Of Motherhood and Work…

Motherhood marks a milestone in both my personal and professional life. Both at work and home, I feel like I am a totally new person. Many women have approached in private with apprehensions on work-life balance. And I thought thru this article, I can bring forth a few things that change in a working woman once she becomes a mother.

1. I value my work even more: My little one was 6 months old when I rejoined work force. The maternal feelings in me didn’t want to let go of the bliss of staying with baby all day long. Yet I knew that working was more than just a way to make a living. It makes me a more all-rounded person. At work , my closest colleagues and bosses have been people who inspire me to try something new. The network at office keeps you updated.

While the smiles and coos of the little one make me happy at home, the time at work has to be meaningful too. I look for a bigger picture at work. If I can’t find it, I know that it is time to move on. Becoming a mother has ensured that while I exceed expectations of my workplace, the workplace also needs to deliver to my high expectations.

2. Time is the most valued resource: There used to be a pre-motherhood time when I would spend socializing with colleagues. Long breakfasts and multiple chais was almost an everyday thing for me. I definitely didn’t mind the longer hours I needed to stay at work due to this.

As soon as I joined back work I was very clear that time is the most precious resource, I work like I am on a mission. I still chat with my colleagues, socializing is a part of being at work really but I know never to go overboard with it. I am usually the first to come to office and have a target time in mind to leave. My focus on completing work on time has added to my productivity.

3. I chose not to “work like a man”. Enough said.

4. Learning to trust: For any working women it is important that she learns to trust her support system at home and at work. There is no way that any woman can achieve everything that she is supposed to unless she learns to let go. Sure, I can micromanage work and home. But clearly, that won’t make me good at anything. I compartmentalize problems into important and not so important and have simply learnt to tackle on the ones that really bother me. Ability to trust others makes everyone’s life a bit easier.

5. I correct myself against biases: It is very easy to form judgements based on stereotype. Today as a working mother, I am sure it is easy to be biased against me as well. I definitely can’t change the way others think. But every time I make a snap judgement on someone — I wonder if it is really true or is this just a bias. We humans are hypocrites — all of us are. Just accepting it is the first step to treating others well.

As I write this article I can think of many other things that have changed in me as a person. But I think these are genuinely the top 5.There are days when I look at my single friends on 10 day treks and I feel like running away for them. Then there are days when I look at mothers who give their children more time and I feel like skipping work. I succumb to none of the two.

Women are expected to be super humans; and truth be told; we are! If we could help each other even more than what we currently do — no glass ceiling can hold us back.

About me: My name is Garima Mamgain. I have 8+ years of work experience marketing, sales and technology experience across sectors such as telecom, banking and automobiles. I am an MBA (IIM Lucknow) but am an engineer at heart (B.E from Mumbai University). I usually share my thoughts and interesting articles on marketing, technology and books that I read. You could follow me on twitter @garimamamgain or connect with me on LinkedIN.