Get up. Get kids up and ready for school. Get ready for work. Out the door. Forgot my glasses. Turn around. Get my glasses. Out the door again. Start the car. Traffic jam on the way to work. Park car (no spots except in the lower lot). Run to get to the office. Work nonstop. Eat at my desk. Work some more. Drive home. Get dinner ready. Help kids with homework. Showers. Bed.
If you are like me, a busy working mom, this is my daily routine. By the time I am able to sit down and accomplish anything that I want to do, the moon is high in the sky, and I am beat.
Clothes still need to be washed. Dishes dried and put away. Meat pulled out of the freezer and set to marinade overnight in the fridge. There is no time for myself.
I lived this way for a long time-putting all my effort into my family and my home, but I forgot about myself. I had to make a change.
At the beginning of every month, I would make a list.
- What do I need to accomplish each week?
- What do I need to do daily?
- What needs to be done this month?
After writing this list, I realized that there are a lot of things to do to run a household. I was overwhelmed-that is until I hung a calendar on the wall.
It is in plain sight. I see it every day. On each day, I put the things I wanted to accomplish.
- Daily: Do the dishes, Prep meal for next day, etc.
- Weekly: Wash kids clothes, Wash my clothes, etc.
- Monthly: Clean Carpets, Wash Windows, Vacuum Car, etc.
By breaking everything down into one or two tasks a day, I have managed to stay on top of things and not feel overwhelmed.
There are a lot of tips and tricks for managing your time. While I was researching, I stumbled across this blog post by workingmother.com. Click here to read the full post.
As an author, I struggle to find the time to write. I consider myself more of a weekend warrior than anything else. Click the picture below to learn about my “weekend world”.
