I Bet This Crossed Your Resolution-Making Mind, Too...

image via junk yard gypsy

Every time I read Rachael's blog I sit slack-jawed in amazement at all she manages to accomplish. So much to learn from this gal! So happy to have her at Bloom today with a few very helpful tips on time management and efficiency.

Confession: every day there are a lot of things I wish I’d accomplished that I just didn’t have time to get to. I’m not a dazzling paragon of time management—I spend my fair share of time scrolling through blogs while my kitchen floor languishes unmopped. But (allow me to mount my soapbox for a minute) I’ve discovered five things that work for me that I’m excited to share with you today. (This post is written from the perspective of a mother of young children; it’s not an attempt to exclude but rather a reflection of the stage of life that I’m in right now.)

Make lists

Daily routines

On my refrigerator, I keep a list of routine daily tasks (Monday through Saturday) in a plastic sheet protector. These are the essentials that keep my house running smoothly. When I finish a task, I draw a line through it with a whiteboard marker; at the end of the week, I erase the whole thing and start again. This helps me to feel like I’m on top of the day because I always know what else needs to be done at just a glance, rather than feeling like there are a million things I should do but I don’t know where to start.

My daily lists cover everything from laundry (which I do four times a week), basic cleaning, bill-paying, thank-you notes, and special projects. Essentially, I sat down and wrote out everything I do on a regular basis to keep things running smoothly, then assigned them all to various days. What this boils down to is doing a little every day, rather than having a day of crisis-cleaning and catch-up every week or so.

I’ve built in a catch-up day on Fridays that is inevitably needed and helps to reduce the stress. I also include daily story-reading with the kids and “floor time,” where I am 100% focused on playing with the kids and ignore ringing phones, blinking emails, etc. This helps me feel like I’ve gotten some quality time in with the kids every single day, because I’ve prioritized it along with all the other things I want to accomplish that day.

Out-of-the-ordinary

In addition to daily tasks, I also need a way of tracking other things to do, like changing over the car insurance, paying my husband’s tuition, making visiting teaching appointments, etc. My new favorite list-making tool? That little task thing in Gmail. So easy to use, and plus you have the satisfaction of crossing it out when you’re done.

Selective multi-tasking

The reality of life with small children is that many things proceed at a snail’s pace. You can try to fight it, or you can embrace the inevitable and learn to make use of this time. (This is most successful when you stay in the same room with them and continue to carry on a conversation. I should also note that we’ve chosen not to have a TV in our home, so I can’t plan on doing chores while my children are occupied by a show).

For instance, try some of the following:

· Clean the bathroom while your kids are in the tub

· Start a few dinner preparations while they eat an afternoon snack

· Clean the ‘fridge while they’re eating lunch one pea at a time

· Fold laundry together while you listen to music

· Encourage your children to help with “fun” tasks (for some reason, my kids get no end of glee out of mopping the floor and dusting)

Plan ahead

Flying by the seat of your pants and never thinking ahead can be cute when you have no responsibilities. It’s not so cute when you’ve got a real job, small people who rely on you for sustenance and clean clothes, or a house to run.

Plan meals for the week so you only have to go to the grocery store once. Pack lunches, backpacks, and diaper bags the night before. Set the table for breakfast after everyone is in bed at night. Schedule appointments back-to-back. Keep all the library books in the same spot. Prepare for things ahead of time as much as possible so you’re never scrambling at the last minute. If you don’t have a good calendar to keep track of your life, invest in one now (I’m partial to the whiteboard calendars myself). Bottom line: preparation = peace of mind.

Consider your day

When are you most productive? When do things get crazy? When do you just need to collapse and not think anymore? Build your day around these times and plan accordingly. It’s not realistic to expect that you’ll be super-efficient at 5 pm if you’re trying to make dinner, placate a crying baby, and mop a floor simultaneously. Literally, sit down for a minute and think about a typical day.

For instance, my kids always run off as soon as they’re done with breakfast and play happily together for the next hour. This is when I try to do all of my cleaning, bill-paying, and phone-calling. If I read stories with my oldest daughter and play with her for about half an hour after the other children go down for their naps, she will be content to color by herself for the next hour until the baby wakes up—a perfect time to get a jump on dinner preparations or anything I didn’t finish in the morning.

Plan your day. Consciously consider what you need to do and the best times to do it. Pretty soon, you’ll find that you’ve developed a comfortable routine that works for you.

Schedule regular downtime

I have three children. The oldest one is four and the youngest is six months. I teach part-time at Purdue University, I’m obsessed with cooking, and I’m a neat freak. Translation: I am always busy and someone always needs me. But every single day I do two things: exercise and read, even if I didn’t necessarily get everything else done that I needed to do. If I trade out my “me time,” I’m a wreck. Find what rejuvenates you and make sure that it happens regularly. In my home, once the children are in bed, I’m done for the day (unless I have to grade papers).

Once a week, I take a night off. I’ve used this time to attend yoga and quilting classes, meander around Target, go out with friends, or browse the local libraries. What I do isn’t so important as the time I have to simply enjoy my own company and the pleasure of occasional solitude. For the last three years, a good friend and I have done a standard weekly playdate where we take turns watching the other woman’s children for a few hours. Our kids love it, and we both know that every other week we have two precious daytime hours to employ however we see fit. Build in time for yourself, and your family will benefit as well.

And now it’s your turn! What tips or tricks do you have for managing your time efficiently and helping your life to run smoothly?