by Stephanie Hannah

If you’re like me, you’re passionate about having a career that challenges you and a family to share all of life’s accomplishments with. But, is there really an opportunity for both? More and more commonly individuals are experiencing difficulty being able to juggle both a demanding career and a growing family. It’s no surprise then that individual’s in the legal profession are experiencing the struggle. I’m currently a second semester paralegal student, and already I’ve learned the importance of time management and the value of time.

While the general consensus, is that finding the right balance between the two is difficult, individuals should remain optimistic that it is in fact possible. Nicole Garton- Jones in “The Myth of Work Life Balance in Law” summarizes it perfectly. It all stems down to personal choice. Individuals can choose to preoccupy their time meeting the demands of large law firms, or choose a career position that offers more flexibility.

Allison Wolf suggests that perhaps the choice is less about our performance accomplishments and more about what promotes our own personal growth. In “The Tyranny of Performance”, Wolf focuses on the aspect of personal enjoyment and one’s occupation, but too this factor can extend to family life. The basic premise is that, we should not lose sight of what attracted us to that choice in the first place, whether it’s in relation to one’s work or family life. It’s important to recognize and highlight the components of our career and family lives that really speak to our purpose and pleasures. It is when we’ve come to realize what we want out of our experiences that makes making our life choices a little bit simpler.

For myself, I aspire to have a career that is always testing my capabilities so that I can be the best version of myself. But I too know that the best version of myself will also be influenced by things just as, and if not more important than my career. And I will not sacrifice those just for a hefty pocket.

If you too struggle with trying to find a meaningful balance, perhaps these guidelines can too help you determine which choices are in your best interest.