Simply Better Time Management Tips For Moms

So let’s talk about making your work life and home life a little bit easier.

How to Work Smarter: Time Management Tips for Moms

Stop Believing in Multitasking

This is FIRST for a reason. 

I remember when the notion of multitasking was new and hip.  Everyone was talking about it.  I even thought I was doing great if I could stretch my mind to do 2 or 3 things at once.  Many people still hold the belief that they can get things done quicker by doing multiple things at the same time. But that’s something that’s simply not true.

It’s like having several tabs open on your browser. 

They are all there reminding you but are you actually reading or working on all?  No, you are only in one window at a time and in the meanwhile, all those tabs are taking up virtual space and it’s slowing down your computer’s processes. 

It ends up taking longer, and the quality of the work you complete tends to be of a lower. That’s why you should focus on getting things done properly rather than juggling (tabs) tasks.

[bctt tweet=”Do you feel crushed by your time limits?  It’s not about what needs to be done but HOW you do it.  ” username=”@mRosebarnett”]

Try the 3 Minute Rule

The 3-minute rule is one that more people should be making use of because it really helps you to focus your mind and get simple tasks done quicker. The vast majority of small tasks you need to can be completed in 3-5 minutes. This will then leave you more time for other, bigger tasks.  Plus you get so many more things accomplished!  If it’s only going to take you 3 minutes, JUST DO IT!

• It takes 3 minutes or less to put something away
• It takes 3 minutes to pick your clothes out for the next day (well it does it you have your closet in order)
• It takes 3 minutes to print and file paperwork 
• It only takes 5 minutes to empty the dishwasher
• It takes 3 minutes to spray the toilet and sink, then wipe down the sink and toilet (notice the order switch ;D)
• It takes 3-5 minutes review the mail and file it (to-do, file for reference, or discard). 

Think of your own list of tasks that you know only take a few minutes.  When you are tempted to just jump into bed without picking out your clothes, get up and pick them out, it’ll take only a few minutes.  

Minimize interruptions

Now, we all know that some of the most important tasks are going to take more than 3-5 minutes.  So what do you do?  It’s easy to say, just minimize the interruptions – um, hello, I have kiddos and they don’t disappear because I want to finish a report or clean up the basement.  So we have to think a bit more.  Some options here:

• Get hubby to help by taking the kids out or occupying them
• Get a sitter: grandma, best friend, neighbor (you could get SO much done in just an hour)
• Get your kids into an activity, a drop-off activity (music, sports, science, day-camp, etc.)
• Get a Kindle Fire.  I know, but I can get so much done when my kids are playing educational apps or watching a few shows.

Kindles can be useful for work, research, playing on Pinterest, relaxing with a good book.  They don’t cost that much, considering it’s a computer.  The best part they go on sale quite frequently!  Concerned about your kid’s online safety?  I am too.  You can put all kinds of locks on their access and time (because when a driven Mama is working she is forgetful of the time).  But they have a special kids edition you can get too.Sorry for getting sidetracked.  It’s just that I love Kindles so much.  I really should do a review on them with photos (before my kids break it or something lol).  But I digress…

Give yourself time limits on tasks

So yes, I thought this would be appropriate next point.  It’s so easy to get off track and when you do it’s almost the same as multi-tasking.  Your brain just can’t easily jump, well it can, but it’s not simultaneous.

It’s very exhausting.

So once you have your kids occupied, keep on task with time limits.  If you have a project to do, even if you can’t complete it today, give yourself some time on it.  It’s easy to want to do everything all at once.  But as I talked about in the preparation series, we moms just can’t do things in big chunks of time.

So give yourself an hour limit, 45-minute timer, 30-minutes, even 15-minute increments can bring accomplishment to a task.

Remember to PLAN the time and task BEFOREHAND.  Otherwise, you’ll use up some of the time just deciding what to do.  You should always know what you need to do next.

Related: Preparation Comes by Bits

Make Better Breaks

Mom world, work world, it’s all the same when it comes to breaks.  Probably the most valuable of all the time management tips for moms is making your downtime star quality.  The first star is to use your break to plan your tasks, or to plan your next break. 

You get the idea is that if you skip your breaks (if it is a lunch break or a naptime break) that you will get more done.  But is that true? Do you really do better when you work straight through? 

If you burning the midnight oil, and neglect your sleep, will you be more productive?

I have had to make that decision so many times.  It is difficult to just rest and recharge but it will allow your body to operate at a much higher level than if you don’t take the time away from your housework or business. You need a way to relieve stress so you can come back and really slay it. You feel better and you’ll be better, faster than you think.

Related: 20 Simple Ways to Self-Care

Keep Up with the Trends

Educating yourself is a great way to utilize your breaktimes.  There is a reason there are so many blogs out there.  There is a demand for information.  It’s easy when you aren’t in the workplace to let your skills lag but don’t. 

I know for me, I went years without keeping up my Human Resource knowledge and definitely regret it.  Playing catch up is no fun.  Even if you aren’t going back into the professional world, tips and tricks, like this post you are reading, will enable you to go further. 

You will come out on top by keeping up with blogs that teach you how to do what you are working towards – and you definitely need goals.  If you don’t have some check out my post on Mom Goals.  Share on Facebook groups and forums and learn money hacks, mom hacks, and entrepreneur hacks. 

Are you also a blogger?  Check out my Mom Bloggers Collab Facebook Group!

If you are in the workplace it’s even more important for you to stay tuned in.  It benefits you to stay on top of the latest news and reporting in that niche. It can make your life easier because you’ll never be caught off guard by new information that you missed.

Any industry can benefit from being up to date. Whether it’s oil production reports, stock market updates, or the latest affiliate marketing podcast, the information is out there for you. You can make the most of it by staying aware of what’s new and trending.

Improve Your Speed

Do you want to make the best of your time at the computer?  This is something that people forget about and will do you such a bit of good if you use the computer daily.  When you begin to type faster, you will get basic things done more quickly, and you’ll be surprised by just how much of a difference this makes.

Typing faster will help if you want to work as a

Transcriptionist
Blogger
Social Media Marketer
Writer or Editor
Chat Customer Service Rep
Virtual Assistant and so many more things you can do at home!

Homeschoolers would benefit here.  Even if you just send a lot of emails or PMs it would do you good to keep up these skills.  Remember, most women eventually go back to work, even if it’s when your kids are grown so don’t shy away from honing your skills.

And don’t forget, it’s not just about improving your speed.  Work on your accuracy as much as you can. It’s the same way for anything you want to achieve in life.  It’s not just about how fast you can get there but also about the quality of life on the way.  

[bctt tweet=”If it’s only going to take you 3 minutes, JUST DO IT!” username=”@mRosebarnett”]

My Number 1 Time Management Tip for Moms at Home

Easy and hard.  Being at home comes with a whole load of challenges, many are not in the form of small bodies that call you mom.  There is a yearning to be home and yet to be involved with those around you so you end up online.  Social media and watching videos, even podcasts, can be very consuming and you look up and tons of time has been lost.

A better tactic would be to schedule your online time.  What you are planning to do and when.  It doesn’t mean that you can’t just go from facebook group to facebook group, but it does mean you know which groups you’ll be surfing and for how long.  Even if you are researching or shopping online, know when and for how long and stick to it.

Batch related tasks together

Yes! Batching is a gal’s best friend.  When you have a job to do, if it’s creating content, editing, networking, whatever it may be, just make sure you do similar tasks together.   Don’t try to do several things, just one job over and over.

So for me, I take one day a week and during my work-hours that day I only work on my pinterest images and scheduling.  I create pins for several upcoming posts all at once.

I get more than twice as much done than if I would split that time to get one post completed.  Between research, writing, editing and scheduling a post, as well as finding an image and creating that post’s pin.

Y’all, I wouldn’t even finish that one post or image.  And it feels good to know that I started and finished a task all in one sitting.

My Number 1 Time Management Tip for Moms Working Outside the Home

Planning

You have to stay ahead. Good planning will keep you from feeling scattered and rushed.  You especially don’t want to feel like that when you are around your kids.  Already being tired, trying to rush out the door, or in the door, cook the food, all it takes is one wrong word and you wanna blow.

That can change!

Isn’t that wonderful?  Each breaktime or weekend, every evening when the kids are in bed you have time to plan.  Let go of your desire to work ahead or just lounge on the couch.  Make a plan.

Think about what needs to be done and when it needs to be done.  Start by just writing it all down.  With each regular task (soccer practice or grocery shopping, cooking dinner) what needs to be prepared so it’ll go smoothly.  Getting clothes washed and ready?  Do you need to include time to prepare your own appearance?  How about thawing out the meat!  I forget that a ton of times unless I set a reminder.

Setting phone reminders helps a ton because you and I are always looking at our phones.  You can use Any.do to set up reminders.  Maybe people use Google Calendar.

I use Evernote to keep all my notes (and you can set reminders) but I find I still want to write things down, like a calendar or a GOOD planner.  I mean a planner that includes not just my day but my kids’ day and activities, my meal planning, my blog work, my exercise schedule… so many aspects of being a mom. But ladies I think I finally found it.

This Best Year Ever planner is not only FUN but also useful.  See, jumping in at this time of year doesn’t usually work when it comes to planners.  But this is undated, so you can just start at any time of year.  The calendar squares are LARGE enough so you can write more than one thing in them.  You also have week views where you can write details about the days, not just one-liners, and you have a month overview to put what’s going on.  These Big ideas Box planners come in many types, including Fitness, Faith and a Flower one (to name a few).

Conclusion

No one wants their life to be more difficult stressful.  Having a good plan in place will take you a long way.  Think of ways to cut your time down, like learning to type faster and doing everything that only takes 3 minutes or less!  By batching tasks like these, and minimizing the interruptions you’ll be able to get way more done than you ever imagined.  Yes, even with being a mom. 

Want More Time Management Tips for Moms?  Check out How to Have Laser Focus!

Feeling really crazy and hopeless about how your life is going?  Not just your schedule but being a mother, how your kid’s act, where you are going in life?  I know exactly what you mean.  When I’m down and out I need some direction, some hope.  I created the Hope for Mom Challenge just for you.  Join me.

Do you still need a planner but don’t have time to put one together?  The beautiful bloom Vision Planner is probably just what you need.  It walks you through creating goals and clarifying your vision for each year and month.