A Mum's Guide to Time Management

APPLICATION FOR A 28-HOUR DAY DECLINED - A Mum's Guide to Time Management If it's true that bringing up children is a marathon and not a sprint, it follows that as parents we need to develop strategies that will serve us well for the long term. Strategies for juggling all the demands of the family, our jobs and home while still allowing room for us and a way to preserve our sanity! We need to become skilled in many roles, the sheer diversity of which means we will naturally be more adept at some than others. Time management is one on the list and can often be a major challenge. So without the option of additional hours in the day, how exactly do we achieve all that we need to do and still find a few minutes to ourselves? We've all heard suggestions for effectively managing our time and some of these tips are relevant for busy Mums, but most assume that you're sitting in an office staring at a large in-tray. When the reality is more likely to be trying to find the car keys your toddler has hidden with 10 minutes to get to your destination half an hour away. In this case an appreciation of delegation skills just won't cut it. Often the problem stems from our habit to over commit. We place huge demands on ourselves expecting that we should measure up to all the other Mums out there who are apparently handling everything with little or no effort. Here are a few ways to avoid being beaten by the clock. Be realistic about how much you can do in one day. Factor in the extra time it will take to relocate the car keys or change a nappy just when you thought you were ready to leave the house. Restock your bag with nappy sacs etc when you return home, then it's all done for the next time you go out. Doing these things in a rush usually means something essential gets left behind. Have a set place for the changing bag so you don't spend time searching for it each time you want to go out. Keep some spare change in the car, next time you're at your local Pay and Display or approaching the QEII bridge, you'll have no trouble finding the money you need. Think about when you are at your most energetic (relatively speaking of course) during the day and where possible make best use of this time. There are no rules about having to do the housework all in one go, spread the tasks throughout the week if that's what works best. Make a fresh start each day. Never mind if things went horribly wrong yesterday, today won't be the same. Expect things to be better and you'll find it easier to approach the new day with a more positive outlook. While you might aspire to being a 'domestic goddess', the majority of the time 'domestic engineer' is perfectly adequate. So what if the veg came pre-prepared and you've bought ready made Yorkshire puddings? If your supermarket delivers take advantage of the service, the extra time this buys you could well justify the delivery charge. While we're on the subject of food, I'd recommend some 'one-pot' cooking. Casseroles and stews are wholesome, tasty and don't generate tons of washing up. The added advantage is that it's simple to make double quantity, then simply freeze half for a quick meal another time. Do you know where your time goes? Are meal times the thing that blow the agenda, or is it calls from your Mum? Identify the time stealers and then think about how you can minimise their impact. For example can you prepare the meal ahead or arrange that your Mum calls only after 8pm? Knowing your schedule for the coming week can help in getting ahead with little tasks for the following day. Whether it's packing a lunch, filling the car with petrol or buying extra milk, looking the extra day ahead can save you lots of time. Are you choosing the urgent over the important? Prioritising tasks is essential in helping you achieve the key things each day. If something is important but not urgent maybe it can wait until tomorrow. Urgent AND Important things are the ones to put at the top of the list. Lists, lists and more lists, but they can work wonders. When you have a hundred and one things on your mind, noting what needs to be done or bought can avoid return trips to the High St. If you want to get really smart you can write things in a logical order so a single circuit of the town centre deals with all the necessary tasks without backtracking. Where do you keep all your contact numbers? If they tend to be scattered about between notepads your diary and address book, try putting everything into one place and then make sure all numbers are in your mobile phone. Schedule time for you, just like any other appointment. If you don't plan this time, the chances are it won't happen. Far from being selfish, taking some well earned YOU time helps you keep things in perspective and renews your energy so everyone in the family will benefit. Whatever strategies you employ to manage your time, they will need some thought and planning. Like your money, your time is finite. Choosing how to spend it and budgeting carefully means it will go that much further! You may have heard of the Rocks in a Jar exercise? To fit the most into the jar, you need to place the large rocks first then smaller stones and finally fill in all the gaps with sand. If you were to start with the sand you'd never find room for everything else. So it is with your time. If you can complete the major tasks first, followed by smaller tasks and then fill in the remaining time with odd jobs, amazingly you'll achieve much more in your day - give it a go. Is spontaneity dead then? Not at all, it just needs to find the right level within your life so you can enjoy it without losing the degree of organisation that you want. The better the choices and decisions you make during the day about how to spend this valuable resource, the easier your time management becomes. This allows more room for spontaneity, so if planning holds little appeal think of the benefits! The choice is yours even when the unexpected happens your choice of reaction to the situation is what determines how successful you are at managing the time. Your approach will need to fit your life style, your family circumstances and your preferences. You can use all the tips, but developing the best long term solution to your time management is ultimately about developing an approach that works best for you.