As a mompreneur, you have the heart of a mom and the mindset of a business owner. Your time management includes balancing business deadlines, attending soccer games, and keeping your dog off the stack of unfolded laundry (that has been in the same spot for two days).
Have you ever wished there were more hours in a day? The truth… You do not want more hours. The reason? If given extra time, you’d likely expand your checklist and pinpoint the lack of time as the root problem in your day. What you really desire is more freedom with the time you have.
“You do not need more time. You need stronger prioritizing skills and healthy boundaries.” Plus, a few great time management tips!
Realistic Time Management Tips & Strategies
1. Time Is Your Most Valuable Asset—Invest It Wisely
Just as you budget every dollar in your business and personal life, placing VALUE on minutes and hours leads to profitable returns on your time. Money can be made, but time can not! Everyone gets the same amount of time in their day. The only difference is how each person CHOOSES to spend that time.
Action: Begin each day with a plan that reflects your to-do list and your life’s visions and values. Allocate time blocks for work tasks, family activities, and self-care. When you consistently plan, you actively invest in a future where you can be fully present, allowing you to give from a place of abundance, not exhaustion.
2. Learn to Say “No” (Lovingly)
There’s grace in the word “no”—a simple word that will protect your time and energy. It’s important to recognize that every “yes” to a request is a “no” to something else—potentially valuable time with your family or necessary tasks for your business.
Action: Learn to discern which opportunities align with your priorities and which ones you can afford to pass up. It’s okay to decline requests that do not fit into your schedule, align with your values, or get you closer to your goals.
For some, this means getting comfortable with your decision to say “no.” Understand that you were not created to be a people pleaser. Do not let other’s expectations of how you should spend your time be the determining factor of how to spend it. The quicker you learn to say “no,” the sooner you can use your capacity to thrive in your home and business. I have never seen an empty cup fill anyone’s glass.
You will find more success if you stop trying to max out your capacity and start learning to base your schedule on what you know your capacity is.
3. Time Management Can’t Exist Without Boundaries on Timeframes
Healthy boundaries are essential for working moms, especially if you work from home. If you are feeling exhausted most days (and you have no problem saying “no”), more than likely, you do not have enough boundaries in place. Boundaries are often seen as negative, but they are meant to protect. And having the right boundaries can protect quality time with your family and business growth.
Action: Set clear limits on when you will be working and when you will be present with your family. Communicate these timeframes to clients and family members. Following through on time management commitments is crucial. Knowing your boundaries is useless without taking action to implement them effectively. Boundaries enable you to perform your best as the CEO of your business while being a mom.
4. Pursue Realistic Ambitions
One of the pitfalls of being a business-owning mama is the temptation of overcommitment. Expecting yourself to be superwoman is unsustainable. Not to mention, you have to remember that our children learn by watching us. I know this firsthand, so no mama is shaming here. But if you are anything like me, you do not want your babies growing up stuck on the same hampster wheel of hustle and grind. When we apply solid time management strategies, we can intentionally manage what we are modeling for our kids.
Action: Be realistic about what you can achieve within a given timeframe. Do not plan your schedule as if everything will be “perfect.” Give yourself space for the unpredictables- such as homework, sick kids, and new client inquiries. Overpromising or overcommitting leads to unnecessary stress. Focus on goals that are ambitious and attainable.
5. Prioritize: What is Urgent vs What “Feels” Urgent
The heart of time management is found in the wisdom of prioritizing. Distinguishing between what is urgent yet important versus urgent and not important will help you prioritize your time.
Action: Train your mind to assess the long-term value of activities and allow it to guide your daily decisions. Do not decide where your time should go based on how urgent they feel, but how important they are. I categorize my tasks based on urgency, but I use the categories of Necessary, Important, Time-Sensitive, and Not a Priority to pull out the emotional urge to place a task on my calendar that do not belong. This helps me have Less Stress and More Success in my day-to-day activities.
And since I am a time management nerd who loves creating tools for my coaching clients, I created a free downloadable guide to help you prioritize your time so you have Less Stress and More Success in your weekly schedule, too!
Start applying these five time management strategies, and you’re not just managing your time but mastering it! You deserve to be the mom who is not overworked by an endless to-do list. Take control of how you spend your time today, and you will take control of the future you want!
Grab My #1 Scheduling Secret downloadable guide here.
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