By: Alyssandra Dunn

The lives people, male and female, in any demanding profession can prove to be very taxing and exhausting. The road to getting to these professions can be just as stressful. There are many times where the easiest way to get by is to get out and decide that maybe, just maybe this path is not for you. This is where you would be wrong.

Many people also believe that just writing a list and getting your priorities straight will get you back on track but that will not be enough. The articles that I read were very informative of different ways that a person can juggle their work life as well as their personal lives, which I like to refer to as baggage; the stuff that you carry around with you all day no matter how busy your life may be.

In one post written by Jatrine Bentsi-Enchill, J.D. CPCC it spoke of determining your values and priorities. I believe that this was one of the most important factors in determining your fate and juggling the baggage you carry on a day to day basis. What are your priorities? For me, in no specific order, paying my bills, getting to classes, supporting my boyfriend, going to my internship, working at my part time job, seeing my family and friends, and watching “The Hobbit” as I write this post.

Priorities in check, I think. But with a full course load and two jobs, making a list of priorities doesn’t seem like enough especially when the other articles wrote about my future as a parent in the legal profession. It seems daunting that I would have to deal with all of life’s baggage now plus have another life dependent on me?? No wonder half of them move on to another career. 

What did help was to know that those who decide to persevere are actually successful in their endeavors and move on to becoming partners in their firm or chose different paths but keeping within the legal profession as stated by Julie Stauffer. And I hate to say this as a female, it’s is nice to know that both genders experience, albeit different struggles, but struggles all the same, while trying to juggle their family and personal lives with their professional lives.

However, as expressed in the article published in the Law Times, it is sad to see that gender is still an issue with males taking a greater interest in their personal lives rather than only striving for a large and in charge career.

As I said before though, it is more than just stating your priorities. As a person who has a lot on her plate at all times, it is about setting goals, it is about setting time limits for when things need to get done, sitting down and multi-tasking, and watching you favourite movie on a Sunday night when you are studying.