Work Life Balance- Does such a thing really exist?

This morning I received an email from my friend T. today thanking me for giving her a referral to a blogging program. At the end of her note she requested that I write a blog post about organization. I had to chuckle. Organization? Me? I need to ask for tips and pointers in this area myself. I am far from being organized. There are days when everything seems to fall into place for me and I go to bed with a sigh of relief. Then there are the days when I run around like a chicken with its head cut off and wonder what happened to the time and did I really get so little accomplished.

I know that what I need is balance. A life that is filled with a balance of work and play. Finding that balance as a mother and an entrepreneur is difficult. Working from home has benefits but there are seriously challenges to overcome too. I liken it to having adult ADD. Although I do not in actuality have this diagnosis, working on my computer all day (and sometimes night) it is very easy to get distracted. Ooooh what is that over there - it is pretty and sparkly and wait, what was I doing again? Confusion abounds and chaos and disorder are frequently the order of my day. Somehow I manage to get "things" done but honestly my to-do list continues to grow and rarely can I say that it is completely finished. I admit that many times I am totally overwhelmed and just don't see a way out from under all of my responsibilities. And sometimes, I fail. I fail to be the neatest housekeeper, I fail to get all of my work done, my son sometimes watches more television that I like to admit.

I recognize that my struggle is not mine alone. I think most mothers are trying to find a work life balance - even if their work is being a domestic engineer. I recently was given a lifeline when I met Victoria. She is one of the moms that I interviewed while working with The Motherhood as a correspondent for Kelloggs and Mom's Homeroom. I was awed by Victoria and all of her accomplishments. Victoria is an elementary school teacher and was awarded "teacher of the year" in 2007. She is also a single mother to 4 children. As I struggle to manage it all with one child and a husband I HAD to ask her how she does it all. Her response was simple "I don't."

Can we breath a collective sigh here? This accomplished woman simply decides to give herself a break and makes no apology for it. She told me that many mothers look at balance as a see saw that teeters from one side to another but in reality it is more like a Frisbee floating on the surface of a pool. The Frisbee dips and bends as gentle waves pass in the water. In essence, some days are better than others, accept it, do what you can and move on.

I have to say that her words echo in my psyche often. I am working on trying to dispel the myth of the Super Woman/Mom that all (or at least) many of us hold ourselves up to. It is not realistic or sustainable and in many instances it ends up being detrimental to our health. I think that we can all learn from Victoria's insights. When you have an opportunity stop by and listen to some of her words of wisdom, this woman never ceases to amaze me.