When you’re pulled in so many directions as a busy mom it can seem like there’s just not enough time in the day to do it all. Ensuring that you are your most productive self, will help to alleviate some of the stress that comes along with meeting the needs of so many people. These five productivity tips for busy moms are guaranteed to help you find more time in your day.
Time Block
Time blocking is a sure fire way to be more productive. It’s a fairly simple concept that has an amazing impact. The idea, is that you set a specific amount of time to work on any given task. Here is a list of things you could easily time block
- Cleaning
- Getting ready in the morning
- Playing with the kids
- Self-care
- Responding to emails
- Working on a presentation
- Paying bills
- Making phone calls
Simply set a timer and then get to doing that task. The trick is that you only do that task during that time. Turn off the notifications on your computer, put your phone into silent mode and just focus on doing that one task for the given amount of time. If it’s a task that you don’t enjoy doing, set a timer for 20 minutes. If it’s a task that requires a lot of thinking then go for 40 minutes – 60 minutes. When it comes to self-care take as long as you possibly can.
Do the Most Important Thing First
For busy moms being productive does not mean doing it all. It means getting the most important things done as soon as possible. In order to do this, you need to do the most important things first. When you wake up each morning take a moment to think about the most important thing you need to do that day. Then do it, right away. If for some reason you can’t do that thing first, take a moment to organize your entire day around getting that thing done as soon as possible. This will help you to be more productive because you get more of the important things in your life complete.
Block Time For You
It is not easy to be productive when you are frazzled. If you’re overwhelmed and stressed you’re not at your best. That is why it is imperative that you take time for you. Schedule or block time for yourself every day and week. On a daily basis you might only be able to block 10 to 15 minutes, that’s OK. Just make sure you do it. On a weekly basis, ensure you’re taking at least a full hour at a time to do something simply for you. Taking care of yourself will allow you to be at the top of your game so you can be your most productive self.
Delete Social Media Apps
It is hard to be productive when you waste your time. Social media is often a waste of time. It is way too easy to go down the rabbit hole of Facebook or Instagram and lose 20, 30, or even 40+ minutes in your day. As a busy mom, you don’t have that kind of time to lose. Delete the social media apps from your phone. This doesn’t mean you never go on social media, it just means you don’t keep those apps on your phone. Instead you’ll be forced them to open up your laptop or tablet to go onto social media. This requires more planning and leaves you less likely to go down the rabbit hole of where time disappears.
Track Your Time Online
It’s very hard to be productive when you don’t know where your time is going. Tracking your time will help you to understand where you’re wasting time and where you can be more efficient with your time. The Internet is a space that easily sucks. You can have way too many tabs open on your computer and before you know it you’re clicking between tabs looking for information, getting sidetracked by Facebook ads and celebrity gossip. Or even sidetracked by the news and educational videos. At the end of the day if you’re not 100% sure about where you’re spending your time it is extremely difficult to get more productive. Use an app to help you track your online time so that you can get more productive. I like the app called Rescue Time for this.
Take Action
The biggest tip I can offer about being productive is to take action. Here you have five ideas to help you be more productive. Choose one and implement it today. The sooner you take action, the more time you’ll find you have to do the things you want to do. You can download the productivity tips cheat see below to help and post it on your fridge, in your office, or on the dashboard of your car to help remind you of the tips and how to be more productive.
Here are 8 more time management tips for busy moms.
Don’t forget to sign up for the Rose Gold Mine, my free resource library. You’ll get free printable worksheets, workbooks, and checklists to help with goal setting, time management and self-care for busy moms.
Are you willing to reserve 10 minutes each day for yourself? Get access to the 10 Minutes to Better Days video course at How To Get Unstuck.
