5 Time Management Tips for Busy Parents
When you become a parent, your concept of time and the level of control you have over it changes considerably. Remember when it used to take you five minutes to pop to the corner shop, rather than involving a minor military operation which takes closer to an hour? Or how about when you could get properly stuck into a task, without tiny dictators demanding your attention every two minutes? You will get that freedom back one day but, for now, learning how to manage your time effectively can reduce a lot of the stress in your life. Feeling less frazzled makes everything seem that bit easier!
Stop trying to be Wonder Woman
Much as we would all like to believe we are superheroes, none of us can do absolutely everything. The first step to taking control of your time is getting rid of all of those tasks you don’t need to do or simply don’t want to do. Sit down and go through a typical day; what do you do that doesn’t need to be done? If a task adds no value, don’t do it. Similarly, if someone asks you to do a favour, don’t automatically say yes. It is ok to say no.
Multitasking is a myth
This goes hand in hand with our first point; if you try to do too much at once, you will end up either completing nothing or completing everything to a below-par standard. If something is worth doing, it deserves your full attention. Avoid multitasking by assigning a set period of time to each task. You may feel you are not giving yourself enough time but you will be surprised by how much more efficient you are when you give 100 per cent. If you genuinely don’t have enough time to finish a task, think about how you can do it more efficiently next time. Using gift bags instead of wrapping paper for the countless birthday parties your children are invited to is one example of how to save time.
Use a calendar
One tip which Susan has found incredibly helpful is using a wall calendar to keep track of everyone’s activities. Absolutely everything is written on the calendar; from children’s doctor appointments, birthday parties and school events to her husband’s work trips and Susan’s own plans to escape the madness for a few hours. This means that everyone knows what is coming up and there is no double-booking.
Write a to-do list
We have said it time and time again, but a to-do list is probably one of the most useful time management tools. Write down absolutely everything you need to do, regardless of how minor a task seems. The only way you can achieve your goals is by knowing what you need to do. While writing your list, remember to break each task into manageable, bite-size chunks. Rather than saying “clean bedrooms”, note it as “make beds”, “tidy and sort toys”, “gather laundry” and so on. As well as making it more obvious what is involved in each task, it means you get a great sense of achievement every time you tick something off the list.
Prioritise
Now that you have made a note of what you need to do, it’s time to decide what is most (and least) important. You may even find some tasks that you can ditch completely. As a guide, your children need to be fed; their sock drawers don’t need to be sorted by colour.
What’s Your Secret Weapon?
We’re bound to have missed at least one of your favourite strategies. If you would like to share your own top tips, please leave a comment on this blog or contact us at info@cushiontheimpact.co.uk. We would love to hear from you and we are sure other parents would appreciate the help.
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