Don’t forget your love life being busy at your work

I feel like we have all been there at one point or another. The place in adulthood where we can’t find enough time in the week to make a living and spend quality time with our loved one. I think many Black millennial women can relate to the feeling that working non-stop to climb the corporate latter is much more important than a date night with your mate. Because honestly, the thought of slacking or delivering mediocre work as a Black woman in today’s society is just not an option.

But, it’s important to also consider that being a mediocre partner is equally unacceptable. However, if you are passionate about your career and your life, you must find ways to balance the two.

These are the best ways to find balance in your career and love life

Prioritize

In life, you will feel that your work or relationship demands more from you at that specific moment. But knowing how to assess which one needs urgent attention at that time is essential. The easiest way to prioritize without your mate or your work being neglected is effective communication. If you have deadlines that you cannot miss at work and you know you will be on-call for the upcoming week, communicate that to your partner in case something comes up. In the same fashion, if you know your partner has an important week coming up and needs your support, communicate to your employer that you will not be available during that time. Realize that your partner and your work are both priorities and you must handle them carefully.

You should first decide what is best for you, then communicate to your mate where they fall on your priority list. It does not mean you have to sacrifice on or the other, it simply means that you have to adjust. If you build a good foundation for both, it will be easier for you to succeed and make each relationship flourish.

Date Nights

Love and romance is always important for relationship building; and men are actually quite simple. You can arrange some date nights to keep your relationship spicy. Showing your man that he is always being loved by you lets him know that he is needed and appreciated. If you are spending your weekdays working tirelessly and want to rest on weekends, that leaves very little time to nourish your relationship.  Reserving at least 1 night a week to give your full attention to your mate is a great start.  

Compartmentalize

Having a loving relationship and successful career both are important. You can manage them by keeping them separate. This means that if you are at work, you must focus completely on your work and complete your tasks efficiently. If you work brilliantly and complete your tasks proficiently during work hours, you will certainly have enough time to spend with your loved one without the stress of work.

And when you are spending time with your other half, you must give your complete attention and time towards him. Do not talk about the current work projects and don’t tell him about the latest gossip involving your colleagues.  Talk about things that you both love to discuss. Completely disconnect from work to make your time together a beautiful memory.

Time Management

Successful working Black women know that you must know time management to succeed in accomplishing projects at work. Time management is also important in your life overall. Create a plan and stick to it. I know, I know… life throws so many obstacles at you and sometimes things just do not go according to plan. That is okay, still create a plan and do your best to stick to it. Set a time for self-care, pampering, resting, working, and spending time with your lover,  and do everything you can to not deviate. If you have children, invest in a nanny to help you with caring for your child. This could be a family member or friend.

The bottom line is this. I think we often put so much emphasis on our career and education that we forget to give our partners that same energy and commitment. And then we wonder why it’s not working. Having both a successful career and a successful relationship are equally important and require dedication and attention to thrive.

What are some things that help you balance your career and relationship?