Supercharge Your Productivity and Unlock your Day’s Potential
Youre a full time career-oriented, farmers wife, mom of a rambunctious babe AND you run an online business?
HOW DO YOU DO IT?
HOW DO YOU FIND TIME TO ALSO WORKOUT?
I get this question a lot….and I’d be lying if I didnt say it was hard some days. I’d also be lying if I told you I do it all myself. It literally takes a village to accomplish what I have done and it is no small feat to arrange schedules to ensure it all works out each day, week and month. Some days, I feel like I am doing logistical acrobats just to arrange care for my daughter so I can shower in peace. Seriously… mamahood isn’t for the faint of heart.
So how I do it?
I time block. I look forward each week and identify key times that I can assign a task or project to complete and most importantly, I stick to it.
Heres a few tips for you to successfully time block so that you can own your day, rather than have it own you!
1. Identify your top 3-5 priorities of the day. These are non-negotiables and WILL be done regardless of how your day goes. Be intentional and realistic when identifying these each day, week and month.
2. Figure out the time frames in which you are most productive in. For me, its early in the morning so I wake up early before my family to cross a few priorities off my list then.
3. Group like-items together. For example, I have “meeting days” where I stack my meetings on top of each other during Tuesdays and Thursdays so that the majority of my Monday, Wednesday and Friday time can be dedicated to action items and projects that I need to work on. I also do this for housework and for my business tasks too!
4. Schedule your time blocks onto a calendar. Writing it down, or having in an electronic calendar keeps you accountable. I cant say this enough–empower your family to add events to this master calendar too! My husband and I share a google calendar that we both can add events or reminders to right on our phone. It helps to keep our schedules jiving and stay organized.
5. Plan for breaks and build in time that seemingly will disappear into thin air. Doing this allows a little more flexibility in your day and makes you not feel so rushed. Trust me….this is arguably the biggest ah-ha I had after having a baby. Inevitably there will be something that side tracks your day….a diaper malfunction, a longer anticipated nap time, a colleague who is late to your meeting, you name it… BUT if you plan ahead for times, it will allow you time to play “catch up” and still check off your to-dos on your list that your prioritized for your day.
So there you have it! Time blocking empowers you to take control of your schedule and manage your time more effectively. It can make you feel like you have a sense of order amidst the busyness of motherhood.
