I was present as a parent made me reevaluate what was important to me.  I had to make a decision between a career or being a parent.  Although, as women, we wear multiple hats and we do in fact do it all, balancing is NEVER an easy task.

I have found that when I am focused on one area of my life, the other area of my life does suffer.

I ALWAYS have guilt and I NEVER get it all done. However, what I have come to embrace as a woman, entrepreneur, and a moguel is that it OK not to give 100% in EVERYTHING all the time!

I have learned the importance of balancing.

By balancing, I mean learning to be 100% present in whatever it is I am focusing on in the moment. When I am with the kids, I’m present. I am not thinking about my businesses, I am enjoying being a mommy. My work doesn’t come home with me: I quickly take off my CEO hat and put on my mommy hat. What I have learned is that my kids are happy that they have my undivided attention. What matters to them is the quality of  time we are spending, not the quantity.

When I am at work in CEO mode, I am 100% focused on my businesses. I am present and maximizing my time. Realistically, I only have the hours of 9:00am to 3:00pm to make the most of my time while the kids are at school. By being 100% focused on work during these short hours, I can accomplish so much!

Ladies, we have to stop being so hard on ourselves and pat ourselves on the back!

We are doing an awesome job wearing all these hats. The key is to try and not do it all at one time, but to make the most out of the time we are given. We have to learn to be present and enjoy being moms, career women, entrepreneurs, and wives, and STOP trying to be superwoman.