WPR057: The Difference Between a Full Life and a Busy Life as a Parent
I don't really know a parent out there these days whose life ISN'T filled to the brim with things to do. Everyone I talk to is "Crazy-Busy." I think just about everyone who listens to this show is juggling some combination of work, building a business, usually a marriage or some other kind of serious romantic relationship, parenting your kids, friendships, hobbies, a lot of your kids have after-school activities, most of you are awesome and get in some type of exercise every week and you have to manage your household... there's just a lot going on for the average working parent. And the pace of our society in general is so "go-go-go" that even if you haven't filled your schedule with things to do, it can still feel like you're living your life in hyper-speed.I've noticed that as all of these things pile up though, we really start to feel like we're living a BUSY life that's not all that meaningful or enriching. So many working parents I talk to feel like they're just going through the motions in their lives. They're struggling to keep up with everything they HAVE to do, which leaves NO time for the things they WANT to do. Their health is failing. They frequently feel exhausted and resentful. They don't feel all that connected to their spouse, and they feel like the time they spend with their kids is filled with distractions and chores and other meaningless activities. Most working parents I know these days feel like their life is one big fire drill.
If you've listened to any of the other episodes of this show, you've probably figured out by now that I don't really buy into this message that being a working parent HAS to be overwhelming or frustrating or exhausting. I know for a fact that being a working parent can be FUN. It can be an ADVENTURE. It can be fulfilling and rewarding and meaningful. It will definitely hand you challenges from time to time, but if you pay attention, those challenges can help you grow into an even better version of yourself. Life doesn't have to be awful as a working parent, and my main mission with the Working Parent Resource is to give you the tools you need to shift from that life of burnout to one where you feel really engaged and excited about what you're doing everyday.
I've had a lot of great conversations here on this show about the small things you can do to get out of survival mode and create a more fulfilling life for yourself as a working parent. And I think those really practical, granular solutions are the key to making big shifts in our lives. That's important to cover. But today I wanted to take a step back and look at this big picture concept of living a FULL life as a working parent, rather than just enduring a BUSY one.So today I want to go through 11 things you should focus on to experience what I call "FULL PARENTHOOD" vs. BUSY PARENTHOOD. These are all things I've discovered to be really important parts of enjoying life as a working parent. So the more you can focus on doing these things, the more I think you'll really treasure this time in your life. And whenever you feel like you're struggling or you're just stretched thin, try to check back in to see if you're missing any of these things to get back on track.
Show Notes: www.argenalinstitute.com/podcast
Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Working Parent Resource Website
About the Working Parent Resource:
The Working Parent Resource helps burned out working parents optimize their time, improve their relationships and escape survival mode for good.Welcome to the Working Parent Resource Podcast. This podcast is all about helping burned out working parents escape survival mode by becoming more intentional at home, at work, and everywhere in between. Together we explore fundamental principles of psychology, the latest research on subjects such as happiness, productivity, mindfulness and relationships, and we hear personal stories that are all designed to help you become the best version of yourself in a noisy and demanding world. Let's break down the overwhelm together so you can create a more deliberate and fulfilling lifestyle on YOUR terms.Sarah Argenal is the Founder and CEO of the Working Parent Resource and Host of the Working Parent Resource Podcast. She has her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy and Adult Development and is a Certified Professional Coach with 20 years of experience in psychotherapy, coaching, college-level instruction, program development, and project management. Sarah lives with her husband and two little boys in San Diego, California. You can access episode Show Notes and learn more about the Working Parent Resource at http://WorkingParentResource.com.
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