When I speak to groups of moms, the issue of productivity almost always comes up. For most moms there aren’t enough hours in the day, and there are usually more things on the to-do list than you can possibly squeeze in to the 24 hours you have, especially when 23 of those hours seem to be spent on feeding, dressing, changing, cleaning up after, transporting and otherwise caring for your children.
Kids aside, there are still lots of other things needing to be taken care of; how DO you fit everything in? Here are a few easy ideas for making your days a little more productive:
- Write it all down. Having a general list of what you want to get done makes it easier to prioritize. Once you decide which items are “have-to’s” and which are just “want-to’s,” you can focus on the first group and fit in anything else as time permits.
- Don’t hold yourself to pre-child standards. There may once have been a time when you could get everything done, but it’s completely unfair to expect that of yourself now. If you have a whole page of tasks written down, it’s a sure thing that half of them aren’t going to actually get accomplished – at least not today. Be realistic about how much you expect of yourself, and don’t be afraid to…
- Delegate! Ok, so your husband might not buy the right brand of diapers if you send him to the store, but maybe it’s worth getting help anyway, especially if the alternative is you carting along children who will make the task take twice as long.
- Be realistic. Look at how much time you actually have available in a given day, and decide the best possible use of that time. What one or two items most need to get done? Free time is a precious commodity – focus on the tasks that are most important to you.
- Ask “Who cares?” Really! Look at what’s on your list, and ask yourself who thinks that each item is important. Sometimes moms create a lot of unnecessary work for themselves by including lots of “shoulds” on their to-do list, even if no one really cares about a given task being done. Certain cleaning chores often fall into this category; decide which ones you can dismiss without anyone being likely to notice, or give yourself permission to do these less frequently.
- First things first. No matter what else is or isn’t getting done, be sure you’re making time to be fully present with your children. If this falls through the cracks you’ll feel less satisfied overall, no matter what else you’ve accomplished.
- Beware the time thieves! A “quick” check of e-mail or Facebook can cause huge chunks of time to mysteriously disappear. The phone and TV are also common culprits. There’s nothing wrong with taking time out, the trouble happens when unplanned distractions put you behind for the rest of the day. This is why you might want to…
- Build in play time – for YOU. Everyone needs down time; if you don’t make any you’ll find it creeping in anyway. Instead, plan to take a half-hour nap, put your feet up and read, or watch your favorite show during your child’s naptime, and treat yourself to a much-deserved break. Being a mom is a round-the-clock job, and it can be exhausting; time out can keep you from getting overwhelmed. Besides, after a little down time you’re likely to be even more productive. Don’t feel guilty about needing a little respite here and there.
If all else fails, and you’re still not sure where your time goes, keep track for a day or two. Every half hour or so, write down what you’ve done in this period. You’re likely to get a very clear idea of where you could use your time more efficiently, and you may realize that you’re already more productive than you think.
Your assignment: Take a look at your productivity. What important things aren’t you getting done in a given week, and what changes could you make to be more productive? Could you reprioritize, better use your time, delegate, or change your expectations and get rid of excess “to-do’s”? Address what’s most important to you and look for ways to let the rest go.
