You need to master the art of time, priority, and schedule management if you’re going to create a perfect schedule for yourself as a working mom. When you do this, you’ll feel more at ease and in charge of your life as a whole.
The question now is, what are the most effective methods for maintaining your working schedule while also developing an orderly routine at home? All you need are the proper resources, some easily implemented procedures, and a firm grasp on your own priorities. When these foundational things are in place, you can confidently (and guilt-free) handle your time and schedule at home, at work, and in life.
Manage your list of things to do
Do you have a long list of things to do that never seems to shrink? If your head is spinning when you look at your list of things to do, it’s time to find out how to get help. But before you start giving tasks to other people, you should look at your list of things to do and make sure everything on it is important.
Get rid of the things that are no longer important and put the rest in order of importance. Take the things you still need to do and make a plan for how to do them.
You might want to ask your spouse or older kids for help. You could give regular tasks to other people, like loading and unloading the dishwasher or taking the dog for a walk. You could even pay someone to come clean your house if it’s affordable and would make your home less stressful.
A great place to keep track of your to-do list and prioritize it is my Mind Dump Journal and Planner!
Plan Your Week Ahead of Time
The secret is careful forethought and preparation. Set aside a certain period of time each week to prepare for the next week. Investing as little as 15 or 30 minutes on Sundays can pay huge dividends by freeing up hours of your time throughout the week.
Set aside some time each week to get down with a planner and arrange your schedule for the next week. You should review your weekly schedule, arrange transportation (carpooling, using the bus, etc.), organize meals, assign responsibilities, and potentially create a detailed schedule for each day.
The time you put into planning these things out before the week begins will pay dividends in the form of clarity and serenity throughout the week. Preparing for challenges is less stressful than dealing with them when they arise.
Create a Family Calendar
If you want to get your life in order and make a plan that works for you and your family, the first thing you need is the proper equipment. Managing several commitments successfully requires the correct tool. Any mother would tell you that she has to balance her own time with that of her family members.
It’s possible that you’ll need to coordinate your job and home life around your children’s school and extracurricular activities, doctor’s visits, and other obligations.
A command center calendar might be helpful if you want to plan out your day using pen and paper. You might also use an electronic service like Google Calendar or Cozi Family Calendar. Whether on a PC or via an app, these calendars make it easy to coordinate everyone in the family’s schedules.
1Thrive has a beautiful collection of home command centers that are ready to use.
Create routines for each day
Developing processes is the first step in effective time management and making an orderly routine for yourself. If you make it a habit to carry out the same sequence of actions on a daily or weekly basis, you’ll be able to ensure that everything in your house continues to function efficiently.
Create a morning and evening routine that fits your schedule every day. Determine the tasks that need to be completed on a daily basis in order to maintain the order in your house. Do you have to remember to unload the dishwasher and put away the dishes each morning before you go to work? Do you have to go through the invoices and pay them on a certain day of the week?
In order to reduce the amount of stress caused by family mealtimes, you may find it helpful to plan your family’s meals and do your grocery shopping on the same day of the week. You can order food some days you don’t have time to cook, there are some restaurants who even offer free food for signing up for their email list or downloading their app. The key to effective time management and the creation of a schedule that is orderly and free from stress is to establish regular routines for the activities that will invariably need to be done.
A Morning Routine and Checklist for the Working Mother
Now that we’ve gone over some wonderful ways to save time, let’s put everything we’ve discussed into a structure that’s pleasant and simple to follow in the form of a checklist.
This is a basic version for a morning routine, which you are free to change and edit in accordance with your requirements.
- Wake yourself before the children.
- Get cleaned up and get ready
- Prepare breakfast
- Awaken the sleepyheads!
- Consume some breakfast
- Put items in the dishwasher.
- Help youngsters become ready
- Remind the children to pack their lunches with things that can be eaten immediately.
- While the children are putting on their shoes and brushing their teeth, you may check your phone, check your email, and check social media. You can also get any supplies that you need for the day from the location designated as the Family Command Center.
- Proceed to leave for work
Create a routine for your own self-care
Self-care might include activities such as managing one’s time. On the other hand, practicing good self-care helps you become better at managing your time and staying on track with your plan. When you are healthy, accomplishing tasks is easier than it would be otherwise. Maintaining your ability to concentrate and focus requires you to have a proper amount of rest, sleep, and participate in activities that are soothing.
Research has shown that staying up all night or missing breaks is a definite way to reduce your productivity, despite the fact that these strategies may seem to be sensible methods to increase the amount of work you get done. Recognize the need to consume meals that are balanced, engage in physical activity, and participate in stress-relieving activities that will help you re-energize and build a routine that is free of tension.
You will love this self-love and self-care journal!
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