How Athletes, Moms, and Creatives Manage Multiple Roles
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about balance. Between preparing for motherhood, growing a business, and keeping up with my training, life feels like a constant balancing act. Almost like a tightrope. Some days I feel like I’ve found my rhythm, and other days I’m just doing my best to keep the pieces from falling all around me like a poorly-played game of Jenga.
The older I get, the more I realzie it’s not about giving everything equal share of time and energy, all the time. It’s not always going to look like perfect harmony where everything fits neatly. It’s more about choreographing a fluid dance between energy, priorities, and grace.
I’ve always been fascinated by women who seem to move through life like a perfectly timed baton-hand off. One moment they’re lacing up for a run before sunrise, the next they’re on a work call, and later they’re helping with homework or brainstorming creative projects at the kitchen counter. Somehow, they manage to hold all these roles without dropping the baton and disqualifying the entire team completely.
I used to think balance was about keeping everything equal. But over time, and through conversations with ambitious women I deeply admire, I’ve realized it’s more about rhythm than symmetry. It’s about knowing when to push and when to pause, when to give energy and when to protect it.
When Life Becomes More Like a Triathlon Than a Marathon
Recently I spoke with a few women who embody this juggling act beautifully. They are simultaneously living out their days as athletes, moms, and creatives who somehow make it all look effortless (even though, shocker, it’s not).
One marathoner I spoke to said she treats her days like training blocks. “Some weeks I can sprint,” she told me, “and other weeks I’m just trying my best maintain decent mileage. Since having my son, I have had to learn and accept that it’s okay to slow down every once in a while. I like to think that’s me maturing.”
That line stuck with me. Because whether you’re running actual miles or just running through your to-do list, the art of pacing applies to everything. And to be honest, pacing has never been my strong-suite. Something I’ve always needed to work on.
Another woman, a full-time creative and mom of three, shared that she plans her week like a coach might plan a practice. Mondays are for heavy lifts, creative strategy, writing, and design, when her energy is highest. Fridays are her recovery days, filled with lighter admin work, errands, and time to reset with her family.
It’s the same logic many athletes use. We know when we are our strongest and use that to our advantage. Some people know they are sprinters and the start is where we shine. Other’s are better at conserving their energy for the long run, kicking it at the finish line after 26 miles with .2 to go.
Energy, Not Time, Is the Real Resource
I’ve learned that balance has less to do with how much time we have and more to do with how we delegate our resources and energy.
Some of us are morning runners and morning thinkers. That’s when ideas flow and motivation peaks. That’s the case for me, at least.
Others don’t hit their stride until later in the day. After work miles, classes, and practice are the sweet spot that allow for greater concentration, release, and productivity.
The key is to build your schedule around your natural rhythm, not force yourself into someone else’s. This took me a long time to understand and implement. But once I did, it changed the game signifigantly!
Time blocking helps, but energy blocking might be an even better technique.
Think of it as reserving your best mental miles for your hardest creative work. Then, when the tank runs low, shift into activities that refuel you, movement, time outdoors, a walk with your dog, or even a quiet moment with your coffee and journal.
Because remember, rest is part of the equation too.
Letting Go of the Guilt
Every woman I talked to said the same thing: balance doesn’t mean doing everything perfectly. It means doing what’s most important right now and letting the rest wait until you have the energy and focus to do it well.
There are seasons for hustle and seasons for rest. Times when your work needs you more, and times when your family does. You don’t have to feel guilty when one area takes center stage for a while. Balance is fluid, it shifts, moves, and changes shape as we do.
Now, when I think about my own balance, I picture it less like a tightrope and more like a seesaw. It tips back and forth. Some days I feel grounded. Other days I’m hanging on for dear life. But it always evens out eventually.
A Toolkit for the Balancing Act
Here are a few tools and reminders that have helped me stay centered through the chaos:
- Time block your focus hours. Schedule your most creative or high-energy work during your peak windows. Whenever that may be. Morning, evening, night. Nap times, carpool lanes, lunch hours. Protect them fiercely.
- Put Your Prioroties on the Calendar. This includes exercise and rest. Block that time and keep it sacred and non-negotiable. If you know you need that hour in the morning to go to Pilates or that hour at lunch to walk the dogs, block it and stick to it like you would any other commitment.
- Batch similar tasks. Group meetings, emails, or creative work together so you stay in one mental lane. Trying to go from meeting to creative to meeting again is like juggling with a sword, a ball, and a bag of sand. Keep things grouped and batched for greater focus.
- Move daily. Even if it’s short. Movement clears the clutter in your mind and refuels your motivation. My best thoughts come while on the bike, on a run, or walking the dogs. There’s something about moving your body and giving yourself permission to think freely without interuption that allows the mind to explode with optimism and clarity.
- Create a “done” list. Instead of always staring at what’s left on your to-do list, celebrate what you actually accomplished. It builds momentum. I create a list each week in Notion and leave the items I finish on there (crossed off). Still visible so I see- yes! I did all that even though there’s still some things to do.
- Build in margins. Leave space between projects, workouts, or family commitments. White space allows you to breathe. I can’t emphasize this enough.
- Be kind to yourself. You can’t sprint every lap of every day. And that’s okay.
Balance isn’t about doing it all. It’s about doing what matters when you can. And allowing yourself to lead with heart and intention in the areas of your life that matter most.
The analogy that comes to mind often is the juggler with glass and rubber balls. Know what your glass balls are. The ones you can’t drop or else it will break. And the rubber balls that will bounce right back, even if you miss a few pickups.
We all juggle roles, responsibilities, and passions. We all drop a few balls here and there. But if there’s one thing athletes, moms, and creatives have in common, it’s this:
We get back up, find our rhythm, and keep moving forward, one steady step at a time.
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