Starting from the moment you wake up, you feel pressed for time. You have to get the kids ready for school and yourself to work on time. Once you arrive at the office, clients are ringing your phone and superiors want things ASAP.
Working mothers need to be good time managers. You're expected to balance work and motherhood, and not get too stressed juggling the two. While this task is far from easy, there are many time management tools to help you complete your daily duties efficiently.
Set Goals Setting realistic goals for yourself is a time management tool that will force you to use your time wisely each day.
At Home: A daily home goal is to have the kids fed and ready for bed by 8 p.m. Reach your goal by focusing on dinner preparation, cleaning up and getting the kids showered and into bed.
At Work: A work goal may be to complete a project to which you need to dedicate 20 hours per week.
Write a To-Do List A to-do list is your prioritized time management tool that reminds you of all the tasks you need to accomplish. It not only streamlines your daily activities, it keeps you focused on your goals.
At Home: Items on your to-do list may include cleaning out the garage over the weekend, or remembering that tomorrow is recycling day and the trash needs to be hauled to the curb.
At Work: Your list should contain both long- and short-term projects that will help you gain perspective on the progress you make each day.
Multitask Effective multitasking is a valuable time management tool when used properly because it allows you to work on more than one task at a time.
At Home: At home multitasking might include ironing the kids' clothing while talking to your mother on the phone. Avoid multitasking two activities that need your full attention, such as ironing and making lunches.
At Work: At work, multitasking may consist of cold-calling potential clients while cleaning your desk. Don't allow one task to take too much precedence over another because one job may suffer.
Delete E-mails Set high spam controls to avoid too much unwanted e-mail.
At Home: Home e-mails with content relating to kids' soccer schedules and online shopping can be easily deleted when finished to avoid a cluttered mailbox. If you receive too many advertisements, delete those you don't need before opening them.
At Work: You have important e-mails you need to save, yet organize. Keep these in your saved mail file, or create a document in a program, like Microsoft Word, where you can store important e-mails.
Take Time-Outs Give yourself a daily time-out of at least 15 minutes each day where you sit quietly in a designated place to gain clarity. Whatever you do during this time, make it your time, and a break from your daily demands.
At Home: Take this time at the beginning or end of your day to meditate, think about weekend plans, or focus on the positives in your life
At Work: Effective workday time-outs can consist of a few quick exercises, such as simple stretches to get your blood circulating and joints flexible.
Organize Team Efforts Whether it's your tiniest helpers at home, or your office coffee clatch, employ a team approach as an effective time management tool.
At Home: Get your 5-year-old to put toys away and help clean the playroom. Make cleaning fun: play word games or sing songs while you work.
At Work: Delegate responsibilities to subordinates. Assemble a team to get the task completed in the shortest timeframe possible.
Use Leadership Skills Taking a leadership role in both work and home situations is a time management tool that allows you to take control of the time you allot to a project.
At Home: When it comes to paying household bills, if your spouse doesn't have time to do them with you, streamline efforts and offer to do them on your own.
At Work: When you're working on a project with a colleague, do your part and give your co-worker a deadline to complete his or her contribution.
