Sport vs Family and Career
by M. Fekete Marcsi • May 3rd, 2023

How compatible is family with sport and career?

"wow, I don't know how you do that..." "... how do you fit so much into your life? " “…. what is the secret to having time for everything? "

I don't think I will cause any surprises by saying that the secret is family. The logistics of the life of our family of four already take a lot of time and energy for us. Not only me, but also our daughters and my husband are sports lovers. Everyone has found their love in this area and we really love to indulge in these pleasures. Our older daughter rides horses and does aerial gymnastics, the little one does rhythmic gymnastics and aerial gymnastics, dad is a fan of the gym in addition to small-field and long-field soccer, and I voted for running and gym training, and then we mustn't miss out on our dog, with whom we go for agility training we are going Yes, in addition to all this comes my husband's 24/7 shift work, the girls' school and my job 8 hours a day. But then how?

1. Logistics

Every weekend, my partner and I start writing the fixed events of the next week into the calendar belonging to our shared email address. I mark the activities of each member of the family with a different color. This is the point that takes the longest. This is when the monkey jumps into the water and we realize that what sounded good in our heads seems impossible and the brainstorming starts all over again. If you are clever, even two things can work at the same time. I run my training sessions several times while the girls are taking part in the separate English session. All in all, we quickly realized the beneficial effect of this thing, because after the blood professional's weekly family "schedule" is ready, my husband's phone also beeps an hour before the events and neither he nor I forget anything.

2. Flexibility

Unexpected developments can always arise (children get sick, prolonged meetings, modified shift schedules) that must be handled flexibly, and that's what plan B is for. In such cases, it is important to be able to quickly and intelligently prioritize what is urgent and what will be regrouped to another day of the week, or perhaps what you can combine so that everyone does the best. (e.g.: I went for a run, but my husband called me to say that he couldn't get home to the girls, the thought came immediately, cycling? The girls jumped on the saddle and I put on my running shoes and that's how we covered the distance together)

3. Self-discipline

Many things in life require self-discipline. To follow a long diet to reach your dream weight, or to get rid of a bad habit. Not only professional, but also amateur athletes need self-discipline, precisely because it is the ability to force yourself to do what you have to do and when you like it or not. Because I can be as tired as I am after work, or grumpy because the weather is overcast, if training is written in the calendar and I have no reason to postpone it, then I have to reach for this weapon. Yes, take it! Success can only be achieved by forcing ourselves to do the right things. It's an act done against our will, but you'll be grateful when you reach your goal that you didn't give up then. Now you can say you were never good at it. The good news is that self-discipline can be developed, so this should not be an excuse.

4. Help

If, despite all of this, it looks like you and your partner can't resolve things, feel free to ask for help! I've been in a situation where I called my siblings, grandparents, friends, and godparents all the time before I found help who was very happy to come to the girls while I went for that short "me time".

This is especially for those who struggle with everyday life as a single parent. I believe that you also have at least one or two acquaintances, friends or relatives in your environment who will lend a helping hand if you ask.

5. Balance

It is important to find and maintain a balance between family, sport and career. One should not hinder or hinder the other, one should be at the expense of the other. If you spend quality time with your family and give them all your attention during that time, they will not feel at all that they have been pushed into the background because of sports. And your career is essential for maintaining your family and managing your lifestyle. This triple balance will give you a harmonious life.

Are you wondering if all this is selfishness? There are certainly people who think so, but I think that much selfishness fits into it. Everyone needs me time, where they can relax physically, recharge mentally and spiritually, and perhaps become even more active in the rest of the day, even more energetic, patient, and creative than before. Or where is it written that we must sacrifice ourselves on the altar of parenthood and sweep everything else aside for the sake of this role?

How hard is it? It's not easy, BUT it's not impossible! If we were to compile a statistic among the competitors, how many mothers and fathers are there at the start, I think we would be surprised by the numbers. They didn't give up... Yet the people who win most of these famous sports results are those who don't even move at all. For laymen, this is just a 5km run with a few obstacles. They have long weeks of logistics, training, self-discipline, and endurance.

Sport vs Family and Career

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