Written by Mani Ardalan Farhadi, Senior Associate and Thought Leader who recently led an interactive workshop on Work/Life Balance at the Equity by Design (EQxD)Symposium. 

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You know those moments when you wonder just how you’re going to get everything done? It happens to me all the time. Last Wednesday, I got 2 hours of sleep before waking up to finish a client presentation, wrap 4 presents, swing by a bakery, and throw a baby shower for a fellow volunteer, all before starting work at 9am. The day followed with a 2-hour conference call, a mad dash to grab a bite, eating lunch while driving an hour to the client meeting, leading the discussions, then driving back for an hour towards home and catching the end of my son’s volleyball scrimmage. This doesn’t happen every day (thank goodness!), but this kind of busy day is relatively common for working women like myself.

For reasons important to me, I’ve chosen to lead a triple life as a manager, a mother, and a mentor - three people existing in a parallel universe. Choosing to balance all three sides has its share of sacrifices, and it requires staying flexible, but it comes with the satisfaction of knowing I’m filling every moment with what I want to be doing.

Here are ten tricks that allow me to serve those multiple roles.