How working moms get things done
We all wish we had more time to get things done but don’t know where to start or how to get things done faster. These are great tips to get more things done even when you have a full-time job.
Things working moms do that help them to get more things done at home and work!
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1. Reduce checking emails and social media.
Being on social media is like going to Target for me.
I go in there with good intention, but I end up wasting so much time and money that could have been used usefully doing something else.
By simply checking your social media at lunch and before bed you will reduce how much time you spend in the rabbit hole. That method works well for checking emails too, pick a time and stick to it.
2. Write a To-do list to help get things done
Create a to-do list that maximizes how much you get done but doesn’t make you feel overwhelmed.
To ensure you are not over packing your day with tons of task that you will never get too, add no more than 3 big items on your list and then add the smaller task around it.
For example, there are 24 hrs in a day, and you know you need to sleep for 7-9 hours so set your schedule from 5-9 pm. Schedule your work projects, appointments and family time first and then fit into the smaller things around it such as wash clothes, dishes, or return emails.
Related: The Life and Home Management Binder for Moms| Take charge of your life
3. Simply your life
Living a minimalistic life is a great way to keep down the chaos.
Too much clutter can also cause you to be overwhelmed. It’s not good for your mind or your home.
Instead, get rid of things you don’t need. Whether its clothes you no longer wear, toys kids don’t play with anymore or papers that can be scanned onto the computer. And then thrown out, sale it or donate it.
Schedule the same dinners for meal days so you can think less, such as Meatless Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Pasta Wednesday, Leftover Thursday and Pizza Fridays. We like to add soul food on the schedule so Sundays we may have something like cornbread, green beans, gravy, and fried turkey wings.
Related: 10 AMAZINGLY USEFUL MEAL PLANNING TEMPLATE YOU SHOULD HAVE
4. Find multitasking task that works well
Normally I would say don’t multitask since it’s not effective. If you are doing more thing at one time at a time, then your brain is not giving its full attention to the task at hand.
Have you ever tried reading a book while talking on the phone? Exactly it won’t work.
But there are tasks that work well together such as
- folding clothes and watching TV
- Driving to work and catch up with friend and family. Make sure to use wireless earphone like SoundPEATS to be safe while talking and driving. I use wireless headphone when I drive to work a few days out of the week.
- Checking emails or blogging while commuting by train or bus.
- I use the time while cooking to catch up with the kids and go over homework with my son.
5. Put systems in place
I like to take out and iron clothes for a week so I don’t have to find something to wear every morning or do it when I come home from work. Simply ironing the clothes and adding it to the hanger with a necklace is everything.
Besides having multiple outfits ready for work allows me to put on clothes that fit my mood in the morning.
Do you ever wake up in the morning and feel like a pants day or dress day?
And for my girls, I take out hair bows and bibs out and set everything on the dresser. When my 4 years old wakes up, I tell her to pick an outfit (normally a dress or skirt) off the dresser and get dressed.
I also pack lunches at night to eliminate me standing in the kitchen in the morning thinking about what I’m going to eat for 15 mins. I need to get with meal prepping because I heard it saves valuable time. So I will leap into that journey soon. Do you meal prep?
6. Get things Automated
I love to have things automated because my brain is very unreliable.
For example, I have my bill come out every month, so I don’t forget to pay a bill.
Also, if you can… automate your work email. Let people know that you will respond between the hours of 1-3 so that you don’t have to check emails every 15 mins. This will allow you to continue to focus without interrupting your train of thought to check emails. For more ways to organize your emails read The Indigenous Email System, the helped Tim Ferris
Then there are things like Amazon Subscribe and Save that will automatically send everything your need on schedule at a discounted rate. We use it for household items like paper towels, tissues, and napkins. They also have a baby section to subscribe and save on diapers.
Automate your blog Pinterest posting using Tailwind a great tool that saves time and makes a schedule, so you are not pinning images, or posting Instagram without a strategy.
Then there is my favorite tool I LIFE that vacuums the floor when I am away from home and dock its self when it’s done.
7. Get Help whenever you can
There is no way you can be a working parent and get tons of things done without help.
I have a list of chores for my children to help reduce the workload. Don’t know where to start the read How to Create a Chore Chart that Works.
Then there are takeout meals for the days you just can’t get it together. Our favorite got to places to eat out are Chick fil a, Pizza and Royal Farms chicken. Yum.
Also, get a babysitter when you need to unwind without the kids or just need extra sleep. For more working, mom tips read 8 tips to succeed as a working mom: tools and resources for balance
8. Keep it simple
Sometimes you don’t want to do anything at all. And that is fine. Every day is not motivated, get stuff done, be maintained kind of day. Some days are Blah. And on blah days you do blah stuff like watch Netflix, and order in AGAIN for the 3rd time this week. Or make the kids fix their own dinner… cereal it is. Also, you can always take off work in the middle of the week to get much-needed self-care.
Read 14 ways a fit in self-care when you don’t have the time
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