goals – Down Under Dad

A friend recently asked me how I have time as a Dad to: Be a Parent, Work Full time, visit the Gym a couple of days a week, and still have the time to Blog. While there is no simple answer, my only advice is that if you commit to it you find a way to make it happen.

If you stop for a minute and break it down honestly, you will see you have more time then you would have thought. The below list was taken from my crossfit coach (slightly adapted),

There are 168 Hours in the Week

56 Hours of that should be sleep (8×7)

40 Hours of Work (8×5, average working week)

5 Hours commuting (1 hour a day)

10 hours Eating (just under 1.5 hours a day)

10 Hours Preparing (Cooking, Toilet/Shower, etc)

3 Hours Shopping (groceries and adhoc)

14 hours being Active (2 hours a day)

30 hours a week for Family time – on top of the above (5 hours a day)

But that doesn’t work for me?

While the Above is just a guide, it will look a little different for everyone. Work a longer week then that? that’s OK, have a longer commute? that’s OK too. The amount of time you need to allocate to weekly tasks may vary, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the time to do the things you are passionate about.

Make a Plan

Every day is different and we need to prioritise each day to make the most of it. You just need to make your list of priorities and make the time to get them done rather then sitting on the lounge.

Depending on whether or not you have all your ducks in a row, making a plan for the week might work, otherwise make a plan for each day. As a parent I know that even the best made plans can go haywire depending on (A) how well your child slept last night and (B) what side of the bed they woke up on. If you need to, adjust your plan on the run.

Do I spend 2 hours being active every day of the week? No. Do I work on my Blog every day of the week, I Try. Do I get 8 hours sleep every night? I don’t think I’ve had that since becoming a parent.

So when do I Blog?

Whenever I have free time! I’m not saying I write posts start to finish in one session each time. While that would be nice, it would also mean I get very little free time which if you look at the above isn’t true. Technology these days means I can blog just about anywhere from my smartphone. I record ideas as soon as I have them, I write when the creativity strikes, and I put the finishing touches on when I can sit and spend the time doing so.

The only way you can make time to do everything you want is to stop making excuses about why you didn’t do them.

It’s not always about having the time to do everything you want, Its about making the time. Don’t tell me “I don’t have the time”.

Being successful in the workplace isn’t just getting a promotion or a payrise (although thats always nice). Its about job satisfaction as well.

As a Dad, it can be tricky to maintain a healthy relationship with your family while being successful in the workplace as well. It really comes down to your short and long term goals.

I am currently in a new role in my workplace and trying to succeed in it. While also raising a toddler. What does that mean? It means there are going to be days I need to take off to look after a sick child. There are going to be days I need to leave work right on the dot because I need to pick him up from daycare. There are going to be days where I am a zombie because I was up all night. A good boss will understand this, but you need to be honest with them, also try to see it from their side every once in awhile and on your good days go over and above and this will outweigh the other days.

My longterm goal is based around raising my family, part of that is ensuring financial stability for their future. Short term goals include progressing into a role that is sustainable and helps ensure that financial stability. Along with maintaining healthy relationships with my family. While my goals have both a personal and professional side to them. I always try to put the personal above the professional. If I can achieve these goals I will feel like I am successful in the workplace. But again this is going to look different for everyone.

How will you know when you have achieved job satisfaction? When you jump out of bed in the morning ready and rearing for work. Just kidding, for those of us who aren’t traditionally morning people that will never happen, and for those of us who are parents, We will never be excited about going to work if we haven’t slept. I believe when you have achieved job satisfaction you will stop thinking about all the ‘what ifs’. What if you worked somewhere else? What if you hadn’t taken on that responsibilty? What if you didn’t work? You won’t be asking these questions because you won’t be worried about work and your spare time will be spent thinking about your family.

So set your goals and work towards them, but make sure you take your family along for the journey.