Down the Rabbit Hole

Burning, Burning

30 Day Blogging Challenge
PROMPT May 14th
Discuss the “Four Burners Theory” as it is outlined in this website:
https://jamesclear.com/four-burners-theory
Which burner in your life burns the brightest? If you had to completely turn off one of your burners to be successful in the other three, which would you turn off?

I had to turn off my work burner so I could manage to get through the article there!

But in all seriousness, I had a really hard time finding the work/family balance. I was the first mother in my family to go back to work after having my daughter. My cousins and sister-in-laws had all been stay at home moms for a time. I was already 35 and so, putting any career on hold, especially one in my demanding industry, was out of the question. My daughter started coming to work with me at 6 weeks old and started daycare at 9 weeks. I harbored such terrible guilt for leaving her with strangers, albeit trained and professional caregivers, but still strangers. Luckily I had found a wonderful place with kind, capable teachers who became my partners through her development and who celebrated all those milestones I might have other wise missed, with me in concert. It was hard though, very difficult to find myself again. I still struggle as a working mom to find balance. The demands have only increased with time and I find myself constantly gauging which burners I can turn down to feed the other too most adequately.

If there is any burner I turn off most, it would be mine. I consistently find reasons to put the needs of family and friends over taking care of me. It is something I am working on. I believe it is what most people do...rob from their own reserves to give to their loved ones. I am actively working on that this year. It would still be the burner I would turn off however. It's always harder to take away from others than oneself.