The most popular question among Momtrepreneurs: “How do you make time for it all?” I remembered an article I wrote for the Pursuit 31 blog about 2 years ago on this very topic. Rereading it, I was happy to say that this system still applies to me and my family today and it has stood the test of time a handful of years later. Working full time from home has been an amazing blessing to my family over the years and although some days are harder than others, having systems in place has helped manage our household and business tremendously.
Maybe this is your day:
7 am – Wake up, run around like a chicken and be drill sergeant for the kids, make breakfast, find shoes, where’s homework, check teeth, somewhere in there, clean yourself up, and grab a cup of coffee.
9 am – Take first sip of now cold coffee, check email (cuz ya know, that’s all kinds of business related)
10:30 am – Console the shock and horror that it’s been 90 minutes and you’re still reading email (ahem – now Facebook, cuz ya know, THAT is totally business related – i.e. SOCIAL media marketing, right?)
11:00 am – Make an out loud verbal promise that I will do X today!
12:00 pm – well, It’s been an hour, gotta check email again. Surely all of those emails you sent earlier will have replies by now.
Wow….it’s lunch time. The little ones are rowdy. You have major mom guilt for not being able to have done anything with them all morning. You haven’t accomplished a thing really and now feel guilty that you have wasted half your day.
Soooo….. 1 pm it’s regroup time. Kids are fed, you grabbed a yogurt for your totally late breakfast and it’s time to get some real work done.
First….check email, right?
ARGH – How is it 5 pm? You hadn’t planned anything for dinner, you haven’t spent any time with the kids, haven’t gotten any work done to show for anything, you feel guilty, you’re tired, and now feel like a complete failure and wasted your entire day?
Does this sound familiar to anyone at all? Anyone?
If so, keep reading.
If not…., PLEASE write a book and tell the world how you were able to skip this part – it will be a best seller for sure!
I’m totally serious!
Bottom line is = You can’t get it ALL done. Not all by yourself anyway. Oh you CAN, if it’s with great sacrifice to either your family or your work. Or carrying loads of stress and guilt and feeling like you are always disappointing someone BUT at least you accomplished your To-Do list, right?
So rather than sacrifice either family or business, the answer I’ve found is to bring in re-enforcements and create systems, systems, systems. By now, I think I’m starting to have systems for my systems.
You can start by delegating, outsourcing, prioritizing, and most of all…….be OK with not having finished everything today, or this week, or this month. That was the hardest for me since I am a “finisher”. I couldn’t mentally rest until I knew I was “finished” with my work – whatever the heck that meant for the day.
Let’s face it – things happen. You may fall short of your goal today. But that’s OKAY. Because it probably meant that you had to shift your priorities and make a decision that was going to change the course of your day. When I have a plan for the day, and then intentionally make a decision to change it because XYZ happened, that feels WAY different than, oops I didn’t get everything done, and now I feel like a failure.
Maybe you’re thinking…..’That’s great, but………HOW do we do this?’
I usually start by keeping 3 lists:
1. Long-term projects list
2. Bi-weekly task list
3. Daily to-do
If you have followed my blog for sometime, you will know – I LOVE GOOGLE Organization. It has saved me on so many occasions.
I keep the first two lists as a Google doc shared with my husband and other staff. My husband and I also share a Google Calendar. It’s color coded for personal, ministry, photography, business, dinner. Yes, I even do my meal planning as an event in my google calendar.
EVERYTHING goes on the calendar. From dentist appointments, scheduled days off, birthdays, holidays, playdates, blocked off family weekends, social events, photoshoots, weddings, volunteer schedules, house projects, family work days and bar-b-ques with friends. A-n-y-thing. Since it’s shared with my husband, he has access to it at any time and can easily add his own appointments and projects without having to worry about a conflict.
As a busy household, we have found this rule is key:
If you don’t MAKE time for it, you won’t FIND time for it.
So what does this look like with every day tasks?
1. “Long-term projects” are anything that is on the radar that is not pressing. Usually to do with website updates, new marketing ideas, side projects or blog post ideas. If it’s something I don’t have to be directly involved in, I’ll assign it so someone else so they can put it on THEIR to do list. If not, it goes on mine.
2. “The bi-weekly task” list goes along with our payroll schedule to keep things easy and consistent. As we go along, if we think of anything that needs to be done during this time, we put it on the list. If it doesn’t need to be done within these two weeks, it goes to Long Term Projects.
3. “Daily To – Do” is stuff I need to get done TODAY. I’ll jot it down on my little paper notebook. As much as I adore technology, there’s nothing like taking pen to paper and crossing things off a list. Then I can feel like I FINISHED it….right? Items might include: Go to bank, take out chicken, edit session, write this blog post, pack kid lunches, you get the idea.
Now…what happens when your 4 year old spikes a fever in the middle of the day? Well, the To-Do gets reevaluated quickly and gets shifted around to the bi-weekly task list on different days. The bank can wait until tomorrow. I’ll order pizza instead of making dinner. I can write during naptime after the meds kick in. I will edit after hours. Hopefully there’s enough time left for a shower and actually EAT the food I just ordered and before I need to leave for my other child’s school play. Life happens. And it’s a lot easier to shift the gears of a well organized plan than it is to feel like you are drowning and never going to be able to accomplish anything.
I’ll deal with tomorrow’s list…..tomorrow. But for today I can feel like I accomplished something even though it wasn’t in my original plan. Having a system in place helps to manage those unexpected things that come up when being a mom has to take immediate priority over today’s business. It also helps keep me somewhat sane so when my husband comes home at the end of the day, that I don’t feel like I’m on my last nerve hanging on by a thread waiting for him to walk in the door to tag in and rescue me from the chaos. Oh this happens, TRUST ME – EVERY parent has those days! But it’s not the “normal” day if I’ve done what I could to manage the day better.
ONLINE TIME TAKING TOO MUCH TIME?
I recently implemented a WONDERFUL new tip I learned about email and online time = No email or social media before lunch. This way you can hit the ground running bright and early and get some actual work done. If email starts to get the best of you, at least you have already accomplished a bunch of tasks first thing in the morning. Still trying to break this habit myself, but when I do stick to this, it frees up LOADS of time.
Thanks for visiting today!
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East Coast Fine Art Lifestyle Family Portrait Photographer Angelsea Urban
Angelsea Urban is a photographer and entrepreneur helping women use their creative gifts to nourish their homes and cultivate their businesses through practical stewardship. Her unique photography work focuses on Redefining the Family Portrait Experience by telling the story of family through personalized foundations while creating a space to strengthen family bonds throughout the experience. Angelsea has helped the careers of photographers, restaurateurs, musicians and general small business owners through teaching, workshops and consulting. Her ministry work focuses on fostering creative gifts in women entrepreneurs to prioritize family and discipleship. She has photographed for families, brides, Bravo TV, NFL Films, and more and has been featured on multiple blogs and magazine print for her work in photography and in business. Angelsea teaches and photographs the United States, and resides with her husband of 17 years, their two children, and their barely 3 pound Yorkie near Long Beach Island, New Jersey.
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