Defrazzle Your Time

 

Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.

~Will Rogers

In a hurry? Jump right to the part you need:

If there is a mother in North America who is not stressed for time, I've not met her. Mothers seem to need to be all things to all people. It's a tough role! We spend most of our day getting everyone to wherever it is they need to go, and helping everyone get those things done that they need to get done. Anything else we do tends to get interrupted on a regular basis so that it's very hard to feel as if we get a clear run at anything.

Do you feel like you're always trying to “catch up”? Well, you're in good company. I am a wife, and a mom of two kids. I homeschool, run a home business, take classes, and actively participate in my church. I understand first hand what a time crunch is all about. Some days come to an end with me gasping!

Well, over the years I've learned some secrets, the most important of which is that I'm ADD. I learned this when I was 44 - what a shock!! No wonder I'm so scattered all the time, have 12 projects on the go, have difficulty organizing myself, and hate actually finishing anything. Sound familiar?

Well if that's a description of you, there is help!! Before you go any farther, check out this page: Defrazzled ADD

If that's not your issue, then let's move on to some basic tips.

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And here are some more tips:

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Little Tips

  • Stop Multi-Tasking. Do one thing at a time, do it well, and get it finished. Multi-tasking makes us feel like we're getting more accomplished, but in reality we do everything badly instead of one thing well. The only exception to this is perhaps listening to a book on tape while you work/drive (though take note that this does distract your concentration so you must be very careful), or doing mindless jobs (like pairing socks or folding laundry, exercise) while you're watching TV.

  • Factor In Extras. Make sure you factor in driving time, waiting time, finding a parking space time, filling out forms time, coats on and off time, lost items time, etc. as you plan your day.

  • Buffer Your Appointments. Always plan your appointments with emergencies in mind. Give yourself time to take notes, get lost finding the address, get gas, etc. Then take along some work and/or reading to get done if you're early so you're not wasting time.

  • Use Waiting Time. Instead of raising your guilt level reading women's magazines while you wait for Doctors, Dentists, and kids' lessons, plan a spa session like a manicure, or listen to a relaxation tape, read a great novel, or do something nice for yourself.

  • Plan with Totebags. This was a HUGE timesaver for me when I had small kids. We had regular activities that we did, like the library, field trips, visits to friends, necessary appointments, Church, etc. For each of the regular activities I had a tote bag. For Church, for example, in addition to the standard diaper bag stuff (which I always carried separately) I had quiet books, a blanket, a stuffed toy, quiet snacks, etc. For the library I had the cards and all the books we had taken out. They came out of the bag to read, and went into the bag when we were done - no lost books! For visits to friends I had a little tape-recorder and some cassettes for the kids to listen to, a couple of videos to watch (yeah, I'm showing my age, LOL!) and other activities and toys that only came out for this kind of outing. It was a life saver, because I just had to “grab and go” depending on the activity. When I came home, I simply cleaned out, tidied, and re-stocked.

  • Take Regular Refreshment Breaks. My “to-do list” has great things on it that I love to do at regular intervals so that I'm refreshing myself as I work. Things like “read a chapter of a book” or “Take a walk”. My fitness activities are also on there, along with my goal setting tasks and spiritual renewal activities. It's great.

  • Set up routines: Have a regular evening routine and a morning routine, and the schedule your home-making activities across the week so that no day is too busy.

  • Stretch every 90 minutesThis will stop you from getting those achy shoulders or sore backs. It will also help prevent headaches. Keep moving, keep the blood flowing, and keep your brain alert. If you did 10 jumping jacks, had a good stretch, and drank a tall glass of water every 90 minutes, you'd feel like a new woman, and you'd have more energy to complete your tasks. Check out this article for more on this (while it's business focused, you can apply the same techniques to your home life.)

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Middle Tips

  • Plan Your Day Carefully. Start by setting aside an hour a day to think about your goals, your schedule, your personal needs, and plan your day out before you even get started. Make sure you plan in room for emergencies. Here's a great book (again, business focused, but also easy to apply to your life at home) that will show you the best way to do this: Power of An Hour: Business and Life Mastery in One Hour A Week

  • Learn To Say No. Check out this article for great ideas to get you to the point where you can say no! Here's a great book to help you do that as well:

  • Delegate. I know. This is a tough one. When you start delegating, remember to train. Don't just randomly assign things. That will take time and consistency, but will pay off in BIG dividends when you're done! Remember to say “thank you” when the job is completed, and compliment on a job well done.

  • Lower Your Standards. When you have small children, your home will not look like “Better Homes and Gardens” unless you create massive stress for everyone involved. (If you manage that without causing the stress, I'd love to hear from you!). RELAX. Your house should not be filthy or dirty, but it doesn't need to be a hospital, either. Your kids will be much healthier if you let them play stress-free, and if they get some good, solid germ exposure when they're young. Aim to make your home comfortable, not amazing.

  • Clear Off the Schedule. Most family's schedules are so overwhelming there is no possible way to manage them. See my “Defrazzle Your Parenting” page to get some ideas on cutting back your family activities. This is a really important issue, and I can't stress it enough.

  • Get Rid of the Clutter: See the “Defrazzle Your Housekeeping” page for lots of ideas for this.

  • Get some mentoring. Let me work with you to set up a program just for you, to help you manage your time! Click here for details.

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“Oh My Goodness I Need Serious Help!” Tips

  • Start With Your Goals. Most moms have never really thought about what their goals are with regards to their kids, their marriage, their homes, their careers, their lives in general. Because they don't know where they're going, they have no idea how to plan their days. Start with my “Defrazzle Your Dreams” page and get your goals sorted out so you know where you're going. Once you know what you want, plan things out keeping all those areas in as much balance as possible.

  • Start small. Don't try and change everything overnight. Grab one goal at a time (see “Defrazzle Your Dreams” to get a better handle on this)

  • Plan your day by dividing it into three sections: Morning, Afternoon, and Evening. Then make sure that everyday has at least one of those sections that's not packed or crazy busy. Only two crazy sections are allowed per day.

  • Plan your week so that you have at least 1 day for fun activities that you all enjoy, and have at least 3 nights free a week where you can hang out as a family, eat dinner together, and play a little. If homework is getting in the way, try and plan it out with your kids so it doesn't. If it's always a problem, talk to their teachers. Your spending time together will give your child a much better foundation for a successful life, than excessive amounts of homework.

    • I like to plan my week so that the heaviest housework falls at the beginning of the week, and I also try and have just one day a week where I'm out doing lessons, courses, meetings, errands, and the like. This keeps my week very flexible.

  • Plan your month and allow one day a month for “catch up” either at work, or at home, or even with family. Keep every second week a little slower.

  • Be absolutely firm about holding to your choices. Don't let others (even family members) guilt you into doing things that do not meet the goals of your personal life, your family life, your professional life, or your dreams.

  • Get some mentoring. Let me work with you to set up a program just for you, to help you keep track of time and use it more efficiently! Click here for details.

Here's a wonderful organizer I found just for moms to help you keep track of everything:

Here are some GREAT time management books for moms:

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Have you picked up a copy of my
FREE
Mom-Defrazzler "Tips Messenger"?

It's 52 tips, resources, ideas, and "step-by-step" to make your mothering life easier, and it pops up once a week on your computer.

You will also receive a free, super short "Tip" to simplify your life, or a "Giggle" to make it more fun, every four days in your e-mail,

ALL FOR FREE!

Don't miss out! Sign up below!
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We hate spam as much as you do!
Your information is safe with us.
We will never share, lend, or sell it to anyone else.