Time Management

This graphic from salary.com puts the life of a stay at home mom into perspective. I think our culture is beginning to value mothers more and more now that the peak of feminism is behind us, but it is still pretty affirming to see it spelled out like this.

Of course, it's nice to know how much we are worth, but the bigger question on my mind is, "How on earth am I going to accomplish all of this on a daily basis?" I only have one baby right now, and I still don't get everything done that I should. The idea that some mothers (like mine) manage to keep a tidy home while also homeschooling 4+ children and taking up personal projects on the side is mind boggling to me.

I have spent way too much time trying to manage my time on paper, only to fail over and over again at keeping to the schedules I've made. Recently a friend and I had the privilege of meeting with an experienced mother of six who gave us her wisdom on the subject of organization, and since then I have been trying to work out the best system of time management for me. Here is what I have learned so far...

1. Make daily, weekly, and monthly to-do lists.

At least, this is the system that works for me. Weekly lists won't change from week to week- this is your basic laundry, cooking, cleaning, and desk work routine. I have each of these chores assigned to a certain day, but if it doesn't happen on that day I don't stress about it. The monthly list will change based on the needs of that month, like taking the car into the shop or buying someone a birthday gift. Make your daily list off of the weekly and monthly lists, tacking on any little extra things that come up. Then when you're done with you're daily list you are DONE, and can put everything else out of your mind and do something you love!

2. Give every moment to God.

For me the most exciting part of time management is working out what I need to do and how fast I need to do it. Racing the clock is fun, and so is checking off neat little rows of boxes. But I have learned that I have to think of my to-dos as goals, not mandatory requirements. Otherwise when Katara wakes up early from her nap or the phone rings with a request from a friend in need, I find myself becoming grumpy and unkind. Instead, I try to think of every moment as God's, and keep my mind open to however He wants me to use it.

3. Spend half an hour cleaning every day.

I read this on another blog somewhere, and I have been doing it ever since. After breakfast, while Katara has playtime, I make sure the whole house is in a general state of order before moving on to my devotions and shower. This leaves me feeling in control and ready to tackle another day, even if all that day holds is a more in-depth kind of cleaning.

4. Prioritize

Start with the things that are going to drive you bonkers unless they get done. Maybe that means forsaking housekeeping to get caught up on scrapbooking... maybe that means taking a nap if you are totally sleep deprived. Whatever the case, try to actively decide what things are most important to you.

5. Save computer work for nap time.

The last thing I want is for my daughter to see me constantly glued to the screen when she's up. I also find computer projects more absorbing and therefore I'm much less attentive to what Katara is up to. (The other day she got into the dog food for this very reason. Haha!)

6. Find ways to make it fun.

I make myself fold laundry by watching a show while I do it, but I will often stand up the whole time so I don't get too distracted. I also like the idea of bribing myself with candy or ice cream after completing particularly ugly chores, like cleaning the bathroom. And I try to break up the unpleasant chores with fun ones, and space out errands throughout the week so we always get out of the house.

7. Check dinner off your list at breakfast.

This is something I learned from my mother-in-law. If I can throw something in the crock pot or pull something out of the freezer at breakfast so that dinner is taken care of, my whole day will feel a lot easier. Even if I am planning a stove-top meal, checking that we have all the right ingredients and pulling out the recipe early in the day will help to get me over the 4:00 hump.

8. Have designated days to stay home and get stuff done.

Rather than spacing out work equally throughout the week, I have hard days and easy days built into my schedule. This enables me to know better how to plan get-togethers with friends, doctors appointments, and other non-regular errands. It also gives me enough flexibility to move things around if I don't get everything done on it's designated day.

9. Learn when to say no.

This one I learned from my Aunt. It's important to value the work that you as a stay at home mom have to do. When someone calls and asks if I'm busy, and all I'm doing is housework, my temptation is to say no. But the truth is, if that work doesn't get done, I'm going to be stressed and frustrated by the end of the week. So within reason, I have to learn to say no sometimes when other non-essential demands on my time arise.

10. Keep it simple.

I'm constantly trying to make complicated schedules that nail down exactly what Katara and I should be doing at every moment. But this tends to create a knot of stress in my stomach that overrides all my ambition. My husband is constantly reminding me to make a list, and start working. Don't get lost in the whole, just focus on the task at hand- and as usual, he is right.