7 Time Management Hacks for Busy Moms

Hey there #motherhustler. Is your to-do list stressing you out? I get it – it’s completely overwhelming. Like, grab a tub of ice cream and binge on Netflix overwhelming. But there are a few things you can do to make it more manageable. So, I’m coming at you today with 7 time management hacks for busy moms.

It’s a list of a few simple things you can do to get more done without breaking a sweat.

Before we get started, though, you need to check out my free 5-day productivity challenge! In just 5 days you’ll learn how to prioritize and organize everything you need to do, arrange your schedule so it gets done, and then continue knocking stuff off your to-do list like a boss going forward! Sign up today!

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Don’t Have Unrealistic Expectations

The first thing you need to do to start getting more done is to set yourself up for success — not failure. You are only physically able to get so much done in a day, so understand this and only plan on getting as much done as you can, not as much done as you would like. If you’re always putting more things on your list than you can possibly get done in a day, you will always be discouraged by what you didn’t get done.

Instead, pull a few things off your general to-do list and shoot to get those done that day. If you get all of those done you can always move onto something else, but you won’t expect yourself to do the impossible.

I plan out my weeks on Sunday, but I like to take a few minutes every evening and decide what three things I’m going to put on my list for the next day.

Because a lot can change between Sunday and Wednesday.

So rather than just adding new tasks to my already overwhelming list, I adjust my day-to-day list throughout the week to keep it realistic. Yes, some things may get pushed back, but I’m only human and I can only do so much.

Focus on One Thing

In addition to only expecting yourself to get a few things done in a day, it helps if these things are related to each other. This way, you don’t have to reset your train of thought jumping from one thing to the next.

Gary Keller and Jay Papasan’s book, The One Thing, talks about this in more detail, but the idea is pretty simple.

What is the one thing you can do today to get extraordinary results? And what is one thing you can do to accomplish that?

To fill in the 3 or so tasks you want to accomplish that day, follow that train of thought while looking at your to-do list.

What is the most important thing on your to-do list? Is that the one thing that will help you crush your goals? What is one thing you need to do to accomplish that? And what is one thing you need to do to accomplish that?

Doing this will keep you focused on meeting your goals without feeling overwhelmed by setting unrealistic expectations for yourself.

Understand the Why

But what if you can’t easily identify the most important thing on your to-do list?

To help you figure this out, it’s helpful to understand why they’re on your list in the first place.

Understanding the why will help determine how important it is to complete. And whether you should even be focusing your time and energy on it in the first place.

So go through your to-do list and ask yourself why everything is on that list. Ask why it’s important that you finish it. And ask why it will help you get to where you want to go.

Pinpoint The First Step

Another thing that you want to consider is how to break a task down into actionable steps. And how to decide where to even start.

To get to the root of the why, or the how-to, take the step above a little further and ask yourself why 5 times. This will help you break it down and pinpoint where you should get started.

So let’s say that you want to organize your kitchen. Well, why do you want to do that?

Because you spend too much time looking for stuff. Why do you spend so much time looking for stuff?

Because everything is a mess! Why is everything a mess?

Because nobody puts stuff back where it should go. Well, why does no one do that?

Because no one really knows where everything is supposed to go. Why not?

Because not everything is the kitchen has a set place to go.

And there’s your first step. You need to decide where everything is going to go. And, following the train of thought above, the next step should be making sure everyone knows where to put things away going forward – hello handy labeler!

Consolidate Your Tasks to Save Time and Energy

Another great way to tackle your to-do list and get more done is to make it smaller in the first place by consolidating tasks.

So take a look at your list and see what you could group together and knock out in one go.

For example, I’m sure you don’t just vacuum one room at a time. If you take the time to get the vacuum out, you vacuum as many rooms as you can.

Use this same logic for different projects.

If I need to make blog graphics, I try to do as many as I can at once. I use the same template, so I just change out the image and text. So, while I have the screen open, I change out as many as I can, download them all, and upload them to WordPress. I save a lot of time by doing them at once.

Expect Things to Go Off Schedule

I’m sure by this point in the game, you’re well aware that things rarely go according to schedule.

So plan for it to happen.

If you’re constantly running around, putting out fires, you’re reacting to everything rather than controlling your own time.

So take stock of the different things that happen and plan ahead.

If your best friend always runs late, plan that time into your lunch meetup.

If your clients are always emailing you about certain things, create an FAQ auto-response in Zapier.

Pinpoint the things that throw you off schedule and know what you’re going to do ahead of time rather than reacting in the moment.

Bribe Your Family

And the final time management hack for busy moms that I have for you today is to bribe your family to help you out.

Okay, this may just be wishful thinking. But if you don’t make it clear that you need help, you’re not going to get it.

So let them know what you need them to do to make your life easier. They may be more than likely be happy to help. Because when mama’s not stressed, they’re not stressed.

You won’t know until you ask.

And if asking doesn’t work, a good bribe usually does.

Want to take your time management skills to the next level? Sign up for my free 5-day productivity challenge and start getting more done today!

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