You know that you are ready to start a family.
However, you also know that you have worked really hard to establish yourself in your career.
What you don’t know is how you are going to balance it all.
It certainly isn’t easy to downshift from a big job. After all, society emphasizes pushing forward with work, not slowing it down. It can be particularly challenging if you have a big NYC job where the pressure is high to “do it all.”
Nevertheless, many women desire a shift down from a big job as they start a family. You are not alone. Managing this change is possible.
You Don’t Have to Give Up Your Career
First of all, you do not have to give up your career to start a family. The most important thing to remember is that you are the one who is in charge of your life. You get to determine what matters to you.
If having a big job is important to you, then it is okay to admit that. However, you might need to find creative solutions to managing that career when you first start a family.
Today’s Decisions Are Not Permanent
The business world makes it feel like if you step off of the treadmill then you will never be able to get back on it. However, that is not actually true.
Many women are able to downshift from a big job, focus on their family when the children are young, and then return to a high-profile career. Even if you do want to “have it all,” you do not have to do it all at the same time.
Yes, even as a lawyer, doctor, or businesswoman, you can put your family first for a period of time and still find a way to make your big job work for you down the line.
Decide for Today
If you have faith that today’s decisions are not permanent, then you can make the choice that is best suited for you today.
In reality, the only way to make a good choice is to focus on today’s needs and priorities. After all, you can’t predict the future. No matter how much your brain wants to plot out a life plan, all that you can really do is guess.
Instead, meet your needs today, and worry about tomorrow when it comes. When tomorrow arrives, you may find that you are ready to go back to your old career.
Alternatively, you may discover that the strengths that made you excel at that job are actually perfectly suited to another job that you like even more.
Get Clear About Why You Want to Start a Family
If you feel ambivalent about downshifting from a big job to start a family, it is worth inquiring as to why.
Perhaps you feel pressured to start a family, but it isn’t what you really want.
On the other hand, getting clear on why you want to start a family now will help you feel solid in your decision to downsize your job if that is what you choose.
Success on Your Terms
If you have a big job, then you probably have a picture in your mind of what “success” means. However, it is important to rethink that meaning when you are ready to start a family.
You may be operating off of a particular notion of success that does not fit where you are at the current stage in your life. You have the right and ability to define success for yourself.
Success has many faces. You get to choose the one you want to see in the mirror.
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Many issues arise when you want to start a family but need to balance it with a job. Learn more about my experience helping women in this situation here.