Last week, I was in Utah with my family–it was such a nice break, but it feels good to get back on the blog bandwagon.
Today, I’d like to share a few ways that I manage my time as a mom of littles, and one who also “works” part-time from home. (Just know, that my blog/podcast don’t earn me any money really, but I do put in probably 20-30 hours a week on both. Kind of crazy, huh?)
And just so you know, I (clearly) most definitely don’t have it all together. Time management is always something I am working on.
1) Use Paper: Smart phones can be a great tool, but I find they are a terrible way for me to manage my time. I like to use my phone to put in appointments on my calendar (including alerts of those appointments), and that’s it. But to make to-do lists and prioritize how I’m going to spend my day, I use a paper planner. I did a whole post on the one I love, and here it is. I usually roughly plan out my week on Sunday, and most nights I prioritize what I need to get done the next day.
2) Routine, Routine, Routine: I function best (and so do my little kids) when I live by routines. Some of my daily routines include? Morning: working out before the kids are up, spending one-on-one time with each kid (like 10 minutes), doing errands/cleaning; Afternoon: similar lunch each day for the kids, “work” during nap time/quiet time, go on a walk/play outside with the kids; Evening: kids clean up, they watch a show while I cook dinner, get kids ready for bed/scriptures/read books, parents clean up house, then mom “works” again until going to bed.
3) Prioritize: This is my mantra for the year. For me, that means prioritizing what needs to get done first, including spending quality time with my kids and husband. That also includes how I try to do away with the “fillers” and ways I tend to procrastinate. I’m sure you share a similar time-sucker as I do: technology. Instagram and looking at blogs is my preference. I have a whole podcast in the works on this topic, so I’ll save my longer thoughts for that. But the more purposeful I am about how I spend my time, the happier I feel. And you know what, you can actually purposefully be on Instagram. Promise. Being intentional about it and how long you’re going to spend your time even “wasting” your time, will serve you better in the long haul.
Do you have some go-to tips? I’d love to hear them!
Other moms are sharing how they manage their time today, please check them out for more ideas! And you can sign up to participate in this Mommy Style Monday series through Madeline and Kiana’s blogs:
Cayli at Nightchayde // Alexis at Witt Family Happenings
This sounds like my life! Haha I always put things on my phone calendar, but I only do that to remind me to write it on my paper calendar! Prioritizing is something I'm constantly working on, and I feel like I'm getting a lot better!
I love paper planners too! And that planner looks awesome. The format looks a lot like the BYU planners, which I loved, and never found one like it since. I definitely want to get one.
Super helpful tips! Something I like to do is keep a list of my daily essentials– things I need to do to stay sane and to keep up the skills I'm developing. I also like to make a little list of things I want to do with my son each day to help him learn and grow. It helps me prioritize. Even though my routine doesn't always go as planned and my essentials sometimes get done in all different orders, it makes me feel good to at least know I'm doing the essentials.
More and more, I think we are basically the same person.
Those are SO great!!!! And yes, they totally remind me of the BYU planner, which I was a huge fan of!
Outsource! Anything you can. We often order dinner from freshly or another meal service, we purchase occasional housekeeping for deep cleans. Online grocery shopping. Dog walkers. It all costs $ but is the only way we can maintain sanity in our craziness.
I love this! I'm all about a paper list–can't function any other way! And I hear you about routine and priorities, such a good way to get a lot done. Lately I've been trying to "reward" myself by planning activities and outings in advance (things I want to do!), so that I don't have as much wiggle room to procrastinate more arduous tasks or just waste time on my computer. Having good reasons to get up and out help me stay focused on the to-do list!
Of course–so, so true! I've been too cheap but I'm thinking it's time to at least try google express. Thanks, Arrin! So fun to hear from you.
I love giving myself little rewards! One of my friends gives herself time limits to accomplish a certain task, and then she gives herself an allotted time to do something else as a reward. Brilliant!