Clear Priorities Posted on October 22, 2007 Rachel Manber (bio) describes her approach to balancing work and family life.

My advice in general is to have very, very clear priorities. And until your kids come, you do not really know your priorities as well. Once your kid comes, you start having very clear priorities. If you have a clear priority, your life will be much easier, because it will allow you to make a decision that you need to make every day. If you have a conference that could really make you look wonderful and your child’s graduation, what would you choose?

So there are periods in my own personal career where I produced less, and I did it knowing full well what I am doing, because at that time it was more important for me to do something else, and that was to take care of my kids.

Sleep went down the tube for large periods of my life, even though I am a sleep researcher, because I did want to continue to be active in research, for my personal sense of self. So I would just come home early to be with the kids, chauffeur them or do the chauffeuring in such a way that I would always be the one to pick up so I will have a few more hours at work. And after the kids go to sleep, sit there and work until you drop.

So, that is an important piece of the balance, really having very clear priorities. It is knowing that you might be less productive during a period, but as long as you keep being dedicated to what you are doing, you will come back and you will be productive at a later time.

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