Being a mom is tough work. Worthy and rewarding work, to be sure, but wow, do our kids make it challenging at times! And that’s only the parenting part of life…
There’s no on/off switch between work and family that lets us seamlessly transition from one to the other. The task is so complicated that figuring out how to navigate these seemingly opposing facets of our lives is the crux of the decades-old debate of “having it all,” and the answer usually falls within the coveted yet elusive category of “work-life balance.”
Melanie Marconi, founder of VIDA Coworking and single mom to an energetic six-year-old daughter, lays out why this oversimplification of being a parent is so problematic: “The common narrative about women’s lives is that we are trying to achieve some sort of ‘balance’ between ‘work’ and ‘life.’ But the truth is that we really only have ONE life — and one’s self, work, family, hobbies, and daily to do’s are all included in it. S0, instead of balance, I think it is more important to find ways to integrate all of these aspects of life to create one that is enjoyable, meaningful, and fulfilling for each individual.”
Rather than separating our lives into either/or in pursuit of “balance,” what if there were ways to more effectively meet our many disparate needs? VIDA, which will open later this year, aims to do just that.
Change the scenery
Moms are all too familiar with mental track-switching, and – unfortunately – how time can bleed in the process. Let’s face it, wiping a snotty nose or playing twenty straight minutes of peek-a-boo doesn’t exactly get you in the zone for finishing that big project you’ve been working on.
A good way to speed up progress when changing gears is to use environment as a trigger. VIDA fosters creativity and productivity by offering a calm, inviting, and consistent space to come to Get. It. Done. There are no clothes to put away, no just-discovered-messes to clean up, no crammed-in-the-corner desks to get stuck at. Just a quiet and friendly community of other folks carving out time and space to cross things off their to-do lists.
Childcare that works with you
Finding regular childcare for irregular hours can be a serious headache. VIDA has that covered with on-site childcare, so that you can get work done when you need to, for however long you need to, without spinning wheels about who needs to be where, when, and whether or not such-and-so is available. That’s one less thing on your plate – woohoo!
Treat Yourself
Sometimes being productive means giving yourself some extra-curricular TLC. That might mean growing your career with in-house coaching, attending continuing education events, getting someone to watch your little one(s) while you exercise, taking wellness classes, or attending speaker series. VIDA offers all these amenities right onsite, creating an environment that nurtures the whole person.
Be Seen
Navigating being a mom and everything else can be messy. Some days, everything just works, and other days you need serious help – but both types of days are okay (albeit, one is significantly more fun than the other). At VIDA, you’ll join a community of people who get it, and who are supportive regardless of the day in which you find yourself. There’s no work-life balance here – just life.
VIDA lives for that sigh of relief from a mom whose day just got a little easier, and that mom could be you!
VIDA opens later this year, and sign-ups are open now. For more information and to book your space, visit their website.
