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.