I am not, however, quite sure how I feel about this one.
Just read the excerpt below, about how Juliet de Baubigny, a venture capitalist in San Francisco and a mother of two, spends her regular day:
I'm an early bird—so I try to seize "Juliet time" first thing in the morning. I get up between 5:30am - 6am and quickly scan my email. Then my priority is exercise. If I can work out each day, I'm a really happy person. And let's face it, if you are getting up on a cold morning in the dark it had better be fun. I've found that having a trainer come to my house on a Monday really motivates me—she's knocking at the front door so going back to sleep is NOT an option. This way, my body clock adjusts after the weekend and I'm more inclined to commit to workouts each day during the week. I'm currently obsessed with the Tracy Anderson Method and do the Perfect Design DVD three times a week. I even take the DVD traveling! On cardio days, I use the elliptical or spin bike for 30 minutes (including lots of sprints). I bring my iPad and use the Flipboard app to curate my social media (Facebook, Twitter and categories that are important to me: business, technology, style, design, fashion). The iPad is a lifesaver for me: in 30 minutes, I have read everything that I need to start my day!
Breakfast: super important and always super-rushed with the pressure of everyone being out of the door at 7:45am. I really make a point of sitting down with my children—even if it's for 15 minutes. A great time saver is to make steel cut oatmeal, put it in a ceramic bread loaf pan and slice it each morning, add a drizzle of maple syrup, milk and 45 seconds in the microwave—healthy breakfast in seconds and I can make it last over 3 - 4 days! In the summer, I start the day with a protein smoothie, which can be made in minutes (a handful of organic berries, a large scoop of Greek yogurt, a squirt of flaxseed oil, 2 scoops of protein powder, organic pomegranate or cranberry juice and blend). If I'm really in a rush I have a Shaklee vanilla shake. I always try to take the Shaklee multivitamin strip + iron, which comes pre-packaged, to save time. This way breakfast takes a few minutes to make and I have the time to talk to my children about their day.
Hair: A great time saver is to have a weekly blow out. This means that you don't need to wash your hair each day—the time that you save with a blow out can save you minutes in the morning.
Makeup: I was given an amazing present of a makeup lesson with Wallet Lubrich. She taught me how to do my daily makeup in 5 minutes. No joke, I can dress, do my make up and be out the door in 15 minutes.
I always make a point of doing the school run in the morning. It's a really important moment in my day. This fall, my children started at the same school, which is such a time saver for me. Our 15 minute drive together is treasured time and I really feel that we all start our day on the right foot.
My Day: Is a blur from the minute that I arrive in the office but that's how I like it. I have the benefit of an amazing assistant, without whom I could not make it happen (Thank you, thank you, Diane). My day is packed back-to-back from the moment that I arrive until the moment that I leave. When I'm driving to a meeting, I bring a call list with me so that I can quickly return calls. On a Friday afternoon, I'm given the list of outstanding calls/topics/decisions that I need to make over the weekend. I carve out key moments during the weekend to do emails and return calls. During other windows, I turn my Blackberry off so that I can focus 100% on my children and my husband.
6pm - 7:30pm is family time, as many nights of the week as I can make it. Conference calls happen before or after that window, same for email. Giving 100% attention and quality time to my children is key, particularly when I've been out at work all day.
Bed: By 10:30—if I can!
Sunday nights: Always, always family dinner. It's super fun now that the children are older. We do everything together—we plan the menu, often going to the farmer's market the day before, prepare the food, set the table, cook together and clean up. It's our ritual. After the children are in bed, I print out the family calendar for the week. It has all the activities and schedule, and I put it in on the board in the kitchen so that everyone knows who is where and where they are supposed to be!
Geez, I know self discipline is a virtue, and I do dream that I can be successful like her one day, making big bucks while having a perfectly balanced family life. But to get up at 5:30 every morning and be in bed by 10:30? Every day? Do I have to be a robot or what? What's more, this life just doesn't seem FUN to live at all. (Sorry Mrs. de Baubigny, I know you had tried really hard to make it sound otherwise...)
Don't get me wrong. I admire Juliet de Baubigny for being such a super woman and I have mad respect for the energy and self discipline that she possesses and displays. (Google her up and you'll see that she has an amazing sense of style too!) Seriously, in an ideal world, I wish I could be like her. (BTW, have you noticed that most successful executives do seem to have the habit of getting up really early in the morning and going for either a run or a workout before coming in the office?) But then, if this is what it takes to have both a successful career and a loving family, I guess I'm just not cut out for it. I love being able to hit the snooze button a few times before struggling to get up. I love staying up late to cuddle with my honey on the couch and watch The Big Bang Theory together. And when I have kids, I would love to spend as much time with them as possible, and be spontaneous and fun, rather than planning my time with them like a clockwork.
There's nothing I would trade for the little pleasures in my life.
