Moms time management: is it possible?

Is there such a thing as Moms time management?

If you are a Mother, doesn't it seem like you have no say in the matter? Moms time management seems impossible.

Things come up all the time that have to be dealt with.To be able to plan anything seems out of reach, I know.

Being a stay at home Mom and building a home based business is the most challenging thing I have ever done, no question about it. I am assuming that the same is true for you.

But it may also be the most rewarding thing you will ever do.

To help you and to make it a little easier for you I am going to share with you effective Moms time management strategies that have proven to work. I can't stress the importance of Moms time management enough if you want to keep your sanity while you make money from home.

Here is what happens if you don't manage our time. You want the best for your Children, you want to have time for them, you want to provide for them, and then you completely give up on our own needs. Eventually you run out of steam and everything goes down the drain.

Moms time management, your time management is key to your personal and your family's well being. An effective time management strategy is crucial to your business and family success.

Here is what I have put together for you. This simple but effective Moms time management strategy helped me to achieve a balanced work and family life.

I am happy, my family is happy and my business is thriving.

The first step is to acknowledge that you need a Moms time management strategy.

The next step is to learn to look differently at time.

It is more about the quality of time than the quantity.

Time is not just something that you never have enough of.

Time is not just something that needs to be spent on activities.

NO - Time is the most valuable asset we have.

Therefore, the question is: how can you invest your time best? To grasp this new concept, I divided my time into three categories. I am asking you to do the same.

The first category includes the time that we spend doing what we are best at and what produces the most financial rewards.

The second category includes the time we spend to rejuvenate and to regenerate.

And, the third category is the huge in-between zone.

Most of us spend our lives in the in-between zone, or the gray zone of life. Most of us are not living our full potential. We are stressed, unhappy and broke. The importance of Moms time management becomes more pronounced the more burned out we are. But it doesn't have to get to that point. I am a firm believer in prevention. This time management for Mothers is a true life saver.

Here is how you put it into practice:

Get a pen and 3 separate sheets of paper

First, identify the activities that you are strongest at and the tasks that bring you the highest financial reward. These are tasks that require uninterrupted focus. I call these tasks HF-tasks, as in High Focus tasks.

These are actions that you are passionate about.

(If after figuring out what HF-tasks for you are and you are not passionate about these tasks, I recommend you rethink your Business choice.)

Put all your HF-tasks on the first piece of paper.

Next, identify gray zone tasks. I call these tasks TS-tasks as in Time Sucker tasks. TS-tasks don't require full focus. These are tasks that you can do while you are with you Kids. Also, it is best to see if you can convert gray zone activities into rejuvenation, or ask yourself if you can simply eliminate them.

This will most likely be the longest list. Thats O.K. for now.

Lastly, write down rejuvenation activities. I am sure this list is the shortest. I call these activities PL- tasks as in Play time tasks. Yes, play time is a task - it's a must.

Your ultimate goal from now on is to eliminate most of the gray zone activities and achieve a balance between rest and productivity phases.

I can hear you say, "dream on, no more cooking, cleaning and driving the Kids around, that's impossible".

And, you are right. You will still be doing all those things. The key is not so much what you do, but how you do it.

One big gray zone factor is e-mail and the internet, especially if your home based business is an internet business. I have very strict e-mail and web surfing rules for myself. I don't surf the web on a whim. I only surf if I have to do research and that is done during high productivity time. I check my email at 9 am and at 8 pm. I don't spend more then 15 minutes. If I have an important request or an e-mail that needs answering I will only do it if I can do it in two minutes; otherwise, it becomes a task for my high productivity session.

The next step to Moms time management is to get out your weekly planner and plan a typical week.

Once you are done, identify blocks of time when you are by yourself. I encourage you to only perform HF-tasks during these time slots from now on.

Write the following on a big piece of paper and hang it where you can see it!

Rule number one: HF-tasks can only be done when I am by myself and uninterrupted!

Next, mark the time that you rejuvenate on your weekly planner.

Are you ready for rule number two?

Rule number two is: Spend equal amounts of waking time on HF-tasks and PL-tasks.

This exercise is designed to help you get a sense for how you spend your time. I am guessing that most of the time slots on your weekly planner are not yet marked. Am I right?

That was to be expected. Like I said in the beginning, most people don't know about the importance of time management or they don't have effective time management strategies. As a result, they are not investing their time to their maximum benefit. You are not going to be one of them. You now know a good Moms time management strategy

Not long ago, I was a time waster. I needed to learn about Moms time management too.

I am offering you the tools I found to start investing it smarter.

This brings us to Rule number three: TS- tasks should be converted into Play time or HF-tasks. If neither applies, simply eliminate.

Remember again, the goal is to go between high focus and rejuvenation, and to eliminate energy draining time wasting.

As you can see, Moms' time management has not so much to do with putting things on your calendar, planning every minute of your day, and working your to-do list. Instead, it has everything to do with increasing your awareness, shifting your priorities, and ultimately, changing your relationship with time.

Depending on the ages of your Children and your situation, it might be challenging to find enough High Focus time slots. 4 hour sessions are ideal, but this may more or less, depending on your life. If money for a babysitter is tight, see if you can find a friend that wants to share childcare with you, or trade.

Here are some ways I rejuvenate.

I make sure I go to bed at 10 and I sleep till six. Some people will tell you, that in order to be successful you have to work really hard, and that is true, but you also have to pace yourself so you don't collapse.

I have also turned the time I spend with my daughter into rejuvenation time. This took a little while. We are all so busy doing things, that being present with our children can be a challenge. Children are completely in the moment. I consider my daughter to be my teacher in this respect, and every time I am able to dive into her world and play, I feel rejuvenated. We have fun and we are happy! This doesn't mean the household chores never get done. They do! My daughter and I do them together. She is the best helper in the world. In this way, the time that used to be "gray zone" is now converted into playtime.

I also make sure that I have 20 minutes to myself every morning to meditate. I strongly recommend a daily spiritual practice to keep you centered.

In addition to Moms time management strategy, you also need a reliable organizational system.

Click on Moms time management and how I get and stay organized and learn about the organizational system I use.

To your Success!

Carolin