The 5 Ps of Balancing Family & Career

Mariola Czarniak
Dec 9, 2025
3 min read

How has it felt to spend this extra, unexpected time at home—with the people who matter most?

For me, the early days brought a quiet tug-of-war. Balancing work, family, and the ever-present desire to “do it all right” stirred a familiar sense of guilt.

Was I supposed to be building my business?

Homeschooling my children?

Creating unforgettable, meaningful memories in the midst of chaos?

The truth is… our families don’t arrive with instruction manuals.

But that conversation deserves its own moment.

What I do know is this: within every circumstance, especially the uncomfortable ones, there is always a seed of opportunity waiting to be claimed. And when I looked closely at this season of life, I found mine.

I leaned into what I now call the 5 Ps—a simple yet powerful structure that helped me bring harmony, joy, and intention into a full household while still leading and growing my business:

Perspective. Proactive. Patient. Presence. Playful.

These five shifts transformed my home, my workflow, and my emotional state—and they may just unlock something powerful for you, too.

Perspective

Conflict is inevitable in any relationship. What strengthens (or weakens) it isn’t the conflict itself but it’s how we navigate it. Staying open to different perspectives helps pull you out of the day-to-day details and reconnect you to the bigger picture.

The next time you feel tension rising, try these simple prompts to shift your perspective:

Hit pause.
Count to 10… or 20… or 100. When emotions settle, your rational mind can reset.
Switch roles mentally.
Even when you’re frustrated, attempting to understand the other person’s experience expands your emotional range and increases empathy.
Become the “fly on the wall.”
Imagine watching the interaction from the outside. It helps you see the full context—not just your angle.

Be Proactive

Ask yourself: “What’s my outcome for today or this week for business and for magical family moments?”

Identify your top outcomes, then block the time to complete them. This simple action transforms a “To-Do List” into a “Desired Result List,” which naturally pulls you into action.

Just because you can do everything doesn’t mean you should.

Patience

To activate your patience, especially with kids, here is the “30-second chill-pill exercise” I use:

Close your eyes and place a hand on your heart.
Flood yourself with magical memories: the day they were born, moments that made you laugh, moments that surprised you, the reasons you’re grateful for them.
Then say: “Open your heart before you open your mouth.”

Put a smile on your face. In 30 seconds, you shift into the role model your children need.

Presence

We’ve heard it for years: quality over quantity.

But the real power comes when you intentionally create both.

For me, presence begins with blocked time. Once something is inked in my calendar, especially when I give it a fun name like “Magical Family Hour” or “Crushing Project X”—I naturally want to honor it. Naming it makes it enjoyable before it even happens.

Once it’s in the calendar, it becomes a non-negotiable commitment to be present.

I also use environment triggers to anchor my state:

When I’m working, I turn on my salt lamp to remind myself to be on—productive, creative, in contribution.

For family time, I leave all devices in my office and spend the first few minutes in full connection: eye contact, curiosity, presence.

I involve my kids in designing non-negotiable rituals too like shared meals, evening prayer, gratitude. I even give them permission to hold me accountable. They’re the best accountability coaches on the planet.

Playful