
When I look back on where I was five years ago – earning a Certificate in Advanced Accounting Proficiency from Santa Clara University as a single mother to a one-year-old – I was only beginning to learn that time is one of the most valuable assets we have.
Nearly four years into my career, I understand how the way I structure and balance my time impacts those around me. When I first started at BDO, I pushed myself to excel in every arena and began racking up significant hours each week — but it wasn’t sustainable. So I took a step back to reassess my priorities outside of work: raising my daughter Taniya and spending quality time with family, but also taking care of myself.
At the end of each week, it’s important for me to know I’ve made meaningful contributions at work, spent time with people I love and practiced self-care. I know now that unless I accomplish those things and get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, I cannot show up as my strongest self for those who need me, both at work and home.
I now work a more balanced workweek to achieve this and take each Sunday to carefully schedule the week ahead to ensure I have enough time to spend with Taniya and on myself, using Outlook calendar blocks to map out my days. And throughout the week, I do a daily self-assessment and reflect in my journal to document progress of work/personal tasks and how I’m feeling overall.
Now that I’ve been fully working from home due to COVID-19, I also have greater flexibility in my day to spend time with Taniya. Since she knows I have meetings throughout the day, we schedule our own “meetings” for playtime and eat meals together so she understands she’s the most important part of my day.
Since your time is your most valuable asset, self-advocacy is key. At the end of the day, you and the people in your life are what matter most – so it’s important to prioritize accordingly.