I know I’m not the only one. I hear other mothers echoing the same sentiment!
Between work schedules, sports schedules, homework, and appointments, it’s hard to get everything done. However, there are a few things you can focus on to manage your time better and get a little more accomplished.
Time Management Tips for Busy Moms
1.) Plan ahead.
Preparation is key. Prepare for the week ahead on the weekends, and the night before for each day.
On the weekend, I focus on my planner, making sure I know what is going on all week. I also meal plan and meal prep. (Don’t worry, if you hate meal prep, I have another easy solution – which is what I use!)
One of the simplest things I do to help my day start out calm is to set out clothing. Layout everyone’s clothing – the kids and yourself!
If you don’t have to take time to pick out what you want to wear that day, you’ll save time and a headache. (Interesting fact: Steve Jobs wore the same black turtleneck, jeans, and sneakers to take the decision of what clothes to wear out of his day.)
Related Post: How to Make Meal Planning Quick and Easy
2.) To-Do Lists with important tasks first.
I love to-do lists. Get your most important things done first!!
Use my daily planning worksheet to mark off the tasks as you accomplish them! By doing this, you will feel motivated to keep going as you tick things off your to-do list.
Another trick I use – if I don’t get everything done, I will carry those over onto the next day’s worksheet so they aren’t forgotten.
3.) Delegate tasks.
In nursing school, they stress the delegation of tasks. You can use this same ideology for your home. You know, like “a honey-do list” for your husband! This doesn’t just include your spouse, the kids need to help with the chores and daily grind too.
Related Post: Helping Kids Declutter and Clean
Just a few things my son is expected to do is keep his room clean, feed the cats, and empty the trash cans around the house when it’s trash day.
4.) Focus on one task at a time.
Multi-tasking can be helpful in some instances. I’m all about multi-tasking, however, some things should not be multi-tasked, particularly if they are going to require more thought processes or attention to detail.
Prioritize what needs to get done, then focus on only one thing at a time. Sometimes, if you think about everything you need to do all at once, it becomes too overwhelming!!
5.) Learn to say “no”.
You can’t do everything, and you can’t be everything to everyone. It’s ok to say no when asked to do things. It might be too much to join another school volunteer group or another church activity. It’s ok to just politely say no when asked to do something that is going to tip your scales to “too much”.
6.) Practice self-care.
Even though you may feel like the day is demanding all of your attention, you need to make time for yourself. Maybe it’s a 30-minute lunch in total silence, or maybe it’s just a 10-minute walk. It looks different for all of us, but carve some time out to revitalize. You’ll be able to come back restored and accomplish much more after a small mental break.
Related Posts: Ways to Practice Self-Care
7.) Be forgiving of yourself.
If your day doesn’t go just exactly as planned, give yourself some grace. No one is perfect, and sometimes we just can’t do it all.
Be your best friend, and forgive yourself. Realize you are only one person! You might be superwoman, but even she can’t make extra hours appear into the day.
Carry whatever tasks didn’t get done to the next day and start over after another good night’s sleep.
8.) Get enough rest.
According to the American Sleep Association, adults need 7-9 hours of sleep at night.
This may seem like an obvious piece of advice, but I know way too many of my friends who try to stay up late and get things done. If you know that your upcoming day is going to be chaotic, then get enough sleep to handle it!!! Sleep also allows for a much calmer and clear-headed disposition.
You are also going to need sleep to tackle the next tactic!
9.) Get up early.
I know I just said to get some sleep. Go to bed at a reasonable time, so that you can get up early and still have plenty of sleep.
Getting up early doesn’t sound fun at all, I know. I hate waking up early, truth be told. However, if you can manage to get up just 10 minutes early, you can get a jumpstart on your day.
You can read more about my tactic of getting up earlier, in my blog post: How to Be More Productive.
I’d love to hear the time management tips and tricks that you use as a busy mom! What makes your life go a little easier and what helps you accomplish all your goals?
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