I used to be a very organized person but as a mom of an active toddler, it’s easy to make an excuse for not getting things done. At some point, I had so many things in my mind and a whirlwind of nonstop activity but I actually could not accomplish anything on my to-do list. I agree that having kids could throw you out of board but could that be the only culprit for time mismanagement?
Definitely not.
If you insist on joining the club of chaotic moms – be my guest. Here’s the foolproof way to get in:
1. Overschedule
A lot of people (including myself) forget that we can only do so much for a certain period of time. Now I know that the ability to multitask is a gift that I just don’t have (as much as I want to). Once, I tried to do four things at once - feed Phoebe, do the laundry, write emails and steam veggies – all at the same time. I ended up sending my email to the wrong person while I forced myself to eat overcooked veggies (as expected, I forgot to turn off the steamer). And yes, because our feeding session did not go smoothly as planned, I forgot to dry the clothes and had to wash them all over again. Unfortunately, time is not a storage container that comes in different sizes. It is not a variable. If not used wisely, it will create more problems that will keep you from doing what is REALLY important. Keep on trying to fit more things into your schedule and you’ll definitely lose control of your time – 100% guaranteed.
2. Be a supermom
Sign up your little one in ALL baby classes she could attend, go to ALL playdates, attend ALL parties (even if it means three birthday parties on one day), set unrealistic deadlines to your to-do tasks, have a rigid schedule and beat yourself up if you don’t get things done. If you do all these for a couple of months then you better start looking for a mental institution in your area as early as possible.
3. Forget that you need to rest too
Many people make themselves too busy to escape personal issues – a challenging marriage, other troubled relationships and other issues that they are not yet ready to tackle. Being a parent and a wife is not an easy job but it is manageable if you give yourself enough time to regain your energy and refocus after every task. Still, a lot of moms suffer from what I call SDS (Self Destruction Syndrome). They neglect themselves, get frustrated easily and blame other people for their misery.
4. Forget about your goals and priorities.
Many people, not only moms, struggle to set their priorities right. I admit that I still lack the ability to know what’s important and not. But I realized that this is a crucial factor to avoid a chaotic schedule. In today’s world, there are many high technology tools that claim to help us unclutter our life but if we don’t know what we want to do with our time, it’s hard to put these tools into use. I used to have endless to-do lists but yet on most days, i was not even able to look at them because I had to deal with other unpredictable crises at home that needed my immediate attention. One friend I know complained of not having the time to look for a job. She then realized that time was not the the real culprit, it was her indecisiveness – she was not really sure what she wants to do with her life!
5. Make a tight schedule
Waiting until the last minute before getting things done might have worked for me back in my college days but not anymore. Cramming for the exams, (literally) last minute revisions of a school project or submitting school forms a few minutes before the office closes made me think that I can make the impossible happen (because I always passed). But I realized that if I’m given too much free time, I become nonproductive and listless.
Now I know that I should always have a plan on when and how I can cut those to-do lists. I started planning for more structured leisure activities and allocated a certain day for a particular task or hobby (scrapbooking on Mondays, blogging on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, photography on Thursdays). I put “more important” activities like paying bills, budget review, household chores on my weekend list because these tasks require more time and my full attention.
Lesson learned: Try to be realistic with your goals and allow your schedule to “breathe”. Remember that the first sign of a disorganized home is an overflowing closet so why cram your time with unnecessary activities?
Don’t get me wrong, I am not an organizing guru when it comes to time management. I still wish a day would have at least 48 hours because there’s still so much to do but a predetermined “mind map” gives me the feeling that I am in control and I will eventually get everything done on a certain day. And that made a huge difference.
Click here to read my article on mindmapping.
Photo by Bigblue: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffhester/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
ayun, sapul mo!
gusto ko yung #2, hahaha