The Summer Juggle: Business, Leadership and Family

My girls have already been off school for over a week and I'm already knee-deep in the summer juggle.

Like so many working parents, I'm trying to keep clients happy while making lunches, organising beach trips, planning days out, answering emails between ice creams and somehow staying on top of the washing mountain that seems to double overnight.

Some days I genuinely wonder where the hours go.

I absolutely love spending this extra time with my girls. These are the memories they'll remember, and I know how lucky I am to have the flexibility to build my business around family life. But if I'm honest, there are moments when it feels like I'm living two completely different lives at once.

One minute I'm in a coaching session helping a client navigate a major leadership decision. The next I'm searching for goggles, applying suncream or trying to negotiate whose turn it is to choose the next activity.

Sound familiar?

Whether you're running a business, leading a team or juggling a demanding career, summer doesn't press pause on your responsibilities. The emails still arrive. The meetings still happen. The deadlines don't disappear just because the school holidays have started.

We need to stop chasing perfect balance

I've spent over 25 years in business, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that balance isn't something you achieve once and then keep forever. It shifts.

Some days work needs more of you. Other days your family does. Occasionally, you need to put yourself at the top of the list too. The problem is that so many of us still expect ourselves to perform at 100% in every area of life, all at the same time.

We want to be fully present parents, brilliant leaders, supportive partners, attentive friends, organised homemakers and somehow find time to exercise, eat well and drink enough water (I've never achieved all of these at one time!).

No wonder we feel exhausted. But perhaps the answer isn't trying harder, maybe it's changing the expectation.

Three things I'm reminding myself this summer

1. Decide what matters most today

Some days my priority is delivering brilliantly for a client. Other days it's putting my laptop away early and heading to the beach with my girls. Both are valuable and deserve my full attention. But trying to do everything at once usually means I don't do anything particularly well and I just end up feeling incredibly stressed, overwhelmed and irritable.

2. Lower the standards that don't really matter

Here's an honest confession. My house is nowhere near as tidy during the school holidays and I just pray no-one just 'pops round' without giving me prior warning.

The washing basket wins most days and occasionally I put the organic recipes aside and reach for the chicken nuggets.

And do you know what? Nobody is going to look back on this summer remembering whether the kitchen worktops were sparkling. They'll remember the laughter, the beach days and the ice creams. Sometimes 'good enough' really is good enough.

3. Give yourself the same grace you give everyone else

As women, we're often brilliant at encouraging everyone around us. We tell our friends they're doing an amazing job, reassure our colleagues, celebrate our children's efforts. Yet we're often far harsher on ourselves.

This summer, try speaking to yourself the way you would your best friend. You'll probably find she's doing far better than she gives herself credit for.

A note for female leaders

If you're leading a team, this is also a good time to remember that your people may be juggling far more than you realise.

Behind the Teams call or across the office might be someone who's been up since 6am entertaining children, arranging childcare, negotiating holiday clubs or wondering how they're going to cover the next six to eight weeks.

That doesn't mean standards should disappear or performance shouldn't matter. They absolutely do. But great leadership isn't just about driving results. It's about understanding the reality your people are working in and creating an environment where they can still do their best work.

It might mean thinking a little more creatively about flexibility, outcomes and trust, rather than assuming everyone has the same capacity they do in October. It means checking in with people, asking how they're doing and genuinely listening to the answer.

The leaders people remember aren't necessarily the ones who expected perfection, they're the ones who combined high standards with humanity. Because kindness and commercial success aren't opposites. In my experience, they go hand in hand.

The bigger picture

One of the things I talk about most with my coaching clients is that self-leadership isn't about controlling every situation. It's about responding intentionally to the season you're in.

Summer is just that – a season. There will be less routine and more spontaneity, and that's okay.

Success isn't measured by how many boxes you tick this summer, it's measured by building a life where your business supports your life, rather than the other way around.

So if you're feeling stretched, you're not alone. I'm right there with you.

So while trying to grow your business or excel in your career, as well as raise great humans, make sure you remember to enjoy the sunshine. And maybe, just maybe, that's enough...