Balancing Dual Careers: Navigating the Challenges & Strategies for Success

I wrote this back in June... and I'm happy to report that I'm finally done with what kept me away for so many months, studying for the EPPP (psychology) licensing exam. It was a hard time, and I found this post I had started to write for the blog. However, I never finished it nor published it. I still feel I want to share it because it does capture how I felt at the moment. Not being able to dedicate myself responsibly to Aragma was something that was very difficult for me to manage. However, I pushed through and was able to balance it enough to keep Aragma on track and pass my exam.

Blog draft entry not published - date June 22nd 2022

Those who know me or who have been following my journey know that I'm always professing that one can pursue two different careers if you have discipline and passion. Although I still stand by this, there always comes a time when you have to choose one over the other. This is something that doesn't happen very often, but somehow THIS TIME it has become too stressful and too HARD! To the point that I thought of putting the website on hold and taking a break from my baby Aragma but my sisters did not allow it!

I feel that I have to be honest with you guys... because sometimes I think I make it look easier than what it really is. But in reality, I'm struggling A LOT! 

So, why has it become HARDER now? If I think about it, every time I've had to take a break from Aragma, I always had someone helping me in the studio. I was able to do my thing with my doctorate knowing there was someone helping me and keeping me updated back at work. However, some of you know that since December I've been working alone. My dear friend and coworker Naomi, who was with us since the inception of Aragma, decided to pursue other endeavors and, Evelyn, who joined us in May 2021, moved to Florida with her family. For a moment I decided to hire someone new, but it was difficult to find someone while my time was committed to studying and I decided to trust myself to handle it all. But, this has been the most difficult task and I'm not sure I can keep doing it anymore. I'm exhausted and feel like I'm done.

End of entry.

Because I'm out of that hellhole and able to think objectively about it all. I wanted to talk generally about pursuing a clinical psychology doctorate and a creative career at the same time and offer strategies that helped me and could help you if you're going through something similar. So this is my official post.

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Pursuing a clinical psychology doctorate and a creative career at the same time can be a challenging feat. Both fields require a significant amount of time and dedication, and finding a balance between the two can be difficult. However, with proper planning and time management, it is possible to pursue both passions simultaneously.

One of the primary challenges I faced when pursuing a clinical psychology doctorate and a creative career was time management. Doctoral programs in psychology often require a significant amount of time, energy, and focus. In addition, pursuing a creative career can be time-consuming as well. To manage these challenges, it was important for me to create a schedule and prioritize tasks. One strategy I used was to divide the week into blocks of time dedicated to each pursuit, allowing for dedicated focus on each area without neglecting the other. The Pomodoro clock, which is available free online, helped me stick to a schedule and ended up being the best strategy for managing time (I'm just sad it took me so long to discover it existed).

Another challenge is maintaining motivation and avoiding burnout. Balancing the demands of both fields can be overwhelming, leading to a lack of motivation and burnout, which was what happened to me. To manage these challenges, it is important to engage in self-care activities, such as exercise, meditation, and hobbies. It is also important to set realistic goals and celebrate accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem. It is also important to listen to your body and learn when to stop or say no to other plans.

Lastly, managing finances can also be a challenge when pursuing a clinical psychology doctorate and a creative career. Studying for a licensing exam when you can't work on your field can be very expensive, and pursuing a creative career may not always provide a steady income. To manage this challenge, it is important to create a budget and seek out financial resources such as grants, scholarships, part-time work, or help from family members.

In conclusion, pursuing a clinical psychology doctorate and a creative career at the same time can be challenging, but it is possible with proper planning, time management, self-care, goal-setting, and financial management. By implementing these strategies, I'm sure you can successfully pursue both passions and achieve your goals. Don't wait until you're burned out to make changes.

The image is from a trip I took in December to Switzerland & Paris. It was definitely me trying to focus on some self-care between all of the studying.