FIRST THINGS FIRST

As Mompreneurs, we are simply “time poor.” Meaning, we are poor on time. Our free time is extremely limited. To better understand how to manage our time, group our tasks, and take advantage of our season, let’s dive into how to practice the best time management practices we can.

Our Best Self Journal is going to help us accomplish most of this, but Best Self also has some amazing resources on planning for time poor people, aka, Moms.

Let’s talk about grouping tasks. Whether you call it batching, time blocking, whatever, the concept is one that will be life changing. Use the links below to start practicing these principles.

During hustle season, you’ve got ideas literally coming out your ears. It is by far going to be the hardest season to put work down and pick mumming up without the guilt.

Especially creatives, as we tend to spark creativity at the most inopportune times. Like while the toddler is playing with cars on your back or while reading about tractors. We can’t just drop what we’re doing and pick up our podcast microphone, or sketch pad or laptop. We have a baby to attend to.

So, here’s some solutions for fostering your creativity and ideas while not momming/working simultaneously.

• Voice memos. When something sparks and you’re in mom mode, grab your phone and make a voice memo. Then, when work time comes, first thing – take those voice memos and do with them what you will. BEFORE you start your other tasks on your list. Get those thoughts onto some sort of proverbial paper where they belong.

• Take advantage of delegation. My hubby helps me a lot in this area, but so do lots of others - the girls across the street, my mom, my friends. When I feel the urge to work but I’m in mom mode, I will ask whoever is around me if they will take over mumming for a moment. Usually, this moment will be short and you just need to get the blog written or email sent or logo sketched or photo taken, but it will feel so good once you do, and then you can come back, undistracted.

• Switch the priority list. During your designated work times, instead of doing urgent first (see other seasons), do the things that excite you first. Here’s why: when your work time comes to an end, if you’ve done everything that was “urgent” but nothing that moved your hustle forward, you will feel incomplete and unrewarded. But if you do your hustle first, and STICK TO IT, rather than getting distracted down another rabbit hole or new idea, you will feel so energized that you will most likely want to do the other work, too.