Guest Post: Life is nothing without balance by Hyacinth Tucker

July 25th, 2009

This guest post is provided by Hyacinth Tucker, a busy mother, personal finance representative and owner of The Tucker Agency.

Life is nothing without balance.

From the crack of dawn to the dead of night, I’m constantly on the go. My husband and I have two children, and with summer in full effect, keeping our schedules straight is quite a task. My daughter Jasmine just entered that glorious stage called “the terrible twos”, while my son Amir is fourteen and preparing for high school. So from daycare and doctors offices to rehearsal halls and athletic centers, the four of us never stop moving.

Those rare times the kids do not dictate the schedule, I must network. Besides the events I attend in the evenings, I am Vice President of the Crofton/Bowie Chapter of Business Networking International, and our 7am breakfast meetings are full of conversation. With an important leadership role at these lively gatherings, not being a morning person is not an option.

And oh yeah, I run my own insurance office.

The Tucker Agency, my pride and joy, is located in Crofton, Maryland. I have a little less than eight hundred clients, and they are all demanding and keep me on my toes. From planning marketing strategies to supervising my staff, my day is filled with decisions that could make or break my small business.

I know that every single one of you reading this has a similarly hectic schedule. Whether you check the “full time job” or “stay at home parent” box, I know you too are working at full speed ahead from morning until late at night.

So how do we do it? How do we pack 50 million things into one day?

Organizational systems are key to survival. Personally, I’ve never been good with internet planners and electronic devices. Just give me a traditional paper planner from Staples and a pen, and I can schedule myself through the worst. With two children and a business, I’m also a firm believer in ‘to do’ lists. Sometimes it’s not enough to have a planner spelling out where I should be at what time. Sometimes I need a reminder as to why I’m there and what I should bring to the table when I arrive.

But I don’t kid myself – I can’t do it alone. My wonderful husband and son help tremendously. They cook, clean, watch the baby, and most importantly, they give me that always-needed “down time,” support and love. My daughter helps in her own way too, providing joy and laughter as only a two year old can.

I encourage mothers in the Washington DC Metro area to organize, prioritize and socialize, and balance will follow. Prioritize your day to always include the people you love, and socialize to build the professional and personal networks of your dreams.

- Hyacinth Tucker

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