A Circus Act

In embarking on this new pursuit of an MBA, we have added a daunting load to an already full plate. I have been frustrated over the past several weeks at the increasingly chaotic but few evening hours spent together at home. This situation has caused some strain on everyone in our house. I knew that starting school would be difficult, but it has posed some unique challenges that are a drain on my physical energy. I find myself exhausted when I get home and not just from the day, but more from looking ahead to the evening and knowing that the short time spent with my family is not strengthening them in any way.

I spent some time discussing a plan for change with my wife. I told her that I appreciated her sacrifices and that I was going to focus on expressing appreciation for her first and foremost. I decided that our time together at home could be improved by organizing more structured time when we were all together. I expected this to enable us to be more productive as a family and also ensure that we could be involved in activities that would strengthen our children and each other rather than give them more stress.

In developing a plan, I recognized that my frustration stemmed from the fact that I was often not living my core values in my daily behaviors. In some ways this realization was refreshing because it served as an indicator of where my family stands within my value system. I decided that despite being stretched on available time, I could consciously allocate my energy within the constrained times to the area of my life that mattered most – my family, and perhaps I could minimize some of the frustration that we all were feeling. One of my incorrect underlying assumptions has been that by virtue of being home together, we are being strengthened.

In reviewing our initial renewed efforts, it has been very refreshing to look back on a week that has not gotten any less busy, but to feel like we have had ample focused time where we have connected as a family. Dealing with competing commitments will be a constant battle, however, I am committed to changing our home environment to be more productive. I also have found it challenging to arrange time to plan productive family time. It is very easy to allow these competing commitments to infringe on my top priorities. I am working to organize more time to read together, to listen, and talk about the day. It is exciting to see the renewed energy within each member of my family as we work to embrace these changes together.