Time Management Strategies for Your Everyday Life

Having the ability to manage your time is a difficult task for anyone, even more so for the average working mom. You quite possibly have all of the duties that come with being a wife and/or mother on top of your work responsibilities. If you’re anything like me, you’re also a mompreneur as well. Without proper time management, things can become very overwhelming. Having effective Time management strategies in place can help to reduce lots of stress and allow you to accomplish even more by staying focused on the tasks at hand.

Here are some great time management tips for moms

Make a list 

Take the time to make a complete and well thought out list of the tasks that need to be completed for the week. By compiling everything together you can divide the tasks into smaller chunks and do them throughout the week. This time management method will help to make your activities seem less daunting and it's much easier to focus without feeling overwhelmed.

Prioritize

Review the list that you made and prioritize the items on it. Take into account any important deadlines that there may be and aim to get those done and out of the way first. After that, look at the tasks that will have the biggest impact.  This way, you get more “bang for your buck”.

Tasks such as organizing invoices, sending out payment reminders, cleaning out the car or washing and changing your bed sheets can have you feeling more relaxed after they’re done. Everyone enjoys snuggling into a bed with clean sheets at night or driving around in a freshly vacuumed car (even if it’s to do some errands).

Find pockets of time where you can

Getting work done, especially when the kids are at home can be incredibly difficult. Being able to properly manage your time around the needs and schedule of your child(ren) could help you to get more done in a day. 

If possible, try to wake up earlier in the morning while the kids are still asleep and see how much work you can get done before they wake up. Attempting to work during their nap times or while they are well-occupied could also prove to be beneficial. 

Another helpful Time management tip around finding pockets of time is to maximize your “idle” moments. When you’re standing in that long line at Target, the mall, or wherever you are, whip out your phone and send those follow up emails you need. Need to get some laundry folded? Throw those clothes on the bed while your favorite reality TV show is on and fold them while watching!

Delegate

By delegating smaller tasks to the members of your tribe, you can stay focused. If this means giving smaller chores to the kids such as picking up toys or dirty clothes, then so be it. If you have employees or teammates in the workplace that could take over a few tasks like scheduling your meetings or reviewing reports, then that’s great too. Need to make dinner at home but also have a deadline coming up? Ask your husband, friend, family member, or another person to step in for that night, even if it’s to order the take out and get the delivery at the door while you get an hour of time to yourself to do what you need. The less weight you have on your shoulders, the lighter and less overwhelmed you will feel.

Create a blocked schedule

Another great time management strategy is to create blocked schedules for your activities instead of having set times. 

Remember in high school how your classes were divided up into set periods and every day you had P.E. at exactly the same time like clockwork? Research has shown that a block schedule like this is more beneficial at helping productivity and retaining information.

A block schedule in the workplace is pretty similar. You create smaller to-do lists each day and set a time period for each and when you should try to tackle them.  Applying this method to getting things done in your everyday life is also super beneficial.

Make your block schedule effective

For busy moms, time management can be crazy. But you know your kids and their routines well enough that you should be able to know when they’ll be hungry, napping, gone, or in bed. To make your block schedule more effective, aim for the most time-consuming or essential tasks to be completed during the most uninterrupted times.

For instance, if you have to make important phone calls, have them block scheduled for the most uninterrupted times like when your kids are gone or napping. 

Use a Time management tool

One of the better and more popular Time management strategies is to use a time management tool such as a planner, calendar, or phone app. 

Bullet journals are becoming increasingly more popular as more and more moms are looking for ways to stay organized and keeping everything tracked in one location. 

Thanks to free phone apps, like Asana, you can also organize tasks, work, and set reminders to alert you about upcoming tasks, and anything else that may be beneficial.

You don’t have to do everything in one day

While you may have a long list of tasks and be feeling overwhelmed, know that it happens to the best of us. As a mom, time management can often go off course because we have to stop one thing to take care of another and life with kids can be unpredictable and hectic. 

Understand that everything doesn’t have to be completed in one day. If you have to get the job done by dividing the work up over multiple days, it’s okay. Many times, using an approach like this can make lengthy or stressful tasks much less overwhelming anyway.

Don’t forget your health

Something that often gets away from us while we are busy working and taking care of everyone and everything is that we often forget to put our health first. This means something as small as setting aside scheduled time to eat meals should be a priority. It also means you should make sure that you’re taking small breaks to make sure you’re drinking plenty of water and eating small healthy snacks throughout the day. This will help you keep your energy levels up and to keep you from crashing due to low blood sugar.

Develop a process

Once I started on my mompreneuer journey I always felt as though I was all over the place. I had no structure and just did things as I could. Focusing on time management methods was just not on my radar. But, once I understood more about my objectives and what was important, I developed and established a process to complete my work.

With time, you’ll begin to notice trends and what works best for you. As you begin to identify what you need, adjust your workflow ever so slightly to reflect these small trends. You’ll notice that your process and time management will become smoother, less stressful, and you will stay more organized.

Make time for yourself

Most importantly, set aside some time for yourself every day. Schedule it so it stays a priority. If this means a little time in the morning before beginning work to enjoy that cup of coffee and meditate, do it. You can also set it for the night after the kids are in bed so you can read a book or take a hot luxurious bubble bath. 

Whatever you choose is up to you, but make sure that you choose something that s truly for you. It’s totally fine to be a little selfish and set aside time for yourself. Your health and well-being depend on it!

Do you feel like you’re all over the place sometimes as a busy, working mom? What are some ways you keep yourself organized to accomplish all that you need? Leave some comments and let me know!

XOXO,

Onteria

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