How to Manage Your Time More Effectively
Parenting is challenging whether you work away from home or not. When you are juggling must-do activities like making sure your family is fed, your home is clean, the kids are taken care of, and your other work is completed even the smallest amount of free time can become a luxury. Although there is no way to turn the chaos of family life into perpetual peace and calm, there are methods of gaining more control of your daily schedule. Here are some practical tips that will help you optimize your time.
1. Assess your current schedule
Most people spend time on unnecessary tasks every day. Audit your hours for a few days and be honest with yourself about whether you are wasting time or not. And if you are, stop it! Start cutting down on those activities immediately.
2. Prioritize
The key to time management is to understand your priorities. Divide your to-do list into three sections: ASAP, tasks that can be done at any time and long-term tasks.
3. It’s all about planning
Planning ahead can do wonders for keeping everything on track. For example planning meals at the start of the week and preparing lunches and outfits the evening before. By planning a morning routine you will eliminate a lot of frustration!
4. Make use of technology
Whether you download and use a task manager app, or populate your calendar with tasks and set reminders, technology can be a great help. Do some research, soon you will see what best fits your family dynamics.
5. Multitask
Think about what tasks you can do that don’t require 100% focus. Pay your bills online while waiting for your child to finish an activity or class, or use a Bluetooth headset to make calls while you are busy doing chores or driving.
6. Don’t be shy to seek help
It’s okay not to do everything on your own. Whether you take turns with another mom to do the school run, or ask a family member or friend to watch the kids while you go for a manicure, there is nothing wrong with asking for help. You could be one manicure away from a meltdown!
7. Pick your battles
Being a busy parent means you will probably not be able to complete every single task on your schedule every day. When you are confronted with simply having too much to do and not enough time, choose what you can live without doing, and take shortcuts where you can. Do the dishes the following day, or skip cooking and get take-out. Better yet, scrap some tasks and spend an hour or two playing board games with the kids. Think about it, if you don’t get absolutely everything done, it’s not the end of the world, right?
