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If you are anything like me, there can be times when your to-do list is just so massive that instead of tackling any of it, you feel paralyzed by it.
Girl, yes. It happens more times than not. And in this post, I am going to share with you some awesome tips, strategies, and tricks to increase your productivity.
Moms have a lot on our plates these days. From making sure the kids eat, bathe, brush their teeth, read, do their school work, and just stop fighting, it’s freaken hard.
Let’s add the housework. The dishes, the living room, the kids’ room, our room, the restrooms, the laundry,
And… if that’s not enough, let’s add a full-time job in the mix so you have about 4 hours to get this stuff done.
You also have to manage the budget, because you run the finances too.
Winded yet?
I’ve always been a procrastinator but I’ve always managed to get stuff done on time. Then, I had kids. It all changed. Boy did it change.
After my first born, I received lots of advice to “let things go” and “the dishes can wait”. It was what I needed to hear at the time. I felt
The kids can wait…
I hated coming home to a dirty house and a mile-long to-do list. It was stressful and paralyzing. I finally had enough. The dishes couldn’t wait, the kids could.
The Turn Toward Increasing Productivity
After being sick and tired of being sick and tired, I slowly began to check more off of my to-do list.
Here’s the thing.
I stopped feeling guilty about it. There was no guilt trip about not attending to my child’s every whine or cry. I knew that my toddler wanted to be picked up but you know what? He could wait 15 minutes.
Don’t get me wrong. I love my children to pieces but they weren’t getting the best of me when I had millions of other things on my mind. They could never have my undivided attention when those dishes were just screaming at me or the weeds had the HOA on speed dial.
In order for me to be a better mother to them, I needed to have my space in order.
But, I ran into road blocks.
How could I be more productive during the day so that I could give my children the attention they needed?
I was constantly distracted and there was still an overwhelming fear of being paralyzed by my to-do list.
So what did I do? Pinterest. I got myself a brand new awesome planner and started writing my top three things of the day. It helped. A bit.
I will be totally transparent with you and let you know that I am not the most productive person in the world. But, I’ve rounded up some pretty amazing productivity tips from some of my good virtual mom friends who do it all. You can bet your butt that I will be trying these out this month and you should too.
[mailerlite_form form_id=11]Okay, here we go.
Ways That You Can Increase Productivity to Get More Done
1. Stop Multi-tasking
“Stop multitasking and switch to batch processing. Instead of bouncing from one thing to another, group similar tasks together and complete them in a dedicated block of time. This decreases distraction and maximizes concentration and productivity” -Elizabeth from Piggy Bank Principles
2. Listen to Music
“Listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks while you clean or do household chores. You forget you’re doing something mundane and it makes it go faster” -Niki from Toots Mom Is Tired
3. Do Important Things While the Kids are Entertained
“When the kids are playing by themselves use that time to do the things you need to do. It’s so easy to just relax or scroll Facebook, but doing something purposeful is better. Also, have kids help with household chores like washing dishes and folding laundry” -Amy from Amy Lanham
4. Set up 2 To-do Lists
“Set up 2 to-do lists. Think about what NEEDS to be done and what you would LIKE to get done. Focus on your “need” list and then continue to your “like” list to keep everything prioritized and to keep from feeling overwhelmed” -Samantha from Journey to SAHM
5. Use a Shared Calendar
“Use a shared calendar with your spouse, kids etc. That way you can all keep track of where each other will be on a specific day. This is especially helpful if you or your spouse have a lot of volunteer commitments or if your children are involved in sports etc” -Nicole from the Professional Mom Project
6. Keep a Pen and Notebook by Your Bed at Night
“Keep a pen and notebook next to your bed. Use it to jot down any thoughts, ideas, and to do lists that are keeping you up at night” -Ruth from Ruth LovettSmith
7. File your Laundry
“When clothing is arranged vertically you can see everything in the drawer without moving the other items to get to it. Everything is in view, everything is easily accessible” -Brandy from GlueSticks Blog
8. Get Out of Your PJs!!
We associate pj’s with sleeping, or maybe even lazy days at home. How can we be productive when our bodies feel our pj’s on them and are sending the message to our brains that it’s alright to wind down for the day and get ready to relax or go to bed? So, do yourself a favor and change into real clothes during the day, and have your kids do the same! -Shawna from Stress Less Be Healthy
9. Create and Follow a Meal Plan
“Meal plan! Cut your grocery bill in half while saving your sanity. Win-win!” -Angela from Mighty Mrs.
10. Wake Up Before Your Kids
“I get to have some peace and quiet to myself before they start demanding things, and I get to be productive to start the day. When I do this, it always makes us have a better day. I feel “ahead of the game”, less rushed, and I’m overall just a nicer mom. Even if you don’t work from home I would recommend getting up an hour before your kids so you can become sane and feel like part of your day is yours before you go on duty” -Jessica from On Moxie and Motherhood
11. Give Yourself Deadlines
“When you only give yourself a certain amount of time to do something, you are more likely to get it done. I give myself 30 min to clean the kitchen. This may take some time to get to know the typical time it takes to do something but a good starting point is 1 hour. Give yourself just one hour to complete a task and after that hour is up, then move on to something else” -Marissa from Simple Money Mom
12. Include All Tasks for the Day
When you make your to-do list, include even the simplest of tasks. Add things like “Pack kids’ lunches. Mail the bills. Defrost chicken.” Crossing off completed items is incredibly satisfying, no matter how easy the chore. Mama Cheaps
13. Take A Break
“Keep your productivity at its peak by taking regular breaks. Break time should include getting your body moving, such as taking a 10-15 minute walk or even dancing with the kids. Giving your brain a break will also keep your mindset positive, prevent burnout, and make you a better mom” -Ellen from If It Brings You Joy
14. Focus on the Essentials
“Basically, this list represents the bare minimum you need to do in order to keep your life in order and your family alive and healthy. The goal is to be able to complete this list without too much trouble each day/week. Even on the horrible, dreadful terrible days that we all have.” -Sharon from Rediscovered Families
There you have it. Some pretty simple ways to increase your productivity so that you can spend more time with who and what matters the most, your family.
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