 In the past, I could never admit when I was overwhelmed. That would mean that I was losing control and weak. I am not sure where this mindframe originated in my upbringing. I watched my mother work three jobs to support her four young kids. And yes, she complained a lot. Not about working though. She had a pretty good work ethic which I like to think I inherited. I figured out later that what she basically complained about was not having any time to herself and for herself. This stuck with me through college, the military and my marriage. I knew how important it was to set aside personal time.
As a stay-at-home mom, it is important that I pass on my work ethic and not my prior work habits. At times, it felt like I was chasing the clock. I was rushing my two-year-old daughter off to daycare, trying to get homework done, feed, bathe and play with my seven-month-old daughter; clean the house and eventually prepare a 30-minutes or less dinner for my husband. It was only when deciding to run my home-based business that reality slapped me in the face. I was not managing my time productively. I was pooped. Facing reality was actually a breath of fresh air. I was able to step back and realize that I should be running out of daylight and not out of energy. Working my business around my children is a pleasant experience. I am no longer feeling like my days have been wasted. I learned to write my cheesy “To Do” list in Word every night. It is my greatest time management tool and it works. This way I go to bed feeling at peace. I schedule in exercise time, business time, Bible time, breaks, sleep, meals, and even my quality time with my family. It sounds funny, but it has made a world of difference. Just by managing my time, I dropped three dress sizes in four weeks; increased productivity for my business; lifted my faith; overcame my challenges much faster; and even pampered myself at least once a week.
Do not get me wrong. I still have those days when everything and anything can go wrong. But the big difference is that my planning allows for me getting lost to a client’s house or tending to my baby when she is fussy. Things are going to happen out of my control. For everything else, time management is key. |
