In today’s busy world, we all strive to find a balance between success, personal growth, and happiness. But how do we manage to juggle everything—work, family, and personal time—without feeling overwhelmed?
With this interview, I start a series of interviews where I’ll explore how different people successfully organize their lives to focus on what truly matters. It’s not about offloading our responsibilities but about ensuring that, even in our busy lives, our children and loved ones feel cared for and prioritized.
Finding Balance: Managing Family, Career, and Personal Time
During my visit to Cyprus, I had the opportunity to interview an inspiring and fascinating person. Marina Kamaeva is a well-known blogger, Mrs. Globe 2024, a mother of four beautiful children, and a highly successful dancer. She’s also a writer and the creator of online courses for women. She lives in Cyprus in a large, beautiful house with a swimming pool and a garden.
What caught my attention was her productivity and impressive management skills, which have helped her succeed in every aspect of her life.
As a professional organizer and productivity consultant, I was eager to learn Marina’s tools and techniques for creating a system for her family and achieving her goals.
We sat down to talk about how she easily balanced her various roles and responsibilities. Marina shared with me some of the strategies she uses in her day-to-day life to stay organized and maintain harmony within her household.
Our conversation started with a simple question:
- Do you consider your domestic life organized?
- Yes, my daily routines are well-organized.
Marina’s confidence in her organizational abilities was evident. But with such a full plate—managing a household, caring for her children, and pursuing her career—I was curious about how she balances it all.
- What kinds of daily routines do you delegate, and what do you leave as your responsibility?
- I have one domestic helper who does cleaning, washing, and ironing. I partially delegated cooking responsibilities. On weekdays, the assistant mainly cooks for the children, and on weekends and school holidays, I cook myself.
I think this is a very reasonable decision—your loved ones and children are so happy when you treat them to your cooking. But when it’s not a daily routine but instead a special treat, it becomes even more enjoyable for everyone. I do the same—I love spending my free time with my children, focusing on my responsibilities, hobbies, work, my husband, and, of course, travel.
- Do you find it enjoyable to complete your obligations?
- I enjoy taking care of my children and consider it my duty. I need to transport my children to school and classes myself. Our communication now is vital for the children and me. We were surprised by this.
She very mindful of maintaining routines and keeping things organized, so I was curious about how she handled the practical side of things at home. I wanted to dive deeper into the specific systems and strategies she uses to manage her household efficiently, covering everything from storage solutions to how her children contribute to the daily routine.
- Have you set up any specific storage systems in your home?
- I read a lot about this, but my house has no particular system. It doesn’t bother me much, but perhaps the storage could be more convenient. But I haven’t looked into it yet.
- Have you experienced any organizational difficulties in your daily life?
- I can’t say I have any significant challenges, but convenient storage could be found for some categories, such as office supplies, small children’s supplies, toys, Legos, and gadgets.
- With four wonderful kids, do they help out around the house?
- Yes, they help unload the dishwasher, vacuum, clean up after the cat, feed it, clean the yard, wipe the dust, and make the bed if they have time. Children always put dirty laundry away to wash, and there is never anything lying around the house. I teach all my children to clean up after themselves.
- Who is responsible for keeping your kids’ rooms tidy?
- The children do touch-up cleaning. And my helper does the deeper cleaning.
Marina’s focus on her children’s independence is impressive, from dedicated study spaces to managing their routines. I wanted to explore how this sense of responsibility plays into other areas of her household.
- Do your children have a dedicated place for work and study?
- Yes, each child is provided with their room and workplace.
- Are your children familiar with the study management process?
- All children do their homework independently. Even the youngest child knows what tasks he needs to complete and when.
- At what age should the kids start managing their daily routines independently?
- Gordey is almost eight, and he’s already figuring out what he needs to do and how to maintain order. It’s more about pampering and playing from seven to seven. And from the age of seven, you can already do this consciously.
Marina’s focus on her children’s independence is impressive, from dedicated study spaces to managing their routines.
Knowledge Gaps in Parenting Challenges
Many parents may not be fully aware of the challenges that children with ADHD or other developmental difficulties face. In fact, many don’t even realize these conditions exist, and when they encounter kids with ADHD on the playground or in social settings, they often don’t know what it is or how to respond appropriately. This gap in understanding highlights the need for educational outreach on these topics to ensure that all children—regardless of their challenges—are supported in reaching their potential.
With this in mind, I was curious to hear Marina’s perspective on how she handles responsibility and independence within her household.
- Have you heard about the term “executive functional skills”?
- No, I have not heard such an expression. I understand this expression: you say what to do, and someone does it.
Executive functions are a set of cognitive abilities necessary for controlling and automated behaviour. These abilities allow us to draw up an action plan, follow it, control the process, adjust the plan, and achieve our goals. This set of features is important because we use it every day.
- So, do you take time to develop these skills with children?
- I understand this expression: you say what to do, and the children do it. So, we talk about setting priorities, like ensuring homework is finished before playtime. These skills will be beneficial as they grow older.
- In your opinion, does your success depend on discipline and executing the tasks you have set forth?
- For children and adults, almost all success depends on discipline, planning, goal setting, motivation and inspiration.
- What do you know about ADHD?
- I know this is due to changes in the child’s development. I know about this superficially, but I wasn’t particularly interested.
ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that often appears as early as childhood, although, for many, it persists into adulthood. People with ADHD have difficulty concentrating, organizing themselves, controlling impulses, and may be overactive. If left untreated, these symptoms can interfere with personal development, school, and work.
- What personality traits and skills have helped you achieve self-actualisation and success in raising your kids?
- Discipline, willpower, patience, following a clear plan through tears and “I can’t”, and vision of the goal are essential. But for me, the most important thing is motivation and inspiration. If I have motivation and inspiration, then I can do anything.
Motivation and inspiration are not fixed; they come and go. However, discipline, seeing a goal, and following a plan help one stay afloat between inspiration’s arrivals. People who know how to manage themselves and stay on track to achieve a goal can get the highest results.
- Thank you so much for your time and answers. It was fascinating and inspiring.
- You’re welcome. Thanks for having me.
As you can see, Marina has a clear strategy for achieving her goals and a conscious approach to parenthood and family responsibilities. The secret of her success is evident—productivity in all life processes helps build a path to success. Here, it is essential to remember that this success was not always. Like all of us, there were difficulties, but it was precisely those skills and qualities that Marina talked about that helped her achieve her goals.
We can identify some significant points similar to those of anyone on the way to achieving their goals. However, I want to emphasise that your journey is unique, and creating your path toward success is so important.
A professional life coach might be beneficial if you are still determining your superpower or how to set priorities and maintain balance in your life.
