How do I do it all? Short answer I don’t. But I do get a lot done in a week. I’m a working mama of two with a thriving blog and just recently announced etsy shop too! I love to be creatively busy. I also love to not feel completely run ragged and worn out.
I’ll be honest here, there are some weeks I don’t do it all or much of anything at all besides go to work and keep the tiny humans alive. There are some weeks I push myself so hard that it goes by in a blink. I often find when I push myself that hard I get a bit exhausted and a few days will go by where I can’t even think about special projects. The biggest thing I’ve learned since I became a mama is listening to my body and identifying what I truly need.
If there’s one thing you take from this post, that’s the message. Listen to what your body is telling you it needs. Don’t follow my plan. Use this as a guide to make your plan and get done what you want to get done.
#1 Get Real.
I can make a to-do list like nobody’s business. I will put 103 tasks I plan to accomplish in a day. But the reality is, that’s too many! I would often find myself discouraged by my unchecked off to-do list. So now I make two lists. One is all the things, a full brain dump with every task and possible to-do. And then I take those tasks and put a maximum of three to accomplish on any given day. These tasks have to be small enough that they can actually be completed in a day. For example: write thank you notes for holiday gifts. Tasks on the list cannot be huge projects like ‘Organize the house’. But they could be, ‘Organize the kitchen’ or even ‘Organize junk drawer in the kitchen’.
Completing my daily to-do list gives me a sense of satisfaction that carries through to a good night’s sleep and a momentum for the next day to get the next three things done.
#2 Find blocks of time. Make them sacred.
Almost every Saturday morning I get up at 5am, head to Starbucks, and write. After a few hours I head to the gym and I’m home by 9:30am. I always feel great walking back through the door when I’ve accomplished so much. I find I’m ready to give myself over to the kids and do whatever for the rest of the day. I’m a happier more engaged version of me because I’ve already completed things taking up space in my brain.
It’s up to me to get up and go… and that can be difficult. To make it easier I pack my bag the night before and put it right next to the garage door. I lay out (or heck even sometimes sleep in) the clothes I plan to wear. When the alarm rings at 5am I now out of sheer habit say, this is the hardest part, this is the hardest part, this is the hardest part, until my toes swing around out of the comfy blankets and onto the floor. That’s the truth, getting physically out of my cozy warm bed is the absolute hardest thing to do. Once I do that, I’m good to go.
This might be the push you need to get up early and if so great! But perhaps you’re a night owl…okay, then set a few hours on a given night that is your time for xyz. Know that you’ll have more distractions and excuses to face and power through to accomplish your goals. And once you have that time – protect it. Not just from others but from yourself. Turn the TV off, stop scrolling the internet, minimize your distractions so that you actually use the time as intended.
#3 Do like Liz Gilbert and sneak time.
In Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert, talks about dating your creativity. She likens it to when you’re first dating someone new and sneaking time away here and there to be with them. There’s an excitement and curiosity when you date someone new. She says you should lean into that creatively.
I usually have any of a half dozen projects waiting for me that I could sneak away for 15 minutes to work on. Last year, I got very into sewing sequin patches on jackets. I’d often go into the guest room or bring it out to the couch to work on for a few minutes while the kids played on the porch or watched TV. The key here was that I put all the materials I needed into one container so they were always at the ready. I could grab it, do a bit of work, and stop the minute the kids changed gears.
I know what you might be thinking, 15 minutes is so little! It’s not enough to finish anything. Here’s what I have to say about that. Four sets of 15 minutes easily finishes this sort of project, and some progress is better than nothing. To tie it back to my girl Liz, the sneaking away and the looking forward to those minutes can be really fun and exciting. So add a little excitement to your life and sneak 15 minutes to yourself.
#4 Say no. Say no a lot.
This one is so hard. But you have to start saying NO. No to things that don’t light you up, things you think you have to do but you really don’t, and no to the latest franchise of the Real Housewives. No to a lot over and over again. Saying no frees up your time. It also frees up your mental energy and bandwidth enough for you to succeed at things you actually want to do. Have you ever said yes to going out to something that you really didn’t want to? How much time did you spend thinking about it? Worrying about it? Coming up with an excuse not to go? Or even thinking about what you would do if you didn’t go? That’s a lot of mental energy that could have been spared if you said No in the first place. No is hard, but it gets easier every time you say it and realize the world doesn’t end. You can do it!
#5 Surround yourself with inspiration.
I am a podcast and instagram lover. I listen to inspiring podcasts that tell stories of people succeeding, walking through life figuring out their purpose, and also sometimes are just plain funny. They make me happy. I curate my instagram to follow people who inspire me to do more and be excited about life. The minute any of these make me discouraged, envious, give me that little groan of annoyance, or that pang of jealousy… I unfollow. I have a hard line of this and make no exceptions. Curating what I consume has made a huge difference for my mindset.
That’s all I’ve got for you my friends – a couple simple ways I make myself a priority enough to get things done. Notice anything that stands out? There’s no real secret or magic cure!
Focused time and attention on things that matter most to me make all the difference in what I’m able to accomplish. I hope that’s helpful and freeing. It’s permission to say no so that you can say yes to yourself. It’s permission to live your best life, if you can be bold enough to decide what that is.
