I started really focusing on time management when I worked in client services and had dozens of client accounts to manage. Time management skills have helped me immensely in my professional life, but I will say that the skill of time management has helped me at home even more.
I’ve discovered that successful time management means taking the time to slow down, review and plan your schedule. Let yourself control the day, instead of letting the day control you. Here are six of the habits I have gotten into at home to practice good time management.
Look Ahead
Each week on Sunday after we finish our meal prep, I like to look over our schedule and plan. Okay, when is it going to make sense to go to the grocery store? When am I going to go to the gym? What days do we have sports planned? I make sure it’s all laid out and that it’s all going to work. I also have gotten into the habit of doing this at the beginning of each month to look at the month as a whole, but life changes so fast that it has to happen weekly too.
Say No
I think this has been one of the most important aspects of my time management skill development. Make time for what really matters, and say no to things that don’t. Lisa Druxman recently said in her podcast, The Empowered Mama, that if it’s not a “Hell Ya!” then it’s a no. Stop saying that you are going to do things that you have no desire to do. Nicole recently shared a blog post about why they are saying no to birthday parties.
Create Consistency
When there is some level of consistency to a schedule, it is much easier to plan ahead and predict. For example, my husband and I both have “our days” of the week to go to the gym. I know that on Saturday mornings we generally do our grocery shopping. Sunday evening is for meal prep. Knowing our general road map of each week keeps us focused.
Communicate
Shared Google Calendars have helped my husband and I stay on the same path when we are coordinating our week. I’ve also found it’s really important to talk about everything that’s going on during the week. It’s amazing how a five-minute conversation can save a lot of stress throughout the week. Share the things that you are hoping to get accomplished, and maybe even ask for some help on the things that are overwhelming to you.
Schedule What Matters
It’s easy to fill a family schedule, so at the beginning of each month, I try to make sure that we have the important things, like date nights, scheduled and planned. I also try to make sure that we have our workouts planned, my time with friends, and family activities. This way I make sure that most important things do happen.
Find Your System
I prefer to keep both a digital and a handwritten calendar. My husband and I have a shared Google Calendar where we save events that are important to both of us: swim lessons, family trips, birthday parties etc. I also have a personal Google Calendar for work where I put all of my meetings. The nice thing about Google Calendar is I can view both layered on each other, so I have a full grasp of my day, without having to spam my husband’s calendar. In my handwritten calendar, I also keep all of the scheduled events (parties and meetings alike) as well as breaking down the specific tasks.
Break It Down
In my physical planner, I break down all of my little tasks that need to get done. I use a Passion Planner daily because I like that 30-minute breakdown of the day. Some days my to-do list will look intimidating, but when I put each task down for a specific time on my planner, it becomes a lot more manageable. Okay, I need to clean the bathrooms today, I will do that during naptime from 1:30-2:00. Then we will go to the grocery store when the kids wake up at 2:30. This keeps me focused during the day, and on task. I usually try to do this the night before, so that when I wake up the next morning I feel confident with the day.
I have found time management to be an essential skill as a parent. But the most important thing I’ve learned is that instead of saying “I don’t have time to…” start saying “It’s not a priority to…”. It puts everything in perspective quickly about how you should be spending your time. These time management skills will just help bring that perspective to life.
Happy Planning!
